Coolest Wagons: Chevrolet's 1972 "Clamshell" Kingswood Estate!

Learn more about GM's clamshell wagons and this 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate!

[@giantrobot9000]

Adam, you are crushing it lately! Dropping new videos left and right, love it! Especially love anything wagon-related.

[@rightlanehog3151]

I think wagons must be the hardest classic cars to find as they generally had such tough lives.

[@giantrobot9000]

And demolition derby attrition too

[@aldenconsolver3428]

I find myself thinking a older wagon could be a good thing for me, I am a pretty hard working gardener and DIY guy, I got 3 big dogs and like to do a little camping. The Yukons and 'stuff like that I doubt are even as useful as a full size wagon and that Yukon or whatever costs sixty thousand!!!! bucks and by consumer reports they are not even that dependable, for half that you can get a perfectly restored wagon that will appreciate not fall apart (course you will have to take care of it).

[@radudeATL]

Just here to 🐖 back off your comment. Loving all these uploads!

[@stormythelowcountrykitty7147]

I love so many uploads. But don’t burn out!!!

[@MrTPF1]

In the 80's, I was the third owner of a '72 Kingswood Estate. That 400 engine was a monster, but man did it suck down the gas! When people saw me coming in their rearview mirror, they just got out of the way because of the size of this beast. Good times!

[@ttocselbag5054]

I’m an old-school wagon guy, and I’ve always loved those clamshells! ❤️

[@adamsneidelmann8976]

Getting really hard to find them now.

[@ttocselbag5054]

@@adamsneidelmann8976- Yeah, most guys want muscle cars and don’t appreciate these beautiful old sleds. 😒

[@tford1601]

I had never noticed these before! From now on I’ll be on the lookout.

[@SHO1989]

My dad had a 1971 Kingswood Estate with the 400ci V8 and that thing was HUGE! My main take aways when I started driving it when I turned 16 were the AC was very strong and ice cold and the power steering was very well assisted where one could drive and turn it with their index finger only . And boy did it float. Rode very well but it was not a great handling machine around corners. I was very happy when he bought a Datsun 260z to replace it and often left it to me to drive to school when he had to drive his work car pool in the wagon . I was a very lucky 16 year old😁

[@bennetfox]

Grandparents had a 1976 Buick Grand Estate wagon and I was always so fascinated with how that glass would get sucked up into the roof and the tailgate would get swallowed up by the car!!!

[@gerardcousineau3478]

American cars were the way to go, between 45 and 73 this station proves it. Simple reliable and beautiful. 👍

[@brians9508]

simple - yes. beautiful - yes. reliable - not so much

[@hiitsstillme]

We never thought much about wagons back in the day, but now we appreciate them, possibly because of their absence. Thanks for the review, Adam!

[@Next_Cruise_Please]

The clamshell was an innovative feature that is still recognizable at the car shows.

[@larryclark6113]

My parents had a '72 Kingswood. It was the fanciest car to date for our family. First car with A/C. It did have the manual tailgate, crank windows, manual locks, and all the other goodies that a standard full size Chevrolet had at the time. Loved that car. My Dad did minor customizing on occasion. The Kingswood got crossed flag emblems installed on each front fender. We did frequent the junkyard for this and that, and he liked those. We didn't have it long, I loved it just the same.

[@mickeydogtubemickeydogtube6856]

Always loved the 1967/68 and 1971/72 Impala/Caprice models. Particularly the 4 door hardtop and station wagons. Sure miss the days when new model years were different each year. September roll outs were always part of the years look forward to events, including new TV shows too.

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

You're right, I couldn't wait for September to roll around to see what the usually totally new cars looked like! There was a 'carnival like' atmosphere at the dealerships with ballons everywhere and most of them also having refreshments and drawings for prizes and packed with fellow 'gawkers' - add to that the new TV shows debuting also in September, it was truly a great time to be alive in this country!

[@selkiemaine]

My first car - oh I miss it to this day. I had the 454 and the towing package. That car was downright quick for its time. White - no wood - blue interior. Full electric tailgate. We called it "Moby Car". We had it in my family for 14 years, and I know the next owner kept it at least a year. What a workhorse! You DID have to baby that tailgate though - after the first few years, if it broke, nobody was willing to fix it. All the glass leaked, by the end, too. LOL There was a compartment under the floor, about where a 3rd row seat would be - the last couple of years I had the car, that was full of ice mid winter. Honestly, if I had the budget, and if I could find one, I'd have it back in a heartbeat. 7mpg city, 12 highway and all. I suspect they're awfully hard to find, though. That electric tailgate just sent 'em to the scrapyard when it wore out.

[@Primus54]

The downside of those clamshell wagons would be negated today through remote, key fob operated window and tailgate. And you are correct… many a camper and boat trailer were hauled by wagons back then.

[@shiftfocus1]

These have always struck me as an answer to a question nobody was asking. Complication for its own sake. And the fact that GM bailed on these with the 77 redesign, and for a straight copy of the double-acting door-gate, suggests they came to a similar conclusion.

[@sheehy933]

I had one of these when my kids were still very young. It was a great wagon for family outings. My wife drove it more than I did and she loved it.

[@johnsullivan4858]

My father had a new one of these every year from '72- '76. They were beautiful and we loved them.

[@steves9905]

Love the clamshells. Great technology and style. Along with these fullsize wagons, GM also hit a home run at the same time with the full size scissor top convertibles. Would live to see a clamshell and a scissor top together in my garage.

[@misterwhipple2870]

God help you if the damned thing ever broke, and a broken rear window was raaaaaaaaaaather expensive to replace.

[@illbebad]

@@misterwhipple2870 truth! We had a 1973 Caprice convertible, and it broke (not the window thank God) this was in the 80s, lucky to find a place that could fix it, but had to drive 20 miles with the top half up!

[@charlesb7019]

Our neighbors had the Oldsmobile version - the Custom Cruiser. Bright orange metallic with the wood grain. It was an amazing car. The thing I remember most, aside from the looks, was riding it the back listening to the gasoline sloshing around in the tank. 🤣😂.

[@Roosterbate44]

I remember my dad buying this wagon for my mom. Great memories 😊

[@alanstrong55]

Those were good wagons. Rode smoothly. Took families where they needed to be. RIP.

[@MrOnemanop]

Love hearing about the wagons! As much as muscle cars dominate popular media, wagons hold a special place in many of our hearts. Thanks for being special Adam. Clearly by the number of views you gather, you're appreciated for what you do.

[@bsquared4604]

There were also issues with the power ones breaking and getting stuck. My parents bought a 73 impala wagon with the non power tailgate. It was so unique, she spent a lot of time demo-ing it to the neighbors.

[@roger628]

Some people in my neighborhood had a Pontiac with the power gate. At about 9 years old, it broke, and it sat parked in their driveway for years with about a ten inch gap between the gate and the glass.

[@edwardpate6128]

Great video Adam on one of my favorite GM models! My dad had two different Clamshell wagons, a 1971 Pontiac Safari with a 400 engine and a 1973 Grand Safari with a 455, both of them company cars. He loved those Pontiac wagons and had many of them the last being a 1986 Pontiac Parisienne.

[@machpodfan]

In middle school we carpooled with a '71 Buick Estate wagon clamshell vs. a '72 Country Sedan. The Ford was obviously less complex to deploy that rear entrance, but the Buick had the edge for sheer fascination! I loved watching the door and window power down and up, very James Bond, I thought as a 13-year-old.❤❤❤

[@flashg67]

I had a 1973 Impala wagon from 1999-2004. It was maroon with a black interior.

[@billblake4029]

Adam, I am seriously trying to imagine how cool Pontiac's version had to be ? Especially without the woodgrain on the outside. Thank you for all of your time and efforts Adam. I know I am not the only one who truly appreciates it.

[@420031]

My parents had a 72 Pontiac Laurentian Wagon (Canadian and no wood). I’d love to find one, it looked great.....loved the Buick as well.

[@SeaTravelr123]

I had a 74 Grand Safari with no wood, it was really very cool.. wish i had that storage nowadays.. you could put plywood and sheetrock in them with out a problem..

[@gbriank1]

k don't think he responds here, but does read the comments.

[@yossarian6799]

@@SeaTravelr123 and on one particular occassion, we squeezed 13 cub scouts and two nerve-rattled den mothers in one.

[@knytrydr73]

Everything GM made, Pontiac made better.

[@rodneybyrd9516]

We had a '71 Kingswood (louvers) with no woodgrain. 402 big block with the clamshell rear! My Daddy (RIP) was a woodworker, and he loved that loading deck, holding a whole sheet of plywood with ease. We sold the car around 1980 and had big Buick and Chrysler sedans after that and in the late 90s, they switched to Chrysler minivans.

[@rightlanehog3151]

I remember our 73 Caprice wagon getting loaded with lumber as well. Nowadays most pickups can't carry a full sheet of plywood with their tailgates closed.

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

A stellar review of an absolutely stellar design. My all-time favorite design of the Big Three full size wagons. Besides the clamshell gate and enormous cargo capacity, these family haulers featured an optional forward facing third row seat, leaving a generous cargo area behind the third seat when in the up position. In addition, a large under floor hidden storage area existed behind the third seat whose size would embarrass many compact car's trunks. Of note also was the fact that these wagons were supported in the rear by leaf, rather than coil, springs. In 1971 I married into a strong, steadfast Chevy family. I admit, I found many Chevys of the 1970s attractive so took special note of what was availabke at the local bow tie showroom. While having my wife's (our) 1970 Malibu coupe in for service during the sumner of 1973, I took special note of a burgandy Impala wagon on the showroom floor. What an absolutely gorgeous vehicle! Equipped the way I wanted. But, alas, it did not come home with us. The following January, in the midst of the first"oil crisis", we decided to trade our 1970 Malibu. I was anxious as it was rather trouble prone and quite frankly I disliked its looks. Large vehicles were practically being given away in the St. Louis area, so we went shopping. Fell in love with a new '74 Bel Air wagon, but it was too long for our garage so we passed (boy was the salesman pissed). We ended up buying a left over loaded '73 Gran Torino wagon. UGLY car in vomit green, but the price couldn't be beat. Quality wise it wasn't any better than the Malibu had been. Fast forward to 1982. New wife. New city. Wife has a cafeteria business and we need a wagon to assist in said business. I find a 1976 Pontiac Bonbeville Grand Safari wagon. Absolutely loaded, including the third seat and power clamshell. I can assure you it was a vehicle that surpassed even the loftiest of expectations. Never failed us. Absolutely zero clamshell issues. Wonderful to drive. Stylish. Comfortable. Endless capacity when the seat were down. And the sound it made when you floored it will never be duplicated by any electric car! The clamshell was a clever and stylish design. To me, it remains one of GM's "better ideas".

[@greensocks4507]

The '72 Mercury Marquis wagon would be my choice. Thanks for posting.

[@spacrazie]

I remember a nurse at my Jr. High school back in 1972 has a Kingswood Estate wagon and I thought it was so cool to watch her raise the rear window and drop the tailgate. Modern technology for the early '70s. Oh and she had an interesting name for a nurse.....Mrs. Butcher 😆. That went over well with young teens.

[@dannyg6592]

My best pal's dad had a '71 w/454 and power tailgate. I recall it was huge, fast and the tailgate was a thing of wonder! This may have been peak GM wagon tech. Thanks for the memories.

[@jheller5973]

Family ordered a fully loaded 1971 Kingswood Estate Wagon. Broke it in with a cross country trip from TN to California. It had power windows, tailgate, seats, and whoa - that big 400 - always roared to life. Had the third row seat also. Mom dad and 3 kids - we all loved it.

[@maxr4448]

The town I grew up in, all the teenagers and 20 year olds hung around the local Burger joint on Friday nights. One of the guys with a hotrod'65 Chevelle. He bought a new '73 Chevy Belair wagon with a 454 4-v. It was yellow. He rodded it as well. Had black stripes put down the middle of the hood and roof and tail gate. He kept the POV hub caps. Removed the 454 emblems for 400. Added a hotter cam, daul exhausts, retimed the ignition, and changed out the stock carb and intake. Car surprised many of us. He painted in script on the lower corner of the Clam shell. "Heavy Duty". He was a big guy, 300+lbs. Probably 6' or 4'. Everyone called him Heavy Duty. Or just Heavy for short. Those were the good days. Chevy Belair wagon with a 454-4V. He hot rodded it up as well.

[@mknucarman]

The Kingswood estate is my favorite wagon I would love to find one

[@edwardpate6128]

I am a Pontiac Grand Safari man myself but they are all great.

[@MUUKOW3]

Just saw one dropped at a local shop looked like a barn find and in great shape and I believe with 454. I have to get back that way and check on it.

[@randyfitz8310]

The finest of the big six to nine passenger wagons from 1971 through 1976. I really enjoyed these though I never owned one. My uncle had a Pontiac as did my in-laws. A friend drove a carpool in either two of them (such that he always had one to drive).

[@paulparoma]

Those clam shells were a brilliant design.

[@christopherhylton8462]

That took me back. Growing up in the 70's, the neighbors across the street from me owned one of these wagons. It was a dark green in color. I can remember me a my friends playing in the back of that thing. Gotta to remember, back then a lot of people didn't lock their cars and the neighbors didn't mind us kids playing in them.

[@ClassicChrome86]

My uncle used to have a '74 Kingswood. I remember riding in the back of it as a kid. I used to see these all over the place as a kid. As an adult, I don't even see them at shows which seems kind of odd to me. Thanks for posting.

[@WhiteTrashMotorsports]

The reason they seem to have disappeared is unfortunately most of them were destroyed in demolition derbies

[@lawrencefearon6830]

My Dad bought a new '73 Impala Station Wagon. Had it for 25 years. As durable as a truck and built like it. Manual Clamshell hatch never failed but we did replace the motor. Blue on blue no woodgrain with 2bbl 350ci 250hp [advertised] engine. That really wasn't enough and the 454 would be ideal on the interstates with the weight. Tough. Tough. Tough.

[@RadioReprised]

We had a '69 Kingswood Estate in this same color combo and a 350 4 Barrel/400 it went almost 200K with no issue other than eating U-joints every 50K! Best Drive in Movie Car ever!

[@stevebyrne4235]

The one we drove didnt mature well as road salt played havoc with the lower mechanism, but the pre-'73 units were very attractive and the SBC 400 CI engine was a delight

[@bobcoats2708]

One neighbor had a Buick clamshell wagon. We carpool kids always had fun clambering into the back and pinballing around in the massive cargo area on the way to school. Then, of course, we’d all jump into the back of one of the other mom’s Datsun pickup for rides home. Unthinkable now, but somehow we survived. Those were the days….

[@tombrown1898]

In summer, 1971, some of our cousins came for a short visit. My aunt and uncle had just gotten a Kingswood clamshell wagon. It was the biggest car anyone had ever seen! My cousin David still refers to it as "The Family Truckster."

[@mistert7958]

They were designed to carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood inside, just like the first mini-vans were. Sometimes just one sheet, with the front seat all the way forward, though... but, still got bragging rights.

[@19chucki74]

Out of all of these, I remember my grandpa putting all of us grandkids into the back of his 1973 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, with the famous clamshell tailgate. It has the rear facing third row seats, and we had so much fun riding in it, back in late 70s early 80s. One of the cars of my childhood.

[@rogerchang8024]

My parents bought new a 1971 Kingswood wagon. As I recall, there was a GM strike early that year that delayed delivery of their vehicle. They had special ordered it... gold exterior with green interior. Boy, that was so 70s! I was 18 at the time and was able to drive it quite frequently before my Mom totaled the car in a parking garage accident some years later. Ours was the manual tailgate, however it did not have the tabs around the keyhole. There was only the keyhole. You would simply use the key to raise and lower the window, and then turn the key further to manually lower the tailgate. Also, the tailgate mechanism below the load floor rattled, and I would stuff some rags down there to quiet it down. The 8-track tape player (optional) always had problems and required my Dad to make repeated trips to the radio shop referred by the dealer to try and get it fixed. There was some water leakage around the curved side window at the rear, requiring some DIY repair with caulking. The car was otherwise very reliable, and drew alot of comments about its looks, size, and sleekness. I remember comments such as "...is that a Cadillac?" Lots of fond memories in that car, including listening to Carole King's hit "It's Too Late" while cruising around town.

[@MNBluestater]

Dad had a ‘72 Grand Safari, in “Springfield Green”-I remember that tailgate-no power and it really was a monster to lift and latch. (The rear window of course was power). No wood applique but, in true Pontiac fashion, that 8-passenger beast could move. Mom yelled at me once from the passenger seat for not slowing down for an exit ramp. Great for hauling anything including sheetrock, which fit perfectly.

[@mikyl-fo8rh]

I miss station wagons, El caminos, rancheros and even the rampage.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, It has taken about a thousand videos but I can finally say I have owned a car you have not - a GM 'Clamshell' Wagon. In our case it was a 1973 Caprice Estate. Good luck in your search for one. 😁🤞🤞

[@mzaccagnini7179]

Those were the best wagons. We had a 76 Caprice wagon with the 400.😊😊

[@adamsneidelmann8976]

The olds custom cruiser had the premier styling in the clamshells. Especially’76. Been looking for one for years. Would love to snatch one up.

[@silvermikeGA]

The problem with the clamshell is that any dirt or damage would leave the tailgate stuck down and it was very difficult to get them unstuck! The glass also had a habit of shattering but I cannot remember the reason.

[@denniss5505]

My family had the ‘73 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser clamshell wagon, w/out wood grain. It was a big comfortable nine passenger forward facing three row seater with power everything. I remember it being a great car but the 454 engine got about 8-10MPG. We took this car throughout the states towing a Holiday Rambler travel trailer during family vacations. Great times before one needed a truck based product for towing. You’re right about the downsides of the clamshell, not only snow and rain getting in the car, but the power lift on the tailgate would often need a push to help it up as it got older.

[@user-ch7kg1ty2v]

Adam, as usual, enjoyed your presentation. Growing up in the 1970's, my parents had the Buick version. Big, brown, a 455 (I think). We nicknamed it the brown turd. My parents always had American but it was a big deal when my father finally got rid of his Electra 225 2-door and got a 300D. Then a big deal when my mother got a 1977 Seville. You are so right -- a great, great driving car. I think a definite future classic. It looks stunning. (I think "square" cars will continue to go up in value). As you also comment, sadly Gm's quality was no good. One night my mother broke down on a major freeway incline. That Seville was gone replaced by the extremely reliable 300D Turbo. Wow, did GM blow out. And I'm Saab fan . . . so don't get me started on that subject . . . . I know a long comment. But I just really enjoy your videos. I subscribe. Thank you! Peter

[@robertharris7027]

Never experienced a clamshell but what I saw in this video is mouthwatering. What a nice wagon...

[@MillerMeteor74]

7:05 Back in the early to mid 80s I had a `72 Buick Skylark that had the shoulder belts stowed above the doors, and they hooked into the lap belt latch the same way shown here. In 1972 my parents bought their second new station wagon, which was a red Chrysler Town and Country 3-seater. 3 years later they bought another new Chrysler Town and Country 3-seater. That had 50/50 split from bench seat, power windows, and air conditioning. Meanwhile my uncle had a Buick Estate Wagon clamshell. But in those days the clamshell wagons were everywhere on the roads of America. I'd love to have one today. But I'd also love to have a Town & Country like the one we had back in the day.

[@bradparris99]

Back in the mid 70s I had a friend that had a 72 Impala coupe with that lap and shoulder belt set up. I always thought it was awkward to use. I had a 1970 Buick Electra that had separate buckles for the lap and shoulder belts which was really easier to buckle up. I was that odd kid that buckled up both belts when I drove back then. Hardly anyone wore the shoulder belts.

[@MillerMeteor74]

@@bradparris99 I never wore the shoulder belt in that car. My parents had that car before me, and they never did either. I think I took it down and hooked it up once, and that was all.

[@bradparris99]

​@@MillerMeteor74Those belts were awkward and very confining and most like you tried them once and that was it.

[@tomm7505]

I was a car nut as a kid and when the clamshell wagons came out in 1971 (I was 12 years old), I thought they were SOOOOO cool. Thanks for this video.😉

[@motomuso]

My dad got one of these to pull our travel trailer/pop-up tent trailer. It was dark blue with no "wood". One of the first I got to drive as a teen.

[@hurstbear]

When I was a kid, we had a kings wood estate however ours had the full power tailgate. It was this same color combo as well. Thanks for the memories.

[@sargefreedom1578]

We had a 9 passenger Kingswood in the mid 70’s. It was a really nice car

[@AyeCarumba221]

Somebody told me to the other day that wagons are making a comeback. I could dig that. I’ve always liked them.

[@silicon212]

We had a 1972 Impala Custom coupe growing up. Now, I was only 3 years old at the time, but I can recall the night my grandparents drove it home from the Rudolph Chevrolet lot here in Phoenix. That memory is still fresh in my mind, 51 years later. It was dark blue metallic with a white roof. 350 2bbl/L65 with TH350 transmission. Edit: The 400 ... that was only in 1971. In 1972, the big block was called the 402 in order to differentiate it from the small block 400.

[@Tk-ou9ec]

Fascinating. We had a Holden kingswood wagon and sedan here in Australia in the 70’s

[@dsteele27]

I bought one of these new in 1972. It was a great car. The optional power tailgate did break down twice, but other than that, only normal maintenance was every required on it. My only real complaint was that if it was raining and i wanted to put something in back, things did tend to get a bit wet back there, thanks to the steep tumblehome of the rear window.

[@dsteele27]

The seat belt buckles changed mid-'72. I bought mine in the fall of '71, actually, and it came with the older dual buckle seat and shoulder belt system.

[@overshoe6361]

I love these too, from a design standpoint, and would love to have one. As I l remember when they were on the road, the problems were rust in the rear quarters and tailgate well as well as failure of the glass motor, usually with the window partially open.

[@petek6522]

Something I just learned, thanks, I've always been a wagon fan

[@TaylorZ2]

That clamshell set up must've taken a lot of engineering and components to make it work! I think it's awesome.

[@bobhenry6159]

Not really. A rack hinged at the tailgate and a pinion gear on an electric motor would do the trick.

[@Johnnycdrums]

Competition is a beautiful thing. Imagine if the government were designing tailgates.

[@olddisneylandtickets]

I had a 76 Buick Estate Wagon, she was well used but the full power clamshell still worked perfectly, its engineered better than I thought.

[@foord09]

Love these wagons.

[@cjdesign5700]

@ Ironic things in this great video...I had a 72 Kingswood (lt Yellow) when I was living in Fairfax Va...AND my Dad bought a 71 Kamback Vega at Jim Mckay Chevrolet which was in Fairfax Va, and that is where your feature Wagon was sold!

[@desertmodern7638]

I had both Impala and Caprice Estate versions of the clamshell, both with the power Glide-Away tailgate, and they functioned flawlessly. They were fantastic wagons.

[@lanemcreynolds9894]

Thank you , Adam this wagon has a special place in my,y heart and love of GM cars. My grandparents had one exactly like this the kingswood with the 454 he loved it and drove it fast too.. my brother and I spent many a mile riding in the back seat and rear cargo area when traveling with them. My grandfather also had a boat and he used this wagon to take us fishing too1

[@ScanMan]

Our family had a 1969 Kings-wood Estate! with the hidden headlights option,.

[@andyk6796]

The GM clamshells were my favorite wagons growing up. My family owned a '74 Custom Cruiser with a power tailgate and 455 V8. Recently learned that the rear glass was designed to bend in order to fit into the roof when retracting.

[@desertmodern7638]

The rear glass did not bend, but it did articulate downward at the top for clearance.

[@dave1956]

I worked in the car business back when these were around. They must have been fairly well engineered as I don’t recall seeing one of them with a tailgate or a window problem. They were great in a demolition derby too. The back end was tough as nails.

[@elwin38]

When i was a kid in the(early)70's, i used to see a lot of these station wagons on the streets.

[@Shockedbywater]

As a 18-19 year old in 1982 I owned one of these in blue. I got it well used but still very drivable. It was a beast! I took that car so deep into the woods for weekend parties but it just kept trucking. Those bumpers would clear heavy brush and small trees out of the way with ease. I can also say that the roof could hold quite a few dancing drunks. Eventually I drove it to the junkyard, broken rear leaf springs welded and patched up, entire front suspension so worn that I expected a tie rod or ball joint to break and the trans was going. But it did make the final drive on its own!

[@joescambait]

my dad had a 74 Buick Estate Wagon it was awesome

[@pott213]

We had a 1974 Caprice Classic Estate Station Wagon, it was blue on blue and it had power everything. Ahhh... the memories.

[@philhamilton8731]

Dad bought a new '74 Impala wagon to haul me and my six siblings around. It had the third seat in the back and the second row passenger seat was split 70/30 to allow people to get back to the rearmost seat. Dad treated that thing like a pickup, and would fold all the seats down to haul all manner of things. I can still hear the sound of the manual tailgate dropping and the whine of the motor on the rear window. Dad loved to floor the accelerator to hear the secondaries kick in on the 4bbl carb. Great memories. Great car. It was 10 years old with over 100k on the odometer when they traded it in, with hardly any rust and it still ran great.

[@lvsqcsl]

One thing you forgot to mention, these wagons did NOT have the same rear suspension as the sedans. They had leaf springs in the rear as opposed to coils in the sedans. While the sedans were indeed on the shorter wheelbase the wagons had considerable room because they didn't have all that suspension in back. That also enabled them to have a front-facing third-row seat. We had a 1974 Impala wagon that didn't have the wood. I remember sitting in the middle of the third-row seat and realizing the floorpan curved over the rear differential directly under me. We had to overhaul the engine and it did indeed have a 400 c.i.d smallblock. IIRC I think the small block and the big block 400 officially had different displacements. Seems like one was a 402? That was the WORST car we ever had. That rear window leaked and it would run all over the inside back of the car. The dashboard cracked. It was terrible. GREAT VIDEO!

[@61rampy65]

Glad I read the comments first, as I was going to post about the leaf spring suspension. One other reason for the leaf springs was that these wagons were HEAVY, pretty close to 5000lb. If you ever look closely at those leaf springs, you would see that they look like they came off of a light duty truck, with something like 6 leaves.

[@lvsqcsl]

@@61rampy65 I don't know if it were 6 leaves, but it was a bunch!

[@user-wz1qo1cn3i]

We had a 1974 Kingswood Estate with the clamshell and the seat belt buzzers and even as a tween I HATED IT! One cold day the buzzer went off all the time and Dad was hard of hearing so he just drove the wagon to work all the time, the buzzing the whole time. One of those leaf springs broke and he drove it to Midas to have it fixed and the broken leaf dug into and destroyed the tire on the way there. After about a year it leaked and smelled. Finally after 5 years they traded in on an Impala Sedan. No more wagons after that.

[@lvsqcsl]

@@user-wz1qo1cn3iYes, and that '74 model had a seatbelt interlock that prevented the engine from starting unless the seatbelts were fastened. Don't ask me how I know that.

[@Chitwn81]

Dope as always Adam!!! Wagons I'd assume would have totally been a soccer mom's or family car back then but man how cool one of those behemoths would be in today's market. Buick was the last American automaker to make a wagon sort of with the Regal Sportback from a few years ago. Cadillac had the awesome CTS wagon and Dodge briefly had the awesome SRT based Magnum....which they never should have discontinued.

[@marklizza2392]

My folks owned the 1972 Buick Estate wagon in that brownish gold color with the woody side and the clam shell back. We also had a rear facing third seat and used it! Six of us kids and mom and dad filled it up! Great fun car for our big family!!

[@volktales7005]

A friend's Dad had a tired old '72 Pontiac Laurentian back in the mid '80's. We spent a lot of time goofing around in that car as teens and it took all the abuse in stride. Four wheel drifts in the snow in the Canadian Tire parking lot were epic!

[@califdad4]

These GM clam shell wagons are very solid and everyone else very safe inside. They are the newer favorite of demolition derby people because they are almost as good as a old imperial

[@InternetDude]

I have an AMC Eagle wagon with woodgrain, I love wagons.

[@joemassucco4369]

I own a 1972 Kingswood Estate wagon with a 454 - Cranberry Red and I am the second owner. I saved this car from going to the Demolition Derby in Kansas. It’s a joy to drive and very similar to my Moms 1971 Ford Country Squire.

[@votingcitizen]

I remember many nights sleeping in the back of our family wagons. And playing cards on rainy days while the adults were commuing inside.

[@mymomsaysimcool9650]

I wish Wagons/estates would make a comeback. It’s all about SUVs and 4 door trucks. Remember variety? Those were good times.

[@budp9844]

My memory of these was of an Olds clamshell wagon, owned by my buddy's parents. During a hockey tournament one of our hockey sticks was snapped in two by that power window/tailgate!

[@tedlym.3390]

Rare Classic Cars & Automotive History is the best automotive information presentation in North America. Thank you,

[@Ole-Red]

I had a 1972 Caprice 2 dr hardtop. Wish I still had it. My dad had a 1973 Impala wagon. Power tail gate.

[@rickyassine3074]

Good ole Jim McKay Chevrolet. Grew up down the street from it. Went to college in Fairfax. My dad retired from Chevrolet after thirty years starting in 1964. With five kids in the family he always drove a station wagon for a demo. We always fought for the rear facing seat. Some well known dealers in the Fairfax area he worked for were, Wissinger, Bob Peck, JKJ Chevrolet. Great video, thanks!

[@donmoore7785]

I like the clamshell design. I am a wagon guy - owned wagons since 1998.

[@ozymandias9797]

When I was in grade school, we lived next door to Mrs. Whitely, the widow of the local Chevrolet dealer in Corydon, Iowa. Marshall Whitely Chevrolet was run by her son in law. Every year he would drive a loaded new Kingswood Estate. In 75 he had a beautiful red one that had a custom horn which played the Dinah Shore See the USA song. As an 8 year old car nut, I was very impressed.

[@patricklanigan]

I love the clamshell wagons! We had a 1976 Buick Estate Wagon when I was young, it was the first new car that my dad had during my lifetime. I loved that car, it was maroon with the woodgrain, tan vinyl interior, and had the Buick sport wheels. It was equipped with the last of the Buick 455 with the 4 barrel carb and the Turbohydromatic 400 transmission. Sadly we sold it in 1986. A few years later, when i had my drivers license I tried tracking it down to no avail. Many of those majestic clamshells met their end in demolition derbies and were damn near indestructible, so much so some organizers banned them from competition. I have been on the lookout for one now going on 34 years.

[@paulbourgeois4491]

My folks bought a 71 Kingswood Estate Chevy wagon in 71, new, it was a fantastic car for Mom, Pa, and us 3 boys. It either had a 396 BB, or it might have been the 400 SB, which was a great engine in its own right! Car was so long, we titled it in 2 contiguous counties!😂 What a great car to grow up in in the early 70s!

[@eddstarr2185]

I'm with you, Adam, the 1972 Big Chevrolet was a handsome beast. When the press release photos of the all new 1971 Chevrolet went public - it caused a sensation. The '71 Chevys had a new face that looked, to many people, like a Cadillac, especially the top line Caprice. All the buzz created by the '71 front design matched beautifully with that year's advertising jingle: "Chevrolet Caprice - Looks and Rides like Twice the Price". The beautiful '71 Chevy never caught up with the awesome '71 Ford LTD Brougham. Ford ran away in sales, and never looked back!

[@jimmacmurdo355]

I owned a '75 Pontiac Grand Safari. One of the best vehicles I ever had. Had every option available except a rear defroster and cornering lamps. The 455 motor was exceptional, tons of power. The power tailgate worked perfectly. Had the rear auto level control which also worked well. Wish I could buy another one.

[@michaelpfaff6009]

That tailgate was an ingenious idea. I would love to have owned one!

[@RaoulStankovitch]

Had 1, called it "The White Whale". Rusted out by 35,000 miles. Always enjoyed listening to the accumulated water sloshing around inside the body panels....

[@kcindc5539]

My uncle bought his growing family of six a banana-yellow 1973 Impala wagon with the dual-power clamshell tailgate, folding third row seat, and 400 V-8. Even without A/C (they were from Syracuse) the sticker easily hit $5000. Big Banana was a total tank, utterly indestructible, and a ton of fun for us kids to roll around the way-back on road trips. That same week, they came to visit us in CT, and my hard drinking hard driving father commandeered Uncle’s brand-new Banana straight into Manhattan with 9 of us on board to go see the circus. The way Dad flung that beast in midtown traffic… I could see the look on my uncles face as his $5000 investment was about to meet its maker…. The car survived. Dad was never allowed to drive it again.

[@Paul1958R]

Did he drink and drive?

[@kcindc5539]

@@Paul1958R people didn’t call it drinking and driving back then. In fact, such behavior went largely unacknowledged. It was a very different time indeed.

[@Paul1958R]

Tell me about it - I lived 'back then'. When I was a kid an adult would use me as a prop so that when we went out and he got stopped the drink ended up under my coat. To this day it hurts.@@kcindc5539