The 5 Rarest American V8 Muscle Wagons 

Chevy did not offer a three speed automatic in 1957. The only available automatic was the two speed Powerglide.

The 1970 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser wagon with a high compression, 4-barrel 455 engine that came with high performance 442 W-30 exhaust manifolds. For several years, the Vista Cruiser wagons all got 442 W-30 exhaust manifolds on both 400 and 455 engines. The 1958 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Safari, 4-door Custom Station Wagon was available with three 2 barrel carburetors or fuel injection.

When my dad exited the Army after Vietnam, he bought an American Motors Rebel SST Wagon through the Military PX. It was a "Screamer" as well as a luxury car...

Grew up in the back seat of a '66 Ford Wagon seeing the country go pat backwards!!! Great memories!!

Back in the day, you couldn't give a station wagon away. They are very popular now.

I have always loved a two door wagon. Especially a panel wagon.

You forgot the Buick Roadmaster Wagon in the late 1990s with the 350 LT1 Corvette engine. That was a FAST car.

Few years ago , picked up a 71 Vista,, one owner with 455. Blue with the fake wood grain sides, 45000 miles on it for $2500. Did a little work on it, repainted it and sold it for $24000.

Being that I was a teenager back in the 80s some of my friends drove those big wagons from the 70s. I guess you could say they were hand me down cars that had right at or well over 100,000 miles by the time they got their hands on them. The thing is those monsters were really good cars. They were built like tanks and with the big block engines they could do burnouts. One of my friends had a 1977 Ford LTD wagon with the 460 and you would be surprised how quick that beast was.

There is a very important wagon that most people aren't aware of that you didn't mention! In 1970 olds built two 442 wagons. Out of a total production number of 3100 442's, two of them were factory built 442 wagons.

My family had a yellow 1971 LTD Country Squire, 400 CI for five kids, parents, two CLE to south FL 1,500 mi. each way road trips that were horrible, but some of our favorite memories. 1971 not as cool as the 1967-1970 ones and not as fast. My dad's best car was his blue 1963 1/2 Galaxy 500 with that great back window. Not a rare care but a memorable one. Keep making great videos.

I sold Oldsmobiles from 1990 to the end in 2004. It took me 32 years to find a 1991 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. Long Roof indeed!

Long Live Long Roofs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grew up in a 1970 Catalina s/w. Then, was my first car in high school. Good times.

Had some good times in the 383 Mag Wag. Puke green and all.

When I was 16 my neighbor passed away and his wife wanted to sell his wagon. A 1968 chevelle Malibu 427 4sp with factory tail hitch. It turns out it was a COPO car. He asked the dealership for the most HP engine offering lots of tourqe. Midnight Blue I was in love. I mowed their grass for years so she sold it for 1000.00 to take care of the funeral. I got married years later and sold it and wish I could have it back 😢

It should be noted that Ford Country Squire and Mercury wagons offered the 300-320 HP 390 cubic inch FE big block engine from 1961 to 1971. These very common engines were powerful, smooth, reliable and performed quite well.

I remember the Oldmobile Cutlass (Vista Cruiser) 442 wagons from the late 60s-early 70s. They were quick, and they looked like a spaceship.

My Dad’s 69 Bonneville Wagon had a 428 with dual exhaust and it was fast back in the day.

My Aunt had (and Cousin still has it), a 1972 Pontiac Tempest wagon with the GTO front end, rally's and all. It has a 455 and does long, smoky burnouts. I have video of my Brother and I driving it to the gas station, filling it up and driving around San Jose, CA. in it, before returning to my Aunt's. Video is circa late 90's. The car is yellow with tan interior and was in great condition.

My dad bought a 1962 Ford Fairlane Station wagon when he was station at the Infantry Center in Fort Benning, GA. My mother hated that car. She was a little over 5' tall in high heels and a 110 lbs. soaking wet. It had no power steering, no power breaks, no A/C and no seat-belts! My brother and I used to laugh when she got behind the wheel with her beehive hairdo and rhinestone incrusted cat-eye sunglasses barely peeking above the dash board. That wagon saved our lives in 1964 when my dad was posted at Southern Command Headquarters in the Canal Zone. We came out the south gate there at Quarry Heights onto 4th of July Avenue which was the boundary between the Canal Zone and the Republic of Panama. As we made our approach towards the Thatcher Ferry Bridge, someone opened up with a submachine gun and peppered the drivers-side with .45 caliber slugs. Fortunately, all that good American, high quality Detroit steel protected my father who was driving, mom, my baby sider, younger brother and myself. When we came home in 1966, dad felt it was best that we left that car in Panama because of all the "bullet holes" on the left side...

Nice video! One wagon not mentioned was the Oldsmobile 'Vista Cruiser'. It was unique, with an extra set of glass mounted in the roof. (giving passengers a 'vista') It was available with the Oldsmobile 455 engine, which was unique to Oldsmobile. It offered 390 horsepower and 500 ft-lbs of torque. A friend's father had one. It was obscenely fast, especially given that it was a full fledged land yacht,. P.S. Back then, each GM company produced their own, unique engine (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac) Each had a unique bore/stroke, heads, distributor location, etc,

Expected to see the 455 ci Vista Cruiser, but I love the wagons that were included. 👍

My father's dealership sold two 1970 sport satellite 440 4 speed wagons to two brothers in Ridgefield Connecticut. And my mother had a 1970 purple 440 automatic Fury wagon .

Back in 1965, a rich high school friend of mine got to pick a car of his choice as a graduation present. He got a rather bland, metallic bronze-finish Chevrolet Chevelle station wagon, with air conditioning, power windows, "Vibrasonic" radio, tinted windows, seat belts and....a fuel-injected 327, police suspension and rear end, premium tires, disc brakes and a custom B & M Hydramatic transmission with floor shift. It did 0-100 in about 8 seconds. It was something else.

When I was a mere lad, the neighbor across the street bought a 1970 Ford Country Squire Wagon. I've no idea what it had for an engine or anything like that. What I do remember is that he loaded the car up with a bunch of neighborhood kids and took us for a drive. He hit 117 mph on a back country straightaway and we were all thrilled. That was obviously a very, very dangerous and immature thing to do, but we kids were thrilled. Mostly because we didn't know any better. We all survived, and that remains, by far, the fastest I've ever traveled in a car.

My dad had a Chevy Concours with the sport package. Mag wheels, tinted windows and gold metallic flake! When I was about 10 or 12, he took us out to an empty pasture and let us drive around. I remember just flooring it and barely hanging on to the steering wheel

My aunt {dads sister} had a '71 Country Squire with the 400C & my great aunt {moms aunt} had a '73 Caprice Estate Wagon 454, I loved riding in both of them as a kid especially in the rear where you faced backwards ✌💖☮

When I was a youngster my brother had a Plymouth wagon with Sonoramic long ram intake manifolds and dual quads. I did just look it up to make sure it was a factory stock option and it was! It would draw a crowd when the hood was open.

Who doesn’t love a big block 4 speed wagon?! But mate, I have to say you’ve left out the rarest wagon of all… the Griswold Special 🤙

You left off the rarest muscle wagon. In 1957 Ford built a McCulloch VS-57 supercharged 312 F-Code engine in the country squire--and it was offered with either a manual or automatic, and you could get the woody side panels. The F-Code had two options, 300hp or 340hp. In 1957, 300 hp was unheard of in a family car. There is a great video of one such survivor on RU-vid.

My parents' 1968 wagon had a 454 with freeway gears, went 150mph with ease. Gotta love the late 70's.

The 1960's Chrysler Town and Country (New Yorker) wagons could be considered. They had the 413 and 440 V-8's, were powerful, and among the best equipped and styled wagons of all.

When I was born in the mid 60’s, the family car was a ‘63 Pontiac Catalina Safari with a 421 tri-power. In 1973 it was traded in on a ‘74 Grand Safari with the 455. That’s the car I learned to drive in. Couldn’t pass the driving test without being able to parallel park. After learning to park a 9-passenger wagon, I can still parallel park just about anything. Today I love the old wagons, although I hated them as a teen.

Grew up in the sixties going on family vacations in Country Squire wagons with big V8s. With the wood paneling on the sides. Main thing I remember is they were smooth and fast. It had under the dash factory air that wouldn't reach the third row seats in the back. Frozen kneecaps in the front, and heat stroke in the rear. A real life Family Truckster. Loved them.

In 1964 my Dad ordered a white Buick LeSaber wagon with the 455 “Wildcat” engine…..absolute sleeper 👍!

My Dad had a wood panel 69 Ford Country Squirer with the 428 4 barrel. That puppy could move, even with 2 adults and 5 kids and I've never seen him smile so much as when he was setting up someone on the highway to pass.

Great episode, I love wagons.👌👍🤘🔥

When I got my drivers license in 1976 our family ride was a 1972 Chrysler Town & Country with the 440. With 6 kids and a camp trailer it was great for road trips. The first time I drove it to school by myself it was raining, I was turning left on a very busy street right in front of the high school and when the light turned yellow I couldn't turn because a city bus was sliding on the slick pavement coming toward me. Then the light turned red and I did what any nervous new driver does, I punched it, the backend came around and I was facing the cars to my left! Boy did I feel like an idiot!! I had to back up in the middle of the intersection and get back in the right lane while two lanes of traffic each way waited for me. That car was real big and real fast.

I worked in a C/P dealership in the early '70s. A friend of the owner wanted a Road Runner station wagon for his drilling mud company with a red body and white roof. The colors were no problem, but a station wagon Road Runner was. Eventually a Satellite Sebring wagon with a 440 ci motor, 4 speed transmission and a 9 1/4" limited slip differential was special ordered. It took 12 weeks, but the car was finally delivered one evening after the shop had closed. It was placed over a twin post lift for early PDI. The janitor accidentally activated the lift and turned the car on its side.

I owned a 1970 Buick Estate Wagon and loved it! It was fun shutting down Mustangs and Corvettes at the stopligh drag-strip. I loved its looks. It was gold, with the "Woody" trim. As I recall, it had a rated carrying-cspscity of 3/4 ton.

My father had a 1969 Plymouth Fury wagon with the 383 and an automatic. He bought it used in ‘77 and turned it into his first work truck after he retired and started his handyman business. First time I ever crossed into triple digits on the highway was in that car, and the front end was light because Dad had all his tools and so forth in the back. Man, that front end would just float across the road at speed and I was 17 and invincible! I’m still shocked I survived my youth. 🤕

I owned a 1976 Country Squire wagon with the 7.5 liter engine. I loved that big boat!

My mom had a 1970 Plymouth Belvedere Wagon it was the same blue as the first Super Bee 🐝 you showed! It had a 383 3 speed automatic, , which I drove as my first car my junior year in high school! I loved that car and even installed a custom stereo system with 8 track player and speakers built into the rear bed I could lift up and blast music out the back at parties! I had great fun in that old wagon especially at the drive in!!

A friend of mine's mom had a mid sixties Chevrolet wagon with a big bock 396, 375 HP. He used to sneak it out of the garage and we would go over to Alton Dragway in Missouri to race it. He actually won a couple of trophies.

I think you might have missed one. Back in 1970-71, my dad almost bought a 428 4-speed '69 Catalina wagon. It was dark green and looked super cool with the 428 badges on the doglegs. He wound up buying a Monaco with a base 383, no doubt a better car, but boy was that Pontiac cool to look at. And I can't imagine they made many. The car was seen around the town next to ours for a few years later.

We had a '68 Ford 428 Wagon. White/Very Pale Blue with wood paneling and blue interior. We had that beast from '68-'86. My mother drove it and it served our family well for all those years.

Chevelle SS wagon, 454 cid with a 700R4 AT. My dad had a few COPO and even factory custom builds, like an ivory & pink with sparkle vinyl top 348 6 pack positrak dual exhaust 59 Impala with knockoff wire wheels. Getting rubber while already going 70 MPH is an experience. Keeping it going in a straight line was also an experience. He liked those big GM powerhouse station wagons though. He like the bigger 396, 400, 427, 454 Caprice heavy duty tow package wagons. He would fold down that 20% rear seat and sleep while someone else drove. He spun the 400 out in Salt River Canyon. A full 540 spin in a switchback.

Missed the OLDS Vistacruizer, best of the bunch!

Saw the 1 of 1 Country squire side oiler 4 speed wagon at the corvette and muscle car nationals a few times.

I love American wagons, those from the 1960s and 1970s are just so stylish! Great video.

I've had many fun wagons over the years, but the two that stand out the most are a 71 Chevy Brookwood with a 401 big block and my current daily, a 95 Mercedes E-320 wagon. The Chevy was a real sleeper that would roast the tires any time you wanted but was terrible on gas. Our little Mercedes is a rocket ship when you want, but is a total dream to drive daily, and gets great mileages too. I had a 64 Chevy that I dropped a Corvette 327 in that was a real fast sleeper. Two buddies and I also stuffed a 56 DeSoto hemi in a 60 Plymouth Fury wagon and had a LOT of fun with that. Good time in the seventies!

Saw a 1969 Buick Sport Wagon at a car show last week. Basically a Buick badged Vista Cruiser. I had no idea these cars existed, let alone they were available with a 400 cu. in. motor. You learn something new every day, if you keep your mind open. Cool car.

We had a black with silver graphics '73 Chevelle SS Wagon with the 454. I wanted that car so bad. While I was away working at summer camp my folks sold it cheap to a shop because it blew the mufflers out. I was mad. They got taken too, sold it for something like $300.

Growing up in the 60s and 70s here in Australia one of the best cars we had was a 1968 VE Valiant Regal Safari wagon with a Slant six and a Sludgermatic tranny. We travelled everywhere in that thing and the drivetrain was absolutely bulletproof. Even nowadays I would sooner a traditional old time wagon over modern day SUVs. Wagons always had great amounts of room and at least had some style unlike the overpriced overly complicated rocket SUVs. Great video thanks so much for sharing. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I love wagons even some modern ones!

Wagons Of Steel is located on Vashon Island, WA, specializing in Mopar station wagons to take to the dragstrip. My first car was the family wagon that I traded for another wagon, so yeah, I kinda always liked wagons!

My father had a 73 Ford Torino station wagon. It came with a 351 Windsor. He took it out and put a 460 4 bolt main with a beefed up C6 and reworked suspension It was a high 11 on the quarter mile. Legend goes the life of some of my siblings was initiated in it.

Very nice report; thank you. I'm a senior citizen, so the brands, and most of the models were familiar to me; however I had no idea that some of these station wagons were really bad-assed ! The 1973 Chevelle SS s/w was the big surprise to me.

Great vid!!!!!!!

We had a brown 73-ish Oldsmobile with a 380 and 4 barrel carb. I was too young to remember how fast it was but my parents called it the Dragon Wagon. We got a 86 Ford Crown Vic with the 5.0, twin exhaust and towing package and that thing would scoot off the line. Navy with wood panels. Remember that one very well.

I love wagons! I used to have an ‘88 Pontiac Safari (rarest of the GM B-Body wagons). Currently drive an ‘06 Saab 9-5 Sportwagen.

great stuff!

The ONE Country Squire wagon with 428 and 4-speed was a 1967 model, and last time I heard, it belonged to Mr. Adrian Clements. The car was ordered from the factory and was authorized by mr. Lee Iacocca himself. Ford did not offer a 4-speed in their big wagons, so the original buyer contacted Ford's front office and Mr. Iacocca bade the production line, 'Make it so." Bucket seats, console, 4-speed, most of the power toys, and AFAIK it still runs today.

I’m a wagon lover! These are some of my favourite ones!! Thanks for sharing.✌🏻🇨🇦

Never underestimate the potential of the 1966 Impala wagon with 283 2V carb and powerglide transmission! All four of dad's boys learned to drive in this walrus. Perfect starter car that couldn't get you in trouble...until we found out how much harder it would launch when putting it in neutral, hold the gas pedal to the floor and gently ram the shift lever into "L". Nothing would beat it from 0-12 mph! The Impala's powerglide finally laid down during a family road trip one weekend.

Notice that "SUPER BEE" on the blue wagon... I bet an engine swap with a Hemi and a 4 or 5 speed manual could become something MAGICAL!!!

I personally like the 73 laguna wagon better than the ss. Same options but looked 100% better with the rubber/plastic front clip hiding that giant bumper.

nice video, thanks

I'm in Australia. Back in mid 80s my neighbour bought one of those Buick Estate Wagons, one of three in the country.

Cool video - Thanks!

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="426">7:06</a> The '70 Estate wagon could be had with three-on-the-tree. We had one so equipped. Twenty-six examples were built in total. The THM400 was also considered optional on the '71 Buick B-bodies, but I have not seen a breakdown of how many were built. I have heard of a Centurion....

When the 1973 SS Chevelle wagon came out, Ford invented the time machine and went back to 1966 to make the country squire. :D

Grew up in Ford wagons. Dad's first was 1963 Ford wagon with 390 and 3 on the tree with overdrive I believe. After that he always got the 400ci. My middle school shop teacher had a Country Squire wagon with the 428ci. That was cool!

My dad and mom had a 1970 Mercury station wagon with a 429 and a 4 barrel carb. It also had the rear rumble seats and a posi rear end.

Several years ago I saw a Mazda6 wagon. It was gorgeous! They don't even sell them in the US. It had California plates, I have to assume it got driven up from Mexico or down from Canada.

I had a 1970 LTD "woody" Station wagon. It was a beast!! Also a 1974 Torino with a 351 Cleveland, another beast.

Guy ,Knows some Stuff ! Been a wagon guy since my Father taught me ,and Owned a 56 Pontiac Chieftain wagon as my first car. car

Good stuff!

ALL OF THEM WOULD MAKE GREAT DAILY DRIVERS AND FAMILY HAULERS!!!

My first car was a 1966 mercury colony park station wagon with a 390 cu Second was a 1970 Chevy townsman wagon 350 3- 1970 dodge charger r/t 440 4- 1968 olds vista cruiser wagon 350 All before I was 21 years old ahhhh growing up in the 70’s & 80’s😅

Very cool post. Definitely more rare wagons out there.😎👍

My heart was crushed along with the Griswalds’ Olds Vista Cruiser.

My grandfather tells me that his dad had a '58 country squire with a 352 interceptor engine. He vividly remembers that it said interceptor on the air cleaner. That was the same engine that police cruisers used.

I came across a 57 Nomad that had 4 doors, the Gentleman said it was a rare model. I cannot remember what he said the model name was, but it was not considered a Nomad. It was gold and looked fantastic. He was the original owner as well.

I greatly enjoyed that video😎👍

My dad had a 1965 Plymouth Fury III wagon with the Commando 383. That boat would scream!

Good video thank you

Another wagon you might look into is a wagon my dad had is a 1969 Pontiac Bonneville wagon and it had a 455 4bbl.

At one my job the boss' company car was 1971 454 Impala station wagon with the turbo 400 transmission. When you held down on the gas pedal the transmission would bang those shifts.

The host of Barn Find Hunter, on the Hagerty channel, is the owner of that lone 428 4-speed Country Squire.

When I was a kid my dad bought a 1970 Chevrolet Concourse Estate wagon band new in late 1969, we had a 1950's travel trailer that was about a billion pound's and the 1960 something Dodge wagon he had was having a hard time pulling it in rough road condition's. It was basically a Chevelle body stretched out for the rear part of the passenger compartment with some vinyl printed wood-grain and trim on the side of it. He ordered it with a special towing-package that came with a Turbo 400 automatic, tow-hitch, over-sized radiator an extra radiator for the trani and a high compression (10 to 1?) 350 small-block possibly with 202 heads pushing 300+ horse-power. It had way over 100K miles on it when my dad got rid of it in the 1980's, all 3 of my older sister's and I drove it when we started driving over that 10-15 year time frame.

My old man had a 69 Malibu wagon with a 396. He would put slicks on the back and and it would pull the left front tire a good 6 inches. He didn't keep it long because it had a solid cam that was pretty rowdy and a big Holley

A friend of mine has a 1969 Dodge Coronet wagon that is a factory Hemi/4-speed car. It even has the factory magnesium wheels that were supposed to have been recalled and replaced. As you pointed out, the official factory line was certain options were not available in station wagons, if you knew a salesman that knew their way around the order book you could get some really interesting options built into a car.

Indeed there was a Ford like that. The one four speed factory build that Tom Cotter found and bought and drove it a lot for his show Barn Finds.

I knew a guy that had special ordered a 67 Impala wagon with a 427 and a 4 speed manual to haul his Corvette race car. He worked for a dealership so I guess that he knew the special order process. Being a wagon geek myself, I was more interested in the wagon than the Corvette.

The 57 Nomad was my ultimate dream car. Sadly I never got to own one.

When I was 16 we had a 72 Olds Custom Cruiser 455 4 barrel. It was a beast. Plenty of room in the back too :)

My 1st. car was a 1973 Dodge Polara Custom Wagon ( B-Body) with the full Police Pkg. 440 4bbl, 727 Torque-Flite, and oddly enough, had the venerable Dana 60 with a locker and 4.<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="661">11:1</a> gears from the factory. While normally they would have been equipped with the Chrysler 8 3/4, this car came documented with the Dana 60, which was usually reserved for Hemi cars only in the B-Body family. But somehow this dark metallic green wagon came from the factory like this, as evidenced by the build sheet. My buddy's dad sold (Gave??) it to me for a paltry $100.00. It only had 38k on the odometer, and at the time I got it from him it was only 13 years old and in excellent shape. After some internal engine goodies... ( cam, lifters, valve springs, pistons & rings to raise the compression ratio, and some serious port work on the heads), this B-Body behemoth consistently ran high 11's in the 1/4, and was a serious street contender against the gaggles of Chevelle's, Nova's, and other miscellaneous muscle cars running around the Baltimore, Md street scene. It earned the nickname of "The Green Manalishi" ( After the Judas Priest song of the same name) because as a friend so eloquently put it.... "It sounded like the bowels of Hell had opened up when it went wide open throttle". Sadly, the body met an untimely demise while parked when a drunken Tow Truck driver slammed into the side of it at about 40 m.p.h. utterly tearing the whole driver's side damned near off the car, twisting it beyond feasible repair. He went to jail, due to the DWI, and the fact that his tags & insurance were no good, and his license were suspended at the time for a prior DWI, which left me holding the bag on the damages with no compensation. I stripped it of all the goodies....and junked the poor mangled body, and the engine, transmission and rearend (after having it narrowed to fit) went into my next Mopar, which was a 1973 Plymouth Duster, which with this combo, ran 10.70's all day long at 75/80 Dragway and 10.60's at Capitol Raceway. I still miss that wagon, and would love to find a clean rust free example to duplicate it in 2024.

My neighbor's dad drove a 1970 Impala SS wagon. It had chrome side pipes and Crager SS mags.

I bought a 1970 429 4V country squire wagon used in the early 1980's and that was a real sleeper. I surprised a lot of Corvette and Camaro owners! None expected to get outrun by a station wagon lol.