“We should have had a Ford Probe wagon. Wagon or shooting break.” So decreed Matt, which leads us to today’s Autopian Asks query, see title, as well as my worst (but fastest) Photoshop job below, depicting just what such Probe Break might have looked like. And dare I say it (the car, not the Photoshop) looks kinda good? Obviously, it needs a real design, but yeah – it could work.
Jason suggested the machine I featured in the topshot, the “Intermeccanica Mustang,” a 1966 concept seen farther below that I think looks simultaneously jaunty and hearse-y, the perfect machine for a spirited drive while delivering a deceased person to the hereafter, if not quite as elegant as Harold’s E-Type take.
As for me, I’ve always been partial to Pontiac’s wagon riffs on the Trans Am, because they’re equal parts goofy (screaming chicken) and cool (gullwing rear windows, those wheels), see bottom image.
Your turn: What Car Should Have Gotten A Wagon Version That Never Did?
Top graphic image: Intermeccanica
The blocky lines of the 1986/1987 GM H-Body (88/LeSabre/Bonneville) would’ve worked well on a wagon.
I mean basically every sports car cause every sports car is better as a shooting brake!!!
Ford Maverick, the original one (there was one coachbuilt by a dealer in Brazil, Ford adapting it for full production in the US was out of the question since it came so late in the run that the Foxbody Fairmont wagon was already well underway),
1968-79 Chevy Nova and badge-engineered variants.
1967-76 Dodge Dart/Plymouth Valiant. This actually happened in Australia and I’d guess the plans for it in the US had come so far along that distinct “Plymouth” and “Dodge” taillight/gate treatments had been tooled since the Aussie version got a midcycle butt-tuck far more extensive than wagons usually got and there’s no unseeing the resemblance to a 2nd gen Barracuda (early) and ’67-70 Dart (late).
Almost all cars should come with the station wagon. Long roofs are awesome.
All of them.
I think we were typing at the same time, I wrote the same idea
Kia Stinger could have been a poor mans Taycan CrossTurismo (with a gas motor).
Well to your 3 pictures I say: Magnum, Interceptor, and Pulsar. They were done and done better by the people who took the time. I do love a wagon but I think the best designs have been done that is why we are stuck with SUVs. Instead of perfecting a design and sticking with it the designers need to design something new to keep their jobs. Frankly since the SUV craze started I think car design is on a hard downturn. I see very little future collector cars that aren’t expensive.
All of them.
Here’s a counterpoint: is there a single wagon which would be better as a sedan?
All of them. Then safari them
I came here to say exactly this. Every car needs a wagon version, and every wagon needs a safari version.
Although, to be serious, I’m not convinced that every rear engine sports car should be a wagon. I can’t quite imagine a Corvette C8 wagon.
There isn’t a single car in existence which isn’t better as a wagon.
And the industry agrees: in terms of what the back half of a car looks like, ignoring ride height, etc., every car became a wagon.
A Robin, a Morgan, any two seater British Convertible 2 seater, a Gremlin, a Pacer, a Morris Minor, a 60s Ford Thunderbird, a Shelby Cobra. To name a few
Some of those did come as wagons. The Reliant Robin, Morris Minor and AMC Pacer all had wagon versions, and the Gremlin was a variant of the AMC Hornet which came as a wagon.
I think the “Bullet Bird” works as a wagon with a Vista Cruiser roof: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake-1962-ford-thunderbird-sportswagon-conversion-whats-not-to-like-about-the-vista-bird-thunder-cruiser/
Most that should be a wagon were. E36 m3 is one of the few that didn’t.
Thinking on it, maybe a brat for the meta of making a truck out of a wagon, then making a 2dr wagon that way.
My default answer to such a query is YES
The last BMW Z4
I know they made some 300 unit run, coach built bullshit for the ultra rich, but needed a clownshoe for the rest of us!
Polestar 1
I wanna see a shooting brake smart car….. better damn well have the long hood too.
I just threw up in my mouth a little.
2025 Civic
2025 Corolla
2025 Mazda3
Much of the rest of the world gets a Corolla wagon – it looks 1000% better and more useful than the Corolla Cross or RAV4. As with many things, we Americans get what we deserve, I guess.
Alot of the old timers were really upset when GM stopped their wagons. I’m not sure how many times I heard I want an Buick wagon or Chevy wagon in the 2000s and 2010s. They seemed to continue to have wagons in other markets. Then bought out that weird Cadillac wagon. I always thought the didn’t give the camery wagon enough life.
The answer is always MIATA. In this case, a shooting brake version would be lovely.
What happened to making a car with many body types? in Wikipedia i’ll read about old cars with 6 body styles, but a current model comes in one or two, i assume it is the same story as offering less color choices, it’s all about efficiency, cutting costs.
There was a Fiat 128SL Wagon.
Looked great in racing white.
Saw it in real life, so it wasn’t just an idea.
The first car I bought was a ’71 Fiat 128 two-door. If it had been a wagon, I’m not sure I would have gotten a ’67 VW squareback next.
The 124 wagon was such an efficient shape Fiat raced them in the states.
Light and strong.
They were not built for the twincam engine but sold with the spider engine and a 4 speed manual here.
Surprizingly fast.
Mitsubishi made an Evo IX wagon for Japan only. That means WE never got it here in the US. For the purpose of this thought exercise it counts. At least to me, because I’m still salty about it.
But in the spirit of the question, I’d go with a Bentley Continental GT Shooting Brake. The current one, not the one that Carrozzeria Touring did.
The dark side of my imagination sees a squareback aircooled generation 911.
The logical side says just about every CUV should just be replaced by a wagon. Just hack out about 6″ of ride height and put in a manual transmission.
Jaguar XJS
There was a shooting brake of the xjs made by somebody…
https://silodrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jaguar-XJS-Shooting-Brake-Side.jpg
That’s sharp!
I know… thats what made me think it should have been factory!
Lynx Eventer.
That’s the one, Thanks. I was going to look it up later 🙂
There were some extra wagony wagons made from the Volvo 245, and at least one extra tall wagon in 4WD as an estate wagon for someone using a wheelchair.
Can’t hear you over the rust.
Corvette. The concepts were interesting. Plus think of the room for New Balance sneakers and cargo shorts.
Give us the real Chevy Nomad…
The V8 Cygnet