2006 Volvo V70 2.5T

The V70 replaced the Volvo 850 wagon in the 1996 model year (the S70 replaced the 850 sedan). Compared to its predecessor it was much more rounded at the edges, with the company's traditionally staid boxiness bowing to aerodynamic realities.

That first generation ran for four years before getting replaced in the North American market by the even more rounded second generation of V70, which in turn received a mid-cycle refresh for '05.

The second generation of the V70 utilized Volvo's P2 platform, which had a transversely-mounted engine powering either the front or all four wheels.

The base motor for 2006 was a normally-aspirated 2.4L DOHC inline-five making 168 SAE net horsepower. The optional upgrade was a turbocharged 2.5L version of the same engine, featuring variable valve timing on both camshafts and cranking out 207 horses. With the standard five-speed automatic gearbox, these would do zero-to-sixty in a shade under seven seconds.

The Lunar Gold Metallic example in the photo was snapped in December of 2024 using an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and an M. Zuiko Digital 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens.

2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx LT

For the 2004 model year, the Chevrolet Malibu nameplate was migrated over to the midsize GM Epsilon platform, which had debuted as the '02 Opel Vectra. This made it a cousin under the skin to an array of cars running from the Fiat Croma through the Pontiac G6 to the Saab 9-3.

The four-door sedan was joined by this funky five-door wagon, called the Malibu Maxx. It had a glass moonroof over the rear seating area like an old Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. While the sedan had a four-cylinder as the base motor in the value-leader LS model, the Maxx came in LT and LTZ trim with the GM High Value LX9 3500 V6, a pushrod motor displacing (as you might guess) 3.5 liters, and rated at 201bhp. There was even an SS version with a 240 horse 3.9L V-6. 

For a dull rental car looking transportation module, the Maxx was reasonably quick. Car and Driver's test car in the June, 2004 issue, an LT made the dash to sixty in 7.8 seconds and ran the quarter in 16.1 at 86 mph. Price as tested in LT trim was 

This Medium Gray Metallic example has the styling of the '06 mid-cycle refresh. It is starting to show nibbles from the rust monster around the rear wheel arches, and the driver's side fender looks a bit rumpled, but it's overall pretty straight. They only made the Maxx for four years, discontinuing it after the 2007 model year.

This one was snapped with a Nikon 1 J1 and the 1 Nikkor 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 VR zoom lens in December of 2023.

1995 Buick Roadmaster Estate Limited

For the 1991 model year, General Motors heavily redesigned the full-size body-on-frame rear wheel drive B-platform that underpinned the Chevrolet Caprice and (in a longer wheelbase form) the Cadillac Brougham. The previous version had been around since the 1977 model year and was getting long in the tooth, stylistically.

While Buick and Oldsmobile had shifted their full-size sedans over to FWD platforms in the mid-Eighties, they retained full-size RWD B-body wagons, the Electra Estate and the Custom Cruiser, respectively. Oldsmobile continued with the FWD luxury sedan and only offered the new car as a wagon, but Buick revived the Roadmaster nameplate, dormant since 1958, and offered it as a sedan as well as a wagon.

The 1991 Roadmaster Estate wagon came with a 305 cubic inch Chevy small block with throttle-body fuel injection, rated at 170 SAE net horsepower, while the sedan was powered by a 180hp TBI 350 V-8. These 1991 B-bodies saw the end of the division-specific V-8s, with everyone getting Chevrolet small blocks.

The faired-in side mirrors came along in 1995, as seen on this Bright White Roadmaster Estate Limited. Unlike the Roadmaster sedans, the 15" alloy wheels were standard on the Estate wagon.

By 1995 the sole powerplant in the Roadmaster was the 5.7L LT1 V-8 with Tuned Port Injection, derived from the motor in the C4 Corvette, and making 260 SAE net horsepower.

1996 would be the last year for the big RWD B-body GM cars, freeing up factory space for the increasingly popular SUVs.

This one was photographed in June of 2025 using a Sony a700 and a 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens. 

1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser

For the 1984 model year, Oldsmobile discontinued the rear wheel drive G-body Cutlass wagon and moved the Cutlass Cruiser wagon nameplate over to the front wheel drive Cutlass Ciera. This was the same model year that all the GM A-bodies got station wagon versions: Chevy Celebrity, Pontiac 6000, and Buick Century.

Facelifted in 1985 and again in 1987, for 1988 all Olds Cutlass Ciera models got composite headlamps, giving the nose a sleeker look.

The row of little flags under the Cutlass Cruiser fender badge were part of Olds's advertising schtick from the late '70s through the early '90s, showing that Olds was trying to position itself as a competitor against sporty European and Asian competitors and set itself apart from its more traditionally 'Murrican-flavored GM stablemates. A tough sell when all you can really do to distinguish yourself from the herd is minor styling, suspension tuning, and powertrain differences.

The base motor in this Light Beechwood Metallic '89 Cutlass Cruiser would have been the pushrod 2.5L Tech IV, the latest evolution of the creaky old "Iron Duke" four banger, now with a balance shaft and throttle-body injection and making 98 SAE net horsepower. Optional motors were the 2.8L 125 horsepower V-6 or the 3.3L 3300 GM corporate V-6, which featured multiport fuel injection and 160 SAE net horses. (Incidentally, this was twenty more ponies than the 5.0L Olds 307 made in the 1988 Cutlass Supreme Classic, the last of the rear wheel drive G-bodies.)

The 14x6" aluminum alloy wheels would have come with the FE3 performance suspension package on an '89 Cutlass Cruiser, and they weren't available on the '88 model, and in 1990 the front seat shoulder harness anchors moved from the B-pillars to the door frames to comply with passive restraint requirements, so that nails down the model year.

It was photographed using an Olympus E-510 and a Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens in April of 2025.

2010 BMW 535i xDrive Sports Wagon

It was not that long ago that we had a twin-turbo wagon available in rear wheel drive or all wheel drive versions that came with a 6-speed manual as the base transmission from the factory...and everyone went and bought a crossover SUV instead. In retrospect, maybe we didn't deserve the E61 535i xDrive Sports Wagon; we just weren't worthy of its longroof splendor.

Under the hood of this righteous sled was BMW's N54B30, a 3.0L DOHC 24V twin-turbo straight-six with double-VANOS variable valve timing, putting out 300 SAE net horsepower. This was enough motor to slam the speedo needle to the 60-mph marker in only 5.8 seconds.

This Jet Black example was photographed in November of 2018 using an Olympus OM-D E-M5 and an M. Zuiko Digital 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO zoom lens.

1964 Pontiac Catalina Safari Wagon

The Safari badge was hung on all early Sixties Pontiac station wagons, whether based on the full-size Catalina and Bonneville, or the midsize Tempest.

The Catalina Safari was the less expensive of the two full-size wagons, and the advertising touted that the '64 Safaris "look like Pontiacs, handle like Pontiacs, ride like Pontiacs...and tote like troop transports!"

The basic motor, if you ordered a car with the three-speed manual, was the 235 horsepower 389 cubic inch Trophy V-8, with a 2-barrel carb and an 8.5:1 compression ratio allowing it to run on regular fuel. If the buyer opted for the Hydra-Matic transmission, the baseline motor was also a 2-barrel 389, but with a 10.5:1 compression ratio requiring premium fuel and putting out 267 SAE gross horsepower.

Also available were higher performance 4-barrel and 3x2-barrel versions of the 389, making 306 and 330 horsepower, respectively. If you needed maximum towing grunt (or wanted to surprise unsuspecting normies at a traffic light) there were  four-barrel and tri-power 421 Trophy V-8s on the menu that put out 320 and 350 ponies.

This faded Marimba Red 1964 Catalina Safari wagon was photographed in June of 2022 using a Nikon D800 and a 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom lens.

1965 Volvo 122S Wagon

The five-door station wagon version of Volvo's 122S (sold elsewhere as the Amazon) debuted on our shores as a 1963 model.

It was powered by Volvo's 1.8L overhead valve inline four, with a pair of sidedraft SU carbs and an 8.5:1 compression ratio, producing 90 SAE gross horsepower. Transmission choices were initially either a 3-speed or 4-speed manual gearbox, although starting in 1967 the Borg-Warner BW35 three-speed auto, previously only available in the sedans, was offered in the wagon, too.

The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive Volvo 122S was no bolt of lightning. Road & Track tested a 1966 122S sedan with the Borg-Warner slushbox and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 15.8 seconds and a 20.6 second elapsed time in the quarter mile with a trap speed of 67 miles per hour, with the car eventually wheezing all the way to 90mph. But they were way ahead of their time in occupant safety, build quality, and features like standard front disc brakes at a time when those were still bordering on racing exotica.

The tailgate was a clever two-piece arrangement. The glass hatch folded upward while the tailgate itself folded down. If you were carrying an oversized load, the license plate holder was hinged along the top edge so that it could be folded down to where it was visible with the tailgate lowered.

Base price on a Volvo 122S wagon for '65 was $2,860, which is just shy of $28,000 in current dollars.

This one was photographed in July of 2024 using a Nikon D700 and 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens.

1987 Ford Country Squire

The 1979-1991 Ford Country Squires were the end of the road for the full-size Ford station wagon with the classic woodgrain trim look.

By then, the "full size" Ford wagon had been moved to the new Panther platform, which meant it was on a wheelbase about the same size as that of a mid-Sixties Fairlane wagon and shorter than an early-Seventies Gran Torino's, both of which had been midsize cars for their eras.

The front end on this Midnight Canyon Red Metallic example marks it as a '79-'87 model, before the '88 styling refresh gave it a slightly more aero nose. Nosing around the internet and looking at year-to-year grille changes has me tentatively identifying it as a 1987 model, which would mean it has the 5.0L multi-port EFI V-8 rated at 150bhp (160 with the towing package).

This one was photographed with a Nikon D2X and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens in October of 2023.

1988 BMW 325i Touring

Take the most acclaimed sports sedan of its day, with a zingy-yet-bulletproof inline six and a slick 5-speed manual gearbox, and then make a wagon version... but never officially import it to the USA.

This gray market E30 wagon makes me go weak in the knees every time I see it.

Apparently the origins of the 3 Series Touring came from a BMW engineer making a home-brewed conversion on an existing sedan.

Incidentally, this was the first wagon BMW ever offered for sale. The Black (or Schwarz if you want to sound like a fanboi) one was snapped in the top photo with a Canon EOS 7D and EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS zoom lens in November of 2022, and the bottom photo was also taken in that month, but with an Olympus E-5 wearing a Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ED SWD. 

1981 Volvo 240 GLT Turbo Wagon

By 1981, Volvo had been selling their buttoned-down, sober Swedish sleds in the US for a couple decades. Unless you were into niche motorsports like ice racing or rallying, they weren't generally anybody's idea of sporty cars, either, but for the '81 model year, the Swedes slipped a cheater card into their hand.

Starting that year you could order the four cylinder in your 200-series Volvo with a turbo bolted to it. The turbocharger took the B21F 2.1L SOHC four cylinder from 107 SAE net horsepower and bumped the output nearly twenty percent, to 127 horses (and becoming known as the B21FT in the process.)

That 127 horsepower figure may seem paltry to modern ears, but anything with a three-digit total was doing okay there in the worst part of the Malaise Era. It handily outmuscled the 116hp 2.8L inline six in a Toyota Celica Supra and the 118hp 255 cubic inch V-8 in a Mustang Cobra.

Road & Track tested an '81 GLT Turbo sedan and got a zero-to-sixty time of 10.2 seconds and a quarter mile of 17.5 at 79mph, both figures shaving a full second off the time for the normally-aspirated car.

The GLT package also came with sporty Pirelli tires on five-spoke alloy wheels, a tasteful chin spoiler, and beefier roll bars front and rear to bolster a stiffer suspension. Other than the wheels and a couple little "Turbo" badges, there was no external cue to let the Celica Supra or 924 driver in the next lane know he was about to have a really embarrassing day.

This Richelieu Red '81 GLT Turbo wagon was photographed in July of 2020 using a Nikon D7000 and 16-80mm f/2.8-4E VR zoom lens.

1975 Pontiac Grand Safari

In the mid-Seventies, Pontiac's wagons were positively enormous cars. For 1975, you could get the Safari, based on the Catalina sedan, and the Grand Safari, which was derived from the plusher Grand Ville Brougham and distinguished by its woodgrain flanks and deluxe interior appointments.

Both rode on 127" wheelbases, and cast shadows over 19 feet long on pavement that groaned under their 5100-plus pound curb weights. This Pinemist Green Grand Safari has rectangular sealed-beam headlamps, first allowed in the US for '75, and the Grand Safari model was discontinued for '76, so that narrows down the date range pretty well.

With a station wagon of this length, unloading the 105.7 cubic foot cargo bay in a small garage or other confined space could be tricky, so GM engineered a clever two-piece power-operated clamshell tailgate arrangement. The upper glass half and the lower metal tailgate would slide into the roof and floor, respectively, at the touch of a switch.

Under the hood, the base motor was 185 horsepower 400 cubic inch small journal Pontiac V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor. Optionally, a buyer who needed more towing oomph could spring for a large journal 455 4-barrel, boasting 200 SAE net horsepower and 315 lb-ft of trailer-yanking torque.

After the '76 model year, Pontiac's big wagons got downsized, and a 1977 Pontiac Grand Safari rode on a 115.9"wheelbase, shared with the Chevy Impala/Caprice B-bodies. No longer needed, the complex, bulky, and heavy Glide-Away tailgate was axed, along with the 455 V-8*, fourteen inches of overall length, and half a ton of curb weight.

This one was photographed in June of 2023 using a Nikon D700 and 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens.

*Well, technically the 400 was axed, too. You could get a "6.6 Litre" V-8 in a '77 Grand Safari, but it was an Oldsmobile 403; GM engine consolidation was underway by the latter half of the '70s.

1985 Honda Civic Wagon

The third generation of Honda's Civic subcompact debuted for the 1984 model year here in the United States. Available as a hatchback coupe or a conventional notchback sedan, it could also be had as a five-door wagonette.

The wagon was a frugal little hauler. Base MSRP for the '85 model was only $6,999, which comes to about $20,500 in 2024 dollars. It was easy on gas, too, with EPA City and Highway mileage ratings of 34 and 45 miles per gallon, respectively.

Under the hood was a 1.5L (91 cubic inch) SOHC 12V inline four with a single 3-barrel carburetor, rated at 76 SAE net horsepower. Since the car only weighed a few cases of beer more than a ton, this was adequate for a normal person's propulsion needs.

Car and Driver tested a 5-speed manual '85 wagon and managed an 11.4 second time to sixty. The quarter took 17.8 seconds at 75 miles per hour, and the car would doggedly continue all the way to 95mph before running out of steam. (With the steep 4.27:1 final drive ratio, top speed was actually achieved in fourth.)

This Avignon Blue example was snapped in June of 2023, using a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens.

1988 Toyota Camry DX Wagon

The second generation of the Toyota Camry, dubbed the V20 internally, launched in the North American market in autumn of '86 as a 1987 model. Available as either a sedan or a wagon, and in base, DX, and LE trim levels, the Japanese-built sedans were soon joined by ones built at Toyota's new U.S. manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. All Camry wagons sold in the American market were imported from Japan, however.

This Dark Blue '88 DX wagon could have been equipped with either Toyota's 3S-FE 2.0L inline four, rated at 115 SAE net horsepower, or the 156hp 2VZ-FE 2.5L DOHC 24V V-6. While a five speed manual was theoretically available, manual wagons were already vanishingly rare by '88, so this one's likely sporting a 4-speed automatic, but one never knows. I'd do bad, wrong things for a longroof Camry with a stick.

Despite being dull as dishwater, these things were phenomenons of reliability, doing as much as any other model to help establish Toyota's reputation in the US for boring longevity. The fact that this 36-year-old car is still out there tooling around as a daily driver attests to that fact with a positively Camry-esque blend of blandness and eloquence.

This one was photographed with an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Panasonic 12-60mm f/2.8-4 in August of 2024.

1987 Ford Escort GL Wagon

The Escort was the budget front-wheel drive subcompact that Ford used to replace the aging rear-wheel drive Pinto in the 1981 model year, just in time for the second Fuel Crisis.

There was much hype about the new Escort being a "world car" designed jointly between Ford of North America and Ford of Europe. Indeed, the "Escort" nameplate had been in use on little European Fords since the Sixties. There were even little badges on the car with the Escort name on a stylized globe for a background.

In actuality, all they shared was the name, the little cam-in-head 8-valve four cylinder motor, and the same automatic transmission on cars so equipped. (The cam-in-head design is still, technically an OHV engine, but the cam is in the head, operating the rocker arms via hydraulic lash adjusters, sans pushrods.)

These were the cars that Ford sent out to do battle with the Civics, Corollas, and Sentras that were devouring the North American marketplace

The one in the pictures is an '87 model, after the first major upgrade. The hemi-head 1.6L engine had been bored and stroked to 1.9L, becoming notably undersquare in the process. With throttle body fuel injection it put out 90 SAE net horsepower. In coupe or hatchback form, and with a manual transmission, this was enough motor to nudge the Escort under the 10-second barrier in the 0-60 sprint. In a wagon with an automatic? LOL. LMAO, even.

This Oxford White 1987 Escort GL wagon has somehow managed to avoid oxidizing away to nothing over the last thirty-seven years, despite obviously not leading a pampered existence. However either they're smuggling a crate of lead bars or the rear suspension has packed it in.

It was photographed using a Nikon D3 and 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom lens in April of 2023.
 

1995 Mercedes-Benz E320

It's a size of car that the British call a "spanner"... no, wait, that's what they call a biscuit. This size car they call "Executive", meaning it's larger than a compact but smaller than a "Luxury Saloon".

In America it's a midsize, and Mercedes has been making them since the Fifties. Nowadays it's referred to as their "E-class", sized between the compact C-class and full-size S-class. It's the equivalent to BMW's 5-series or a Ford Taurus or whatever Chevy's currently calling the Maluminpala.

When the generation shown in the picture debuted back in the mid-'80s, it was just the known in-house as the W124 platform. Back then the letters went on the end of Mercedes model, and the "E" in 320E would have stood for "einspritzmotor", signifying a 3.2 liter fuel-injected car.

For the '94 model year, the letters got moved to the front of the model designation on Benzes*, since referring to a car as having an "einspritzmotor" in 1994 would have been as redundant as referring to it as a "vierräder". So from '94 on, the E320, like the '94-'96 wagon in the picture, was a midsize E-class with a 3.2 liter motor.

In this case, that 3.2L motor was a DOHC inline six putting out 217bhp. The '96 E-class was the last hurrah for the classic M-B straight six, with six cylinder Benzos using V-6 motors until 2017 saw the revival of the inline, with the turbocharged M276.

This one was photographed in January 2024 using a Nikon D700 & 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G lens.

*Causing a great deal of distress for car nerds like me who had actually gone to the trouble of cracking the alphanumeric code on Jerry decklids. Don't get me started on how the numeric designations on Mercedes and BMW models only have the most tangential relationship to engine displacement now.