If you’re anything like me, when you think of an institution, you picture a building that’s been standing for decades. You don’t usually imagine a vehicle.
Since 1908, General Motors has produced both kinds of institutions – the Arlington Assembly Plant and the Chevrolet Suburban, in particular. Believe it or not, the Suburban, which has been around since 1935, predates the AAP by nearly 20 years.
The body-on-frame SUV is responsible for creating countless road trip memories over the past eight decades. On the other hand, the AAP’s output since January 1954 is quantifiable. The Texas facility has manufactured 10 million vehicles, including Chevy Monte Carlos, Buick Roadmasters, Cadillac Escalades, and GMC Yukons.
However, the Chevrolet Suburban has the distinction of being the nine- and 10-millionth vehicle to come out of the Arlington Assembly Plant. The bow tie crew made sure to bring the latest rolling milestone, decked out in LTZ trim and five-spoke chrome wheels, to last week’s Dallas Auto Show.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
