By Hugo Evans
Editor of Editorials
The words “station wagon” probably don’t mean much to you unless you’re a pretty devout car enthusiast. But why don’t they? The station wagon should be a symbol of automotive excellence. It quite simply is the quintessential automobile. It combines the capability and handling of a sedan with the cargo space and headroom (something important to a beanstalk like me) of an SUV. This combined with sexy sheet metal, decent mileage, and a sick nickname (shooting brake) all combine into nothing short of automotive bliss. Alas, with all of this going for it, the station wagon has experienced nothing but discontinuations and dwindling sales numbers in the United States with people favoring uglier, taller, and fuel slurping SUVs and minivans. This wasn’t always the case, station wagons used to be owned by seemingly every other family in America. This sad decline of the station wagon is something I highly protest, recommending instead that the station wagon be brought back into the spotlight for the quintessential car it is.
First off, the station wagon is an American classic, right up there with apple pie and football on Sunday. From its beginnings as the instantly recognizable “woody wagon,” the American family has always recognized the station wagon as one of the main family hauler options. Not only that, but the station wagon has cemented its place in American pop culture as well. The Ghostbusters whipped the famous Ecto-1, a modded out Cadillac Bel-Air station wagon, the Griswolds drive the Wagon Queen Family Trucker in National Lampoon’s Vacation, the Peanuts gang all pile in the back of a nameless station wagon in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, The Brady Bunch rolled around town in a 1971 Plymouth Satellite Regent, and there are countless other famous wagons that are ingrained into American culture. Letting the station wagon die out would be like slapping Uncle Sam across the face.
Another reason to resurrect the station wagon from its fading state is this, the pressure in the American market for station wagons is something of a refiner’s fire. The station wagons coming out now are the best that have ever been made. In order to attract American buyers, automakers such as Mercedes, Audi, and Volvo are loading their station wagons with all of the best little goodies and hottest bodywork they can find. The wagons rolling off the line today are all low, long, and sleek, making for a very good looking automobile. One look at Audi RS6 Avant, the Volvo V60, or the Porsche Panamera, (all pictured above) and you’ll get the idea. Not only do they come with good looks to spare, they also come with all the best parts the automotive industry has to offer; delivering the capability and cargo space of an SUV, and the handling and power of a sport sedan. Bringing the station wagon out of the rut it’s in would undoubtedly bring more delectable long-roofed options to the table.
With all this evidence at hand, the mystery of the declining popularity of the station wagon over here in the States will forever baffle me. But I, for one, will go on believing in this automotive masterpiece until the bitter end.
Editor of Editorials
The words “station wagon” probably don’t mean much to you unless you’re a pretty devout car enthusiast. But why don’t they? The station wagon should be a symbol of automotive excellence. It quite simply is the quintessential automobile. It combines the capability and handling of a sedan with the cargo space and headroom (something important to a beanstalk like me) of an SUV. This combined with sexy sheet metal, decent mileage, and a sick nickname (shooting brake) all combine into nothing short of automotive bliss. Alas, with all of this going for it, the station wagon has experienced nothing but discontinuations and dwindling sales numbers in the United States with people favoring uglier, taller, and fuel slurping SUVs and minivans. This wasn’t always the case, station wagons used to be owned by seemingly every other family in America. This sad decline of the station wagon is something I highly protest, recommending instead that the station wagon be brought back into the spotlight for the quintessential car it is.
First off, the station wagon is an American classic, right up there with apple pie and football on Sunday. From its beginnings as the instantly recognizable “woody wagon,” the American family has always recognized the station wagon as one of the main family hauler options. Not only that, but the station wagon has cemented its place in American pop culture as well. The Ghostbusters whipped the famous Ecto-1, a modded out Cadillac Bel-Air station wagon, the Griswolds drive the Wagon Queen Family Trucker in National Lampoon’s Vacation, the Peanuts gang all pile in the back of a nameless station wagon in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, The Brady Bunch rolled around town in a 1971 Plymouth Satellite Regent, and there are countless other famous wagons that are ingrained into American culture. Letting the station wagon die out would be like slapping Uncle Sam across the face.
Another reason to resurrect the station wagon from its fading state is this, the pressure in the American market for station wagons is something of a refiner’s fire. The station wagons coming out now are the best that have ever been made. In order to attract American buyers, automakers such as Mercedes, Audi, and Volvo are loading their station wagons with all of the best little goodies and hottest bodywork they can find. The wagons rolling off the line today are all low, long, and sleek, making for a very good looking automobile. One look at Audi RS6 Avant, the Volvo V60, or the Porsche Panamera, (all pictured above) and you’ll get the idea. Not only do they come with good looks to spare, they also come with all the best parts the automotive industry has to offer; delivering the capability and cargo space of an SUV, and the handling and power of a sport sedan. Bringing the station wagon out of the rut it’s in would undoubtedly bring more delectable long-roofed options to the table.
With all this evidence at hand, the mystery of the declining popularity of the station wagon over here in the States will forever baffle me. But I, for one, will go on believing in this automotive masterpiece until the bitter end.
