We’re all used to seeing the familiar sight of celebrities getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and putting their hands (sometimes feet) into the cement nearby. But the sidewalk’s most recent addition isn’t quite a celebrity in the traditional sense and doesn’t have any hands or feet to press into the wet cement. This week, Hollywood is recognizing the Chevrolet Suburban for its contributions to film and television over the last 67 years, making it the first vehicle to be honored on the legendary strip of cement.
The Suburban made its Hollywood debut in 1952 and has since “starred” in over 1,750 films and television series. Chevy says the truck has appeared in at least one TV series every year since 1956 and at least one film every year since 1960. The Tahoe’s rollout in 1995 boosted those numbers even further, but the Suburban’s reign on the silver screen is impressive on its own.
The truck’s bloodline goes back much further than its run in Hollywood, though. The first Chevrolet vehicles to carry the name date to 1935 when the Carryall Suburban debuted with a station wagon body on a small truck chassis. The idea then was to carry the whole family and all of their junk in one vehicle. The concept is a familiar one today, as SUVs have pushed out sedans and minivans as the vehicle of choice for families in the United States. Chevy had the right idea all along but was 85 years early to the party.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is well-known as the place where stars from music, TV, film, and other media are honored for their contributions to the arts. It’s part of a public sidewalk that anyone can view at any time, but once a nominee is accepted for a star there’s a $50,000 charge to cover expenses and help maintain the Walk. The ‘Burban will be joined by quite the motley crew of incoming honorees: The Hollywood Walk of Fame class of 2020 includes Dr. Phil McGraw, Spike Lee, Dave Chappelle, Cindy Crawford, and several others.
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