Introduced in 1934 and built over 12 generations as of 2022, the Chevrolet Suburban is the longest-continuously used vehicle nameplate in production. It’s also one of the largest SUVs you can buy today.
But the Suburban wasn’t always a massive hauler. While the latest SUV has a wheelbase of 134.1 inches (3,406 mm), the first-gen model measured only 113.5 inches (2,883 mm) between the front and rear wheels. All told, the Suburban has grown larger with each generation, and that’s a common thing for nameplates that soldiered on for decades.
However, the twelfth-generation Suburban isn’t the longest of its kind. Back in the 1960s, coachbuilding specialist Armbruster Stageway converted several fifth- and sixth-gen Suburbans into airport coaches.
The company offered two types of heavy-duty coaches at the time, starting with a 12-passenger version that came in at 235 inches (5,969 mm) long. Featuring four rows of seats and three doors, it was notably bigger than the regular Suburban. But it was nowhere as long as the 18-passenger variant.
Fitted with a whopping six rows and no fewer than four doors on the right side, this Behemoth had a wheelbase of 208 inches (5,283 mm) and a total length of 310 inches (7,874 mm). That’s 110 inches (2,794 mm) more than the fifth-gen Suburban and almost 85 inches (2,159 mm) more than the latest iteration of the full-size SUV. It also tipped the scales at more than 6,800 pounds (3,084 kg) and had an upper luggage rack almost as long as the roof. It was a sight to behold.
I say “it was” because these haulers are very hard to spot nowadays since many of them were scrapped when decommissioned. And most of those that weren’t sent to the crusher was left to rot away in backyards. But here’s a 1966 example that survived for more than five decades, and it’s looking for a new owner.
Located in Bozeman, Montana, and sold via Craiglist, this stretched hauler is based on the 1966 Suburban, the final year of the fifth-generation SUV. But it has seen better days, now sporting a worn-out livery with hot rod-style flames and a few rust holes.
The 18-passenger behemoth has been with the seller for more than a decade now. He purchased it in its current state to restore it, but life got in the way. Now he’s looking to sell to someone that has the time and resources to get the job done.
According to the story, this Suburban wasn’t used as an airport coach, but to haul people to the Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks in the 1960s and 1970s. The vehicle appears to be highly original but the photos suggest it might be missing a row of seats.
It’s unclear if the engine under the hood is original, but the seller says it starts and runs with “a little get’er going fluid in the carb.” He also thinks that the V8 is a 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) unit, which wouldn’t be accurate for 1966. V8 options that year included 283- and 327-cubic-inch (4.6- and 5.4-liter) mills, and this SUV appears to rely on the latter.
While it’s not the most practical Suburban when it comes to storing it in a dry garage, this Stageway conversion is exotic, to say the least. And a restored version of it would be a cool addition to a hotel-to-airport hauling type of business. However, the seller wants $20,000 for it, which is a lot for a vehicle that doesn’t have a big fanbase.