First of all, let's get this out in the open - station wagon history is not
exactly clear cut, and there are differences of opinion on just what is a
station wagon.  While the specific facts presented here would be difficult
to argue separately, overall what you are about to read is just one
interpretation of those facts.   So, with that out of the way, we start
with:

In the beginning, there was confusion....

OK, lets start with some definitions - what is a 'station wagon'?  Well, the
very first station wagons were called 'depot hacks' - they worked primarily
around train depots as hacks (taxicabs).  The modified back ends that made
them depot hacks were necessary to carry large amounts of luggage - everyone
traveled by train then, remember, and you needed a car that could
comfortably carry people and large amounts of luggage from the train station
to home.  They were also called 'carryall's' and 'suburbans' (a name
Plymouth used on their wagons until the late 1970's).  'Station wagon' was
just another derivative of 'depot hack'; they were vehicles that were used
as wagons (to carry passengers and cargo) from (railroad) stations.

Some people define station wagon history as starting with the 1923 Star (the
first 'production' station wagon), and ending with the 1996 Buick Roadmaster
Estate Wagon.  This definition embodies only the classic, stretched
wheelbase, rear-wheel drive vehicle, derived from a standard production
automobile (usually sedan or hardtop) chassis.

Stationwagon.com's definition is actually more broad, encompassing the
earlier depot hacks, and continuing into the smaller, front, rear, or
all-wheel drive wagons of today.   While today's vehicles are certainly not
full-sized, they continue the tradition of being built from a (sometimes
stretched) sedan chassis, and embodying some form of rear tailgate.

Pre-war predecessors

While they do not meet the definition of  'standard production', the first
station wagon would be one of the numerous variations of the Ford Model T
chassis.  While Ford didn't build a production wagon until years later, many
small independent manufacturers bought a chassis from Ford and put a wooden
wagon body on it. Ford began selling this bare chassis in 1910 for $700.
Which manufacturers built these wagons?  Well, there were more than a few -
it was estimated that in 1909 there were 551 American car manufacturers!

We're not sure exactly when the term 'station wagon' generally replaced
'depot hack', but it was sometime between 1923 (with the introduction of the
Star) and 1929, when the first station wagon from the American 'Big Three'
was introduced as a Ford Model A.   By 1937, Ford became the first
manufacturer to produce and assemble their own station wagon (Model A
production was still farmed out to outside suppliers).   Pontiac's first
station wagon was produced as a 1937 model (in the Deluxe Six series), and
it's model number was 'STAWAG'.

An interesting data point: the 1941 Ford V-8 DeLuxe woody wagon was the
first factory-built Ford of any kind to break the $1,000 base price barrier.

There were woody wagons well before Ford, however - there was a 1931 Dodge
Series DH Six woody station wagon, for instance. The first official factory
Plymouth station wagon appeared in 1938 (the P6 DeLuxe Westchester Suburban
wagon, although the bodywork was still done out-of-house by U.S. Body &
Forging). Chevrolet's first woody was also a 1940 model (the Special
DeLuxe).

Two significant wagon milestones were recorded during this time:
- In 1938 Dodge/Plymouth introduced the P6 Westchester Suburban, the first
station wagon that was classified as a car rather than a commercial truck.
This was an evolution of the earlier (1933-1937) Westchester Suburban (also
built by U.S. Body & Forging Company) that was built on a Dodge 1/2-ton
commercial chassis with the front clip coming from a passenger car.
- In 1941 Chrysler introduced the Town & Country station wagon, which was
based on a four-door sedan (rather than being built on a separate body).
Interestingly, it was originally introduced as being a more versatile car,
not a station wagon.

Post-war classics (through the 1950's)

Until after WWII, station wagons were generally regarded as commercial
vehicles like trucks, and production volume was low (station wagons
accounted for less than 1% of motor vehicle sales in 1940).  However, the
post-war boom pushed car production levels to new heights.  Station wagons
also took off in the 1950's - from less than 3% of the US production car
volume in 1950, to almost 17% of the market by the end of the decade. As a
matter of fact, in 1958, the top-selling body style in the Plymouth line was
the station wagon.

What more can you say about the 50's?  Fins, chrome, hardtop styling,
overhead-valve V8's.....everything was excess.  Many station wagons were
actually high-end models, with numerous options.  By the end of the decade,
the station wagon was firmly ensconced as the family vehicle of choice.
Two-door wagons (like the Chevrolet Nomad) were marketed, but generally
rejected by the consumer.  Perhaps it had to do with cost...the 1957
Chevrolet Nomad (base price $2,757) was the most expensive Chevrolet that
year, priced even higher than the Bel Air convertible!  The hardtop or
pillarless body style wagon, however, survived into the 60's, and
represented the most stylish and expensive models offered.

By the early 50's, wooden wagon bodies had disappeared and were replaced by
the more practical all-steel body.  Although Chevrolet had introduced the
first all-steel station wagon body in 1935 (the first Suburban), followed
later by Willys in 1946, both were still built off a truck chassis (the
Chevy from a panel delivery truck chassis, and the Willys off a civilian
version of the Jeep).  Crosley introduced an all-steel car-based wagon
during the 1947 model year (as part of their CC model line), and 1949
brought about the all-steel Plymouth Suburban station wagon (also
car-based). Almost all manufacturers followed suit by 1951.  The last woodie
to use a real wood on the exterior was the 1953 Buick Roadmaster Estate
Wagon.  The woodie look survived on, though, with simulated wood panels
available on many (usually upscale) models up into the 1990's.

But the 50's also represented some of the last gasps of pure uniqueness -
manufacturers were not afraid to do something different just for the pure
joy of it...in many ways there was a sense of adventure that never returned.
That is why station wagons of the 50's are held in such high regard by
collectors and the general population alike.

The '60's - peaks of popularity, variety, and innovation

Ah, the 60's....Musclecars!  Longer!  Lower!  Wider!  More power!

But it started off with a new wagon phenomenon - compact station wagons.
Simultaneous 1960 wagon introductions by Ford (Falcon/Comet) and Chrysler
(Valiant), followed by Chevrolet (Corvair in 1961 and Chevy II in 1962),
brought new choices to the wagon market.   These compacts were in response
to a new factor in the station wagon market....foreign (smaller) station
wagons.

Almost immediately following the introduction of the compact wagon was the
mid-size (aka "intermediate", or "senior compact") wagon - positioned, of
course, between the compacts and the original full-size.   Ford's mid-size
was the Fairlane (1962), followed by Chevrolet's introduction of the
Chevelle (1964).

But let's not forget the original full-size station wagon, which was still
in full bloom.  Numerous trim models were offered in each body style, with a
almost endless list of trim and other options.  Excess chrome, big fins,
hardtops, all disappeared by the end of the decade.  However, drivetrains
improved radically, with brakes, suspensions, engines, and transmissions
making quantum leaps in reliability and functionality.

Tailgates became an area of innovation - there were two-way tailgates,
three-ways, sliding roof panels, liftbacks, side-by-sides, and other
variations.  The Buick Sportswagon and the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser
introduced a unique raised roof with a fixed glass sunroof and glass side
panels.

The '70's - the disappearing act begins

Try to name the defining event for the 1970's that affected the automobile
industry (no, not disco), and it would be a toss-up between the first
gasoline crisis in 1974, or the new, draconian emissions specifications
(starting in 1972) which killed the muscle car (and engine performance in
general).  Both of these events were particularly hard on the full-size
station wagon.  Sales of full-size models fell dramatically in 1974-1975,
culminating with the disappearance of all full-size wagon models from the
Chrysler (and Dodge and Plymouth) product line in 1978.  Chrysler went on to
build the minivan, and has not built a full-size wagon since.

Station wagons became available in even smaller sizes
(subcompacts).....remember the Pinto?  Vega?   And for the final decade, the
wagon industry was still ruled by the domestic manufacturers.  However,
there were some bright spots for big wagons - the 460 V8 became available in
the Ford Country Squire - the biggest cubic inch motor ever installed in a
wagon.  The down side was that because of ill-designed emission controls, it
only made slightly more than 200 horsepower.

Really, the '70's were best left forgotten....the disappearance of the
muscle car and generally shoddy build quality (especially around emission
controls), for a start.  Manufacturers eschewed continual styling changes
and large cars lost ground (while Chrysler eliminated them entirely,
Chevrolet and Ford 'downsized' their full-size cars in the late 1970's.)
There were really no collectible wagons after 1971, except maybe the last
gasp of the Olds Vista Cruiser (1972) and the last of the big
Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth models.  I'm sure in the future there will be many
varying opinions on this.....

The '80's - the minivan cometh

1984.  George Orwell wrote about it, long-time station wagon owners fear it.
While officially introduced in 1983, the 1984 model year of the Chrysler
minivan put a stake into the heart of the wagon market like nothing else
before it.   Instantly popular, it became the vehicle of choice for family
transport.  It was said that in some ways the minivan became popular because
people were trying to escape the 'mom-mobile' image of the station wagons
they grew up with.

The '80's also marked the era of the front-wheel drive car.  Chrysler
switched over almost entirely to FWD, for example, and rear-wheel drive
automobiles became a much smaller section of the market.  Interestingly,
Chrysler, while producing the minivan (and almost everything else) off the
K-car platform, did produce a K-car station wagon (Dodge Aries, Plymouth
Reliant, and at its woody, upscale best as the Chrysler Town & Country).  So
there was a first - a station wagon and a minivan built off the same
chassis.

While the full & mid-size wagons faded, the imports came on strong.  A large
variety of wagons were available in almost every imported car line.  You
could get a compact Honda Civic station wagon, for example, or a luxurious
Nissan Maxima.  How about a VW Fox, or a Toyota Cressida?  And don't forget
the tough little Subaru wagons.  High-end German manufacturers also chimed
in with the Mercedes and Audi wagons (but no, no Porsche wagon).

All-wheel drive became an interesting option on station wagons during the
1980's.   Available on most Subarus, the Honda Civic (wagon only), the Audi
5000/100/200 ('quattro'), the AMC Eagle, and others, it was almost a
foreshadowing of the four-wheel drive SUV craze of the 1990's.

Ford continued to hold a candle for station wagons.....it still produced the
full-size, rear-wheel drive Country Squire, and in 1986 it introduced the
Taurus wagon.  It went on to become one of the most popular station wagons
ever.

The '90's - struggling to hold on (or, the year the Roadmaster died)

As a final, shining beacon, GM introduced the last restyle of its full-size,
rear-wheel wagons in 1991 with the Chevrolet Caprice. In 1992, the Buick
version (Roadmaster) was introduced - the final chapter in the story of
full-size wagons that goes all the way back to the 1920's. The Oldsmobile
version (Custom Cruiser) disappeared after the 1992 model year, while the
Caprice and the Roadmaster finished things out by lasting through the 1996
model year. Why were they dropped? To make room for producing more
trucks....

While the Ford Taurus wagon continued to sell well, the full-size Country
Squire was axed at the end of the 1991 model year. This ended the continuous
run of Country Squire wagons, which were first introduced in 1950.

Ironically, the backlash against station wagons that started with the
minivan is now hitting back at the minivan - now the minivan is the
'mom-mobile', and style-conscious buyers are swarming to SUVs or sporty
station wagons instead.

This decade also produced the first inklings of the 'hybrid' wagon/SUV -
more wagon-like in styling, but with a car chassis, four-wheel drive, and a
'tougher', off-road stance. First popular as the Subaru Outback (and then
perfected in the Forester), others are also jumping on the bandwagon
including Volvo with the V70 XC ('Cross Country') AWD wagon. There was even
a pro-wagon, anti-SUV television commercial - produced by Audi, it showed a
woman struggling to get out of a full-size SUV, while another woman pulled
up in her Audi A6 quattro and got in and out easily. Look closely and you
will realize that Audi chose not to irritate any of the domestic SUV
makers - the SUV in the ad was a LaForza, which probably only one in a
million people would even recognize.

So why did the full-size wagon die out? Was the minivan enough to kill it,
or was there something more complicated going on? I think the answer is
fairly simple - it was the combination of the minivan and increasing truck
sales. The minivan, accepted as a far more practical people mover than a
full-size wagon, poached wagon sales to the point that domestic
manufacturers lost interest. This, combined with a desperate need on the
part of the manufacturers to increase the rear-wheel drive capacity to build
trucks, spelled doom for the full-size, rear-wheel drive wagon. While this
may be too simple an answer, I think is the most logical explanation.

Future - metamorphosis back to the roots?

In a way, station wagons are coming back (upside-down?) full circle. They
started out with custom bodies built on a truck chassis, and are now headed
back to custom truck (SUV) bodies on a car chassis (i.e. Honda CRV, Lexus
RX-300, Toyota RAV4). It seems inevitable that SUV's and minivans will go
out of style at some point (there are already many signs of this), but it is
not clear what will replace these vehicles. A divergence of tastes, where on
one side the 'hybrids' lean far more towards 'sport', and the other side
emphasizes 'people hauling', seems to make sense. The station wagon going
forward is going to be a mix of what consumers like most about the SUV, the
minivan, and of course, the traditional station wagon. What we think of as
traditional station wagons will still be with us for some time, though, but
more as a niche vehicle than as a full-line, mainstream model.

And finally...

There are still a number of open questions about why people do or do not buy
wagons. For example, station wagons are still very popular in Europe - there
are many models that are available in Europe that are not even sold in the
USA. The range of wagons is much broader, covering the whole spectrum of
small to large, and functional to high-performance. Does this have to do
with the fact that the minivan has not yet caught on in Europe? Is it
cultural? Are the needs of car buyers so very different? I don't really
know. I do know that it is kind of a Catch-22: the USA does not get the best
or widest range of wagons available, therefore wagons as a whole don't sell
well, which means we don't get the best or widest range..well, you get the
idea.

One final thought...remember during the heyday of the American automobile
(1950's & 1960's), the theme was 'longer, lower, wider'?   Well, take a
hybrid wagon/SUV, apply a few generations of 'longer, lower, wider', and
maybe what you will end up with is..a 1996 Buick Roadmaster! Now that would
be fitting..

What's a station wagon?!  This is 2004 man!