In 1974, when station wagons roamed the roads and the SUV boom was still a distant rumble, car designer Harry Bradley penned a thought-provoking essay. He dared to criticize the American station wagon’s trajectory, arguing that it had strayed from its practical roots in favor of style over substance. But more intriguing was his prediction for a new breed of vehicle, one that bore a striking resemblance to the SUVs and minivans that would later dominate the automotive landscape. Was Bradley a visionary, or were his ideas simply ahead of their time?
The Decline of the Practical Wagon
Bradley lamented the demise of the practical wagon, pointing to models like the 1953 Chevrolet with their tall, boxy greenhouses as examples of spacious and functional design. He contrasted this with the 1960 Ford, a car he believed marked the beginning of the end for truly useful wagons. According to Bradley, Ford was “largely responsible” for prioritizing “useless bulk, flamboyance, gimmicks and texture” over practicality.
Spacious and practical, the 1953 Chevrolet wagon is cited by automotive experts as an example of functional design.
The 1960 Ford wagon, while stylish, marked a departure from the practicality of earlier models, according to some automotive historians.
He argued that by the 1960s and 1970s, both large and small American wagons had become hampered by their low-slung sedan bodies. Features like “severe tumblehome, extreme body pull under at the rocker panels, deep foot wells, pronounced wheel wells, and high driveshaft tunnels” had turned once-roomy vehicles into shadows of their former selves.
The Problem with Existing Alternatives
At the time, the main alternatives to sedan-based wagons were clunky, truck-based vehicles like vans and early SUVs. These suffered from a variety of drawbacks, including:
- Difficult entry and exit: Their truck-like design often meant clambering up into the cabin.
- Commercial styling: Aesthetics took a backseat to utility, leaving these vehicles looking more at home on a worksite than in a suburban driveway.
- Rough ride and handling: Built for durability rather than comfort, these vehicles lacked the refinement of their car-based counterparts.
- Poor fuel economy: With aerodynamics akin to a brick, these vehicles guzzled gas at an alarming rate.
A Radical Proposal: A Dedicated Wagon Division
Bradley’s solution was radical: General Motors, he argued, should create an entirely new division dedicated solely to designing and manufacturing wagons. This division would be tasked with crafting a range of wagons that prioritized space and versatility above all else. These wouldn’t be mere afterthoughts based on existing sedan platforms. Instead, they would be purpose-built from the ground up with unique designs tailored to maximize interior volume and functionality.
By the 1970s, the American station wagon market had expanded, but practicality had taken a backseat to style, according to some automotive historians.
This new division, Bradley envisioned, would supply wagons to other GM brands, each differentiated with unique styling cues. However, this idea of badge engineering, while seemingly efficient, ultimately proved less effective in the long run. GM’s own experience with its “U-body” minivans, offered in Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile versions, highlighted the limitations of this approach. A single, well-defined brand likely would have been more cost-effective and less confusing for consumers.
The Seeds of the SUV Revolution
Perhaps most striking was Bradley’s vision for the design language of these new wagons. He envisioned tall, boxy vehicles with short hoods and front-wheel drive—features that would become hallmarks of the minivan and SUV segments. He even proposed the use of small, tandem rear wheels to maximize cargo space, a concept that, while not yet mainstream, speaks to his forward-thinking approach.
A Missed Opportunity?
While Bradley focused on GM, it was arguably American Motors that was best positioned to capitalize on his ideas. AMC, despite its size, had a history of innovation. Imagine a world where AMC, instead of chasing fleeting trends with sporty coupes, had poured its energy into a line of boxy, space-efficient wagons. These could have been offered with a variety of configurations: four-wheel drive for adventurous types, long-wheelbase models with third-row seating for larger families. Such vehicles could have pre-empted the car-based SUV craze by decades.
The Legacy of a Visionary
In the end, it was Chrysler, not GM or AMC, that would usher in the minivan revolution with its 1984 Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. And it was Jeep, under the stewardship of AMC and later Chrysler, that would demonstrate the enduring appeal of the boxy, off-road capable SUV with its Cherokee and Wagoneer models.
The 1984 Jeep Wagoneer, a pioneer in blending off-road capability with passenger car comfort.
The 1984 Dodge Caravan, credited with popularizing the minivan segment.
History, as they say, is written by the victors. While Bradley’s vision of a dedicated wagon division never materialized, his insights into the shifting preferences of the American car buyer were remarkably prescient. He recognized the public’s desire for vehicles that prioritized space, versatility, and practicality—qualities that would eventually define the SUV revolution.
