As always, my comments directly depend on your point of reference. The older generation thinks that minivans and SUVs are a ridiculous waste of space, and my generation thinks that station wagons went out with the 80's. Personally, I miss our old station wagon. Primarily, because it was the exact same stationwagon that "The Brady Bunch" had, complete with blue/green trim and faux wood paneling. It had the cool flop down door in the back and chairs that opened up out of the cargo bay.
One of the things that made these cars so fun was the lack of "seat-belt" litigation back in the 70's. I can remember being in the back of the wagon and needing something out of the glove box. "No need to stop driving mom! I'll just crawl and flop my way to the front seat" (even if the back seat had occupants). Speaking of seatbelts, ours were always kept tucked away under the seats in perfect pristine condition, in case we had to sell the car later."
And what was more convenient than the plush bench seat they provided in the front of the car? Or the luggage rack that was actually used for luggage?
I will make one positive reference for the modern day SUV. It doesn't have a backseat hump... If there were more than two kids in your family, you know exactly what I am talking about. You will remember that mountainous hump of metal on the floor where you put your feet. This housed the transmission, but also separated the back seat into right and left. Inevitably there was a disagreement about "the hump" and who had to sit in the middle putting one foot into each side.
Our station wagon had one other feature that I find absent in today's automobiles. We had ash trays and cigarette burners at every seat (yeah...that was safe). Even as a child I thought it odd that I was given the ability to make fire in the back of the car. We were constantly doing science/burn projects in the back seat. My dad is barreling down the road and I was in the back seat burning sunflower seeds and pop rocks.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
One of the things that made these cars so fun was the lack of "seat-belt" litigation back in the 70's. I can remember being in the back of the wagon and needing something out of the glove box. "No need to stop driving mom! I'll just crawl and flop my way to the front seat" (even if the back seat had occupants). Speaking of seatbelts, ours were always kept tucked away under the seats in perfect pristine condition, in case we had to sell the car later."
And what was more convenient than the plush bench seat they provided in the front of the car? Or the luggage rack that was actually used for luggage?
I will make one positive reference for the modern day SUV. It doesn't have a backseat hump... If there were more than two kids in your family, you know exactly what I am talking about. You will remember that mountainous hump of metal on the floor where you put your feet. This housed the transmission, but also separated the back seat into right and left. Inevitably there was a disagreement about "the hump" and who had to sit in the middle putting one foot into each side.
Our station wagon had one other feature that I find absent in today's automobiles. We had ash trays and cigarette burners at every seat (yeah...that was safe). Even as a child I thought it odd that I was given the ability to make fire in the back of the car. We were constantly doing science/burn projects in the back seat. My dad is barreling down the road and I was in the back seat burning sunflower seeds and pop rocks.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
