Just got back from Raceway Park drag strip in Englishtown, NJ. They had their annual Nostalgia Old Time Drags and were filled with classic autos and funny cars. I was pleasantly surprised to see some station wagons, mostly Chevy Nomads. I don’t remember what the car above was, but it had a little remote control inside to lower it to the ground. Below are pics of some of the show cars, plus a couple Nomads getting ready for the 1/4 mile.
While station wagons are known for their CARGO capacity, they should not be confused with cargo SHIPS. Luckily no one was injured when this BMW wagon was driven into the Newark Bay in NJ, as posted by the Hudson Reporter.
We had some flooding outside the studio this week, but not as bad as last year. There was a moment when I was driving during the storm and heard hail stone pinging off the roof. With such a huge surface area and no insulation I felt like I was in a pop-corn popper as I watched stones the size of marbles bounce off the hood. No damage and I was sure to park on high ground.
The 1964 Chrysler New Yorker pictured above was one of only 1170 built, according to the original owner’s Craigs List ad. This 413 ci wedge Mopar can be had for the bargain price of $25,000. Via Jalopnik NPoCP.
Pity the poor 70’s Stepford wives. Their husbands run off in cute little MGBs while they’re stuck lugging the kids and groceries in gigantic Detroit wagons. Where’s Fresh Direct when we need it?
I sat behind one of these Honda Crossturds this weekend and was just mystified at the design decisions made in the construction of this abomination. How can you see out of a rear window that is practically parallel to the ground? How are you supposed to be able to get a stack of boxes from Ikea under that sloped roof?
Jalopnik has a couple posts exploring the etymology behind the term “station wagon” (hint: what would you need to take a stack of boxy luggage to the local train depot?) and clarify the difference between “wagon” and “hatchback”.
LINK: Why is it called a “Station Wagon”?
LINK: What makes a Wagon a Wagon?
A slew of pics of these lil’ boxes.
Click to view the gorgeous, full-size scan of this Kodachrome of a 1960 Chevy Packwood, just back from vacation.
via Shorpy
I was conflicted when I first saw this concept car from the 60’s. I love wagons, but why would they ruin the sweet slope of the Ford Galaxie fastback? On further examination, however, I was delighted to see that it’s actually a Fastback/Wagon Transformer, converting from a speedster to a grocery getter at the flick of a switch, complete with a third seat. Bad ass!
Barris Kustoms, maker of the original Batmobile, Munster coach and Green Hornet’s Black Beauty created this multi-personality beast for Ford as a concept car. I’m gonna guess that if this went into production it would have leaked like a cheap diaper.
Model Car Science has more Magic Cruiser photos from a 1966 auto show, as well as the creation of a custom scale model.
BONUS: Kargoyle!
In this 1982 ad from Ford, astronaut Wally Shirra presents us with a “vehicle dedicated to the use of space”. We then see the shuttle Columbia landing, followed by a shot of the 1982 Ford Granada.
“Look Out World! Here comes Ford!”
I can’t tell if the metaphor is for NASA ships or nasty sex:
Built to carry a full crew in comfort
while moving big payloads
propelled by the thrust
of Ford’s new v6 engine option
designed to be used
over and over again.
So Ford biggest selling point is that the car will start? More than once? SOLD!
Long live NASA Space Shuttle.
