@EvanHiltunenVisual
In 1983 I took my driver's test in a huge, 9 passenger Chevy station wagon. When I got to the parallel parking bit, after a few attempts, I looked at the guy, and said, "this car is way too big for this spot". He said, "Just do what you would normally do." My response was, "I'd find an easier spot to park in". As I pulled out, he looked at me, and failed me on the spot. I still think I had the best solution for that problem. lol
@michaeldean4704
I've owned a number of cars over the years. Everything from sub-compacts to land-yachts. But out of all of them, my favorite by far was the 1964 AMC Ambassador 990 station wagon that I bought used in 1973, when I was 19. (For $150, in very good condition with less than 50,000 miles on it.) It had the swing open tail-gate, a rear-facing 3rd seat, 327ci V8, automatic transmission, power everything, and air conditioning. It had respectable power and still got pretty good gas mileage. It’s the one car from my past that I wish I still had.
@richardhenry5961
My father had 3 station-wagon's over the yrs growing up in the late 1960's 70's 80's. The one Ford I remember could be set up for a 9 passengers. We went camping fully loaded. It could haul big time, with a full sheets of 4'X8' Plywood. I look at cars & trucks they make today are just JUNK! I have a 1999 F150 with over 229,000 miles with a 8'ft bed, keeping it! Thank you for the history!
@FrankJennings53
I owned a second hand Vista Cruiser and used it to see Canada. I could sleep in the back and still have room for camping gear. I could park overnight in some church parking lot and the next morning fold down the tailgate and use it as my table for cooking a simple breakfast and dining table. No hassle with tents, no troubles with maintenance and sheer pleasure seeing the world as a 20 year old man.
@JDDees
I always loved station wagons.... BRING THEM BACK!!!
@granttelfer5865
Well done. A truly excellent piece! Our first station wagon was a 1953 Mercury Monterey wagon which my parents used to haul our family. It had vinyl wood panels, but the framing was real wood. My brother had that car until the late 90's. My parents next had a 1964 Ford Country Squire which my wife and I used on our honeymoon trip across the USA. They had two more later. From 1953 until 2007 the family always had a wood panel Ford wagon. The wife and I next had a 1962 Ford Falcon Squire, a true piece of shit. The fake wood paneling was the only good thing about that car. I was not permitted by my wife to go back to Vietnam (my sixth Navy deployment) until she got a new car, which was a brand new 1970 Torino Squire, an incredible vehicle and truly beautiful. We loved it and took many family trips in it. Mom, Dad, 2 kids and a cat named Samantha. It was our first new car, and so we always kept it in top condition. It had an Interceptor engine and I used it for years to haul my youth soccer team and to tow our yacht club Junior Sailing trailer. The car actually won a 'Best Tow Vehicle' trophy in the Coronado July Fourth Parade. We actually spent a lot of $$ later to refurbish all the fake wood, We kept it in perfect condition and I sold it 36 years later to a British TV company that used it to make a trans continental movie: "America Unchained" by Dave Gorman. (It's on Youtube) Dave says the Torino was 'the only car I ever loved' which is also my sentiment. I understand the Torino Squire is now in a small museum in upstate New York. At the time (2007), I was getting older and nothing like the Torino was being made. I also have a 1966 Mustang GT convertible, and, quite frankly, newer cars have better steering, better brakes, better mirrors and other improved safety features. Old age prefers safety.
@jonstewart8683
My dad owned a Corvette, but wanted a boat to tow to Lake Michigan. So he did what any guy would do and bought my mom a new '76 Vista Cruiser. He was a smart guy. 🎉 With 4 kids, we made annual summer trips from WI to ND in total comfort. Fast forward to my 18th birthday and I was the proud new owner. 350 V-8, A/C, CB radio and tape deck. I was king of the world! Plus it really came in handy at the drive-in. Park backward, leave the tailgate up with a blanket and a bottle of Boone's... I'm at a loss to even remember what movies we saw. Good times. Most reliable, easiest to maintain car I've ever owned. I'd buy one today if I could
@rosalindshays5679
Great video...but you forgot to mention the last American-made full-sized station wagon: the Dodge Magnum (2005-2008)!
@BrockLanders-u9g
The last station wagon I owned was a 1994 Ford Taurus. As a musician, the lower stance, and ease of a low tailgate, made loading and unloading gear a breeze. The perfect car for a working musician.
@emojim7136
I love this video. Great job. When i was 4 years old, my dad bought a new 1967 Ford Country Squire wagon that was white in color and had the wood panels on the sides. It was pictured in this video several times. He was in the Navy, so he drove it across the US like 4 times. When i was 14 years old in 1980, my parents stopped driving it because it had about 300,000ish miles on it and when it started up, it smoked soooo much. It wasn't drivable on the road anymore. My dad then bought a 1978 Ford Granada to drive in its place. Well, when i got into High School I took auto class and ended up rebuilding the motor because my parents gave me the car to fix up and drive. So, with auto shop and a JC Whitney engine rebuilt kit i saved my allowance and purchased the kit and rebuilt the motor. It ran great and never smoked anymore. So, i got my license in 11th grade and started driving it taking my mom back and forth from work. Well, my parents divorced in 1984, and my mom was left to fend for us boys so i was forced to sell it to help put food on the table and pay bills my mom needed help with. But this car looked like new inside and out when they gave it to me to fix up. I will never forget when my mom sold the car to someone, and they came and drove it away. 😞 I was very sad to see that car go. I grew up in that car. Just thought you guys would like my story about the car. I still have pics of it today.
@timtobias6541
My first car was the car my parents gave me when I graduated high school. A 1973 Grand Safari wagon. I took it to college & became popular because we could get 12 people in that barge. Luckily everyone chipped in for gas. Had it all through college & 3 years after. This was 1976. Would love to have that car now!!❤
@Joscope
Our 73 Caprice was as close as we got to owning a station wagon, BUT my 6th grade teacher ran a daycamp for handicapped kids and their families and recruited us to volunteer for 6 weeks in the summer. He had a 71 Pontiac Safari and he’d pack me and 7 other kids in that thing at 7:00 every morning and shuttle us over to the school where the camp was and we LOVED it! That rear facing 3rd row was awesome and the car was wide enough to where 3 across seating, we didn’t come close to touching each other and the ride was like riding on a cloud, you couldn’t feel the road at all. I’d buy one today if I found one in decent shape..
@SultanAshlowi
As a Saudi born in the 1980s, this video brought back a wave of memories. I vividly remember seeing some wagons like the Chevy Caprice and Toyota Cressida across Saudi streets throughout the 80s and 90s. However, back then, wagons were generally viewed as utilitarian and not particularly stylish or desirable. In contrast, SUVs like the GMC Suburban and Toyota Land Cruiser were the default choice for families—mainly because they offered more space, durability, and true off-road capability, which was essential in a country where families and friends loved to go to the desert occasionally and still do. I agree with the video’s point that today’s crossovers and SUVs are the natural evolution of the station wagon. But what’s even more striking is how the American automotive industry has largely moved away from sedans and smaller passenger cars altogether. For those of us who grew up admiring American vehicles, this shift felt like the end of an era. I genuinely miss the big-body American sedans—cars with bench seats, V8 torque, body-on-frame construction, and road manners that prioritized comfort and durability over tight handling or aggressive styling. These vehicles offered something uniquely American: effortless highway cruising, mechanical simplicity, and a kind of everyday luxury that felt accessible. The last vehicle that truly embodied this American automotive DNA was the Ford Crown Victoria. It wasn’t just a fleet car—it was a cultural icon. Built on the Panther platform, it represented everything that made American cars great: rugged reliability, rear-wheel drive, long service life, and a design that was unapologetically functional. When it was discontinued, it left a void that no modern sedan or crossover has really filled. I sincerely hope to see a revival of America’s dominance in building bold, full-size vehicles with substance. No other country mastered the formula like the U.S.—massive road presence, smooth and predictable handling, spacious interiors, and torque-rich engines designed for long distances and relaxed driving. Even when others tried to replicate that formula, they often fell short, either by overcomplicating the technology or missing the intuitive driving feel. The American car wasn’t just transportation—it was an experience. And I believe many enthusiasts around the world still long for that experience to return.
@johnscanlan9335
I absolutely grew up in a station wagon family. From the time I was born, my parents had two cars and my mother always drove the big station wagon. First we had a 1959 Mercury Colony Park, which we took on two cross country summer vacations in 1962 and 1963. It was an OK car, but my parents didn't love it. So in 1965 my father bought a beautiful new Chrysler New Yorker station wagon, which really was a very elegant automobile. We kept that until 1973 when my father turned it in for a Chrysler Town and Country wagon. Again this car was magnificent with all the bells and whistles and it got 10 miles to a gallon of gas!
@baloo_2228
Beautiful video! Thank you so much for this trip down memory lane. My uncle bought a Taurus the very first year it came out (1986), and I remember me and my cousin riding in the backwards facing third row. ❤
@JimRobinEric
I love and miss the stationwagon!
@ddsferd1628
I was born in USSR before its collapse and grown on Hollywood movies, where Buick Roadmaster was a stereotype symbol of American Dream. It was a quintessence of a simple human happiness, healthy family and prosperity - all that things, which we were deprived because of our crazy government and consequences of its collapse. Even now, being an adult millennial I am still nostalgic for Buick Roadmaster. None car can be equal to Buick to me in sense of emotions. Thank you for video.
@kirkedwards365
My first car was a 1965 Ford Country Sedan. It didn't have jump seats in the way back, but I regularly stuffed 8+ friends into it. It had a 240 inline 6, 3 speed manual column shift, manual drum brakes and no power steering. I loved that wagon. Over the years I've had a total of 14 different wagons, they are roomy and better than a pick-up with a camper shell.
@soppybottomboys1195
SUV = station wagon on a lift kit Crossover = hatchback on a lift kit.
@TripleEyeTre