My research has determined that 1977 (or maybe 1964) was “Peak Wagon” in the United States, the year in which the largest number of distinct models of new station wagons were available for sale here. Why, Datsun alone sold three different wagon models here in 1977, while Dodge had four, and even Fiat offered a couple.
GM’s Oldsmobile Division, which got the axe in 2004, was renowned for many decades as a maker of handsome, sturdy station wagons for American families. When beautiful wagons were flying out of showrooms in huge numbers, Oldsmobile was one of the biggest players in the longroof game, with many varieties of rocket-badged Olds Cruiser seen
From Carl Benz’s first car in 1885 through right now, one Mercedes-Benz product has by far the strongest reputation for reliability and build quality: the W123, ancestor of the E-Class. Diesel-engined W123s became legendary for running forever, and so many of these cars have had no problem staying in everyday service that it takes them until
Detroit made some momentous introductions of American-built front-wheel-drive small cars during the late 1970s and early 1980s, beginning with the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon in the 1978 model year. That car was designed with the help of Chrysler’s European operations, and Ford opted for a similar plan with its brand-new subcompact made to replace the aging
General Motors announced the demise of the Saturn Division in 2009, with the final Vues and Outlooks leaving showrooms as 2010 models. Go back to the 1990s, though, and Saturn was orbiting high with its no-haggle sales and rust-proof plastic body panels. During that decade, before Opel-derived models appeared, there was just one Saturn available:
The American Honda Motor Company started selling a wagon version of the Accord for the 1991 model year, four years after Toyota introduced the Camry wagon here. While the long-roof Accord gained a devoted following of American owners, sales were never very strong; the introduction of the new CR-V here in 1997 coincided with the
Ford began using the Country Squire name to designate the top trim level of its biggest station wagon models back in the 1950 model year, with Country Squire production continuing all the way through the last of the squared-off Ford LTD Crown Victorias in 1991. All Country Squires had wood (1950-1951) or “wood” (1952-1991) body
1977 was one of the years of Peak Wagon in the United States, a year in which car shoppers here could choose among 47 different models of station wagon (the wagon count for 1964 was 47 as well). The choices were slightly diminished in 1978, but we were still in the Golden Age of Japanese
The American Motors Corporation was formed when the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and the Hudson Motor Car Company merged in 1954. New cars with AMC badges didn’t show up until the 1966 model year, however; prior to that, the old marque names were kept alive for a while. Cars with Nash badges survived until 1957, while Rambler
During the heyday of the station wagon (Peak Wagon in America came in either 1964 or 1977, when car shoppers could choose between 47 different wagon models), Ford proclaimed itself to be the Wagonmaster in its marketing materials. In 1979, Americans could buy Ford-badged longroofs in three sizes (four, if you count the Econoline-based Club Wagon
