The Forerunner of the Expedition

[ExpeditionAndy]

If found this video...

 

[East-TN]

Awesome...almost all station wagons grew into SUVs.

 

[tater]

I'm still searching for a 66-67 Country Squire!

 

[1955moose]

Andy, reminds me of our 53 Pontiac 8 passenger wagon I grew up with, what a tank to drive! No power steering, touchy power brakes, slow engine, only 118 horsepower, today a cherry ones worth $75k. I think my mom payed the wrecking yard $25.00 to tow it away, in 1968. Who knew!

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[ExpeditionAndy]

Andy, reminds me of our 53 Pontiac 8 passenger wagon I grew up with, what a tank to drive! No power steering, touchy power brakes, slow engine, only 118 horsepower, today a cherry ones worth $75k. I think my mom payed the wrecking yard $25.00 to tow it away, in 1968. Who knew!

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When I looked at the bulk of that wagon in the video it reminded me of the new Expedition with the lower greenhouse, but it was an eight passenger wagon designed to haul people and stuff. Pretty much a Utility Vehicle with out the Sport part.

 

[jeff kushner]

We grew up vacationing in our 1964 Country Squire(with the wood panels). Great car but my folks replaced it with a '69(also with wood panels..hey, mom liked 'em) and it was not because of the "tech", primitive as it was back then....but both were great road cars with lots of room for 5 kids and TWO parents to spread out yet take it all with us!

Good times, thanks Andy!

jeff

 

[gixer2000]

So is the country squire equivalent to the king ranch?...

The good old days when cars were built out of steel.

 

[chuck s]

What defines a station wagon vs a SUV? Putting aside my requirement that a SUV has be on a truck frame (bye bye Explorer) the definition is vague. And then we have that nonsense term "crossovers."

Our Subaru Forester is listed as a SUV by Subaru, Consumer Reports, etc.
Our larger Subaru Outback is merely a station wagon. Makes no sense to us! Both vehicles are build on car unibody chassis.

Watch rear suspension drop as they load that station wagon in the video.

-- Chuck

 

[jeff kushner]

Good question Chuck....I've kind of figured it was "stance" and height...that kind of thing. I think GM with the Buick Roadmaster/chev equiv is the last of the station wagons.

The 64 had one rear-facing bench, allowing us to make faces at the cars behind us...the 69 had rear opposed facing seats...so we made faces at each other!

jeff

 

[Flexpedition]

What defines a station wagon vs a SUV? Putting aside my requirement that a SUV has be on a truck frame (bye bye Explorer) the definition is vague. And then we have that nonsense term "crossovers."

Our Subaru Forester is listed as a SUV by Subaru, Consumer Reports, etc.
Our larger Subaru Outback is merely a station wagon. Makes no sense to us! Both vehicles are build on car unibody chassis.

Watch rear suspension drop as they load that station wagon in the video.

-- Chuck

I'd argue the unibody Jeep Cherokee is one of the founding fathers of the SUV movement. They just didn't dye their hair or carry silly signs looking for acceptance.

In the 50's thru mid 80's most (read: not all) "station wagons" were a variant of an existing platform. That model often also had a 4-door sedan, a coupe offering and often a convertible variant, two and four door. I know Subaru use to do this with the Outback offering its as both a sedan and wagon variety. Forester as far as I know never was a sedan or coupe, always a SUV. So to me, a station wagon is a version.

The nonsensical term crossover would have been just as at-home then as it is today if 1950's manufactures added impact resistant lower cladding, a taller suspension, etc to a sedan or wagon.

That said, do you consider the body-on-frame Explorer Sport Trac a pick-up truck or a SUV with a bed?

 

[JExpedition07]

Then you had the bronco, which turned into the Expedition.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

What defines a station wagon vs a SUV? Putting aside my requirement that a SUV has be on a truck frame (bye bye Explorer) the definition is vague. And then we have that nonsense term "crossovers."

Wagons, SUVs and Crossovers, Oh My!
https://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1041781_wagons-suvs-and-crossovers-oh-my

January 19, 2010

The last couple of decades have produced lots of new buzzwords and categories related to automobiles and automotive technology. Station wagons have been around forever, and pioneers like Jeep and the Ford Explorer have made the SUV a common name. More recently, we are hearing more about crossovers, which tend to blur the line between the sedan, station wagon, and SUV. So what exactly are the differences, and why should you care? I'm glad you asked. Ok... I asked, but some of you must be wondering...
Let's start with the station wagon, since it's been around the longest. It's quite simple actually. In most cases, station wagons (and hatchbacks) are just extended

versions of existing sedans. A wagon is going to feel almost exactly like a sedan from the inside. It will most likely share almost 100% of the chassis and drivetrain components with it's sedan sibling. The usefulness of a station wagon is obvious to someone who wants to drive a car, but with a little extra storage.
At the other end of the spectrum is the SUV. A sport utility vehicle is intended to be very versatile, offering lots of usage options. They are generally built on truck-like frames with rugged truck-like suspension components. This provides the SUV with lots of ground clearance, making it a good option for off-road use. You'll sacrifice some ride comfort if you go with an SUV. It's basically a closed-in pickup truck, with a few extra seats. If you like the utility and ruggedness of a truck, but need protection for your cargo, and lots of seating, an SUV is the ideal choice for you

Now let's talk a bit about the crossover. From the outside, a crossover generally looks like a an SU-, well actually more like a statio- hmm, I guess it's really more of a mini- ah ok I give up! The crossover really is designed to take advantage of features from several different categories of cars. The goal is to offer sedan-like comfort and handling characteristics with a little bit more utility and space than smaller hatchbacks and wagons. The chassis and suspension of the crossover will resemble that of a sedan. Ride height is somewhere in between a sedan and a true SUV. This gives you a bit more ground clearance, but still maintains decent handling and comfort. Inside, the crossover will feel like a wagon or small SUV. They are generally taller than a sedan, with cargo offerings somewhere between a wagon and a minivan. Compared to an SUV, a crossover will generally be lighter weight by the nature of it's construction, which can improve fuel economy by allowing the use of smaller engines.

In my opinion, the crossover will appeal to shoppers looking for something new and trendy. It's certainly got its benefits, but it's not going to excel at anything. It's in the middle of the car - SUV spectrum, so you're going to get pretty average performance in general. It's not intended to drive like a sports sedan, but you can't really beat it up off road. It's not generally going to be very compact, but you won't get the most cargo space either. It's perfect for people who don't want too much of any particular characteristic. It's an all-around versatile combo. If you don't mind the looks, give one a try. If you demand the best in any category, you probably won't find it in a crossover.

 

[Plati]

My Expy is known in my circle of golf friends as the UTV ... Ultimate Travelling Vehicle
That moniker was bestowed upon it after the first Myrtle Beach golf trip

 

[1955moose]

I think Chevrolet gets the nod as the first Suv. I saw on my classic car, I believe was a 1935 carryall panel with seats. Ford may have made a similar model, but all the Ford panels didn't have but 2 seats. Original use for wagons was from the train station to the hotel's, ski resorts, or cruise ship, hence the station name.

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[JExpedition07]

I think Chevrolet gets the nod as the first Suv. I saw on my classic car, I believe was a 1935 carryall panel with seats. Ford may have made a similar model, but all the Ford panels didn't have but 2 seats. Original use for wagons was from the train station to the hotel's, ski resorts, or cruise ship, hence the station name.

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Yep, the first true SUV was the Chevrolet Suburban. Also the oldest still selling nameplate on the planet. Since 1935.

 

[Michael McC]

My dad bought a Country Squire when I was about 2. I was the last of 8 kids. My oldest sister was 12 at the time.

My dad was explaining to the salesman how he could fit the whole family in the station wagon. Three in the front row, 3 in the second row, and the 4 little ones in the jumpseats facing each other in the back.

Salesman didn't miss a beat. "You almost screwed yourself out of a seat!"

...at least that's how he told the story...

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

My dad bought a Country Squire when I was about 2. I was the last of 8 kids. My oldest sister was 12 at the time.

My dad was explaining to the salesman how he could fit the whole family in the station wagon. Three in the front row, 3 in the second row, and the 4 little ones in the jumpseats facing each other in the back.

Salesman didn't miss a beat. "You almost screwed yourself out of a seat!"

...at least that's how he told the story...

Great story!

 

[chuck s]

Had to think for a second on that!

Seat belts? We don't need no stinking seat belts!

-- Chuck

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Had to think for a second on that!

Seat belts? We don't need no stinking seat belts!

-- Chuck

Yes, by the grace of God we survived without seat belts and air bags.

 

[chuck s]

And our parents smoking in the car on the way to church.

-- Chuck