Utility Madness! A Gallery of Classic SUV Ads

We can pretend that this whole crossover thing came out of nowhere, but that really isn’t the case. In reality, utility vehicles have been with us nearly as long as the automobile has–it’s just that the “trucks” were generally marginalized as commercial vehicles and mostly dismissed by the average family-vehicle consumer.

If anything, this gallery of classic utility-vehicle ads serves as a loose timeline for the SUV’s gradual integration into the mainstream new-vehicle market.

Our primary focus here is on old-school, body-on-frame trucks. That said, the Jeep Grand Cherokee at the bottom of the page is really a unibody vehicle, though it maintains enough of that trucky attitude to make our list.

If you’ve spent time with any of these classic utes, please tell us about it. The place to leave comments is down below.

 

Classic SUV Ads

1935 Chevrolet Suburban

4WD Madness! 10 Classic Lada Niva Ads

 

1936 Plymouth Westchester Suburban

Aussie Madness! 12 Classic Ute Ads

 

1951 Willys

Bulldog Madness! 10 Classic Mack Truck Ads

 

1962 Datsun Patrol

Winter Madness! 10 Classic Car Ads Featuring Snow

 

1965 Toyota Land Cruiser

4WD Madness! 10 Classic Jeep Ads

 

1966 Jeep Wagoneer

’60s Madness! 10 Years of Classic Pickup Truck Ads

 

1966 Ford Bronco

’70s Madness! 10 Years of Classic Pickup Truck Ads

 

1969 International Scout

Vannin’ Madness! 5 Classic Van Ads

 

1970 GMC Jimmy

Grabowsky Madness! 10 Classic GMC Ads

 

1973 International Scout

Convoy Madness! 12 Classic CB-Radio Ads

 

1974 Dodge Ramcharger

Family Madness! 6 Classic Car Ads Featuring The Entire Clan

 

1975 Plymouth Trail Duster

Photo Feature: 1954 International Model R-140 Station Wagon

 

1978 Ford Bronco

Forgotten Trim Level: 2003-2004 Ford Explorer NBX

 

1982 Ford Bronco