The term “station wagon” has its roots in the nineteenth century, when horse-drawn carts or wagons were used to ferry people and luggage to and from railway stations.

The early automobile age yielded similar utilitarian vehicles, but the traditional station wagon body style did not appear until the 1920s. In the 1930s, station wagons began to gain traction as passenger and recreational vehicles, and soon the classic station wagon template became an American mainstay.

In the pre-World War II market, limited demand led many manufacturers to outsource body production. All wood and composite wood-steel bodies were common due to high tooling and production costs for all-steel bodies. Ford was an early adopter of the station wagon body style in its Model “A” line. By the late 1930s, station wagons became a more common sight and even penetrated the luxury market. The 1941 Chrysler Town & Country, for example, was the most expensive car in its line.

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This information comes from our past exhibit, Family Haulers.