This John Deere green 1981 Suburban has a manual and a bulldog hood ornament

Today, we know the Chevrolet Suburban as something that picks us up from airports or clogs the left lane of highways with only two kids and some luggage on board. Alas, that has not always been the case.

Behold, the coolest Suburban I have ever seen: a 1981 Chevrolet 4×4 currently for auction on Bring a Trailer. Its Emerald Green paint is the original color, if repainted some time ago, and when paired with some tasteful yellow striping, looks like it belongs in a John Deere collection. The “Doeskin” vinyl interior with brown dash complement it beautifully. 

After sitting for more than a decade, the selling dealer in Salem, Ore., brought it back to life mechanically and spruced it up with new tires, a Badlands 12,000-pound winch, a grille guard, Warn foglamps, auxiliary backup lights and a high-lift jack mounted to the rear bumper. The original owner installed custom fishing pole holders inside. It’s bad-ass, yet tasteful. 

Oh, and it has a manual transmission, which around here, means you automatically get several hundred extra awesome points. It has four speeds and is attached to the Suburban’s 350 cubic-inch V8 and two-speed transfer case.

The five-digit speedometer shows 95,000 miles, but that could mean it has 895,000 miles. It’s certainly not in pristine condition as there are plenty of paint imperfections and some interior wear. But this isn’t some garage princess. It deserves to roam, damn it. 

And to lead the charge, there’s a little chrome bulldog mounted on the hood. It’s a tribute to Stanley, the mascot of selling dealer Denwerks. It’s an absolutely perfect addition. 

You can find all the information available on this truck along with 170+ pictures on Bring a Trailer, where its auction ends in two days.