Tailgate Party
Countless treasured memories were created in station wagons offered by the Big Three automakers in the 20th century, as they were the go-to haulers for millions of families. These leviathans could cart the kids and their loads of sports equipment to games, carry 4 x 8 sheets of plywood back from the local lumber yard, and still deliver the groceries as needed. Midsized and even compact versions were also popular for smaller families that didn’t require as much cargo area.
In the 1980s, the Big Three’s station wagons faced increasing competition not only from imports, but also from the emergence of the game-changing Chrysler minivans introduced for 1984, and the rise of the four-door SUV Jeep Cherokee XJ released that same model year.
Ford and Mercury entered the decade with the full-size, V-8, rear-wheel-drive Panther platform siblings. The former offered the LTD S, LTD, and Country Squire, and the latter the Marquis, with or without the Colony Park option.
At General Motors, Chevrolet had the Impala and the Caprice Classic, Pontiac the Catalina and Bonneville Safaris, Buick the Le Sabre and Electra Estates, and Oldsmobile the Custom Cruiser. All were based on GM’s B-body, and each division’s models mostly differed in frontal appearance, taillamps, interior and exterior trim, price point, and some equipment, powertrains, and options. Chrysler and its divisions were already out of the big wagon business by this time.
Midsize RWD station wagons for 1980 included Ford’s Fairmont and Fairmont Squire, and Mercury’s Zephyr, with or without the Villager option. GM also offered a full complement, with the Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Classic, Pontiac Le Mans and Grand Le Mans Safaris, Buick
