Station wagons were funky, elongated contraptions that I suppose have been around in various forms for the many years the automobile has been around, but the '80s seemed to be their peak time. What do you think?

They were like a precurser to the ultimate mom machine - the Minivan.

I'd say the '70s. Although I remember my uncle had one up to the mid '90s.

"The mid-2000s".

Everyone born prior to 1980 took one look at the word "crossover" (in the context of "crossover SUV"), and said "Oh, what a cool-looking station wagon!"

our family never did have a stationwagon....but we did have many a mini-vans! ;) ;D

I looked up some info on them and some say the '60s were their peak. I am not sure. I knew A LOT of people who had station wagons in the '80s, but that was close to their demise. I suppose they were already out of fashion by the time the '80s hit anyway.

Station wagons were funky, elongated contraptions that I suppose have been around in various forms for the many years the automobile has been around, but the '80s seemed to be their peak time. What do you think?

They were like a precurser to the ultimate mom machine - the Minivan.


I'd say around the time Animal House was made in 1978 (I still recall the old 'granny on the station-wagon' scene), lol. Not sure when they peaked, but there were undoubtedly more of them on the road in the 80s and 90s than today.

We had a station wagon - early to mid '80's.  Being the oldest kid I got the pleasure of driving it to school.  It was baby blue.  One good thing. . .  I lived in an all boy neighborhood so I got to drive many of the football players to school.  My best friend and I were always surrounded by these hunky players before and after school.  It was fun!

Being the proud owner of a Huge 1974 CountrySquire Station wagon, I'd vote for the 70s. I have book that says the 50s was when the station wagons really caught on. In decades prior they were simply woodbodied taxies on heavy duty car frames that were owned by Chafeur Companies designed to haul lots of people and luggage to the train station. The 50s was when post war parents of baby boomers bought them up in large quantities.

I would have to say that the advent of the minivan brought about the "demise" of the station wagon.

I think the first "real" minivan was made by Chrysler and introduced in about 1983.  I'm sure a few wagons held on after that but new ones were few and far between.

My father owned a business that bought, sold and souped up cars and built and sold Kit cars.  In 1977, he took a 1976 Plymouth Grand Fury Station Wagon and souped it up with a 440cu police interceptor(from an old cop car), a 455 gear with a Dana rear end, etc.  I drove it until 1988.

It was FAST

I don't know when the station wagon peaked in sales, but I would say it's reign lasted from the days of post WWII when families were blossoming and the 'burbs were expanding until the early '80s, when we were darn well sick of them, and the Mini-Van won the competition, about 40 years, not bad at all.

I don't remember the make and mode, but I think the last year of the station wagon was 1987.

I wonder if THIS excoriating spoof had anything at all to do with the station wagon's demise?

http://www.hollywood-diecast.com/vacation%20family%20truckster.jpg

Now, I owe it to myself to tell you, Mr. Griswold, that if you are thinking of taking the tribe cross country, this is your automobile. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster. You think you hate it now, but wait till you drive it.

There are still wagons available today. Saturn makes one. I only know this because last time I went car shopping in 2005 they showed me one.