Any Thoughts as to Why Two Door Station Wagons Were Manufactored?

They are good looking, no doubt there.

As noted earlier, two door sedans, wagons and the like were purchased for "kid" control.
Having a door come open did happen and when it did, the kid - or adult most times - leaning on the door got launched out.

Along with that, since dad - a sporty guy in his own mind - liked the two door style.
When he bought his first new car, a 50 Ford sedan, I tried to get him to go for the coupe.
A far better looking car to my eye, but mom thought the sedan was better since it had a touch more room, sedans - of either style - were "family" cars.

Mom thought too that the earlier two door sedans - a 42 and a 47 Ford - that dad had before the 50 had a built-in safety feature in that the rear side windows didn't roll down all the way.
She asked dad to fix the 50 so the windows wouldn't roll down all the way.
Dad demurred, I was ten and sis was eight and we knew better than to roll the windows down at speed for any reason.
I don't think he ever told her you couldn't roll the rear windows down in the 42 & 47 due to the fender bulge inward.

When ya got older, ya bought the 4-door cuz it was more convenient - sedan usually, once in a while a wagon.

Kinda funny what some folks do for cars when they had kids.
I knew my dad was a guy who liked hot rods, stayed with em for a while and eventually got into more staid cars.

Later on, a Barracuda, GT Mustang, Turbo Buick and the like.

Sweetie's folks were nice, but a bit stuffy to my eyes.
They knew a lot of folks in town who were in local politics, etc.
They did own a 57 Ford hardtop when I met her, but most surprising was to find out they'd owned a 51 and 54 Ford convertible somewhere in there.

Which goes to show ya can't always count on the old folks being fuddy-duddy's.

 

Looks like the '57 ambulance is the front burner project! HUGE cargo area there. Nifty

 

Here are the pics.My mistake;it is a Dodge.

 

Had one, they were officially called the "Cruzin Wagon" They had a round porthole in the panel section. Mine was lowered with BBS rims and 2.8V6 with a louvered hood and a Sierra Tan Metallic paint job. was delivery vehicle for my Music store and my Dad's Big Band.

 

Possibly, something to do with the fact that two door styling apart from being less expensive than the four door models looks much better, therefore increasing sales as most people don't really need four doors 100% of the time as with most things automotive a compromise was achived

 

Cheap enclosed hauling for kids, crap or crappy kids

 

Impractical ?!?!?, you should try one. I think my grand dad must have known C9's dad, lol

 

Another way to look at it is, it's the original soccer mom mini-van.

'Cept back in the day a couple of these . . . and sometimes one . . . hauled fried chicken, all the fixn's and lemonade to the ballfield for an after game picnic with the Little League guys.

Pizza?

Nahhh.

Winning was fun, but mom's fried chicken was the best....

 

I think it was done so I could build this surf wagon a few cars back. straight 6, 3 speed overdrive, dual straights thru the lakes pipes... even took it on a coouple of Americruises, Lincoln, Ne & Madison, Wi. other than that, I don't know.




if I drop this here bolt down this here port, can you get it out with them there pliers?

 

There is something to be said for the kids being a "trapped audience", they can't simply open a door and escape my long alegorical tales of honesty and citizenship.

Here's my 59 with the destructo coupe...

 

Have ya' driven one?????

I rented one.................felt as if the end of the steering column was in a bucket of rubber bands.......and K Y!...........

The steering ......steered, and that's about all!

 

Can't help it.
Pretty or not.
Rare or not.

They're still a station wagon.

Not knockin' the work, just the bodystyle.

Blech.

 

How are they impractical? they served a market that did not need a business coupe, a sedan delivery, a panel delivery, or a pickup or panel van. Just another option for someone needing or wanting that type of vehicle, is all. Besides that, of all the above choices, the two-door wagon had a back seat, where the others did not. Not every person wanting a wagon wanted four doors, just as someone needing a sedan had a choice of two or four doors, plus likely a hardtop option, to boot! It's all about choice, and what the market was willing to provide the buyer in the day. Pretty simple and logical, really.

And I love my '56 Plymouth two-door wagon!

 

Simple. They're freaking cool

 

I can tell you why this one was built:

1. Because he wanted to
2. Because he could

 

Someone built that car from a four-door hardtop wagon. NO two-door hardtop wagons came from the factory in that year, or any other year, from the Chrysler Corporation. That is a "phantom". Cool as hell, and one of none.

 

I think Nomad was a limited option on the 2door wagon now everyone calls a 2 door wagon a nomad like they call a ranchero
"elcamino" and nova,camaro,chevelle "ss's" or anything with an aftermarket cowl hood or big tires on the back is a musclecar...

I think I know why some people bought a 2door wagon or any other 2 door car; convenience. Maybe it's easy to get passengers in and out the back with 4 doors but if your a 6' barrel chested Kraut and more especially if your a fat one like me that pillar on a 4door is always trying to knock an arm off climbing in and the wide berth of a 2door lets me in behind the wheel soooo nice. 4 doors isn't an option for my frame unless were talking a caddy or a continental.

 

I remember those! Dad bought one new when we were kids with a 350 to pull our new mallard 28' camping trailer. took it on a tour throughout the Midwest and the Rockies. loved the way the truck sounded from the engine, that high tensile sheetmetal sound like when you slam the door on a dodge. We traded it in on a 75or77 Econoline e350 with a 460. have an 82 Econoline E350 with a 460 AND 4x4 right now.
I think there were 2,000 each 2door chevelle
wagons made in 64 and in 65. junkyard down by Lincoln Ne has a rust free complete 1960 fairlane 2door ranch wagon...

 

Ford's first 2 dr wagon wasn't really a cheap working model.



I loved my Ranch wagon. It was sooo cheap....no arm rests on the doors, one sunvisor for the driver only. No door switches for the dome light. Just basic transportation.

And remember that the first Nomad was actually a Corvette factory show car.

 

I was there in the 50's. and the fear of the kids opening the door and "falling out" was often spoken of in those days. The 2 door wagons prevented this. Gotta remember that this was before childproof door locks. and most folks had 4 or 5 unruly kids, not just one or two

 

Seems to make sense, my dad had a '55 Stude 2-door wagon BITD, totally stylin!

 

Bingo!! this post hit my hot button. I love the info posted, the Ford #'s of production is very interesting, only 732 of those sport converts, wow. The Pontiac in the weeds should be saved, the Texas Tornado (Bill) said in an earlier post that all Pontiac wagons are titled as Safaris, not just the hardtops. My 56 Plymouth is a Savoy which is one up from the bottom of the line, the lowest being the Plaza, so they all were not the cheapest model. The deluxe Plymouth the Sport Suburban was only available in the 4-dr variety and sported the Belvedere trim plus a killer chrome roof rack and small trim strips on the rear hump, kinda Nomad/Safari like. I would love to find that trim option for my tu-door. Are Patrick, Gotgas(Danny) and I the only Plymouth tu-door wagons on the H.A.M.B.? I have made no progress on my rig, I have that dreadful, lack-o-dough, sickness. But hope $ will flow better soon. Thanks for all for the cool info! ~Sololobo~

 

It seems like making any car a 2 door wagon or panel D makes it cooll, hip and "sporty".
I always though a mid engined panel delivery would be pretty boss. Like a 61 Falcon P-D or 64 Malibu 2 door wagon with a Pantera or GT 40 type drive unit or a V-12 Ferrari or Roll Royce Merlin.
Sleeper style. Dog dish caps, Lettering. "Turd Chaser Plumbing"

 

My folks had several 50's Stude 2 dr wagons when I was growing up. Wish I had one of them now.

 

Tri 5 chevs are cool too.

 

This thread makes me sad. I've got a '57 Dodge Suburban that is collecting dust and rust on the back burner. It had been hit in the rear at some point so I have a '58 Dodge Sierra that I snagged in case I couldn't repair the Suburban tailgate and quarters. At the pace I'm going, gasoline engine cars will be illegal by the time I get to it. I'd be willing to sell them together if someone is looking for a "front burner" project.

 

I haven't tried this yet but I was thinking with the spray on chrome they have or even if you can plate plastic with real chrome a guy ought to be able to take a part like your good tail light chrome off and make a silicon mold then cast it in resin and get it chromed. run the chromed plastic part and store the rare original

 

Not to hijack this thread with "foreign" S#!t, but one day at the shop a VW bus pulled in and my son went to talk with the driver, he came back and said "you should see this!" It had a big block Chevy sitting in the middle of the bus, shocked the heck out of me!!! Don't know if that qualifies as a mid-engined panel or not, but close.

 

Thanks for the name. I knew it was something schmultzy like that.
That sounds pretty sweet. I always thought it'd be cool to have a v-6 with a stick.

 

That thing is georgeous!! I love the Stude 2 doors.