Even the most ardent gearhead speed demon can succumb to the human urge to settle down and start a family. But the need to transport a brood doesn’t magically remove the desire to step on the accelerator and feel the wheels surge ahead, or to move in and out of a corner with alacrity. The auto industry has recently responded by producing a seemingly endless list of crossover SUVs—to combine practicality and a modicum of style and power (while avoiding the dreaded minivan). But perhaps the answer lies in a vehicle segment with a rich heritage but that has fallen out of favor in the United States: the wagon.
Classic wagons weren’t built for or intended as race vehicles, with a few notable exceptions such as the Chevrolet Nomad Wagon. By the way, check out this gorgeous 1960 Nomad Power Glide with its big-displacement V8 now listed on eBay or the other Nomad Wagons and related-parts available on Motors.
1960 Chevrolet Nomad Power Glide Wagon
However, Nomad Wagons are more about show than go—as evidenced by the rise in popularity of wagons at classic car shows. “Concours events have started including special classes for station wagons from the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s,” Larry Edsall, ClassicCars.com editorial director, told us. “For baby boomers who grew up in them, wagons are very nostalgic. For millennials who are all about sharing experiences with their friends, they are also extremely practical.” While some models such as the Chevrolet Nomad have long been considered collectible, garnering six-figure prices at auction, others remained in the shadows due to the genre’s family hauler stigma.
Collectors might have their eyes on eBay listings like the 1969 Buick Sport Wagon, with its rebuilt 350 cubic-inch V8—but that’s when the massive size and weight of classic wagon work against the interests of drivers wanting size and speed.
1969 Buick Sport Wagon
Back in the day, buyers could choose between the same 350 engine used on the Buick Skylark and a 400 cubic-inch block shared with the high-performance GS muscle car. Yes, wagons like the ’69 Buick shared chassis components with some of the lightweight muscle cars, but if you look at the specs, their big, durable, and reliable blocks were intended to add additional power for hauling and towing—not racing. At the end of the day, people are collecting these wagons not to run them as hot rods, but as stylish cruisers that can carry a lot of people, and legitimately look cool.
Of course, family-oriented lead foots with serious bucks can opt for more recent sports-oriented wagons. You can find wagons with real fire-power on eBay: like the 425-horsepower Dodge Magnum SRT8; the 518-hp Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon; or the more elusive 556-horsepower supercharged V8 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon.
2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 Wagon
Take Matters into Your Own Hands
On the other hand, if you’re a mechanically-savvy enthusiast willing to invest some sweat equity in an almost complete project car, you can have the best of old and new. There are vehicles on eBay like this badass 1972 Plymouth Satellite Wagon resto-mod, now equipped with a fuel-injected 5.9 Magnum engine. Current bidding is at a modest $1,725.
1972 Plymouth Satellite Wagon resto-mod
The project started with the four-decades-old Plymouth Satellite wagon. It shared the same Chrysler C-body chassis as two and four-door models—as well as the high-performance GTX and Roadrunner. The 150-horsepower 318 cubic-inch engine originally on the car was one of six available V-8 blocks for the third and final generation of Satellites and the only engine available on the wagon. All wagons were rear-wheel drive, with a fully-synchronized three-speed automatic transmission.
Here’s where it gets interesting: the seller swapped in the Dodge Magnum V8’s 5.9-liter mill and a late-model automatic transmission.
That will certainly help—although you can’t escape the 1972 Plymouth wagon’s hefty curb weight, at nearly two tons, without factoring in accessories, a full tank of gas, and a boatload of passengers.
The interior includes new bucket front seats and the original folding second-row seat. The owner installed new wiring harnesses, exhaust headers and radiators. While the result is might not be considered a barn burner, the prospect of carrying the rug rats around in a mean-looking rear-wheel-drive muscle wagon, with a modern high-horsepower V8, is pretty darn alluring.
