Station wagons were invented all over the corresponding lifetime as the car itself. The fundamental station wagons, called depot hacks, were used as transport vehicles at train stations to haul Baggage. The designation estate car evolved in the delayed 1920s and came from the point that they were wagons at the station. Ford came outside with its beginning estate car in 1929.
First Station Wagons
In 1950, Ford's marketing department renamed the estate car the Country Squire, even though the car itself did not have a name on it. The major innovation that year was increased flexibility in seating. Earlier models had a fixed front bench seat and back seats that could only be removed with tools. The new Country Squire featured a fold-down center seat and a rear seat that could be taken out more easily. The starting price was just over $2,000.
Compact Wagons
The auto industry introduced the new concept of compact wagons in the 1960s. Ford's compact wagon was called the Falcon. Mid-sized station wagons, known as intermediate or senior compact station wagons, also appeared in the 1960s. The Ford Fairlane filled this niche.Improvements
To reduce noise, Ford designed a steel body for the new estate car with a solid metal roof. The sides were made of mahogany panels, trimmed in birch or maple. The 1949 model featured a wooden tailgate that swung down, and a metal-framed window panel that lifted up. This would become the industry standard for estate car styling.
The Country Squire
Ford marketed the aboriginal estate car as a light-duty commercial vehicle. The association soon became the Industry bellwether in the 1930s, yet though the percentage of station wagons sold was limited compared with other cars. The early station wagons had many problems; they were noisy and drafty, and the seats were not comfortable. They were again expensive.
Post World War II
During Field Contest II, Eugene Gregorie and Ross Cousins began designing a dewy vehicle that would ripen into the Kingdom Squire. The Descendant Boom after the bloodshed boosted sales of station wagons. As family magnitude grew, parents needed a preferable automobile to transport Each calm. Ford switched marketing tracks and started to publicize the station wagon as a family utility vehicle, as early as 1947.Disappearance
Station wagons began to vanish in the 1970s. The Arab oil embargo caused people to rethink the size of their vehicles. Strict emissions regulations also affected large car sales. In the 1980s, the minivan replaced the estate car as the family car of choice. Ford continued to produce station wagons and enjoyed a degree of success with the Country Squire and the Taurus wagon. Production of the Country Squire ended in 1991. In 2006 Ford discontinued the Taurus wagon in favor of a new sport utility vehicle, which bears the Taurus name.
