Back in the day, station wagons were the defacto family haulers of the age. Based on popular sedans, they were the opposite of today’s SUVs. While modern sport utility vehicles are tall and upright, old-school wagons, such as this 1970 Kingswood Estate, are sleek, stylish, and relatively petite in comparison.
The late ’60s and early ’70s saw a fierce battle for station wagon supremacy. The Chevy Kingswood, Ford Country Squire, and Plymouth Suburban (yes, Plymouth had a Suburban) were common sights back then. Hundreds of thousands of long-roof variants were sold, and unlike coupes or convertibles, wagons were run hard as utilitarian vehicles on the roads across America. Station wagons were daily workhorses, and the ones that didn’t get wrung out were sent to the crusher and are as rare as hens’ teeth these days. When it comes to our favorite of the Big Three full-size wagons, that’s a tough call because they’re all cool, but we’ll go with the Kingswood because it’s a friggin’ Chevrolet with good looks and Bowtie power.
The Ford LTD Country Squire sold 121,538 units and was the best-selling wagon in the US market in 1970. Second place went to the Chevrolet Kingswood and Kingswood Estate, which sold 116,332 units combined. Third place went to the Plymouth Fury Suburban, which sold 86,085 units and was the best-selling wagon of the Chrysler Corporation in 1970.
The Flagship Chevrolet Wagon
The 1970 Chevrolet Kingswood was based on the Impala and it slotted above the Bel Air-based Townsman. A Caprice-based Kingswood Estate model was positioned as the flagship Chevrolet station wagon. All Kingswood Estate wagons came with V8 engines. Multiple engine choices were available, starting with the small-block 350, up to a 454 cubic-inch big-block. The 1970 full-size Chevys were carried over 1969 models with some styling revisions. The 1969 loop front bumper and horizontal taillights were replaced with a conventional front bumper and three vertical taillights on the sedans.
300 horsepower, 350 cubic inch V8 (four-barrel)
265 horsepower, 400 cubic inch V8 (two-barrel)
330 horsepower, 400 cubic inch V8 (four-barrel)
345 horsepower, 454 cubic inch V8 (four-barrel)
Our 1970 Kingswood Estate Feature Car
This brings us to our feature car, a 1970 Kingswood Estate Wagon. This Bowtie hauler has under 70,000 miles on the clock and holds onto its original paint and oh-so-70s vinyl wood paneling. It was purchased new in January of 1970 in Kent, Washington. The first owner used the wagon for Girl Scout duty and as a commuter car of massive capacity between the two Washington state towns of Renton and Everett. The current owner of the car, Brad Lauver, from Pennsylvania, bought the car from Streetside Classics twelve years ago and has made a few upgrades to make the wagon more to his liking.
The wagon runs a stock frame with bagged suspension, tubular A-arms, and front disc brakes. That’s all well and good, but we saved the best for last. Originally equipped with a two-barrel carbed, 400 cubic-inch engine, this wagon got a heart transplant with an LS1 V8 and four-speed automatic transmission from a 2000 Camaro donor car. With around 345 horses from the LS motor, the wagon got a big boost of hustle (equal to that of the optional 454 cubic-inch engine) and a huge increase in drivability.
Making Good Great
With an adjustable air ride, the Kingswood sits just right and shows off a nice set of 16-and 17-inch American Racing Torq-Thrust rims. Station wagons were beasts of burden and the fact this Kingswood survives today in mostly original form is amazing. Station wagons with acres of vinyl wood paneling were everywhere in subdivisions across the country back in the day, and Lauver claims the Kingswood retains its original plastic-plank siding.
Lastly, while old wagons are cool, they are also stout and were built to last. The modern equivalent of this Kingswood is a Tahoe or Suburban, and a loaded version is approaching 100 grand these days. We don’t know how much the current owner paid for this wagon, but we think this 53-year-old station wagon was a GREAT bargain at its original $4,619 purchase price. Try finding one of these beauties for that price today!
Instead of buying a new SUV, buy a well-preserved old wagon, and put the down-payment money on a house instead. That’s the way to do it. Not only will you have an appreciating asset, but you’ll be greener than all your neighbors by recycling an old car! Lastly, you’ll bring some much-needed old-school cool to the local grocery store parking lot.