Latest News
Volvo: Safety Beyond the Star RatingsStation Wagon History
The station wagon has a storied history in America, from coach-built woodies to steel behemoths and modern hot rod muscle wagons, a history we cover here.
Station Wagon Origins
Ah, the station wagon, a vehicle that holds a special place in automotive history and the hearts of many – for good or bad. Known in modern times for long roofs and two or three rows of seating, the station wagon origin story goes back to the turn of the 20th century.
Back then, station wagons were so named for literally operating as wagons for the train station. Big wooden chariots capable of carting lots of passengers and loads of luggage, these early wagons were known as “depot hacks”. These vehicles were also popular among the estate crowd in Europe, used for shuttling big wigs to their boats, stables, or cottages by the sea.
As fully custom wagons, they were expensive, what with all that wood, and so, were built in low quantities for people with money to burn. Though these truck-based “woodies” continued production into the early 1950s, the station wagon as most think of it today, didn’t take off into serious popularity until the steel-bodied car-based models of that era started arriving.
Station Wagon Golden Age
In post-WWII America, the economy was humming, the interstate highway system was spreading fast, and US families were primed for station wagons. These vehicles, conceived as a multi-purpose hauler of families, capitalized on the Baby Boom with compact, mid-size, and full-size station wagons of every ilk.
The Buick Estate was coming off a run of gorgeous 1949 wagons in Super, Special, and top-spec Roadmaster trim. The Roadmaster Estate wagon was powered by a 5.2L straight-8, measured almost 18 feet long, had room for 6, and a clamshell-style tailgate.
It was 1950 when Ford adopted the Country Squire nameplate for its station wagons, a name that would live on for some 40 years. During this stretch, Ford dubbed itself “The Wagonmaster” by offering unique features like dual-facing rear jump seats to allow for 10 passengers and a Magic Doorgate that could flip down or swing open. You can check out more on Ford’s station wagon history here.
In 1960, the Chrysler New Yorker Town and Country wagon was one of the most prestigious vehicles at the time. Stretching beyond 18 feet in length, it was offered as a 4-door hardtop – meaning no B-pillar – with a big 6.8L V8 making 350 horsepower.
And let’s not forget the Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon, a car that, in 1966, offered 2- and 4-door variants, debuted features like automatic climate control, and a rear-facing third row that would lead to endless episodes of car sickness for kids who landed back there – not that I know from personal experience or anything.
Though no one likely could have known at the time, this was the peak of the station wagon Golden Age in America. By 1970, wagons accounted for 10% of total auto sales with 62 different models for consumers to choose from. But change was on the horizon and with it, the fate of the station wagon.
Changing of the Station Wagon Guard
With the oil crisis in 1973, big domestic station wagons followed the rest of the auto industry in an attempt to adapt to new emissions standards by converting powertrains into wheezy shadows of their former selves. For example, the 1977 Chevy Caprice station wagon – a vehicle we look at in this history of Chevy station wagons – debuted with a new body style boasting a 5.0L V8, but it made just 145 horsepower.
It was around this time that the unfortunate trend of fake wood paneling hit its stride on such beauties as the 1978 Dodge Diplomat wagon – a vehicle that has not aged well. Clark Griswold perhaps nailed the changing tastes of American car buyers best in National Lampoon’s Vacation. In the film, a famously hideous 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire wagon driven by the Griswolds was festooned with modifications and dubbed the “Wagon Queen Family Truckster.”
That movie came out in 1983 and the following year, Dodge debuted the Caravan. With it, the Baby Boomers that grew up in mom and dad’s wagon were now parents themselves and looking for a different way to move the family around. And so, the minivan took off, mostly supplanting the domestic station wagon segment.
Interestingly, as the domestic station wagon segment declined, minivans took off, SUVs began to trickle in, and imported station wagons started to see increased consumer interest. The Volvo 200 series was one such vehicle that offered home runs like the 1981 245 Turbo, a model Volvo called “the world’s fastest estate.”
The Volvo 700 Series showed up in 1982 with no shortage of long roof models and so, a tradition of Swedish station wagons with a reputation for safety was born. It’s a tradition that continues to this day. Now, it’s not as though the Big Three stopped making wagons, they just didn’t have staying power.
Ford had the Taurus, followed by the Escort and forgettable efforts like the Fairmont Futura. But by 1990, the Ford Country Squire was gone followed by Chevy’s Caprice Estate – a car with a sweet 5.7L V8 rated for 260 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque by the way – the following year.
Rise of the Import Station Wagon
Then, in 1995, Subaru helped revive the station wagon segment with its Outback. At first, the Outback was simply a trim level of the Legacy wagon. But soon, it adopted the now trademark rugged style of a raised ride height and brawny fenders. Of course, there is the standard AWD as well.
The Outback has been on a tear ever since and is our pick for the ultimate modern family wagon, a rare breed in these SUV-ified times. Volvo soon followed in Subaru’s footsteps with the V70 Cross Country wagon, a decidedly different animal than its racecar-inspired 850 T5-R that was in production around the same time.
Another notable station wagon of this era is the Dodge Magnum. Debuting in 2005, the Magnum – or Wagnum as we called my parent’s version – came with a V6 or an optional 340-horse R/T model that can REALLY move by the way. With RWD, this true full-size American wagon was FAST and fun to drive, albeit a total pig at the pumps.
Even with the mighty Magnum SRT-8 and its big 425 hp V8, however, Dodge couldn’t give the Magnum away and it soon faded under the onslaught of SUVs. Of course, we can’t talk about station wagons without mentioning the mighty Cadillac CTS-V.
This absolutely bonkers ride debuted in 2011 with a supercharged 6.2L V8 making 556 horsepower controlled by a 6-speed manual! Though they command big bucks on the collector market today, the CTS wagons were – like the Magnum – a relative flash-in-the-pan and are now long gone.
The Future of the Station Wagon
So, where does that leave us with station wagons in America? Curiously, it appears the past has become the present as the few remaining station wagons still for sale in 2023 cater to the well-heeled – just like their wood-bodied coach-built predecessors.
There’s the staggering Audi RS 6 Avant with a $126,000 entry point, 22-inch rims, a twin-turbo V8 good for 621 hp and 627 torques, and looks that Darth Vader would approve it. Or how about the Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 wagon? It has similar specs and pricing to the Audi, which to be clear, are drool-worthy.
Meanwhile, Volvo is still at the station wagon game with a V90 Cross Country, a spectacular standard V90 – that has to be special-ordered – and the V60 series. But it’s really just Subaru that still offers a station wagon for the masses with reasonable pricing, modern technology, and lots to like.
That’s a far cry from the 62 models most Americans could choose from 50-odd years ago. But who knows, maybe people will eventually get tired of driving SUVs and look back fondly on the station wagon. Hope springs eternal.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2021 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
I will be first in line for any wagons reminiscent of a 1973 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, 1976 Buick Estate Wagon, 1977 Pontiac Catalina Grand Safari, 1977 Chevrolet Impala Wagon, 1969 Ford Country Squire, 1971 Ford Grand Torino Squire, 1983 Mercury Colony Park, 1972 Chrysler Town & Country, 1977 Dodge Monaco Wagon, and 1977 Plymouth Volare Wagon. My list of 10 wagons that bring back that warm & happy feeling of good ole days gone by and hopefully returning sooner rather than later. as a kid riding in the very back of my uncle’s 1973 Custom Cruiser so my cousin and could have the most fun traveling down I-40 from Nashville to Knoxville or in my mom’s Saturday afternoon run around in the 1969 Ford Country Squire! Those wagons never did disappoint. I can’t imagine them but only in the most and best American vehicles on the roads. What do you folks think about a car company like Chrysler reviving themselves for the future by adding an EV-Station Wagon both full size and a small or mid-size? Could this be an answer for the future of the company instead of just killing off another great American car line!
The Carsforsale.com team would love to see some new electrified station wagons from brands like Chrysler. Many of us have fond memories of cruising around in the family station wagon just like you!
Taurus wagon the last domestic? No sir. Dodge magnum.
Seriously, where are all of the station wagons from the 60’s and 70’s?