The History of the Station Wagon | The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation

In this segment of The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation, Mo Rocca speaks with Curator of Transportation Matt Anderson about how station wagons got their start.

The earliest station wagons appeared in the 1910s and were used to haul people and luggage between railroad stations and hotels, hence the name "station wagon." They were also used on farms or as delivery vehicles. Station wagons featured special wooden bodies installed on standard car chassis. Wood continued to be used in station wagon bodies until after World War II.

The first station wagon that consumers could buy directly from the factory was Durant Motors' 1923 Star Station Wagon. It featured the same engine as Durant's Star passenger automobiles, but there were major changes behind the windshield. Not only did it feature the wooden body, but also three rows of seats to maximize room for passengers and luggage.

Durant's Star challenged Ford's Model T in the low-price field, and Ford didn't offer complete factory-built station wagons until 1929. But while the Star was a hit, Durant stretched his finances too thin, and ended operations in 1932.

In 1949, Plymouth released the Suburban Station Wagon — the first station wagon with an all steel body. It transformed the station wagon into a practical family vehicle, and was a major upgrade from older wood-body wagons.

So what ever happened to the station wagon? The station wagon disappeared in phases. Not being very fuel efficient, station wagons couldn't keep up with the high gas prices during the oil crisis in the 1970s. In 1984, the introduction of the minivan replaced the station wagon as the hip, new vehicle for families.

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