18

18 2008 Fuel Management Resource Guide commercial ontheindustry. applications andithadalongstandingimpact Pontiac6000. The in the I The fromcapability afleetperspective. , and a convertible. The pillared four-door , pillared two-door coupe, hardtop two-door a include to the 1967, For sedan. hardtop door name The nameplate. centralizationcontributedsupplierthevehicleperalsopurchasesone to withof practice This approach. this adopt to first the among were companies maceutical and Ford, fromone,two,threeorchoices seven eight. manylistsasor withto as standard.intermediate an to cars full-size“ fromaway trend the start to enough successful was Skylark brands. The other for business fleet the up that vehicle a volume not was first the was ‘70s early and ‘60s late the of Skylark Buick The eliminated thetraditional large transmissiontunnel. humpanddriveshaft front the in driveline complete the Placing cars. build to way efficient more a as seen was drive Front-wheel fleets. to important alwayseconomy, fuel improved le ro Chev Buick Skylark le ro Chev ntroduced in 1981 for the 1982 model-year,the 1982 the for 1981 in ntroduced U .S. in 1986. The mid-size car used the same engines as one of its siblings, the hevrolet, , or a Ford, to made a significant impact by opening opening by impact significant a Ford,made toa or Plymouth, Chevrolet, hrysler were joined by Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, and Mercury. Phar Mercury. and Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, by joined were Chrysler C utlass appeared in 1966, the first year of GM’s new intermediate four- intermediate GM’s new of year first the 1966, in appeared utlass C t t itation was the first front-wheel-drive vehicle with substantially substantially with vehicle front-wheel-drive first the was itation

C Cit Celebrit elebrity’s breadth of product offerings allowed its use for many many for use its allowed offerings product of elebrity’sbreadth Cutlass a tion Flashback C utlass was a larger vehicle than the Skylark with more y C utlass Supreme full series line was expanded expanded was line series full Supreme utlass C elebrity was the best-selling car car best-selling the was elebrity C ar Selectors”ar went from the C hevrolet, - Past to Present 5/13/2008 2:45:01 PM

GM has offered an extensive history of fleet vehicles. Here is a look at fleet vehicles that Flashback from the Past to Present changed history.

Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari Van The was a mid-size van introduced by Chevrolet in 1985. Sharing the Astro’s truck-based platform was the GMC Safari. It was the first true commer- cial alternative to a full-size van, providing great mobility in metropolitan areas and exceptional fuel efficiency. Due to the truck-based platform, the Astro and Safari were oriented more for cargo and towing. A properly-equipped Astro could pull 6,000 lbs. with ease.

Chevrolet Astro

Chevrolet Suburban The Chevy Suburban was the first sport/utility vehicle to crack the fleet market. It still holds a unique position for its application in so many different areas, including government, law enforcement, etc. It is one of the longest, continuous automobile nameplates in the United States, originating in 1935. 19 2008 Fuel Resource Management Guide

Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana In 1996, the Express/Savana became the first GM entries into the full-size, full-frame van market. GM’s vans were body frame integral and did not meet the GVW needs of commercial customers. GM thus began to make significant inroads into a seg- ment of the industry that up to that point was dominated by Ford. The Express/ Savana currently hold 44.8 percent of the full-size van market in the United States. The cargo version of the Express/Savana is popular as a work vehicle, often used by electricians, plumbers, and others needing to haul significant cargo. The Express/Savana is also available as a passenger van, seating eight to 15 pas- sengers (depending on the model), and is often used as a tow vehicle, ambulance, or shuttle bus. Both the cargo and passenger models, as well as cutaway versions, often serve as the basis for conversion vans and motor homes.

Chevrolet HHR Panel The Chevrolet 2007 HHR Panel can satisfy many commercial uses. It features win- dowless side panels and rear cargo doors instead of conventional rear doors. A flat load floor allows for more than 57 cubic feet of cargo space, along with approxi- mately five cubic feet of additional covered, lockable, under-floor storage. A panel van version of the retro wagon was inspired by GM commercial customers, who saw the original HHR at GM’s fleet and commercial product show. GM predicts business customers will see great value in the HHR Panel, since few commercial vehicles get 30 mpg.

19 5/13/2008 2:45:02 PM