GMC Suburban III gallery (1947–1955)

The third-generation GMC Suburban based on the post-war Advance Design truck platform with improved interior room.

All photos 0 I 0 1937–1940 II 0 1941–1946 III 0 1947–1955 IV 0 1955–1959 V 0 1960–1966 VI 0 1967–1972 VII 0 1973–1991 VIII (GMT400) 0 1992–1999

The third-generation GMC Suburban arrived in 1947 built upon GM's celebrated post-war Advance Design truck architecture, known in GMC terminology as the New Design series. It introduced a vastly more spacious cab with wider seating, superior visibility, improved ventilation, and a rigid all-steel body structure available with either rear panel doors or a tailgate arrangement. Powertrains featured robust overhead-valve inline-six engines displaceable at 228 and 248 cubic inches, delivering enhanced output and smooth operation alongside three-speed and four-speed manual transmissions. In the early 1950s, GMC pioneered the offering of the four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission in its light-duty trucks and Suburbans. The vehicle retained a tough ladder chassis with heavy-duty solid axles and leaf springs designed for long service life across North America's rapidly expanding post-war highway and rural networks.