These days, when it comes to hauling the family and all the usual familial accessories, most car buyers turn to a crossover or SUV. However, back in the ‘70s, the wagon was the go-to with regard to functional automotive body styles. Now, we’re getting a look at the Chevrolet wagon lineup from 1972 in the following brief throwback video.
1972 Chevrolet Vega Kammback
Clocking in at just over a minute in length, this video is simple in its approach, giving us a brief overview of the Chevrolet wagon lineup. After an aerial shot that flies over a scenic overlook packed with Chevy vehicles, we go down to the ground level, where the narrator introduces the models one by one.
First up in the 1972 Chevrolet wagon lineup is the Vega Kammback, which is “priced less than most other little wagons,” as well as the Chevelle “walk-in” wagon, a midsize offering with a two-way tailgate.
1972 Chevrolet Chevelle
The larger full-size Chevrolet wagon is also shown, showing off its vanishing tailgate, which allows access to the rear section without unhitching.
We also get a look at the old-school Chevrolet Suburban. This nameplate just got an all-new 12th generation for the 2021 model year, and it’s cool to see how it looked back in 1972. As the narrator points out, the 1972 Chevy Suburban was based on a “rugged truck chassis,” and could be “ordered with seats for nine.”
1972 Chevrolet Suburban
The Chevy Sport Van also makes the lineup, showing up in camper van styling.
While the Sport Van and Suburban aren’t perfectly in line with what one would consider a “wagon,” at least not by modern standards, their prodigious interior room and practical approach meant that they still had plenty to offer families looking to hit the open road. And indeed, that’s exactly how the video ends, with a classic jingle that reminds the viewer that Chevrolet is “building a better way to see the U.S.A.”
Which do you prefer, dear reader – wagons, or crossovers/SUVs? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevrolet news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
What a classic Chevy advertisement, and Casey Kasem from America’s Top 40 fame announcing to boot! Cool..
This article made me smile as I was the proud owner of a copper 1975 Chevy Vega Kammback Wagon with a tan interior. Although the inline-4 2.3 L engine had some issues, it never failed me in over twelve years of ownership. Even if it was heavier than the Japanese imports of the 1970s, i did beat them on traffic light starts as that engine had great torque. I added a rear window wiper, making it the only 1975 wagon with that wiper. I sold it to a Camaro racer who had crashed his car. He transplanted the V8 engine, transmission, and rear end into the Vega Wagon, then won several races with it. The rear window wiper made that Vega recognizable.
I read that wagons were made better than cars because there were fewer made on the same assembly line. We still want wagons due to their increased interior space, and now we have crossovers.
Back in the day my Father came home one day with a brand new 1971 Kingswood Estate Station wagon. the car had the 454 engine and AC, auto trans, power windows, power front seat, all the options of the day. ( even an AM-FM Radio).
the car was like an Olive Green Color with the wood on the sides. I got to drive this car a few times, with one chance to do a few burn outs, Although the engine was Smoged-Out. and the car weighted a couple of tons plus, that Rat Motor had some torque. I had to cool it so dad did not need to buy some new rear tires.
I still own a 1975 Chevy custom short bed van 3 on the tree and a 1973 Ford Pinto wagon that is original with the AM radio. Both are insured for a lot more then they were new. I love my classics would not think of letting them go! Plus the insurance is super cheap fully insured for less then $400.00 a year. Beat that with any new or even newer car of today.
@Neal Miller: Your post made me laugh and think of “stunts’ we pulled as kids. We grew up on a farm in the mid-west and always had trucks and big cars for the large family. A trick I learned was to flip the air cleaner cover (remember, this was in a time of no FI or electronics). Doing this allowed one heck of a cool howl when the skinny pedal was put to the floor and (it seemed) gave it just a little more power. All good fun until one day we forgot to flip the cover back over. Dad hooked up to a trailer and when giving it some power, he heard the howl. That kind of stopped after that! haha.
The one thing I took away from this video was the totally cool disappearing tailgate on the big wagon! How cool is that? Even for today that seems to be a rather innovative trick.
But what a cool video. I always love watching those no matter what the make/brand is. I also miss the elegant print ads that Cadillac and Lincoln used to have. IMO, so much better than what they do now days.
🤣🤣 Vega wagon .. didn’t think they could get any worse!!
My Dad bought a new 72 Kingswood. No “wood” on the non-Estate version. Just a 350 2 bbl. Since pwr steering and brakes and the power rear window were standard the only real option was AC. I learned to drive in that car and took my drivers test in it. It was the best snow car I ever saw since it weighed in the neighborhood of 5K pounds. Of course since it only had the 350 it was no race car but it did provide lots of fond memories.
That site is Crown Point on the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon.
That’s Casey Kasem of radio top 40 fame doing the voice over
As a teen my first car was a 1970 Kingswood with the 3rd row seating. Loved that car. It was a great beach vehicle. Miss the quality that was built back then.
Hi Dan, that is too funny as I was thinking the same thing. I tried to convince my dad that he would get better mileage if her turned the air cleaner cover over. ( I had done it on my own) the first time dad went on I-75,
there was this : what the H**l’s going on here? I did this for a short while on my 1970 Camaro SS, until I found a Corvette open air cleaner. It was fun and no one got hurt.
Almost presages the all SUV/Crossover lineups that we see. these days