You know how it goes, right? You spend months planning some outdoor shindig and it just has to rain. What can you do? You invited everyone, the food is ready for pickup, so you just have to make the best of it. This situation appears to be what happened to the poor crew doing a shot for Chrysler’s 1978 cars.
The main subject in the photo is a rare machine that actually, based on my rough research, could be the very first “sport station wagon.” We Autopians can’t seem to get enough of enthusiast-oriented long roofs. Sure, you could look at the Volvo 1800ES or the “GT” versions of Chevy Vega or Opel Kadet wagons and say that they were the pioneers, but I’m talking about sporting versions of full-on four-door, reasonably-sized estate cars, not “shooting brakes” like those (though I don’t know if a Vega wagon has ever been called a “shooting brake,” to be honest).
The vaunted AMG Mercedes E-Class wagons and M-trimmed 5-series arrived a good ten years after the Volaré Sport Wagon’s 1978 introduction. And obviously, as this was the heyday of “badge engineering,” there was a Dodge Aspen Sport Wagon twin as well. And Volvo? The GLT version of the 245 wagon first appeared in 1981, in both turbo and naturally-aspirated forms.
The “Volaré Sport Wagon” appears to have been an appearance-only package, typical for the malaise period, with sporting pretensions satisfied by fender flares, a front spoiler and “color coded” items. The Sport accoutrement could be paired with a lowly Slant 6, though hopefully most were specified with a 360 V8 and the beefed-up suspension.
Inside, you could likely get a bench seat but hopefully most of them had the boxes checked for bucket seats, a floor shift, and a center console as seen below; at least the famous “tuff” steering wheel was standard. If I recall, the floor shift is nice since the column shifter blocked the radio when in Drive.
Below you can see the wagon juxtaposed with the sporting coupe variant, a fake muscle car cartoon that looks about as silly as its name of “Plymouth Volaré Road Runner” would imply. Surprisingly, but undeniably, that the Sport Wagon’s appearance is about ten times better than the “Road Runner” coupe; in fact, that Sport Wagon looks pretty damn good.
Honestly, it looks so good that I’d almost consider buying one if I didn’t know that this was the most recalled car in history until that title was taken by the GM X-Car in 1980. And as I’ve mentioned before, the Volaré is the vehicle that Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca said never, ever should have been replaced the Dart/Valiant, which “ran forever.” With the Aspen/Volaré, you pretty much had to go with the wagon anyway; despite the coupe’s many differences rom the Dodge Dart, it retained the ultra-shallow trunk that couldn’t hold grocery bags upright without smashing your eggs when you slammed the lid. Brilliant.
Ah, but the picture at the top of the page. It’s pretty obvious that the art director was counting on a beach scene with cool, hip-looking people standing around a fire, until ensuing rainstorms forced him to modify his plans. Actually, the director did a pretty good job; the lighting in the images works and the rain drops on the cars is a cool visual. I’ve always liked how somebody had to go back in these pre-photoshop days with a broom to cover the tire tracks of the cars in the sand. The only jarring part is the hipsters trying to huddle from the showers under jackets or some tarp while smoke from the now-dead-and-smoldering fire likely causes them to cough.
Why not hop in the cars to get out of the rain? The sad fact is that, based on my experience and road tests of cars from this maker at the time, if the goal was to stay dry then the hipsters may have been better off under the tarps.
I had an ’80 Volare coupe which was one of my all-time favorite cars. Yeah, the rear leaf spring shackles rusted and let go in spectacular fashion; leaving the car rear bumper digging into the asphalt, but man, it had character.
Still miss it.
Great piece as always, Mr. Bishop!
In 1973, Chevy offered a real-deal Chevelle Malibu SS wagon with a 454 in it. Now THAT is a sports wagon (at least compared to a Volare)
https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/klockau-classics/1973-chevrolet-chevelle-malibu-ss454-wagon-it-hauls-and-hauls/
I swear I remember seeing that for the first year of the Impala SS, a wagon was hypothetically possible (and even more improbably, a 6-cyl SS wagon was still possible), but likely never ordered and quickly dropped. That said, I can’t verify this with a quick search, so make no claims I didn’t accidentally imagine this.
My parents bought a 77 Aspen wagon new and it was in our family for 36 years and 360K miles. I drove it to college and was embarking on a restomod project in the mid 00s with it. I have a big affinity for the Sport Wagon. The Volare/Aspen Sport Wagon (or Sport Package) was only available in 1979 and 1980. From my recollection, less than 500 were built each year. It’s a damn rare vehicle. I’d love to have one someday.
I have seen the lead photo of the Volare Sport Wagon many many many times, but I was so focused on the wagon that I never noticed the people trying to stay dry from the rain. Very funny.
Back in the day when Chrysler was toying with the idea, Motor Trend did an article on the Volare Wagon and called it the Volare “Load Runner”, a take off the Road Runner based Volare. But the Load Runner name didn’t make it to production. I have the article saved at home in my Aspen folder.
The rain drops on the hood serve to camouflage the trademark 1970’s Mopar orange peel texture paint finish.
Personally if I had had tons of money instead of buying Ferraris I’d be building Chevy Vega Cosworth shooting brakes and other such madness.
Oh, my garage would have at least one IMSA-tribute Monza Spyder.
All that sticks in my mind about these turdmobiles are the dreaded words “Lean-Burn”, with a computer hidden nicely in the air cleaner. As the guy in my friends group who “knew cars”, I backfitted several of them with standard carbs and distributors so they would run decently.
Mechanics had to do the same thing with the fuel injection-equipped Imperials from 1981-83.
The first batch (in ’81) even had issues driving under high-voltage power lines! Good times.
I learned to drive in a 1977 Dodge Aspen wagon with the ubiquitous leaning tower of power (225ci slant six). I am not at all ashamed to say I find the Volare wagon in the top shot quite attractive and a candidate for a fun little sleeper build.
I well remember them and their myriad faults. But nostalgia is a hell of a drug and I still want one.
Wasn’t one of their foibles that the roof was markedly narrower than the body such that you could not open the windows the least bit if it was raining? Started with the Duster if I’m remembering right
78 Dodge aspen was my first car and despite all the hate it receives that “Super” slant 6 would run perfectly fine without oil. At least until the idiot teenager driving would realize the needle was pinned to temp gauge H post.
You could fit about 10 teenagers in there with those sweet ass bench seats as well.
I have very, very strong feelings about domestic cars from that era, and none of those feelings are good. But…. I’m kinda feeling that wagon. I’m certain that it was a massive pile of shit just like everything else the Big 3 foisted upon the American public during that period, but from a purely aesthetic standpoint, I think it looks kinda cool.
Front:Holden Sandman vibes! I love it.
In the brochure are there square replacing the round headlights? And are the inner ones upright rectangular sealed beams?
The ’78 and ’79 had round lights and square turn signals. The 1980 model alone had square headlamps. Apparently Lee Iacocca insisted on a facelift for 1980 even though the cars would only last one more year before being replaced by the K-car Aries and Reliant.
Additionally, I think the 1980 facelift allowed shared use of the fenders from the Diplomat/RWD LeBaron. There’s more than you wanted to know.
Nope: that there is the right kind of gearhead trivia
Oh, not at all – that is precisely the level of insane automotive knowledge we need around here.
Thank you
In the early ’70s muscle car heyday it was possible to special order an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with all the go-fast hardware from the 4-4-2 (except maybe the dual exhaust), but it wasn’t advertised and they only built like 5 of them or something.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the Buick Sport Wagon, offered from 1964 to 1972. In ’68 and ’69, you could get it with the same 400 cubic inch V8 as in the GS 400, meaing you could haul both groceries and some serious ass.
There was also a Buick Century Sport Wagon option in 1978 which is very difficult to find information on. That was the only other one I saw that might be able to claim the title, though the Mopars had more extensive outward modifications.
The Volaré is everything I hate about American cars of this era distilled into one horrible, ugly, fake bundle.
Hey now, for the 1963 MY Chevy offered the Corvair Greenbrier Sports Wagon See page 9
Not a 4 door though:
“I’m talking about sporting versions of full-on four-door, reasonably-sized estate cars”
Doesn’t Bob Belcher drive one of these?
A fellow employee bought a new Aspen in this time frame and among other reasons cited support for Chrysler which was having troubles at the time. In a short time she very much regretted that purchase.
For a mid-sized American wagon, the Fairmont or GM A-Bodies (they weren’t called “G” yet) would have been a better choice. The GM choices even gave you a third row option- but no roll down rear windows- yes, you will die back there in summer.
I had a Zephyr in 1980. It was okay. the 300 6 with an automatic that barfed its front seal ..twice..within the first year.
My father bought a Vega Wagon in 1974 then a Pinto Wagon in 1975. Not exactly sporty and not exactly death traps. Then in 1986 I bought a used Volvo GLT just like in the brochure pic but with a lucious tan interior. Don’t miss the Pinto or the Vega but think about the Volvo a lot. What was the name of the company in Portland that raced Volvos and sold go fast parts?
Ron Converse was the guy. I wanted one of those; the idea a Mustang but with great seats and the ability to carry many bags of mulch was hard to resist.
ipd, still in business! ipdusa.com
Swedish Brick?
Chrysler Corp. – Our cars are so inviting, people prefer to stand in the rain.
You are presuming that getting into that Aspen would keep them dry from the rain. That ain’t necessarily so. My parents had one that they bought new and within 24 months both front fenders had BIG rust holes through them at the base of the windshield. Fortunately, Chrysler was ‘forced’ by the government to replace them.
“Chrysler Corp. has bowed to government pressure to provide free replacement of rusted front fenders on 1976 and 1977 Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare cars at a potential cost of $45 million….The FTC said its settlement with Chrysler could affect 200,000 Aspens and Volares, one-fifth of the total produced by Chrysler in 1976 and 1977. To qualify for free replacement, the fender must have rusted on the top near the windshield, where a design defect permitted salt water to accumulate during winter driving, causing severe erosion, the FTC said.
The FTC also charged that Chrysler earlier had been willing to replace the rust-damaged fenders only to customers who complained hard enough.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1980/04/12/chrysler-will-fix-rusted-fenders-for-45-million/6cd6c832-63d4-4f4f-aa3f-acd356b0337b/
Unfortunately, they couldn’t ever sell the damn thing as resale essentially fell to zero.
Amazingly they still bought one more American car after that – a Chevy Malibu which came from the factory with the rear axle installed crooked.
The only thing “sporting” about these was trying to keep them on the road.
I would also argue that the Chevy Nomad (and to a lesser extent, the Pontiac Safari) was a “sport wagon” long before the Aspen/Volare twins, albeit with only two doors. Chevy missed the boat in the 60s by not offering an SS package on the 4-door Chevelle wagon.
Yes, the Nomad being a two door I didn’t count it. I SWORE that a SS Chevelle wagon existed until my research proved that the ones I see for sale are all phony.
I had the same notion about the Chevelles. At least the El Camino got the treatment.
The shot was taken just seconds before lightning strike reignited the campfire.
Remember folks: When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!
I’m going to go against the grain and say I much prefer the coupe. Two doors good.
Not with the silly side louvers though – rear or nothing in my book – and yes, those options mentioned include that awesome NASCAR appearance package that Torch wrote about.
“Honestly, it looks so good that I’d almost consider buying one if I didn’t know that this was the most recalled car in history until that title was taken by the GM X-Car in 1980. And as I’ve mentioned before, the Volaré is the vehicle that Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca said never, ever should have been replaced the Dart/Valiant, which “ran forever.” With the Aspen/Volaré, you pretty much had to go with the wagon anyway; despite the coupe’s many differences rom the Dodge Dart, it retained the ultra-shallow trunk that couldn’t hold grocery bags upright without smashing your eggs when you slammed the lid. Brilliant.”
My Volare was actually a great deal worse than you describe you describe. It did, however, come in a good red color and, with the optional suspension and larger tire options, it handled better than I expected.
Iacocca was right. Since I bought that car new in 1976, I have never bought another MOPAR.
I remember being up past my bedtime and walking into a dinner party at our house in footy pajamas in around 1977. Two adults were using bad words describing their Volaspens. One had a footwell full of water, the other took four visits to the dealer before they reluctantly fixed the overheating caused by a bad head gasket. Keep in mind that, at the time, one of these cars was like six months old and the other less than a year.
After the number of faults with mine reach 100, I stopped counting. My favorite was the improperly assembled shift linkage which gave me the much coveted 1-2-4-3 shift pattern. The thing that stuck with me is that the mechanics at the dealership knew, right away, what the problem was. Even at a low volume dealership, they had seen it before.
I bet that whatever “bad words” your parents friends were using, they weren’t as bad as the cars deserved.
Much of it was luck of the draw, too. My grandfather had a 1977 Aspen SE slant 6 and had only very minor issues. Very much from the day of “don’t buy a Monday or Friday built car”.
I don’t see any air vents on that dash.
No, you don’t. If you didn’t specify AC you didn’t get any dash air vents, which likely cost them more to make two separate dashboards then to just give everyone face level vents. They did get to punish you for not spending money at least. Again, brilliant.
Was there an Antarctic Blue color option? Can I get a C.B. and optional rally fun pack?
I miss white-letter tires on cars…it’s a good look that’s sadly SUV/pickup only these days.
Me too. In the 90’s I had Goodyear Eagle GT’s raised letter tires on my Red 72 Cutlass with the GM Rally wheels (painted to match the car). It was a really good look. When I went to replace them, they were no longer offered.
Unless you go Coker and their (pricey) replicas.
Thing is, I think they’d look good on contemporary cars too. It’s been said that the lack of contrast trim makes current designs appear bigger than they actually are, as it looks like one big undifferentiated mass of color (the Challenger comes to mind here). So little things like white lettering on tires might visually scale things back a little, seem more pleasing/less like a hurried memory of a vague shape.
You can buy tire stickers though. https://www.tirestickers.com/
At least the Truckster (Ford Panther) was a fundamentally sound car. I always imagined the sport wagon as the 1984 Fox Body LTD wagon my dad had for a few years. No CB on that car though.
Yeah, the Volare wouldn’t have put up with all the abuse that the Family Truckster did. Maybe it was better that they didn’t get the super sports wagon. “You think you hate it now, wait ’til you drive it”
1983 Panther Mercury Colony Park with the wood sides family car here; was actually not bad in terms of quality and reliability (for a malaise car, which is a low bar).
We had a 1985 Colony Park in later years, brown w/ woodgrain over tan leather. Overall a good, reliable car. Shuttled me to and from college and countless Boy Scout campouts. I think he got finally got rid of it around 2002 or so.