An original Chrysler C-Body wagon posted at the Cohort is guaranteed to make it to the front page of CC. This one was shot by John Lloyd.
It makes a nice contrast to the more modern “wagon” next to it.
Cohort Outtake: 1968 Chrysler Town and Country Wagon
– Posted on August 20, 2018
The fuselage Chrysler’s started in 1969. I believe the above is a ‘67 or ‘68 Chrysler.
68 side marker lights
Paul, that’s a great find, but it’s a 1968.
Yes, I knew that all too well, and thought that’s what I wrote. I’m a terrible keyboarder. Fixed now. I gotta slow down and read what I wrote….
Had a beastie 1969, just like this, only in much better shape. Ca.1973-73 Same color and side fake wood. But before I bought it, some one transplanted a 318 into it. Biggest car I ever owned. I was only in my mid 20’s married with two kids. Lived in a Mobile Home at the time, Seemed like the car was half the size of my house. Only problem I ever had with it in the year or two that I owned it was a Carb float that had a habit of sticking, Requiring tapping the carburetor sometimes, And a broken motor mount.
Floated down the road. Ride feel? Like driving your sofa.
ya know,,, on second look, I DO believe this a 68. Mine seemed o have less of a sharp edge to it on the flanks, more rounded. And it did have the wrap around bumper.
I’m just about never sure enough to question anyone here, but I’m quite sure that’s a ’65-’68 Chrysler. The ’69’s were full-on fuselage, loop bumper and all.
Sheesh. That all happened really fast 😉 I’m a slow typist, buy damn.
All wagons are beautiful. I had the profound pleasure of attending Pierce, Nebraska’s Lambrecht Chevrolet auction in 2013: I hope someone there gave some love to this Chevy wagon from the same Golden Age as that lovely Chrysler.
Sadly, I think that ’67 may be beyond hope.
Sans Di-Noc, and a slightly darker shade of “That 70’s Green”, the featured car reminds me of the one we saw at the CC Meet Up in Baltimore (Hunt Valley) a couple of weeks ago…..
Yes indeedy, a grizzled 1968 Chrysler. Sign me up!
Love this car. These weren’t too common when new. It seemed to me that the “fuselage” generation of Town and Country wagons was more popular than the 1965-68 generation.
It also seemed that about 60 percent of Chryslers built between 1968 and 1972 were painted this shade of green.
According to Allpar, T&C production was pretty consistently 15-25K from 65 to 73. Ironically, the peak was the last year of the boxes and the first year of the fusies. 69 is the single best year of Chrysler C-body wagon sales, but sales never exceeded 68 or 69 after that. Sales had already dropped substantially in 1970 before Buick and Olds seriously pursued the upper crust with the clamshell wagons in 1971.
Believe it or not, John Lennon, yes the Beatle, had a ’72 Town & Country wagon and drove it around the US. Was in his possession still in 1980.
Rrrrrrreally? I used to have quite a thing for the Beatles, especially Lennon, and gobbled up all manner of books and articles. On the subject of driving everything I read was very consistent: he owned a variety of cars over the years but he hated driving and was a terrible driver. Got a source on that report of his driving a ’72 T&C around the States?
Try this for Lennon’s wagon:
http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/03/a-wagon-that-rocks-n-rolls/
Mick Jagger drove a Rambler:
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/07/mick-jagger-getting-out-of-his-1969.html
Fascinating! Thanks for the link.
I too have heard that one. I don’t know how long he owned it or how much he drove it (he lived in New York, after all) but he owned it when he died.
As I recall, there was an article about Lennon’s wagon in hemmings motor news ten or so years ago. I think I’ve got it stacked up somewhere, but couldn’t imagine finding it without looking for something else.
When that car arrived in someones driveway fresh from the dealer in 1968 I am certain that the owners were very excited and happy. I wonder if they shopped, Buick, Olds, Mercury, etc. before buying or were just 100% Chrysler people and never even looked at anything else.
Only Mercury had a full size wagon, which was pretty obviously a Country Squire with a Mercury nose.
I could be wrong but I believe Oldsmobile had a full-sized wagon in 68, The Encyclopedia of American Cars shows an Olds wagon on a LONGER wheelbase than the Ford/Mercury wagon…either that, or my glasses need checking.
The Oldsmobile Cutlass Vista Cruiser wagon had an extended wheelbase compared to the other GM intermediate wagons, but it was definitely based on the GM A-body. The full-size Custom Cruiser wagon didn’t debut until 1971.
And with that lovely clam shell tailgate, too!
Ford definitely had a better idea when it came to tailgates.
It might have been the Vista Cruiser because that was the only Olds wagon from 65-70.
The standard length A body wagon was available, too.
I shot a one of those locally but cant find the pic also in original condition, but mint, like it never saw rain till it got here and is probably kept inside as it had all its life, nice cars the big Chryslers of yore. Local car is white with no plastiwood better to my eye.
Perhaps because of the availability of front and rear air conditioning (SO delightful in Hot & Humid New Orleans!), perhaps because the local Mopar dealers pushed a lot of these station wagons outta da door, perhaps because of the large Catholic population and the “rhythm method” producing lots of kiddies and needing HUGE inside station wagons….whatever the reason… I recall this shared body Mopar station wagon being ALL over the suburbs that I grew up in, during the late 1960’s early 1970’s.
Only a Ford station wagon was more popular than this body.
Funny, this wagon didn’t look THAT long 50 years ago……
….as a fellow New Orleanian and one who rode in the back of a Chevrolet Impala station wagon in my khaki school uniform, we also called it “Vatican Roulette”, but don’t repeat it to the Monsignor 😎😎😎😎😎
Yup!
The 383 V8 engine/3 speed Torqueflite automatic transmission powertrain combo made these wagons darn near bulletproof and strong performers when the driver “stomped the skinny pedal”.
I think this one is a 440.
Even better!
In my opinion: The decision By Chrysler-Fiat (or whatever da hale their moniker is this week) to dump the “Town And Country” name on the current crop of upscale mini-vans was a HUGE mistake.
+1!
Agreed. I get that minivans are not popular and that FCA wants to get non-minivan people to consider them, but ferkryinoutlouditsafrigginminivan. The T&C name had a lot of positive equity. That said, I think the Pacifica seems to be selling decently in my area. Not great, but decently.
The widowed mother of some good childhood friends had a ’69 T&C, which I thought was about the coolest car I’d ever been in. It was pretty ragged out by the time she replaced it with a ’77 Mercury Monarch, but it’d been bought used by her late husband and was loaded to the hilt. It was ivory with wood paneled sides, maroon leather interior and power EVERYTHING (much of which worked when it wanted to by the end). It was one HUGE car, and probably had a 440 under the hood. NJ winters didn’t do it any favors, and of course the ’70’s gas crises made it (literally and figuratively) a white elephant. I don’t know if it was so bad off that it went to the crusher when she traded it in, but I doubt it was considered worth much as a rusty 8 year old wagon in ’77. I was sad to see it go.
This one seems to have those cotter-pin hood latches, which may indicate a past career in racing, or at least an owner who liked to dream about racing…..
Racing a near-5,000 lb station wagon that reached close to 20 feet. Hahahahaha!
I guess I can make some sense of that. I used to see the car around auto row in Bellingham. Might be/have been owned by a shop rat who likes Mopar big blocks. It used to pass me on I-5 by it seemed like at least a 20mph difference now and then. Despite the town often having a visible or audible “We hate your car culture” attitude, there are a couple of neighborhoods solid with finds like this. Northwest/’Wood ‘Hood is another area.
the wheelbase on the T&C was shorter than the sedans.
most if not all came w/ the 440.
The C body wagons were all built on the Dodge wheelbase, so the T&C was a few inches shorter than the Chrysler sedans and the Plymouth wagons were a couple inches longer than a Fury sedan.
For those who can’t get enough C-bodies… including a ’66 T&C
During HS, three of the kids mom’s had T&C Wagons. A ’66, a ’68, and a ’69. Couple of Monaco’s too. They were all pretty well equipped, and along with the Colony Parks and Bonneville’s made up the upscale wagon contingent. (Yeah, it was a Catholic HS).
As an aside, the only time I recall being outgunned at a stoplight in my 442 was by the ’68 T&C Wagon. Way more weight, but traction to go with it. The statute of limitations is up, right?
In 1972 or 1973 I wanted a cheap weekend truck. I shopped for cheap full size wagons I only shopped new car dealers, because they realized full sized wagons were not worth much. My criteria; full size, fake wood, roof rack, and V8. One Dodge dealer had 2 full sized Dodge wagons, one red over black, one black over red. Both were nice, but I had to take both for $550. No deal.
There was a white Buick in contention, but the same dealer had a 1966 Chrysler 6 passenger for $300. Sold. I had a rental garage, and the wagon almost fit, but the barn doors required a chain and a padlock. I loved the dash with the dome over the guages. The only repair was the plastic junction from the vacuum hose to the brake booster. I traded it on a new 1974 Fiat 124 Coupe and got 5 cents a pound.
I can live with patinated, but I’d want something decorating the steelies. Great shape, great find.
Somebody get that Town & Country some hubcaps! 😀 What a friendly-looking beastie. I never see any cars that are that groovy when I’m out and about; just ‘late-model everything’. Would be nice to pull up to my local Ingles and see a Chrysler wagon parked. From ’68 or ’69; I’m not picky! Then I’d go over and study it thoroughly.
I don’t think that wagon would fit in to a parking place at my local Wal-Mart. Their slots are too small for Chrysler Beastie to fit; the owner would have to park out in North 40 to have enough space to back in ‘n’ out and then open the doors to exit the vehicle.
Don & Carter,
Couldn’t find a pic of a 68 with them but I reckon these are perfect for the square lines of the big Mopars.
Although these seem to be wider than the ones available for Chryslers back in the day.
Of Engel’s ’65-’68 concave-sheetmetal, Mercury-influenced Chryslers, the 1968 version is my least favorite.
With that said, all ’65-’78 Chryslers are cool. Yeah, quality lagged GM and Ford (to put it mildly) but the Chrysler ‘businessman’s express’ cannot be denied, having a brawny, macho, take-no-prisoners appeal and, today, are highly coveted of the sixties and seventies’ Big 3.
The coolest thing about driving this car, as is today, is that it is so totally bad ass, that the most jacked up, coal rolling, cowboy wannabee, lunch hauling, one ton pickup truck of today just pales in comparison.
Gimme gimme gimme!!!!!!!
I swear people must be CC hunting in my neck of the woods lately… I thought this car disappeared a few years ago. I used to see it roaring by on I-5. I hadn’t seen it for awhile and figured it probably ended up in the demo derby in Lynden.
Looks similar to this one that I made some “artwork” with. Could it be the same?
Nice!! This appears to be more of a cream/gold color whereas the feature car is green, but either would frighten me in a post-apocalyptic world!
+1. Also, this car has Oregon plates.
Never really liked the concave sides to these things.
What a great old beast – the big Chryslers of the mid to late ‘60’s are among my favourite Mopars. Just gas it up and cruise the back roads. There’s a Chrysler wagon of this vintage I see around our Toronto neighbourhood during the summer. It’s gold without the fake wood, and it’s in pretty nice shape – chances are it gets stored for the winter, avoiding exposure to our over-salted Ontario roads. It’s always a treat to see it cruise by with a nice rumble coming from the dual exhausts.
First year for the fake wood. And you could get it on the Newport Convertible and hartop, too – proto-Iacocca, and Ford was doing the same on Mercurys.
Also first year for fake wood on Plymouth C and Plymouth and Dodge B Bodies (Including my family’s ’68 Sherwood metallic, the car apparently shipped with optional brakes. Maybe episodic is a better term.)
Dodge was the pioneer here, with fake wood on the top-line Polara wagon from ’65 on. Not sure why the rest of the company took so long to catch up.
I barely remember ours, except that it was enormous.
The competition was equally as enormous, wayyyyyyy back then.
My Mother had no problem parallel parking her various Mopar and Ford station wagons, one hand on the light touch power steering, while yelling and waving/swatting her other free hand hand at whatever kid-in-the-back-seat was offending her. She never gave the compound procedure a secong thought.
The sound of these station wagon’s automatic transmission kick down, from 3rd gear into into “Passing Gear” and the sudden roarrrrrrr of the secondaries of the huge 4 barrel carburetor opening up will forever be ingrained in my automotive obsessed memory. Ah yes……the retentiveness of a kid’s mind!
“Floor It, Mom!” “Your Father doesn’t like it when I do that for you; it burns too much gas.” “FLOOR IT, MOM!!” “Oh-all-right, just this one time……”
Baby Boomer kids had the best of all childhoods.