One of my hidden loves is Car Design. I wanted to be a car designer when I was a child. I went to the Chicago Auto Show an amazing 12 years in a row as a child. I had a huge plastic bag where I could collect as many car brochures as possible, take them home, then pour over them. I would attempt to make up my own cars. I even had my own car company. It was called Mega Motors! They’d probably be bankrupt by now based on my elementary school designs and drawing ability.
But it’s fun to talk about it here.
Much like Neutella, Kylie Minogue and the Metric System, Station Wagons (or Estates in many countries) and hatchbacks are insanely popular everywhere around the world..except in the US.
Once upon a time in the US wagons were plentiful. Even the Ford Escort and Chevrolet Cavalier offered Station Wagon variants. Celebrity, Taurus, Camry, Accord all had wagons..and not massive Country Squire, Grand Marquis, Colony Park, Roadmaster, Caprice, and Safari Station wagons
You can count the amount of wagons sold in the US on one hand
The Jetta Sportswagen (The Golf Wagen in the rest of the world)
Acura TSX Wagon (The Honda Accord Wagon in the rest of the world)
If you notice, (besides the Jetta) it’s all luxury or near luxury brands offering wagons…mostly out of reach for the average family looking for the Family Truckster.
There have been some sexy wagons in the 2000s but they were more shooting breaks and didnt really have the utility of a station wagon like the discontinued Dodge Magnum or even the still on sale Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. They are also not volume cars.
What killed the Station Wagon in the US..a a triple punch of being horribly uncool, the dominance of Chrysler (then other companies) Minivans. Then Minivans became uncool mom mobiles, so they switched to the SUV. Then the SUV was massive fuel guzzlers so they go for the CUV
Based on article featured on car enthusiast website Autoblog, a GM executive thinks “America Deserves A New Wagon
So what could possibly bring the US back around to the Station Wagon.
It would have to be
affordable
affordable
good gas mileage
good seating capacity
good cargo capacity
GM has some options. They would be badge engineering jobs, but thats Basically what Buick is now right...Opel of America.
Bring over the Insignia Wagon and make it a Regal Wagon
Bring over the Chevy Cruise Wagon
If you need a Shamu wagon from the 70s and 80s, bring over the Holden Commodore Wagon (Which is the new US Caprice Police Cruiser and the Chevy SS)
All handsome vehicles in my not so humble opinion. But would Americans buy it? As ugly as it was, the Chevy Malibu Maxx sold in decent numbers. Maybe an experiment with the Chevy Cruze Wagon is the safest way to go.
The main trick to making a station wagon not look like a station wagon is the placement of the rear wheels. If the rear wheels are placed so there is a large overhang, the car looks like it's got a huge overhanging butt. But if the rear wheels are placed closer to the backend of the car, the butt doesn't overhang as much, therefore making it look more like a normal car.
ReplyDeleteThere ya go. Station wagon design simplified.
You're right Matty, it's all about the rear overhang, but these modern wagons like the ones pictured above really aren't designed like the 70s and 80s Killer Whale ones of the past
DeleteReally amazing car. And great presentations. I love this car.
ReplyDeletecar reflection shadow