The world has changed a lot in the 50 some years since this Bel Air wagon sagged down on its springs and undersized tires and hauled the family on vacation trips, to Little League games, and the weekly supermarket trip, which filled a good portion of the back with sacks of groceries. We’re not going to attempt to document all those changes here, but one of the biggest ones was the one-earner family with a passel of kids. And when it came time for long-suffering dad to figure out how to make his modest paycheck stretch far enough to buy a new family hauler, this is what was all-too often the answer.
When he pulled up in the driveway in the new Chevy Bel Air wagon, one modest step up from the poverty/skinflint-mobile Biscayne, a modest sigh of relief was to be heard from his kids. No, no Impala wagon with full wheel covers and at least a 327. But thanks god it wasn’t a Biscayne with the 230 six and a three-on-the-tree. A Bel Air; the modest middle, with a 283 and the inevitable Powerglide. A modest sigh of relief, maybe mixed in with a bit of excitement if the tired old car had been a Biscayne.
This great old original wagon was found and posted by nifticus392 at the Cohort, and hails from British Columbia. And given how much the Canadians back then tended to be thriftier (by necessity) than comparable-job Americans, perhaps there was some genuine enthusiasm from the kids after all.
Given the “Canada 1976” bumper sticker it probably served the original owners for…who knows how long. It all depends on just how thrifty good old dad was.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
I think the bumper sticker is celebrating the Montreal Olympic Games (of 1976).
Chevy wagons of that era had awkward taillight treatments compared to their sedan and hardtop counterparts, although ’66 was a bit of a wash. The rectangular lights were a bit heretical.
Nice to see a survivor, most wagons were driven right into the ground .
Sad it’s all rusty but that’s the Canadian way, snow & salt does it’s thing .
-Nate
Thanks to this site I remembered that cars used to be able to tow. These days a pickup or large SUV is needed.
Went with Dad to check out a mint condition 65 BelAir wagon around 1970. It was Turquoise 6 cylinder 3 speed manual with “Armstrong ” steering. Non PS was a deal breaker for Mom.She liked to be thrifty,but had her limits!
Dad had a 1965 Plymouth Fury II wagon with a 318 Torqueflite and power steering. Towed a 17 foot travel trailer with no problem.
For every vintage Corvette, SS-396 and Z28 you see at today’s car shows, tens of thousands of cars like this wagon were sold. Modestly equipped 6 cylinder Bel Airs and 283 Impalas with Powerglide filled neighborhood driveways all across America. It might be hard for us CC car enthusiasts to believe, but millions view motor vehicles merely as transportation appliances. They weren’t going to drive total penalty boxes, but frills were kept to a minimum.
Sorry, but the `66 Chrysler New Yorker and the `66 Mercury Park Lane wagons (especially with the simulated wood paneling) did not look out of place at the ‘club’ or the boat marina. This Chevy just screams ‘service vehicle’ but I guess that`s the idea.
Hello I had a 1966 Impala wagon with AC and 396 engine. Wished I would have kept it.
Vincent
And for high school kids of my age, these were the 10 year old hand me down cars those families kept around for teen use. Parental cars from the mid 60s were really common in my high school parking lot. Including one of these driven by one kid I knew, navy blue with a 283/Glide.
Likewise. My parents gave my sister and me their ‘66 Ranch Wagon to use during college. Great car that lasted until ‘77 battling New England winters….
I’ve always been a “middle model” type of guy, not quite the top trim and never the bottom. Surprisingly both my last 2 new cars have been full zoot, but that’s because there were either equipment or safety features only available at those trim levels.
Being a cheapskate was disguised a little by the 66 vs. the 65. The two round tailights on the 65 are easier to notice than this treatment.
They were all badged Impala here and no wagons except special order, 283 glide, they all were here, this was the year my dads mob began selling Holdens because Chevrolet assembly was ending, he bought one of those 66 Holdens it was disappointing.
Our town newspaper distributor (Mr. Schaefer) had a BelAir wagon. He’d pick up the papers from printing plant in the county seat and deliver them to a distribution shack in our town some 20 miles away. We paper boys would be waiting for his car.
Ours was a small town. Even so, our paper route bundles filled the entire car. With all seats folded for cargo, a few bundles still spilled over into the passenger side front seat.
Newspapers are heavy. I can’t look this car without picturing a BelAir wagon squatting on the back axle while all us paper boys smoked and waited for Mr. Schaefer to unload our bundles.
I assume when the car wasn’t making the daily trek full of newspapers, the BelAir did double duty as Mr. Schaefer’s family car. Can’t imagine why else he’d spring for a BelAir over the Biscayne.
I took those photos back in 2017. As far as I know that car is still on the road (well at least as of a few months ago when I last saw it).