In the 1960s and 70s, many children spent hours riding in the way back of family station wagons. Before there were minivans and SUVs, station wagons were the premier family vehicles. We have very different experiences growing up than kids today. We’ve survived pre-seat belt and car insurance laws, but kids today will never understand what it’s like to not have seatbelts and be free.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. The Coveted Rear-Facing Back Seat
- 2 2. The “Way Back” Was Our Territory
- 3 3. Wood Paneling Was Cool
- 4 4. The Manual Rear Window
- 5 5. Road Trip Games
- 6 6. The Tailgate Party Position
- 7 7. The Summer Seat Burn
- 8 8. Dad’s Packing Skills
- 9 9. The “No Air Conditioning” Experience
- 10 10. The Secret Storage Compartments
- 11 11. The End of an Era
1. The Coveted Rear-Facing Back Seat
The way-back seats were always the most coveted. People would fight over the chance to ride in the way back and make faces at kids and adults in the cars behind them. Sometimes people would get car sick. It was like having a clubhouse on wheels.
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2. The “Way Back” Was Our Territory
The entire cargo area was ours to do what we wanted. We would lay out blankets and pillows on the floor, and on long drives read comic books, play games, and watch the sky pass by through the back window. It was a free-for-all in our mobile living room.
3. Wood Paneling Was Cool
The fake wood panels were the best way to add style to family cars. We thought the woodgrain siding made the family station wagons look like surfboards on wheels. Now we realize how tacky it looked.
4. The Manual Rear Window
The rear window was also a source of fascination. Some windows rolled down into the tailgate while others lifted up. None of them were electric, so we all became experts at operating the manual system.
5. Road Trip Games
There were no screens or devices to keep us entertained, but we found ways to keep ourselves busy. We created our own games and played license plate bingo, I Spy, and the alphabet game. Our station wagon transformed into our mobile game room, with kids competing against each other while parents mediated from the front seat.
6. The Tailgate Party Position
That drop-down tailgate was ideal for snack breaks, watching movies at the drive-in, and watching parades. For picnic seats, it became an instant bench seat with metal legs that would leave impressions on your legs. At every family gathering, the day would start with “pop the tailgate.”
7. The Summer Seat Burn
Those summer vinyl seats were deadly. If you didn’t check to see how hot the seat was, you could end up with third-degree burns on the backs of your legs. Tossing blankets over the seats was a hot-weather tradition to avoid sitting on the burning vinyl.
8. Dad’s Packing Skills
We all watched in awe as Dad “packed the wagon” for our family vacation. Each suitcase, cooler, and beach toy had its precise place, and each had its own designated spot. When it was time to pack the roof rack, he would go crazy with his web of ropes and knots.
9. The “No Air Conditioning” Experience
With no AC in most wagons, we relied on the “4/60” cooling system. Four windows were rolled down and we drove at 60 mph. It may have made a mess, but it was our version of climate control.
10. The Secret Storage Compartments
Every wagon had hidden compartments under the floor or in the sides. These turned into treasure troves for emergency supplies, hidden snacks, and forgotten toys. It felt like finding hidden treasure when we found something that had been there for months.
11. The End of an Era
Parents loved the station wagon because it was affordable and able to haul the family and it had several different seating areas. When minivans became popular in the 80’s we lost the joy of riding backwards and sitting in the way back, and the owner of the vehicle loved the thrumming of the vinyl seats. The station wagon was more than just a vehicle, it was a lifestyle.
