The Year Is: 1959

The year is 1959. You've just graduated college and started your first job. Since several other of your co-workers live in the same neighborhood as yourself, you've decided to save gas and start a carpool. Things are going well until it's your turn to drive and your coworkers start complaining about passenger space.

You decide a station wagon is on order. The only question is, which one?

GMC Suburban

Chevrolet Suburban

International Harvester Travelall

Dodge Town Wagon

Studebaker

Pontiac

Plymouth

Oldsmobile

Nash Rambler

Nash Metropolitan

Mercury

Imperial

Ford

Edsel

Dodge

Desoto

Chrysler

Chevrolet

Buick

Willys

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Got a suggestion for a year and vehicle type you want to see featured? Shoot me a PM.

The Plymouth is a 1958 model, which I would take, though I wouldn't mind the actual '59 model either.

Dude in last picture is like "WUT bitch? I tole ya I'm a Jeepster fer your love!"

The Studebaker and Metropolitan are cuter than bug's ears, awwwww.... The Studie is spunkier looking, however.

I see the Plymouth was corrected, I think it's a pretty clean design given how gaudy some cars were beginning to look by the late '50's.

The Plymouth is a 1958 model, which I would take, though I wouldn't mind the actual '59 model either.

I think I fixed it. 1959 was the egg crate grille, right?

The Plymouth is a 1958 model, which I would take, though I wouldn't mind the actual '59 model either.

I think I fixed it. 1959 was the egg crate grille, right?

Yes that's the correct model now, '59 was basically an MCE of the 57-58 models.

Hoo boy, when I saw "1959" I thought this would be a lot tougher for me.

First off, the Imperial is out as a weird one-off. Or, if it stays, this has to come in :

in which case I pick that one.

The late '50s trucks are really spartan/ relatively uncomfortable for commuter purposes, so I could be really happy with the upper-mid range: Pontiac, Buick or DeSoto (in that order).

The Olds, Merc or Buick

Do I really need to state it?

Chrysler, actually...allthough Pontiac or buick would do fine also...as would Merc....

Very tough call for me - several of these were our actual family cars when I was quite little.

Jeep wagon just like the pic

2-door Studebaker Lark wagon (and my grandmother had a 4-door)

We also had an International Travelall ( a few years later)

Can't decide.

Like how the Imperial appears to have the exhaust pipes coming out the front.

The Imperial begs for a backstory. Plate looks Euro, the 'exhaust pipes up front'; the turnsignals have been replaced with what also might be Euro-spec bolt-ons, and I double-checked to see it maybe the flanks were Plymouth, but they're Imperial. AND it has a sunroof.

BUT it's the 2-dr hardtop wagon conversion that appears quite masterful. Highly interesting, wonder if it's still among the living.

The Imperial pic is obviously scanned from an old photograph (I'd say 1980s or older), and there is a Colorado Blue Spruce in the background. The rest of the plants are scrubby, and the land seems quite open. The front plate is red (Arizona?). Given those clues, I'd hazard a guess at somewhere in the American West at a fairly high altitude, and more north than south...

We've got a botanist in here.

Not a botanist, a horticulturalist.

And, I have to admit, the clues are slim as that spruce has been planted in many different environments and none of the other plants are clear enough for an ID. It could just as easily be an east coast lowland near the sea with all of the scrubby pines.

Too green for the southwest though...

Edited July 29, 201213 yr by Camino LS6

That's the word I was looking for.

The Mercury looks the most modern and clean.

Found this:

http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1959/wagon/index.htm

OK- the plate number spacing looked weird to me.

RE the link info - I cannot readily believe an Imperial wagon was considered for production. A few back door specials or a coachbuilder project is another thing.

I would agree the one above looks quite professionally done.

Probably the Dodge. Or maybe the Mercury...jeez, I just don't know.

'59 Ambassador would likely be my first choice. They went pretty well with the AMC 327 V8.

Probably the Dodge. Or maybe the Mercury...jeez, I just don't know.

'59 Ambassador would likely be my first choice. They went pretty well with the AMC 327 V8.

Yes they did!

1958 Olds Fiesta 88 or the Super 88

The Plymouth is a 1958 model, which I would take, though I wouldn't mind the actual '59 model either.

The yellow Plymouth wagon is, indeed, a 1959. As the owner of that wagon pictured, I am absolutely positive.