The Best Seat

Was the back seat. Remember?

Look at this beauty…

The most modern and family-friendly car circa 1975 (Favcars)

If you were lucky enough to have a friend whose family had a station wagon, you’ll understand the title of this post. Better yet, if your own family’s vehicle sported faux wood paneling and was the envy of all of your friends who had to settle for riding in their parents’ Ford Pinto, you get it.

The Station Wagon, circa 1975, was the pinnacle of good times. At least from the perspective of the kids who were lucky enough to ride seatbelt-free the back.

The original SUV, decades ahead of its time, it sported space and style that made it the must-have vehicle for modern families.

Regarding the best seat - or seats - the wide-open berth at the rear of the car was coveted by any kid fortunate enough to get there first. Unlike later, more sleek models of cars that would become the norm decades later, the tailgate - through the back entrance - was the only way in.

Seatbelts were only occasionally used by the stuffier, older occupants of the vehicle, usually in the less desirable seats near the front. Like the mullet, it was “business up front, party in the back!” always, all the time.

And the party in the back was non-stop.

Good times, right?

Imagine the freedom of riding unencumbered down a busy highway, subject to every bump, sudden stop and jolt caused by the driver who was way up front. Even more thrilling was the ability to actually sleep in this back area, full childhood bodies lying prone inside a sleeping bag or blanket. It was one of the selling points of the car: the fact that road trips that involved middle-of-the-night driving were not impeded by having to stop to check into a motel for zzzs.

For daytime driving, the fun didn’t end, either.

You must remember that kids of this era didn’t have their heads buried in their iPads or phones, nor did they have the latest noise-reducing earbuds or headphones to drown out forced conversations with parents during a family drive or road trip. Imagine: nothing to do but enjoy the ride, bumpy or otherwise. Further, imagine if you will, the freedom of not being strapped in, forced to remain stationary in a moving vehicle - a juxtaposition in and of itself. The thought of a road trip did not elicit groans and complaints from kids of this era. Let the good times roll!

Now, look at this beauty!

The minivan ≠ the station wagon. Ever.

So here we are in the 21st century, all tech-savvy and stuff. We don’t have time for archaic devices, whether they’re hand-held or otherwise. Heck - if the vehicles we choose to drive don’t have the most up-to-date bells and whistles, fuggedaboudit.

Not surprisingly, the demise of the station wagon came at a time when a burgeoning new kid on the block - the minivan - made its debut.

It was bigger, better and shinier than its cheap-looking, wood-panelled predecessor. With the emergence of a seemingly superior version of the beloved station wagon, it was time to put the latter out to pasture.

Yea sure, minivans are much more roomy and wearing a seatbelt in them is the law. One might say that the minivan so lovingly embraced by soccer parents and road trip enthusiasts (especially those with kids) was the vehicular version of building a better mousetrap. Yet there’s something to be said about the sheer simplicity of the beloved station wagon, panelling and all.

In time’s rearview mirror, it’s easy to bemoan the low-tech shortcomings of the wagon.

Pexels

In time’s rearview mirror, it’s easy to bemoan the low-tech shortcomings of the wagon. It was created before mass consumer expectations of digitally-powered tools for cars were a thing. But still it did the job, got us from A to B and made the trip enjoyable, nonetheless.

We may have GPS tracking, 360-degree cameras and video rearview mirrors but we don’t have the simple joy of experiencing an unencumbered and free drive, jostling about in an expansive tailgate, riding like the wind.

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