The birth year of the modern car is considered to be 1885, when German inventor Karl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a self-propelled vehicle with three large wheels and a rear-mounted engine. It was capable of reaching 10 mph and the original cost was 600 German marks ($150). Large-scale production-line manufacturing of cars didn’t begin until 1901, and by 1913 Henry Ford greatly expanded the concept and created the world’s first moving assembly line for automobiles. The car model that has been around longest is the Chevrolet Suburban, which has been in production for 86 years. Not only is it the car with the longest production run, but it has been one of General Motors’ most profitable vehicles. The first-generation Chevrolet Suburban, launched in 1935, was one of the first all-metal-bodied station wagons. The original concept for the Chevrolet Suburban was to achieve a “carry-all” function, meaning the entire family and all of their gear could fit into it comfortably and effectively while still fitting in carports. For 1941, the second-generation Chevrolet Suburban was released, serving not only families but also the military as a transport vehicle for World War II.
