Trivia Time: Chevrolet Edition

Did you know that the Chevy Suburban has been in nearly 2,000 films or that it’s credited as one of the first SUVs? Can you name Chevrolet’s founders? As your used Chevy dealership in Atlanta, we know all about the Chevy brand and are excited to share that knowledge with you. But, don’t expect much talk about horsepower, torque, towing, payload, or safety features. Instead, we’re here to switch things up with a little bit of Chevy trivia. How much do you know about the Chevy brand? Let’s find out!

#1 A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Chevrolet Suburban is the largest SUV in the fleet, and it’s also one of the brand’s biggest film stars. The Suburban has made a television appearance every year since 1956 and has appeared on the silver screen every year since 1960. With appearances in over 30 award-nominated films, the fact that the Suburban is often used as a convoy vehicle for fictitious presidents and countless others is beside the point. The Suburban is a real star, and Hollywood confirmed as much in 2019 when it gave the Suburban a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making it the first object to earn the honor.

#2 Bringing Outer Space to You

The American automotive industry flourished in the 1960s as automakers rushed to deliver more powerful engines at a time when government regulations were minimal. Those would come in the 1970s but, until then, automakers like Chevy were encouraged to dream big. Concept vehicles like Chevy’s Turbo-Titan III embody this mantra and America’s obsession with space in the mid-1960s. The Titan III was outfitted with Astronaut Seats and an exclusive dial steering wheel system specifically designed for the vehicle. Replacing the conventional steering wheel, the dial system was mounted on a pedestal in front of the driver. Its production cost, along with growing government regulations and increasing manufacturing costs, nixed the dial steering wheel and the Titan III long before its official launch.

#3 Chevy Designed the First SUV

There’s no question that the Suburban is one of the oldest names in the automotive industry, but just how old is it? Chevy introduced the Suburban name in 1935. The Carryall Suburban was the first all-steel wagon built on a truck platform that offered seating for eight passengers and was designed to “carry it all.” Chevy, however, didn’t trademark the name, which meant it was free for other automakers to use. By the late 1980s, General Motors finally took ownership of the Suburban name and sealed its fate in the Chevy lineup as the longest-running nameplate in history and the first-ever SUV designed to efficiently carry everything from passengers to cargo.

#4 Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant Didn’t See Eye-to-Eye

William C. Durant was a savvy businessman who founded General Motors in 1908 and quickly added Buick and Oldsmobile to the company. However, Durant’s vision soon exceeded the company’s financial means as GM faced bankruptcy and financial ruin. GM’s Board of Directors ousted Durant from the company in 1910, but he refused to ignore his dreams and teamed up with Swiss race car driver Louis Chevrolet in 1911. The visionaries, however, had different ideas for their new company.

With his history in racing, Louis Chevrolet prioritized performance over affordability, the latter of which meant the most to Durant. Chevrolet’s vision obviously took the lead on the 1911 Series C Classic Six that offered rare luxuries like electric headlamps and an electric starter, which sent its price tag sky high. Durant eventually won the war, however, with Chevrolet leaving the company in 1915 and Durant focusing the company’s efforts on building reliable vehicles with affordable price tags.

#5 Intimidation Is Key

With Louis Chevrolet getting his start as a race car driver in the early 1900s, it’s no surprise that Chevy has maintained strong ties to the racing world. Renowned race car driver Dale Earnhardt died tragically in the last lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001. His death left a massive hole in the racing world and inspired Chevy to pay tribute to the legend with the 2006 Silverado Intimidator SS, now one of the rarest Chevy trucks ever made since Chevy only produced 1,333 models. Churning out 345 horses and 380 lb-ft of torque, the Intimidator’s incredible power matches its stealthy appearance with its all-black exterior and Intimidator badging. Inside, the truck features Dale Earnhardt Legacy logos on the headrests, his signature on the tachometer, and unique Intimidator badging throughout the interior.

#6 Chevy Halted Production (For Good Reason)

With President Roosevelt encouraging Americans to help build an “arsenal of democracy” at the dawn of World War II, General Motors immediately jumped on board and asked its automakers to stop production and, instead, help in the war effort. Cadillac started making M-5 tanks while Buick designed a tank destroyer. Chevy dedicated one plant to manufacturing parts for civilian vehicles while its other plants were dedicated to building gun parts, aircraft engines and parts, and artillery shells. One plant built 3,000 armored cars while another Chevy plant built 1.5-ton ambulances and trucks for the United States Army.

#7 The Iconic Bowtie

Chevrolet was officially founded in 1911, but its logo didn’t appear until 1913, when Durant introduced the bowtie. So, what inspired the logo? It depends on who you ask.

Durant initially said the bowtie came from a wallpaper design he saw in a Parisian hotel. His daughter, however, said Durant doodled it during their family dinner one evening. His wife recalled something else entirely and said Durant was inspired by an ad he saw in The Constitution newspaper for Coalettes. Which story is true? We’ll likely never know.

#8 Chevy and Pop Culture Go Hand-in-Hand

To say that Chevy is ingrained in American culture is an understatement. Don McLean sang about driving a Chevy to the levy in “American Pie,” Prince drove the world wild about a “Little Red Corvette,” and even Snoop Dogg joined the fun with “Ridin’ in My Chevy.” Beyond the music industry, Chevy has earned plenty of recognition on the silver screen with the 1955 Chevy 150 used in American Graffiti, Bumblebee as the Camaro in Transformers, and the Chevy Step-Van in Cheech and Chong Up in Smoke. Add in the Suburban’s thousands of film credits, and there’s no question that Chevy is one of the most used automotive brands in the entertainment industry.

Did You Know?

What other trivia about Chevrolet fascinates you? We’re enamored with the fact that Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant didn’t see eye to eye on the future of the Chevrolet Motor Company. While one wanted to build performance vehicles, the other was determined to make vehicles more affordable and reliable. Unable to agree, Chevy’s first vehicle was a flop and eventually led Chevrolet to leave his own company. This leads us to wonder what Chevrolet would look like today had its namesake stayed on board.

We’re also surprised by the fact that the Suburban beat iconic vehicles like the DeLorean and even the Batmobile to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While we’re familiar with hits like “American Pie,” we truly had no idea that the Suburban was such a Hollywood star, nor did we think twice about the Chevy van in the Cheech and Chong classic. Can you name any other films or hit singles that make use of the iconic Chevy brand?