Jalopnik: Station Wagon

1981 Mercedes 300TD has a V8 secret under the hood

Tom Joslin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST

What do you do when the trusty 5 cylinder diesel in your 1981 Mercedes 300TD finally requires a replacement? While most people would probably find another Mercedes diesel and enjoy several hundred thousand more miles of relatively trouble free driving, the builder of this unique Benz had an entirely different idea. More »

1969 Ford Galaxie wagon is a factory built sleeper

Tom Joslin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST

The fact this 1969 Ford Galaxie wagon is a two owner original that is still wearing the original coat of "New Lime" paint it left the factory with is enough to make it a somewhat rare survivor. Although this Galaxies original condition makes the car interesting, what lies beneath the hood makes it even cooler for the sect of car lovers willing to spend time drooling over a long roof land barge from the late 60s—a big block 429ci V8. More »

1959 Oldsmobile station wagon is strangely beautiful

Tom Joslin — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST

It wasn't ever designed to be more than a disposable people hauler, and the 1959 Oldsmobile is rarely included in a conversation of the most attractive designs the late 50s had to offer. Even so, to us it's hard to imagine anyone would argue that this 1959 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Fiesta station wagon, wearing the same shade of "Russet Poly" paint it left the factory with, is anything but beautiful. More »

Squishy roads are no match for the 1979 Jeep Cherokee

Tom Joslin — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EDT

The idea of using an SUV as a family car was still a fairly novel concept back in 1979. That didn't stop Jeep from singing the praises of their station wagon alternative Cherokee and it's family hauling ability. While conventional two wheel drive station wagons didn't have a chance of making it through squishy roads or rough terrain, as you can see from this vintage advertisement they were no problem for the full size 4x4 Jeep Cherokee. More »

Baby You Can Drive My Car

Tom Joslin — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

John Lennon's 1965 Ferrari 330GT will be auctioned by Bonhams in February. Although the Ferrari was his first car, Lennon favored his incognito 1972 Chrysler Station Wagon which recently sold for $5,500. (H/t to everyone who submitted this!) [Bonhams] More »

Imagine Yourself In John Lennon's Chrysler Wagon

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST

Looking for a giant station wagon formerly owned by someone bigger than Jesus this Christmas? Try the 1972 Chrysler Wagon John Lennon used for traveling in anonymity. His Abbey Roadmaster's currently up for auction in Connecticut. (H/T to Zino!) More »

What is the Best Looking Station Wagon Ever Made?

Tom Joslin — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST

Station Wagons are generally designed more for utility then looks. That doesn't mean that some station wagons didn't end up looking pretty excellent. Which station wagon do you think looks the best? More »

1963 Ford Country Sedan

Murilee Martin — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Mile High Street, where we admire old vehicles parked on the streets of the City That Rust Sorta Ignored: Denver, Colorado. What better way to follow up a Breezeway than with a mid-60s Ford wagon? More »

1969 Chevy Nomad Goes To Its Grave Protesting: I'm Not Just a Chevelle Wagon!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT

When I spotted this wagon in an East Bay wrecking yard last weekend, I thought for sure that I was looking at this DOTS Nomad. But no, it appears that another local '69 Nomad existed... and has now been junked. More »

Jamie Kitman Defends The Station Wagon, We Agree

Sam Smith — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EDT

Automobile Magazine's Jamie Kitman has just written a column about the demise of the station wagon, calling the world's automakers "the real culprits" and mourning our loss. Right on, Jamie. Right on. [Automobile] More »

The Ford-Powered Volvo Wagon Paul Newman Built

George Achorn — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:00:00 EDT

Paul Newman was a racer, an actor and an all-around great guy. This V-8-powered Volvo 960 wasn't his car, but he did help build it. George Achorn of Volvo enthusiast site Swedespeed took a look under the hood. —Ed. More »

1967 Plymouth Belvedere I Station Wagon

Murilee Martin — Sun, 09 May 2010 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Now that Belvedere Adrian is back in Alameda, Belvederes are everywhere! More »

Miracle In Michigan: VW Quantrum Syncro Contending At American Irony LeMons

Murilee Martin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EDT

When you finally give up on your hopeless LeMons Fiero and decide to upgrade to a more reliable machine, what do you choose? Do we even need to ask that question? More »

The Death Of The Volvo Wagon: Brick Tailgate No More

Sam Smith — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EDT

For decades, Volvo was the world's leading maker of station wagons and a stoic defender of the segment. Yesterday, we broke the news that the Swedes are finally throwing in the towel on our shores. Today, we mourn and reminisce. More »

Put the Count in Country Squire for $6,000!

graverobber — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EDT

They say that sometimes, you miss the forest for the trees. Well, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a Ford wagon with a whole forest of phony trees on it, and it's pretty hard to miss. More »

1952 Willys Jeep Station Wagon

Murilee Martin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. How many towns have three Willys Station Wagons parked on the street? More »

Everyone Says They're Impossible To Find: Junked Datsun 810 Wagon

Murilee Martin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EDT

Fans of Malaise Era Japanese iron often tell me they'd love to do an 810 wagon project, but claim they can't be found these days. Here's one that made it past the auction process and into The Crusher's waiting room. More »

Mrs. Adams Abducts Ford Salesman In '74 Country Squire

Murilee Martin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

Salesman of big gas-sucking dreadnaughts were really feeling the pain in 1974, what with the Arab oil embargo and runaway inflation. That's why it was easy for "Mrs. Adams" to lure the unsuspecting Ford salesman to his doom. More »

Datsun 510 Station Wagon

Murilee Martin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST

Even though the 510 wagon had a live rear axle (unlike its IRS-equipped sedan sibling), it still rates pretty high on the Cool-O-Meter™ in our book. Here's one whose street days are done. More »

Touring Superleggera Flying Star: The Coachbuilt Shooting Brake Returns

Wes Siler — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST

The Bentley Continental Flying Star wasn't built by Bentley, but rather Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera for a customer with exceptionally good taste and a need to haul golf clubs at 200 MPH. More »

Shake Your Fist At The Heartless Car Gods: Clunkerized Roadmaster Wagon!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

While I'm not a fan of Cash For Clunkers, I must admit I shed zero tears over all those Explorers going to well-deserved early graves. Fact is, 98% of Explorer drivers would have been better off with big Detroit wagons! More »

Wagonist Magazine: The Magazine For ワゴニスト!

Sam Smith — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

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This right here is the best thing we've seen all day. Granted, the covers seem more oriented toward Japanese-style CUVs (Toyota Alphard, Honda Stepwagon, etc.) than the traditional five-door, but... really? A magazine about wagons? Who's complaining? More »

This Maxima Wagon Is On Death Row, But Phonograph-Based Voice Warning System Lives On!

Murilee Martin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST

The Datsun 810 became the Maxima for the 1982 model year, but the Datsun-to-Nissan changeover hadn't taken effect yet. That means you're looking at a very rare Datsun Maxima wagon… and it's doomed. More »

World's Largest Roof Rack, Square Acre Of Chrome Won't Soften The Crusher's Heart

Murilee Martin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

How much luggage did American families need to strap to the roof of their full-size Chrysler wagons back in 1965? Plenty! More »

Land Rover Station Wagon Down On The Denver Street

Murilee Martin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. I spent a few days in Denver during the week, and look what I found! More »

Should Jeanette Ship Her Ex-Military Volvo Duett From Sweden, or Buy One Here?

Murilee Martin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST

What happens when you follow the siren song of Silicon Valley and relocate there from Sweden to take on a high-tech job? Why, you're forced to leave your beloved '67 Volvo Duett behind! More »

Slapstick Japanese Duo Pays Homage To '86 Toyota Tercel 4WD, We Think

Murilee Martin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

We love second-gen Toyota Tercel wagons around these parts, so we always enjoy watching hyperkinetic Japanese TV commercials for what JDM buyers knew as the Toyota Sprinter Caribbean. More »

Project Car Hell, Party Like It's 1955 (and You're Broke) Edition: Ford, Chevy, Dodge, or Nash?

Murilee Martin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! I haven't been able to do as many PCH posts as I'd like, so let's have a 4-fer-1 today! More »

1978 Ford Fairmont Station Wagon Down On The New Hampshire Street

Murilee Martin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. Here's a nice Fox Ford Find from New England, courtesy of FuzzyPlushroom. More »

1968 Dodge Coronet Wagon Down On The Denver Street

Murilee Martin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. The ever-vigilant Kitt keeps her eyes open for vintage iron during her walks around Denver. More »

PCH, LeMons Cars For The Street Edition: Cadillac Fleetwood or Volvo Wagon?

Murilee Martin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! Wearing a helmet in your daily driver is cool. Really! More »

1983 AMC Eagle: Too Far Ahead Of Its Time?

Murilee Martin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EDT

Who in their right mind would buy a station wagon with four-wheel drive? That's probably what the competitors of doomed AMC had to say back in the Late Malaise Era. More »

Clunkerized Mercedes-Benzes Clog Up Junkyards, Ghost Of Karl Benz To Haunt White House

Murilee Martin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EDT

You'd think that a car that cost as much as a new Mercedes-Benz W126- for example, $61,000 for a 1989 420SEL ($106K in 2009 bucks)- would be safe from the Clunkpocalypse. Think again! More »

1967 Opel Kadett Was Such A Mini-Brute, It Had To Be Washed By Elephants!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT

One can only imagine the brainstorming sessions that raged among Buick's marketing execs when they tried to sell the Kadett to Americans. Why not use elephants? Everyone likes elephants! More »

Jalopnik's 14 Favorite Vintage AMC and Jeep Commercials

Murilee Martin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT

AMC may be long gone, and Fiat owns the Jeep brand nowadays, but classic AMC ads will never die! More »

2010 Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon: A 525 HP Family Estate

Wes Siler — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:30:00 EDT

Need to haul a couple Labradors at 155 MPH? The 2010 Mercedes E63 AMG wagon is probably your best bet. It adds 69 cubic feet of storage space to the 6.2-liter V8's 525 HP. If only it were coming here. More »

1969 Morris Minor 1000 Traveller

Murilee Martin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Fresh off the boat from England, a RHD Minor Traveller! More »

1968 Plymouth Custom Suburban Station Wagon

Murilee Martin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT

Would you believe that the same self-service junkyard that has the 2-for-1 Rancheros and the double or nothing Amazons also has this classic Vietnam War Era family hauler? True! More »

1964 Chevrolet Chevy II Station Wagon

Murilee Martin — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Is a primered drag-race Nova less offensive than a donked one? More »

1966 Ford Country Squire

Murilee Martin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Would you believe these things were once as common as Explorers? More »