#12 - 1967 Ford Wagon with 428, 4-Speed & Buckets?! - The Story of 7U74Q143183 

The man who ordered this car is a man of great culture. He must be commended!

The auto industry needs another Lee Iacocca. Hats Off to Lee and one-offs! An auto industry rock star

Thirty-six and 1/2 minutes of heaven. The fact that this unicorn exists is fantastic, to have this much information is a blessing. Nicely done, thank you very much!

I own a 69 Bonneville wagon with factory Pontiac 428 4speed. Cool to see these old behemoths survived! I bought mine off a neighbor in 1983 for $500 mainly the engine. I wanted it for a Gto We pulled it out of the garage, and the car was friggin mint! I spent most of the day pulling the transmission and putting in a new clutch. That clutch is still in that car to this day. Puts a smile on my face every time I drive it!

Lee was a real car guy...He knew what people wanted, that was his success story

I'm so glad I'm not the only one obsessed with the fine details of unique factory builds like this. Thanks for taking the care to share the in depth story of this car. This is American history and should absolutely be documented like this & preserved. Thank you

I also have a white 1966 7 Liter Ranch Wagon that has a red XL interior but it's an A/T car with power windows. I found it in a FL salvage yard, and it was fully intact but had a blown transmission and a mild dent in L/F fender. Both easy fixes.

My 1970 Ford Torino GT station wagon is even more rare. 429 SCJ with drag-pack option and a 4 speed manual transmission. It was bought new at Calia Ford in Hartford, CT. I bought it in 1981 from a Pontiac/Toyota dealer in Manchester CT with 4 other cars in a wholesale package. It didn't run, had a blown clutch and a broken aluminum bellhousing. The car had 34k miles, no rust and still in good condition. I located a used cast iron bellhousing, replaced the clutch, and new dual points/condenser. It took 6 months to restore the car and mild rebuild of the engine and locate a set of 15x7 correct Magnum 500 wheels. The car didn't need much to restore it and I did a full paint job from bare metal. I still have the car and it's a joy to drive. Marti Reports told me that no such car exists. Ford Museum (MI) staff proved otherwise.

Ooo, ..a Station Wagon with a Manual 4 speed floor shift. Nice!

What a wild history this rare Wagon has had, thank you for sharing the story of 7U74Q143183. 🚙

That was truly a fantastic journey that you took us on so thank you.

I saw the Hagerty episode with Tom. It is great to know the complete history on this very special car. Absolutely Fascinating!! Thank you! I own a 63 Country Sedan with buckets and console (and fully loaded) that my dad special ordered. A car that was not available as only Squires could have buckets but yet here we are! I was was brought home when born in this car.

thank you for telling this car's story, Adrian. Very interesting, and you are lucky to have a lot of the original paperwork!

My favorite year 1967. These were the fun car of the 60’s. So many memories of the drive-in theatres. No more great cars.

One of one factory. The holy grail of wagons. She sits alone at the top of the hill. This is the coolest wagon on the planet.

This car deserves a complete restore by a professional shop.

I love this stuff, fascinating.

Love the story and the car. What a rare and interesting piece. Sounds like something Iacocca would agree too.

The ULTIMATE sleeper …

Looks like a fun car to drive

Back when you could order exactly what you wanted. Back when they actually cared about their customers

This is the car I dreamt of back in the day.

Oh boy! What a great Ford. I was at the Super '60s Ford meet in 1981 with my '63 Galaxie 500XL 390 4 door hard top. I still have the Galaxie. My brother and I bought it together in 1979 as our first car and we're still sharing it. What a surprise to hear your mention of the Super '60s meet. I recognized the buildings in the background of the photo too. I'm sure I have a bunch of photos from that day. We remember Ken, the guy behind the club. Ken had three '63 fast back Galaxies at the time. At least one was a 427. I'm sure my brother would remember Ken's last name and it will probably come to me shortly. I saw this video in the suggestions to the right. Great story about the wagon. It's a very special car. Thanks for sharing this video.

I love this story! I love this car!

Cool you got what you wanted and got to speak To the V.P. Himself Lee Iacocca

Wow, that car definitely went down=market when it was sold from Dayton to Springfield, from a half a million dollar neigborhood to one that, as the RE speak has it, is in transition.

So glad you saved it and didn't part it out great find

I bought a NEW 1967 Country Squire in Riverside, CA. Same color green with a roof rack. It had a standard V-8 and the 3 way tailgate using it to travel.We traveled across country, camped in it and brought home our first born in that car. Traded for a 1970 VW Camper, but my friend who bought the car kept it for years and camped in it.

Good documentary, cool car.

All I can say is talk about a "corn cruiser", that car should have been in a movie...

What a special car! Thanks for telling the story of this car and the men who owned it.

GREAT STORY! I love videos like this.

I remember Tom's videos driving this car. Thanks for sharing this great story. Hopefully it will stay intact.

What a great story - my dad owned a ‘68 Country Sedan with a 390 & automatic, so these Ford wagons are a sentimental favorite for me. A beautiful unicorn!🦄

When I was small, one of the parents at my elementary school, a dentist, had a '67 Country Squire that was absolutely loaded. 428, discs, power windows & locks (CC panel) , power seat, AC, cruise, AM-FM, 5-spoke wheel covers, you name it. It was a marvel! This was unusual for Canada. The parents traded it 5 years later for a '72 Dodge Monaco wagon! I crossed paths with it again in about 1984, on the bad side of town. It was pretty run-down but still on the road. Don't know what happen to it after that.

I came from a large family (eight children) and we needed a station wagon just haul all of us around. Our first SW was a 1962 Ford Falcon, 6 cylinder automatic. It barely got the job done. The next SW was a 1965 Ford Country Squire 390 4V with a Ford Cruisomatic transmission, Springtime Yellow, I think. I am almost certain the engine had a Holley carburetor on it. It also had dual exhaust. This was the first car our family bought brand new. One of my brothers dubbed it the "Queen Mary" because it was huge, compared to the Falcon. This car had way too much power for teenage boys and my father couldn't figure out why the right rear tire was wearing out so quickly. It also had to have the rear axle replaced eventually. A victim of too many attempted "Bat turns", I think (most people will not get the cultural reference there). However, it came to a bad end. In 1969 one of my brothers ran it up under a garbage truck and almost ripped the top off of it. My mother cried about the car. My brother survived the crash with minor injuries. To replace it my father bought Mom a 1967 Ford Country Sedan, 390 2V with automatic transmission. It was a bit of a let down, compared to the Queen Mary and they didn't keep it very long. The last SW they bought was a 1971 Mercury Marquis Colony Park 429 4V. This was a great "date" car, but still not the performer that the '65 was. I love me some Ford station wagons...

My dad had a 1960 Pontiac station wagon with a 65 GTO 389 ,3-2's and a four speed. It was fun to drive.

Hitch up the trailer, load up the fam and head to the drag race to win.

I like the car just the way it is. It's great with all natural age. I'm a truck guy but this is great. The back seats are very unique.

Great back story. Cool car.

It would be nice to restore that to the original brilliant off the line showroom beauty but it could be worth more as a survivor. It's hard to decide where to go with it

This is a great story about the possibility of getting the equipment you want to have on a vehicle.

Never would Ever SOLD! No matter what ❤

Great story, thank you for sharing!

I’m a sucker for any big block 4 speed full size car. For somebody to go into a dealership and write the cheque for a car that’s only going to appeal to a very limited number of people. Even the dealers would try and dissuade you from ordering one, on the off chance you pulled out of the deal leaving them holding a tough to sell car. Sooner or later someone will do a restoration, but until then, it’s more likely to get used and seen.

Oh the good old days when you could get specially built Fords. Great video of this car.

A car that rare deserved a full professional restoration

This is what I miss in cars today. Everything today is generic. It was fun to look at cars like this to see what engine was under the hood and what equipment was on the car.

First owner understood the assignment...

Two-way tailgate with electric window is a marvel to behold ! 👍 good and bad at the same time! Thx.

In the '60s it wasn't all that uncommon to find a Ford full-size 4-door car with a 4-speed & bucket seats. I've seen a few.

Great automobile and intriguing story!

That is so cool. I grew up in the back of a '74 Country Squire wagon. Miss that darn thing. If I could find one like it, I'd be pretty darn happy.

28:35 what we've been waiting for 😊

One of one is neat. Back in high school I had teacher who had a 72 Olds Cutlass Vista Cruiser that was a 3 on the tree stick shift with a 350 2 barrel. He told me that he ordered it that way. I wonder how many other people ever ordered a 3 speed stick in a Oldsmobile? There couldn't have been many.

Your amazing Country Squire sure brings back memories of one I used to own, a Dallas DSO 67 Country Squire, Burnt Amber Metallic paint with Saddle vinyl interior. It was an ultra high option wagon, probably one of a few. 428, Auto, PowerDiscs, Power Seat, AC, AM/8-track, Decor interior, under-dash Safety Convenience Control Panel that contained the switches for Power Windows and Power Door Locks, along with the Warning Lights/Flashers, Rear seats. The Decor interior had a mottled antiqued finish vinyl and fancy embossed vinyl strips across the setbacks. The front door panels had no power door switches, and only had the little vent window cranks and the factory stereo speaker grilles. I recall it had Speed Control, but might be wrong on that. I owned it from 96 to 99, bought from a buddy that had stored it for many years. The 428 had been yanked and a 390 put in its place, but everything else was in great condition, it ran and drove well. Interior was perfect. I had no idea just how rare and wonderful this wagon was, and felt at the time, it had been ruined by the engine swap. Didn't realize that Fords don't follow the "numbers matching" stuff. What a dummy I was. Sold it to a guy in California that owned a business called Wagons West. Maybe someone knows of him.

Amazing, this video perfectly demonstrates my belief that obsessed people with passion tell the most interesting stories when telling about the things they are passionate about. I would watch this all day if was that long. Thanks for sharing. Human beings are fascinating.

Absolutely outstanding video. I remember it from the show, quite a car. Dad had 3-4 country squire wagons in the 70s always put white wagon wheels on them and had the dual rear seats. Covered headlights too. Those were the days.

What an impressive amount of research presented - amazing and thorough. Kudos!

Super cool vehicle! My dad had a 4 door 1967 or 68 Ford police interceptor with a 429! My brother and I took it to school one day and “accidentally” discovered how to smoke them tires!! 😁

I think America is so glad you ended up with this part of our History! I'm so glad you ended up with this car and nobody to part it out for a dang mustang or some other project.

Great wagon, great series, Would love to see it fully restored and probably kept in a museum. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

That is an incredible car, thank you for sharing it with us

My father had same one except the 289 automatic - my brother would sneak it out, not old enough for license -good memories

What an amazing hot Rod station wagon. 💪🏼💪🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸

Thanks for that video. I first became aware of the car after seeing it on Tom's show. I was especially interested in it because I grew up riding in a 'dfrs' 1967 Country Sedan wagon. My Dad ordered her from Courtesy Ford in Chicago Illinois. Equipped with the 289 2bbl and a column shifted 3 speed manual. The car was a beautiful copper color (I believe it was called burnt umber) with white wall tires and the dog dish hubcaps. He wanted a 4 speed but was told it wasn't available. (He was a high school teacher with no history of fleet purchases so the Lee Iacocca connection was never made) We all drove up to the dealership in Dad's trade in, a 1960 Custom 500 2 door post sometime in July of '67. We had to wait an hour or so for them to install the AM radio which for some reason, was not in the car when delivered. The memory of our ride home on the Chicago Skyway on that warm summer evening is one I will always cherish. The car served us well until 1975 when it was traded in for a white over orange Volkswagen Bus...

What a story Vince sounds like a cool guy!

GREAT REPORT, thank you Sir

For over 40 minutes this video kept me on the edge of my seat.

My father's first brand new car was a blue 1967 Ford station wagon with a 390. Was it 315 hp ? Put yourself in the position of an 11 year old kid. That's the first new car I had ever seen. Every little detail was fascinating. The smell, the textures. Never forget that experience.

Subscribed. This car talks to me.

That's one rare bird.

Lee Iacocca approved it. Amazing.

Wow! What a wagon! Did not know a 428 was even available, I thought the 390 was the only option other that the 240. I see a rare AM FM radio in the wagon too. I’d have loved to find one back when I had my 67. Now that think about it, I believe I still have a full set of those factory hub caps removed from our 67 shortly after dad bought it. He was given a set of new hub caps from a 66 Ford he preferred.

I've seen this car at Carlisle and at the Ford 100 Anniversary. As for the seats, I wonder if they didn't match from the factory and the owner had the dealer or an upholstery shop replace the non-matching rear seat covers with ones from an XL Galaxie that would match? Anyways, it's a really cool ride! It's a shame the second owner left the car outside to deteriorate. In the 1981 photo the original paint looked pretty good. It must have been a very pretty car when new and I'd love to see it restored to original condition.

My dad bought a 1967 Country Squire wagon in the late '80s. It was black with woodgrain and red interior. It had a shaker hood with the tach in the hood and 428CJ badges. I ran the VIN and determined it wasn't a CJ but the 7 Liter 428. The shaker hood, tach and hood pins were probably installed by a previous owner.The car was low mileage in immaculate condition and looked like a racing Hearse. He sold it probably 20 years ago.

To this, Vince, Jr. in late '66: "They laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said 'the world is round'"-let'em laugh, man!!

$2,500????!!! Great job acquiring this and getting her back up running, and out on the show circuit! A wonderful find! I'm sooooo jealous.😉👍🏼❤

Glad you found, and saved that jewell.

Goodday From Australia, What a fantastic story, enthralling all the way & extremely well presented. Suprised only single exhaust going by the video. Yes I own a extremely rare 1 of a kind 1970 VG Regal Safari Station Wagon ( Long Roof ) V8 ( 318 ) Valiant ( Aussie Mopar ). Anything with a Station Wagon is a win win for me. IMO LSD 3.23:1 ratio Passenger side Mirror Power Front Disc Brakes Factory Dual Exhaust Would of finished it off perfectly but boy I am not complaining. What a way to end the evening with a great story. Cheers Louis Kats from Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺 🇺🇸 👍

The wagon has possibilities. I think that any classic cars trucks and vans do have the right to be revived and put back on the road.

Back in mid 80s early 90s. Dad had a red white top 67 galaxie500xL with 390 c6. Also a yellow black top 66 galaxie500xL with 352 c6. That's the one i drove in high school. Both were great cars.

I forget what year it was, but I distinctly remember seeing this car at a show at Ford WHQ early in your ownership, and nearly falling over myself after seeing what it was and the history behind it. It's been on a short list of personal dream cars ever since.

Excellent video! It was especially interesting for me to learn that the 428 Country Squire that I encountered in the mid eighties was much rarer than I realized, 1 of 1149.... It would be interesting to know how many wagons came with bucket seats and console... I'm sure that statistic would lower the number of Country Squires like the one I encountered from 1149 to a much lower number...

I had a sister of this car, passed down from my dad. The one I had was a Mercury Commuter and was built as a 67/68 changeover. Dad was a mechanic, and made a number of modifications. Wonderful vehicle.

That car is a national treasure! Since you Restored the engine and transmission i personally restore it to its original glory….

What an awesome video, great story. The first Ford my family owned was bought new and was a 1966 Custom. That is all I really remember as far as nomenclature goes, I was only 8 and if I remember correctly it was a 4 door, I do remember it having the 289. This was the last car my dad would buy and it was his first Ford. He was a Studebaker man. My Father passed away in October of 66, we did get to take one family vacation that summer. That was my first with a Ford and I have been a Ford owner my whole life. Wish I had this station wagon, it is unique. I thank you for sharing is lineage. Do you regret selling it?

Nice story

Dad bought a 1966 Country Squire with a 390/4bl and 3 on the tree. I beat that thing to death. A friend grew up with a 1967 with a 428 and 3 on the tree.

That car deserves a full paint job. I realize that the all original "patina" look is all the rage these days but if you're the new owner it really has earned a new paint job. Maybe you could even get Ford to do it for you.

Did they do anything to the seat backs to prevent them from tilting forward, as necessary on a 2-door, or did they just go in as is? FWIW Ford did build a number of 1963 Country Squires with XL buckets and console. These were regular production options. Speaking of options, I wonder why the buyer skipped the Convenience Control Panel, disc brakes and power seat? Then it would have been truly loaded!

Having that manual transmission instead of the automatic was most likely the one thing that saved it from the crusher years ago. A manual transmission will last seemingly forever, but these days, they are almost non-existent.

Love this Car!! Can’t believe you sold it!!

That car is a holy Grail

Some of my best memories is riding in the back of my aunt and uncles similar lime gold Ford wagon.

Regarding the seat trim mismatch note, I'm wondering if they had initially planned to install (for whatever reason) XL luxury group front bucket seats but later realized that the standard ones would be used.

I think John Wayne had one of these as his family vehicle or at least one very similar.

My dad bought a used ('66 or '67) Country Squire wagon that I learned to drive in. One night when I was around 16 just after I got my license I was driving down an icy Cambridge MA st when I hit a pothole and then as i was driving along her a loud roaring noise. You guessed it, the gas tank straps had rusted thru and the tank was dragging along the ground. This pimple faced kid thought that it was a low flying jet and pulled over to look up in the sky. NO PLANE, hmmm odd. So I got back in and started driving and heard the loud roaring. I pulled over again and at that point noticed the gas tank on the ground and steam coming off of it since it must've heated up while I dragged it along. I parked it and walked the half mile home. When I got home my dad was waiting "WHERE'S MY CAR, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT?" I explained what happened and told him where I parked it. He said "WHY didn't you drive it home?" I said that I didn't want to be killed by and exploding gas tank. He grumbled "give me the keys" and a few obscenities under his breath as he put on his boots, hat, gloves, scarf etc (hey, it was cold out at 9pm). After about a half hour the air filled with sirens. I just about peed myself and said to mom "dad blew himself up!" As I was planning what to say to relatives at the impending funeral, dad walked in. I asked him what happened he said "I called the fire department and then had it towed" I said "you said I should've driven it home" he said gruffly "hey, that thing could've blown up, I wasn't taking any chances." With that I shook my head and walked away. Dad was a special kind of guy. A year and a half later he asked me to advertise and sell it. I asked how much he wanted and he said IIRC $150. I got the $150 from a guy, let him drive it home and I walked there and got the plates that evening. When dad got home he said "Oh, you sold the Country Squire, hoe much did you get for it?" I said "I got you the 150 that you wanted" he said "THAT'S ALL, WHY DIDN'T YOU GET MORE THAT'S ALL YOU COULD GET" as he took the envelope with cash and walked away. Yup, special lol!

wow what a cool car

I was kind of hoping that it would go into the mysterious Brother's collection and get a dazzling nut and bolt restoration. It would have fit into their collection very well, given the number of 427/428/4 speed full size Fords they have.