If you have ever watched a presidential motorcade, a diplomatic arrival in Manhattan during the UN General Assembly or a federal law enforcement operation, you have seen the same vehicle again and again: a black Chevrolet Suburban. The Suburban became the workhorse of American government transportation because it combines three rows of seating, a truck-based frame able to carry heavy armor, a powerful V8, four-wheel drive and nationwide parts and service — all in one vehicle made in the United States.

The reasons, in short

  • Payload. A body-on-frame truck chassis can carry hundreds of pounds of armor, communications gear and people.
  • Space. Room for agents, equipment and passengers, or for medical and tactical gear.
  • Durability. Built to run long hours at low speed, idle for extended periods and handle rough roads.
  • Availability. Chevrolet dealers and parts are everywhere in the U.S., and GM offers special-service versions.
  • Buy American rules. Federal agencies generally prefer domestically produced vehicles.

In the motorcade

A typical presidential motorcade includes the armored presidential limousine — “The Beast” — plus a spare, surrounded by black SUVs carrying Secret Service agents, the counter-assault team, staff and communications equipment. Many of those support vehicles are Suburbans, often heavily modified. The Beast itself is built on GM heavy-duty truck underpinnings; read about it in The Beast presidential limousine.

Special-service Suburbans

Chevrolet offers Special Service Vehicle versions of the Suburban for police, fire and government use, with heavy-duty cooling, electrical upgrades and equipment mounts. Armored versions are built by specialist companies that add ballistic steel, composite panels, run-flat tires and bullet-resistant glass — sometimes adding well over a thousand pounds. Read more about armored vehicle protection levels.

Why black?

Black vehicles look formal, blend together in a motorcade — making it harder to tell which vehicle carries whom — and match the long tradition of official cars. It is the same logic that made black the standard color for chauffeured transportation; see why black cars are black.

Beyond the federal government

State police, city agencies, ambulance services, utilities and corporate security teams also use Suburbans. Its ubiquity in official roles made the black Suburban a visual shorthand in films and television for power and authority.

What it means for civilian passengers

The same qualities that suit government work — space, comfort over long distances, four-wheel drive in winter and a quiet cabin — make the Suburban an excellent chauffeured vehicle for families and groups. See the Suburban in our fleet on the Chevrolet Suburban page, or book our black SUV service. For events like UN week, read our guide to UN General Assembly traffic in NYC.