Your fantasies may not involve station wagons exclusively. You in fact, may entertain hopeful imaginations that perhaps involve you and Superman being BFFs, or maybe the discovery of a hitherto unknown breed of magic unicorn. Regardless of those distractions, I am pretty certain that the vast majority of your fantasizing revolves around what cars would make most excellent station wagons. I mean, who doesn’t? The station wagon is not an exclusively American invention, but it is intrinsically connected to our great nation and the post-war suburban sprawl that today defines it. The ability to carry copious quantities of cargo, or a gaggle of little leaguers to an after-game celebratory slice of pie and coke is a major plus, especially while giving the typical pilot – the suburban mom – the security of ‘driving like a car’ whilst doing it. Today, there are still a few wagons left on the market, but most have been killed off, first by the SUV, and now the Crossover. Neither of those beasts can hold a candle to a Vista Cruiser or Country Squire when it comes to style, or providing fond memories of the family vacation. And while there are a few wagons still holding on, like the polar bear, it’s hard to tell if the breed will make it or not. That’s why we need an endangered species act for cars, and the first on the list would be the family wagon. If that were the case, we could not only stem the tide of wagon attrition, but like another American icon- the bison, we could swell their numbers so they won’t become something our grand kids see only in museums and the movies. And if we’re going to do so, we need to determine which cars would make the best breeding stock, which means it’s up to you to say which car should turn your fantasy wagon into a fantasy no more.

Image source: [CWW Car Design]