We haven’t had many of these ’59 Chevy wagons here at CC, so when I ran across this fine one shot curbside by Staxman at the Cohort, I bit. Now we’re all very familiar with Chevy’s bat wing styling, which may not have been terribly practical for a wagon, but Chevy made it work, well enough. And since I used to ride to catechism in an almost identical ’59 wagon, I have vivid memories of what the inside was like: roomy.
What we have here is a Parkwood wagon. And that name tells us something that probably just about no other wagon name ever did: that this is a 6 passenger wagon, and not a 9 passenger version. because if it had been, it would be a Kingswood. And if it had been a lower trim (Biscayne-level) wagon, it would have been the Brookwood. Only the Impala-trim version wasn’t a ‘wood’ suffix wagon, as the illustrious Nomad name was saved for it.
The Parkwood and Kingswood wagons were in Bel Air-level trim. The original owner of this one was a thrifty soul, as it apparently has the venerable 235 six and what appears to be the three-on-the-tree. Needless to say, a palette of 283 and 348 cubic inch V8s were also available. Even a fully-sychronized four speed floor-shifted manual, if one was so inclined, but only on the more powerful V8s. Plus of course Powerglide or Turboglide.
The one I rode in was also owned by Mary Lou Funk’s dad, also a thrifty guy, and it too had the six and manual. Well, it was a short ride to St. Thomas Moore on Monday afternoons, but I remember the back seat very well, especially those foot wells that dropped down between the X-Frame center and the sills.
Since I started skipping catechism very early (3rd grade, the first time), my rides in the Chevy wagon were increasingly rare.
The only 9 passenger wagon available was the Kingswood; the rest were all 6 passenger wagons. But I can assure you there were plenty of times when there were more than 6 aboard the Catechism Express.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
How many different wagons did Chevy make that ended in “Wood” over the years? Seems like there were quite a few. Not to mention the entire Kingswood range produced by Holden.
“Kingswood”, “Brookwood”. “Parkwood”.
Covair-based Lakewood.
Ah! That’s right!
Dad’s first wagon was a ’59 Brookwood two door in frost blue. Bottom of the line, but well equipped, 283, Powerglide, power steering, radio, heater and whitewalls. Radical styling brought out the neighborhood when he first parked it in the driveway.
Yeah I bet the guy that had to make that tailgate work cursed the person responsible for the bat wings and cat eye lights. They did make it work, both functionally and stylistically, at least in my opinion. We had one when I was very young and couldn’t tell you anything other than it was a 6 seater with dog dishes and an automatic. It was replaced with a 67 Sport Wagon. I do wonder how close that bright work is to the ground when the tail gate is fully open, especially when loaded up.
Agreed. The end result was a beautiful wagon though (practical or not).
Really makes one long for the days of car design being works of art, as much (or more) than just a tool for transportation.
Love me some 59 Chevy, 2 door OR wagon.
Stylistically, the ’59-’60 GM wagons looked like such an afterthought, the greenhouse over the way-back area looking like it wasn’t originally designed to be there. There are several other wagons from the ’50s and ’60s that look like this because they skimped by sharing the sedan’s rear doors. The weird thing is, the ’59 Chevy wagon rear doors aren’t shared with the sedans, nor is that small triangular window behind them. That means GM designed it to look awkward on purpose. I don’t get why.
Nice old survivor .
I hope they address the fender well rust ere long .
-Nate
Nice condition, I went to a car show recently and there was a 58 Brookwood there also six and manual used ex US import car still LHD and very few of those cars here a school friends parents drove a 60 model Chevy wagon v8 manual full of rust at 5 years old but a cool car. they didnt assemble wagons here so getting one took some effort then RHD conversion on top they were not a low price car after youd paid for all that,
You have to wonder about Chevrolet using the “-wood” oriented names for their station wagons when it was Ford that was the most well-known for the vinyl Di-Noc simulated wood-grain cladding on their station wagons.
It’s almost as if GM did it intentionally to confuse buyers. I mean, why would they name their station wagons a variation of ‘wood’ when it was Ford that was most known for the look?
It could’ve been worse. They could’ve called one the Notwood.
How bout` Woodshed’ for the cheapest model with no options and a less than ‘penalty box’ interior.The ‘Eastwood’ for those sold in the Eastern US, and the ‘Westwood’ for those sold in the Western US?