Station Wagons

My folks had station wagons. 1959 Plymouth and later a 1968 Ford with the fake wood paneling. They were boats but got us to wherever Dad pointed them. The development of the mini van killed them and the SUV was the final nail.

I owned a ‘72 Ford Country Squire station wagon. White body with the wood like panels on both sides. Red & white leather interior with A/C and a high end factory stereo. The wagon new cost under $5,500 at the time, that same car if built today would cost upwards of $35,000 if your lucky! That station wagon held 7 people comfortably and was built like a brick $hit house...I’m sure ya’ll heard that expression. They don’t build them like that “ no mo “! It was like driving a tank, plus a gas guzzler. But at the time gas was under 60 cents a gallon. That was about the same period of time due to gas shortages, we were all under strict gas rationing with either coupons or a fill up every third day. I still remember those days waiting on long lines at the gas station to fill up!!

Suburban Utility Vehicle . . .what was old is new again (but not as classy).

A proper estate or a classic station wagon.

   Yup, the big powerful gas guzzling 390! Great car to go parking with your girlfriend at the time, especially with the fold down rear seats...don’t need to go any further....lol

I'm not sure it's a true wagon but I've always been a hardcore fan of the 80s-early 90s Jeep Wagoneer. What a truck that thing was. I love to woodgrain sides too

My parents had a '74 Chrylser station wagon - white with faux wood panels on the side. They only kept it a few years because people kept running into it. Final star was when somebody jumped the curb, drove across the front lawn and hit it while parked in the driveway.

My folks had a 57 Chevy station wagon and later got a 1970 Ford station wagon. Mom used them for buses for her kindergarten business. I never got to drive the '57, but went on many dates in the Ford. I love station wagons - would like to get one some day.

All of my friends parents had station wagons. Steve's had a 54 Plymouth, then a 63 Chevy. Ron's had a 56 Ford, then a 64 Ford (352).Terry's had a huge Pontiac Catalina Safari. Gayle's had a 55 Dodge. His dad was a mechanic so they never did upgrade. Their other car was a 1942 Chevy Deluxe. We were all in the scouts together and I spent more time in these station wagons than I did in my mom's car. I can't count the number of times I almost died in the 64 Ford after RonC started driving. I also learned how to fix cars by working on each of these. Best memories.

But, too also sell more they refer to SUV.....Sports Utility Vehicle......which really means station wagon! 

All the SUVs look alike. No soul.

Here is one...it comes with a free teenager that will ensure that the car remains in the same condition, as when bought.



www.ebay.com/itm/1968-Ford-Long-Roof-Wagon-Country-Squire-w-Hide-A-Way-headlights/332744889444?hash=item4d79241464:g:X74AAOSw~BhbJyWm&vxp=mtr

The reason we don't have any station wagons like the old days is they were built on heavy duty full sized car chassis. They don't make those anymore. The closest thing is the Ford Flex that's built on a full sized Taurus chassis. My wife's last vehicle was a Chevrolet Trailblazer, and her current one is a Scion XB. Both are basically station wagons. I see a ton of would be station wagons on the road. They just aren't marketed that way.

I spent quite of time in my 2nd cousins parents car, a 1960 Ford Country Squire. I always liked the flexibility of the seating and the roominess. I do think that now mini-vans and SUVs have taken over. I remember Buick though, brought out the Roadmaster wagon in the early 1990s. A huge bulgemobile, but in a way it was cool. Then just a couple of months ago I was going to the grocery store and in the parking lot I saw what appeared to be a late model Cadillac CTS that was a four door hatchback. I looked online and indeed Cadillac starting selling these about 2008 and actually called it a "Wagon"! They quit selling them in 2013, but amazingly did make a limited number of the CTS-V models! Yeah, moms got a 640hp wagon to smoke the competition going to the soccer game!