Automotive Anomalies

Sport Activity Vehicle. SportCross. Five-door hatchback. Crossover. Sportwagon. Sportback. Outback. What happened to the "good old station wagon—" Gone the way of the dinosaur, my friend. Gone the way of Vanilla Ice. Out of favor, out of touch.

Rolling Landscape
These days, the term station wagon reminds people of those big multi-passenger, multi-window (what young car enthusiast of the '60s didn't get excited about the Vista Cruiser with the glass windows embedded in the roof—), carry-everything-that-fits-through-the-liftgate vehicles. Sort of like, well, today's SUV—which is why station wagons went away in the first place. Of course, the minivan had something to do with its demise, too.


But station wagons were always a key piece of the automotive fabric. Many had exotic names such as the Lark Wagonaire, Safari Wagon, Country Squire, and the best known, Nomad, but none so dramatic as those built and sold in Great Britain, which were generally called "Shooting Brakes" or "Estates." Always seeking to be unique, the Germans refer to them as "Touring." So, regardless of where the wagon was built, this body style clearly had a certain panache to it. Yet, what car enthusiast magazine ever wrote about them? What legacy or tribute book lists any of them as being important to the manufacturer's success?


Frankly, none; but, nonetheless, station wagons performed. They pulled your trailer, hauled your lumber and took gobs of kids to the local ballpark, movie theatre or traveling circus. If someone in the neighborhood had one, you always knew they probably had a big family, too. And then there was that rear seat that disappeared into the interior of the car, and sometimes faced backwards, so you could make faces at the driver behind you—until you got caught—or extremely carsick from sitting the wrong way.


Still, it didn't matter. To many, station wagons were cool, even with that faux wood paneling. To others, they were strictly utilitarian. At least Matchbox Cars made a few examples, complete with dogs hanging their heads over the tailgate.