What was the best station wagon of all time?
10 of the Best Historical American Station Wagons1955 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Safari. ... 1956 Rambler Cross Country. ... 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 Fiesta/Buick Century Caballero Riviera. ... 1960 Chrysler Town & Country. ... 1963 Studebaker Lark Wagonaire. ... 1964 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser/1965 Buick Sportwagon. ... 1966 Ford Country Squire.More items...•
What was the last year a station wagon was made?
The last full-sized wagons produced by an American automaker were the 1996 Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster and Ford's Taurus wagon in 2005. Wagons are still being built, but they're called Sport Wagons and Avants. Currently, wagons make up 1% of car sales in the US.
What are station wagons called now?
Fallon's homage to Chevy Chase aside, the station wagon has largely fallen into obscurity in recent decades – replaced by minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
Why did station wagons have wood?
These early wagons were often built on top of a truck or large car chassis. These primitive wagons had a windshield and roof to help keep the rain off, but they rarely had side windows—occasionally they had curtains. The body was built out of wood with bench seats and room for storage.
Do they make station wagons now?
The top new station wagons available to shoppers in 2022, according to U.S. News and World Reports, are: Volvo V90. Audi A6 Allroad. Volvo V60.
Why are wagons not popular in America?
A wagon simply can't compete against a roomy crossover with three rows of seats. And for the smaller clans that might once have reflexively chosen the wagon, the versions with only a second row now dominate. Compact SUVs and crossovers are the hottest segment in the US auto market at the moment.
Does Chevy make a station wagon?
Chevrolet's extensive and impressive history of designing, manufacturing and selling station wagons, SUVs and crossovers continues today with the 2018 Chevy Traverse. The 2018 Traverse is all new for 2018.
Why was it called a station wagon?
They were called station wagons because they were originally devised to take people to and from stations. In the beginning, the vehicles often had hand-built wooden bodies.
When was the first enclosed wagon made?
In 1922 , the first enclosed station wagon was introduced. Ford began using a wood-based design was extremely popular at this time. Following WWII, technology advanced, and steel replaced wood as the major material used to manufacture this type of vehicle.
When did station wagons become popular?
The modern design of a station wagon reached its peak in the 1960s. This decade saw the development of compact, mid-size and full-size wagons. A person could choose between a two-way, three-way, side-by-side or liftback option. Buick and Oldsmobile got creative and invented a raised roof that had glass panels and a glass sunroof.
Why was the station wagon called a depot hack?
In the beginning, a station wagon was known as a “depot hack” because it was used to carry passengers and cargo after they got off of trains. The early design was based on a truck platform that did not contain doors. In 1922, the first enclosed station wagon was introduced.
What is a station wagon?
The term “station wagon” is used to describe the body style of a car that has a longer roof line, multiple rows of passenger seating and a cargo liftgate in the back. Over the years, this type of vehicle has evolved, and it continues to influence the automotive industry.
When did front wheel drive cars become popular?
As the 1980s approached, front-wheel drive cars became popular, and the new millennium ushered in a time when Sports Utility Vehicles were all the rage. At this point in America, station wagon production was nearly obsolete.
What cars had a raised roof?
Buick and Oldsmobile got creative and invented a raised roof that had glass panels and a glass sunroof. After the gasoline crisis of the 1970s, the station wagon began to lose popularity. The minivan design was becoming more practical and muscle cars took center stage.
What is a station wagon?
Also called a wagon or an estate car, the station wagon had a body type similar to a sedan, though its roof extended to the rear. This covered not only the passengers but the cargo space. Instead of the usual trunk lid, the station wagon’s back featured a third, or sometimes fifth, door tailgate. For more cargo space, some wagons gave you the option to fold the rear seats.
What company made the Model A wagon?
Ford owned a hardwood forest that made the Model A wagon’s production easier. So, the company quickly became the biggest name when it came to wagons. Since woody station wagons sold at a higher price than standard cars in the 1930s and early 1940s, they signified prestige.
How many passengers can a wagon carry?
A majority of wagons could carry up to nine passengers. After the 1957 Chrysler included a rear-facing seat, other car companies followed suit. In 1964, Ford and Mercury released models that had the trunk fitted with two seats that faced each other. This increased the capacity further.
What car represented middle class families?
At some point in the history of America’s auto industry, the station wagon became the car that represented middle-class families. And it maintained this standing for over 40 years.
When did Chrysler launch the minivan?
During the oil crisis of 1973, people began shifting away. This prompted Chrysler to launch its minivan design in 1984. After the van received a positive reception from consumers, automakers shifted to the minivan and SUV market.
When did the Plymouth station wagon stop being made?
Automakers continued transitioning to all-steel bodies during the ’40s. After the release of the Plymouth Suburban station wagon in 1949, the wooded wagons were discontinued altogether.
When did Ford stop making wagons?
The last American-made wagons, the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster, were discontinued. Ford ended production of the Taurus wagon in 2005. Although small wagons have been marketed as a cheaper alternative to a minivan or SUV, they’ve been replaced by the introduction of crossovers.
When did the station wagon start?
Station wagon in Washington, D.C., 1915 ( Library of Congress) In the 1920s, motorcars were becoming more widespread in America. By 1929 they were less of a toy for the rich and more of a necessity for everyone.
What was the first car company to make a station wagon?
In 1923, Star, a division of Durant Motors —a short-lived automotive company that was meant to be direct competition of General Motors—was the first car company to offer a factory-built station wagon. Within a few years, wagon companies like Cantrell, York, Ionia, and Hercules began to emerge.
What was the name of the truck that was built for the National Guard?
In 1935, Chevrolet introduced the CarryAll, which later became known as the Suburban. Based on the 1933 and 1934 model built exclusively for the National Guard units, this commercial version was guilt on the same half-ton truck frame as the earlier models but featured all-metal wagon bodies resembling the popular woodie wagons of the time. It had windows, two removable upholstered seats and room for eight people.
Why were wagons made?
Car companies began making larger wagons—full-sized wagons—with six and nine-passenger seating to accommodate larger families and America’s newfound freedom of mass material consumption in the golden age of tourism. These full-sized wagons had forward-facing and rear-facing third row seats that folded down for hauling luggage, groceries and pretty much anything else, along with two-way and three-way tailgates with retractable windows, along with sliding roof panels, and liftbacks for versatility. Because of the widespread availability of station wagons, and the many different styles in which they were offered, they became a product more for functionality rather than style or status.
What was the purpose of the wagons?
The original station wagons were products of the railroad age, a commercial-only product used as hackneys to taxi passengers around busy train terminals or to and from hotels. These early wagons were often built on top of a truck or large car chassis. These primitive wagons had a windshield and roof to help keep the rain off, but they rarely had side windows—occasionally they had curtains. The body was built out of wood with bench seats and room for storage.
Why did station wagons decline in the 1970s?
But by the mid ‘70s, sales declined for a few reasons. The 1973 oil crisis— in which oil prices jumped from $3 a barrel to $12—didn’t help the cost of fueling the mighty V8 engines of these full-sized beasts.
What were wood wagons called in the 1930s?
By the 1930s, wood-bodied station wagons, or Woodies , as they were often called, had gained some prestige. They were priced higher than regular cars and popular in affluent communities.
Where are the 1976 Fleetwood Castilian wagons made?
Reportedly, Traditional Coachworks of Chatsworth, California built just 11 of these 1976 Fleetwood Castilian wagons (above and lead photo), but they turn up often enough on the collector car market to make us wonder if maybe there aren’t more of them. Note the brushed metal C pillar and the one-piece, swing-up tailgate not shared with any GM production vehicle. Traditional also produced the Castilian’s sibling, the Cadillac Mirage pickup. (See our feature on Cadillac pickups here.)
Did Cadillac make a station wagon?
For decades Cadillac never built a station wagon, yet there are a surprising number of them around.
When was the Jeep wagon made?
The Jeep Wagon was produced as the IKA Estanciera by Industrias Kaiser Argentina from 1957 to 1970.
Who makes the Willys station wagon?
Willys Jeep Station Wagon. The Willys Jeep Station Wagon, Jeep Utility Wagon and Jeep Panel Delivery are automobiles produced by Willys and Kaiser Jeep in the United States from 1946 to 1964, with production in Argentina and Brazil continuing until 1970 and 1977 respectively. They were the first mass-market all-steel station wagons designed ...
What was the first Willys product?
The Jeep Wagon was the first Willys product with independent front suspension. Barney Roos, Willys' chief engineer, developed a system based on a transverse seven-leaf spring. The system, called "Planadyne" by Willys, was similar in concept to the "planar" suspension Roos had developed for Studebaker in the mid-1930s.
What was the name of the wagon that Willys renamed?
Willys withdrew from the passenger car market and renamed the vehicle the Utility Wagon. The seventh seat and the overdrive were deleted, and the Planadyne front suspension used with the two-wheel drive wagon was replaced with a beam axle.
Where is Willys Jeep made?
Willys Jeep "Estanciera" made by IKA in Argentina.
How many Willys wagons were built?
They were the first mass-market all-steel station wagons designed and built as a passenger vehicle. With over 300,000 wagons and its variants built in the U.S., it was one of Willys' most successful post- World War II models.
When did Ford buy Willys?
Ford Brazil bought the Willys factory in 1967 and the Rural Jeep wagon was renamed Ford Rural, and the truck was later named the Ford F-75 in 1972. Both models were offered with an inline-six engine which was the first gasoline engine manufactured in Brazil. They were available in RWD or 4X4 configuration.
When was the first horseless wagon invented?
Sometime in the late 19th century, a forgotten mechanic fastened a primitive engine to a horse drawn wagon creating the first horseless wagon. The details have been lost to history but from that humble beginning, a style of automobile was born, one that still exercises influence upon us over 100 years later.
What is the name of the wagons that were used to transport trains?
By then the vehicles had become known as "station wagons", a variation of the earlier name "depot hack", but was still a reference to train stations.
How many Chevrolet wagons were made in 1955?
Families finally discovered their usefulness and production soared. While Chevrolet only produced 800 wagons in 1939, in 1955 they made 161,000 .
Why were station wagons discontinued?
Then after a half century of production, they were gone, discontinued, largely because they were so difficult to manufacture and maintain. Yet today, they can sell for more than a house ...
What colors did Ford make in WWII?
During the war, a small number of woodies were made for the military and were painted army green or tan. Most, it seems, were shipped overseas.
What was the passenger compartment made of?
With the passenger compartment being made completely of wood (including the roof which was covered with a waterproofed fabric), there were plenty of drawbacks. The cars tended to squeak as the wood joints aged and the wood needed constant refinishing much like a piece of furniture left outside.
What wagons had wood on the side?
The 1949 Chevrolet, Pontiac and Oldsmobile wagons featured just a strip of wood running lengthwise down the side, along with a wooden tailgate. By mid year, the wood was gone, replaced by a wood grain decal. The 1949-51 Ford and Mercury wagons featured real wood but in the form of inserted panels.
What is a woodie wagon?
Woodie (car body style) A woodie (or a woodie wagon) is a type of station wagon where the rear car bodywork is constructed of wood or is styled to resemble wood elements . Originally, wood framework augmented the car's structure. Over time manufacturers supplanted wood construction with a variety of materials and methods evoking wood construction — ...
When did the Woodie Wagon stamp come out?
In 1995 , the U.S. Postal Service issued a 15 cent stamp commemorating the woodie wagon.
When did Plymouth stop making woodie wagons?
In 1950 , Plymouth discontinued their woodie station wagon. Buick's 1953 Super Estate Wagon and 1953 Roadmaster Estate Wagon were the last production American station wagons to retain real wood construction. Other marques by then were touting the advantages of "all-steel" construction to the buying public. By 1955, only Ford and Mercury, joined in 1965 by Chrysler, offered a "woodie" appearance – evoking real wood with other materials including steel, plastics and DI-NOC (a vinyl product). As the appearance became popular, Ford, GM, and Chrysler offered multiple models with the woodgrain appearance until the early 1990s.
When did Ford make the minivan?
In 1973, Ford produced a minivan prototype that offered a woodgrain appearance the preceded the Chrysler minivan, called the Ford Carousel, but it was not put into production. Introduced in 1981, the Ford Escort and Mercury Lynx four-door wagons offered optional simulated wood trim.
When was the Ford Flex introduced?
Introduced in 2008, the Ford Flex featured a series of side and rear horizontal grooves intended to evoke a woodie look—without either wood or simulated wood. Car Design News said the styling references "a previous era without resorting to obvious retro styling cues."
What cars have faux wood trim?
As the station wagon declined in North America, manufacturers offered faux wood trim on SUVs and minivans (e.g., the Jeep Cherokee and Chrysler minivans ). Chrysler offered simulated wood as an option for the Chrysler PT Cruiser, introduced in 2000—and aftermarket firms offered kits as well.
