Introduced in 1935 on a half-ton truck chassis, the Chevrolet Carryall Suburban (above, right) combined the practicality of a passenger car with the durability of a light delivery vehicle. It was one of the precursors of the modern sport utility vehicle. Americans took to the road after the Great Depression, camping in our National Parks, often in their Carryall Suburbans.

For 1937, Chevrolet introduced new trucks featuring streamlined, art deco styling that many consider the best designs of the era. A 1937 Chevrolet half-ton pickup (above) undertook a grueling 10,245-mile U.S. drive sanctioned by the American Automobile Association. Carrying a 1,060-pound load, it averaged 20.74 miles per gallon. And by decade's end, Chevrolet was a force to be reckoned with in the heavy-duty category (right).