The 1955-1957 GMC
Suburban was GMC's version of Chevrolet's Cameo pickup. The Suburban
was initially called Town & Country. The name was changed to
Suburban to avoid trouble with Chrysler, but was probably confused with
the Suburban wagon.
 1955 GMC S-100 Suburban pickup. See more pictures of 1950s cars. |
The Suburban shared the same smooth styling of the Cameo, but the GMC had the advantage of bigger, more powerful engines than Chevrolet. The six was a GMC design, while the V-8 was borrowed from Pontiac.
While Chevrolet built the Cameo as a low-production model, GMC used the Suburban as a promotional piece to draw showroom traffic. Suburbans are therefore much rarer than Cameos.
Pluses of the 1955-1957 GMC Suburban:
- Trend-setting style
- Rarity
- Better performance than a Cameo
Minuses of the 1955-1957 GMC Suburban:
- Even harder to find than a Cameo
- Parts also hard to find
Specifications of the 1955-1957 GMC Suburban:
Weight, pounds: 3,645
Length, inches: 198
Wheelbase, inches: 114.0
Price, new: $1,923 (1955)
Engines for the 1955-1957 GMC Suburban:
| Type | Size | Horsepower | Years |
| ohv I-6 | 248 cid | 125 | 1955 |
| ohv I-6 | 269 cid | 130 | 1956-1957 |
| ohv V-8 | 287 cid | 155 | 1955 |
| ohv V-8 | 316 cid | 180 | 1956 |
| ohv V-8 | 347 cid | 206 | 1957 |
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