We at the International Station Wagon Club recently held our annual convention in Butler, PA. We had a beautiful mint green 1971 Mercury Marquis wagon (not a Colony Park) in attendance that has been in the same family since new.
In 1972 I passed my driving test in a '71 wagon that looked very much like this one. I had practiced my driving manuvers in our large back yard in my little '61 Corvair, but when the time came for the test my mother said we'd use the Merc because of the automatic. I had practiced with the 3 speed in the Corvair for more than a year, but off we went. The parking and 3 point turn worried me, but I came home with a real driver's license! I think my memory of it makes it longer that it actually was, but it WAS huge compared to anything on the road today other than a pick up. A great car, and many wonderful family vacations from Washington DC to Michigan to Montreal.
Talk to the man who drove them new, no 10 second 60mph with an automatic possibly downhill, way downhill with tail wind. 4 speed yes, was "quick" loosely speaking.
Oh yeah...from 1969-1972 my family rented a house on Sanibel Island, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, in the summer, and we would rent this very same kind of wagon in Miami and drive across the state to get there in air- conditioned, plush comfort. Still great-looking cars to me!
My '72 Country Squire wagon had same wagon rear (as all FoMoCo wagons '69-72); 429 4bbl no problems; very gutsy even when purchased as a rust bucket in '81. My first car; I still miss it.
Hi Adam, first, I’m a big fan of your channel. Second, I’m sure you know but the woodgrain can be replaced using 3M DI-NOC, which coincidentally is my business. It’s used primarily for architectural purposes now but some auto restorers buy it to make their car original. Hemmings did an article on us in 2007/08 and we got flooded with Buick Roadmaster owners as a result! Keep up the great work!
The new wood grain on that car looks great, and that's the first such replacement of that type of material that I've seen. My favourite wagon has always been the 1972 Chrysler Town & Country, but those I saw most when I was growing up were the Colony Park wagons from 1975 to 1978, with their unmistakable hub caps that had a ring of black squares around the edge. Anyway, when I was in art class in high school we used car ads from National Geographic magazine, and the one I was given to illustrate was for the Colony Park...with the exact colours shown in your video. I still have it and it's in front of me as I type this. Across the top it says... "1970 Marquis Colony Park. If Lincoln Continental made a wagon, this would be it." So true.
My mom had a 72 T&C. She got rear ended by a kid in an AMC Matador going 50-55. My mom got pretty banged up, but my dad was able to drive it home. They took it to a unibody specialist that put it in this special jig that twisted it back into place and it drove like nothing had happened. I loved that car.
@@tristanstrasse I'm Canadian, and 55 mph is very much similar to our highway speed of 100 km/hr. If you had meant 55 km/hr that would have been enough of a hit, so I can't imagine how that car was driven home! My uncle worked at a large auto repair and body shop, and he had one of those "straighteners" that you describe. It seems nowadays that even slightly damaged cars are just thrown into the scrap heap.
My Pa never drove after the war, Mom had that task, her & Dad bought a 1970 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate S\W, with a 396 4 bbl. That car would roll on at 75... Then traded it in in 1976 on a Ford Country Squire, 400 c.i. Both were terrific cars, I never thought I'd be looking for one just like either 50+ years later! A lot of great family trips in those cars, to see Auntie Irene and Uncle Walt up near Lake Superior in Wisconsin. Michigan and Connecticut were other awesome trips, I miss the 70s!!!
@@gm12551 that is something he took to the grave with him. We asked as kids, but he just said "Your mother does a fine job driving, I'll always work to make sure we have a decent car." It was just something he chose not to talk about. I don't even think my mom knew why. I've always wanted to know.
I believe this is the exact car that was featured on Barn finds for $12 or $13k like 5 years ago. The 2 reasons I remembered this car was its flawless appearance with what appeared to be "clear coated" woodgrain and that it had a pretty big tear on the seat bottom on the driver seat. I noticed the owner of this one had a towel placed on the driver seat exactly where the tear was in the car on Barn finds. It's still a nice car though.
Thank you for highlighting focus on station wagons Adam. Really appreciate it and would welcome further stories on wagons. You have a great channel and I always look forward to your channel postings!
Having logged a lot of miles behind the wheel and even those back seats of a 1972 Country Squire (dark green, highly optioned) and 429-4v, I must say it is still one of my favorite cars. My mother also kept the wood paneling on the sides and back looking nice with various shades of shoe polish, so it was a pretty sharp looking car.
Back in the mid 80’s my grandmother left me her 73 Chevy Caprice wagon, at the time I had a 88 Chevy truck and a 86 Corvette. My family loved that wagon, we drove it everywhere, the ac would freeze you out and we didn’t have to worry about someone hitting or scratching the car. It also road better than the caddy I sold when I bought my truck, it also pulled our boat with ease. We did a lot of road trips in that car and I wish I still had it.
That car is in gorgeous condition. What do these go for nowadays? We had a new Robin's Egg Blue Country Squire in 69, and at age 10 then, I thought it was the most beautiful, space age, Buck Rogers thing I'd ever seen. Had a 429 2 barrel in it. LOVED it.
@@jeffreyrogers8151 Which aren't as long, but are taller, and which *are easier to flip over due to a higher center of gravity.* SUVs also got popular thanks to car companies using SUVs to loophole through emission laws in the 90s. I miss wagons.
@@101Volts If you take all the reasons you like these older vehicles and apply that logic to newer ones, you will find a whole new appreciation for newer vehicles. I, like you, resisted the crossover/SUV movement for a very long time. Our last family hauler was a Pontiac Montana SV6 due to us being a family of 6. Michigan rust finally got the better of it after 17 years (although it still ran great!) and it was time to get another vehicle. Since I am generally a GM-only person, and GM doesn't build minivans anymore, I had to make the switch to a 7 passenger crossover. I'm so glad I did! We ended up with a Buick Enclave. It (in my opinion) has beautiful styling (especially the front end), is EXTREMELY comfortable, has more space than the Montana, is whisper quiet inside, extremely smooth, the 3.6L DOHC with the 9-speed trans is almost rocket-like, and when I'm being nice to it, it gets great fuel mileage (my record over 50 miles is 35.2 mpg). The Bose stereo is fantastic, too. To summarize, it is a modern replacement for the Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, and it's easier to get in and out of. None of that means we can't still appreciate where automobiles have been. I'm only suggesting that we don't pigeonhole ourselves into only liking things that aren't made anymore and pretending like everything new is terrible. There are some current creature comforts that are really, really nice. I'm sure when power windows started becoming common in the mid 1900s, there were a bunch of guys screaming about lazy people that didn't want to crank a window handle. All that said, if I could find a mid 1960s Pontiac or Oldsmobile 9-passenger station wagon that was within my price range, I would like to have one. My air-cooled Beetle does not accommodate my whole family at once. Lol
My family had both the Colony Park wagon (1969 & 1976) and the 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. All were fully loaded. My aunt had the 1971 Buick Estate wagon. The Mercury was the better riding of the them unless you needed to carry something heavy in the rear. Then, the G.M. wagons with their self-leveling rear suspensions gave them the definite edge. Also, with the G.M. wagons, you could drive a little faster and still be comfortable whereas the Mercury had to be driven more conservatively. We knew someone who had a 1975 Chrysler Town and Country wagon. She would bring us swimming in it. 9 people in that car and it was still pretty firm riding compared to the G.M. and Ford products. It also swayed excessively but, I think it was because she never added air in her tires.
This was the car that began my life long love affair with the big Merc's. My ex-father in law has a '71 Colony Park with the 429, dark green, green brocade interior, power everything, cruise control with the horn ring. He used it to tow the family camper and a daily driver to work. In '78 he bought a new Colony Park and sold the '71 to me (was just my girlfriend's dad at the time, not my FIL, yet) and I kept it until '81 when I traded in for a '76 Grand Marquis Brougham. Wagon was a beast! Never failed to start, would drive like a tank in the snow, and I loved every minute spent behind the wheel. The two Merc's I wish I had kept were the '71 Colony Park and the '76 Brougham. The other one's were nice, but they still have a place in my heart... along with my current daily driver I refuse to get rid of... '09 Grand Marquis LS Ultimate Park Lane.
Truly comfy. These full sized cars squealed the bias ply tires in high speed turns. You didn’t need “park assist” technology when backing out of a parking spot. Just keep going until you hear the crunch.
Usually the driver (mom) was not pushing these cars to their limits, and you knew immediately you'd better not go into a curve or turn without slowing down considerably. But then get behind the wheel of what replaced the wagons - a minivan - and whoa! You definitely felt like you could roll the top-heavy vehicle in a turn.
ahh my first car.. moms old 71 wagon.. nothing like being 16 and having 300+hp at your foot of 2+tons of land yacht with 9 of your friends blasting down the freeway at midnight doing 100+ mph
What a great wagon indeed. Just the kind of car we dreamt of having back in the day, but beyond our family's budget. Great twin seats, beautiful job on that wood grain replacement
My grandfather traded in his ‘66 Buick wagon for a green on green ‘71 Colony Park because he extremely disliked the radical GM clamshell tailgate design (thought it would leak/jam). My dad learned to drive in that Colony Park, and always fondly remembered it as one of his dad’s favorite cars. He looked for a clean example for a very long time with no luck; very rare!
Rode car-pool in one of these and I am here to tell you, (if you don't know from YOUR youth) that aft floor when the seats were folded inward was hot as tee-total heck in the sun. (This was in SC) that was ALWAYS something you took into account if riding in the "very back" after swim team practice!
It was in the swim club parking lot that we learned that the black vinyl interior of our new '71 Buick Skylark was a problem we hadn't considered. But that was in the late afternoon when we'd jump in the car to head home for dinner after an afternoon of just plain recreation. My sister was on the swim team and her practices (and my swim lessons) ended mid-morning and up here in PA it hadn't gotten very hot yet on a summer's day!
Hi Adam, Thanks for another classic video of this 1972 Colony Park Wagon. They were big boats as this lady referred to my 1991 Crown Victoria LX Wagon before she sold it to me. She was going to reinvest the money from the sale of the Ford into a transmission rebuild for her Chrysler mini- van ! I got the better part of that bargain ! In regards to that faux wood siding it looks good new but does not age well as my first car was a 1973 Ford Pinto squire. The " wood " starts to discolor over time and the metal trim plastic coating starts to peel and flake. That is why I never bought another wagon Country Squire model opting for just Crown Victoria models.
I'm a little behind, and watched most of this video last night. And just love this wagon. Hope ya get one. Now I was just checking quickly and I see a mopar new video. You the man..🙂
When I think of the most 1970s era station wagons, the GM large wagons with the clamshell rear door always stand out. They truly spoke of the meat of the 1970s.
Very nice wagon, and interesting video. When I was growing up my parents had two wagons that they bought brand new. Both were Chrysler Town & Countrys, a `72 and a `75. The `72 was some dark shade of red, while the `75 was the brochure color. Another family that were friends with us had a Mercury Montego MX Villager wagon, at the same time we had our `75 Chrysler.
Every time I see one of these I'm reminded of my girlfriend's dad's Colony Park wagon which came back from the police heavily smudged with fingerprint dust. They might have run a hose over it. I remember his having more of a greenish-yellow tint to it. Sad to say he was a victim of that most finalizing of crimes. Thanks for another info-packed and entertaining segment Adam!
Had a 73 4 door sedan and it was a living room on wheels.Loved driving it on long trips.Between the huge comfortable seats and 460 engine it was really nice for making distance at a relatively high speed. 100 mph all day long if you could get away with it.I preferred driving at night due to less traffic and for some reason to me it was less tiring at night.Did the Florida to Indiana and Indiana to Florida so many times that way.
This would have been a very cool grocery Hauler I love the seating. Cozy seating and safe surroundings make a desirable package. The high back seats are safe I would take the 429 320 horse The 460 is good with valve rotator’s. We’ve built some amazing 460”s in the day. I’ve always had a thought of Carol Brady’s head bobbing up and down as she would please the guys as they travel down the road on family vacations. I appreciate your channel so much Another awesome upload here Travis
Adam, good review. A family friend had a gigantic 71 Buick Estate Wagon back in the day. I rode in the wayback several times on the way to the Jersey shore. It was like riding on a magic carpet... so smooth and quiet.
my grandfather had the big merc station wagon and that thing was amazing! Kinda like a cross between a giant tiger tank, a well built Amish barn and a very comfortable couch if it was built by the guy who designed the Titanic. my mom had a Chrysler that was even bigger and had that 440. it sounded so mean. one night in 7th grade a swiped the keys and went out to take it for a joy ride. I started it and revved the engine a few times and backed the car up four feet, revved it again and noped the heck out of there. it was just to intimidating for me at the time. probably for the best.
As a kid in the 80s and 90s, being hauled around in gm fwd a body wagons Id see these 70s cars and be like damnit why cant they make them look awesome like they did in the 70s. I mean, even the vega was beautiful!
Hey Adam, thanks for your excellent review of this 1971 Mercury Colony Park, a beautiful wagon by anyone's standard. At the time, Ford was known as the "Wagonmaster." A title well earned, Ford had the best looking wagons of any of the Big Three. The 1959 Country Sedan and Squires have been my top favorite looking car ever since I first saw them, I was 5 years old in 1959 and already on my way to being a lifetime Gearhead. I still think the 59 Fords were just beautiful. In the 70s the overall shape of the Ford and Mercury wagons were perfect. In fact, I couldn't resist having one of my own. I had a 1975 white with tan tuck and roll vinyl interior. The front seats weren't the lounge chairs with the high backs but they were very comfortable and good-looking. It was a 9 passenger with the 2 facing seats. If I took the seats out, it provided a great lower, locking storage area. It had the mighty Ford 460 cubic inch engine and the Motorcraft 4300 4 barrel carburetor. That 460 4 barrel fit that wagon perfectly. It could climb the steepest grades the Sierra Nevada mountains could dish up with ease it would consistently get 10 mpg, fully loaded or not, in every driving condition it was in. It was completely loaded with every available option, including the same ATC system the one in the video had. Ford loved powering the accessories with engine vacuum. From the headlight doors to the parking brake release system. There were vacuum motors and check valves all over the car, they were always making noise under the dash as the ATC system automatically adjusted itself. It had 8 fan speeds it could choose from. I spent months learning the different vacuum systems. After rebuilding the various systems with new hoses, motors, check valves, vacuum storage canesters, and switches, it all worked perfectly. I did have to add an electric vacuum pump and added additional storage canisters to maintain vacuum in the High elevations of the Sierras, the air was too thin to create enough vacuum. I could have rejeted the carburetor but I didn't want to risk losing power. When I replaced the woodgrain panels, I also learned a lot about how Ford paneled those wagons. The Squires kept the plank lines, and wood moldings while the Colony Park had no lines and were trimmed with bright metal moldings. Each year had a slightly different color and grain. The panels had clear areas in the grain which would allow the color of the car to blend into the grain, something that was known by Ford employees and body shops. I searched Lincoln Mercury dealerships all over the country to find the 9 panels required to replace all the panels. That Colony Park looked brand new when I was done. It also ran like new after fixing all the vacuum leaks. I loved that wagon more than I expected to. My friends and family all made fun of me when I brought that wagon home, but once I restored it, it became everyone's favorite car when we were all going to the same place and wanted to all ride together. It was always one of my favorite cars and still is today. The full-size wagons with wood paneled sides became an American status symbol to American families, and corporations all over the country. Living in LA, I knew a lot of people who worked in the entertainment industry, the Squires and Colony Parks were their first choice in wagons, for their size and good looks. If the studios liked them, it couldn't get much better than that. When Detroit stopped building them in the early 90s, they said it was because they all wanted SUVs, it's not that's what they wanted, it was all they could get. The SUVs never replaced our station wagons, nothing could. I'm waiting for our wagons and sedans to return. I know they will, with today's technology and automotive advances, with or without woodgrain panels I know they will be back, personally I vote with woodgrain paneled sides, but either way they will be back. We want our wagons, not the SUVs that have been forced upon us. And I have read the SUVs were considered trucks and that helped Detroit get around the federal gas mileage restrictions that were put upon cars. That is why SUVs are now everywhere you look.
Would love to see your 1974 Colony Park. Our neighbors had a beautiful blue one with the color keyed wheel covers and I believe the 460 as it sounded richer when starting than our 1970 Country Squire with a 351. And those cool carpet insert floor mats!
Thanks Adam! While our family didn’t do wagons, my friends had Country Squires, Colony Parks, as well as Kingswood Estates and Chryslers/Dodges, too. By far the Ford & Mercury seemed the most comfortable and had tons of space. I recall the Chrysler/Dodge had tons of back seat space. But the Chevy wasn’t nearly as comfortable or with as much room.
I've had two Colony Parks. a 1968 and a 1986. The 68 was Mercury Iceberg Blue, inside and out. Mighty 390 at 325 BHP. The 86 Wimbledon White outside, and brown and maroon inside. Velour upholstery. the standard 5.0... The two best cars I've ever owned...
A Terrific Wagon with the 2-Way Tailgate....Very Functional back in the 70's, but SUV's Dominate today and are very boring to look at, as well as having limited functions, Adam😊👏
My Uncle had one just like this. At the time I considered this the top of the station wagons. Our family had the 1970 Mercury Montego MX Brougham Villager (wagon) with the 351 Cleveland.
Beautiful wagon! We had a ‘69 Colony Park that was white with a burgundy interior. 390 V8 with the tow package. Although the 71 is nice I thought the 69 was a little leaner design and sleeker. Just my bias I guess. We only had it a few years until some clown rear ended us and pretty much totaled it. Eventually replaced it with a brand new 77 LTD wagon. Ford made some real stellar products back then. The wagons were awesome. I think the 77 was the most reliable car we had. Miss those days and cars we had. Got me all misty eyed….
I loved seeing these back in the day hauling a camper or boat, back side window covered with National Park stickers and kids in the third row seats making faces at the cars behind them...well that part not so much.
Absolutely LOVE these wagons, not to mention the high seatbacks, which are truly much safer to average hight people like me, than average US seat back headrests, which are TOO low.
Nice but I prefer the old GM Clamshell tailgate wagons. Love to see you do a video on those. My dad always got Pontiac wagons for his company vehicles and he had both a 71 and a 73 Pontiac Safari, that a Grand Safari with the 73 with the powered gate along with a 455 4 barrel. .
I can tell you my own experience as far as the ride. I got a ride with one of my friends whose mom had a brand new 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood and on the way home another friend gave me a ride in their 1972 Country Squire. The Ford rode noticeably better than the Chevrolet. Funny, I still remember that after over 40 years.
Hey Adam, this Marquis Wagon is indeed impressive & very comfortable!!! We had a 75 Mercury Colony Park wagon with the rear facing seats!!! It was a great car but I think my dad's 71 Marquis Brougham with the high back twin comfort lounge seats was a little better!!! 👍👍🙂
One of the advertising slogans was something along the lines of: "If Lincoln built a station wagon, this would be it". But yet not the most expensive wagon for 71 - the T&C was always just a little bit more.
Correction: the T&C was a *lot* more! I suppose Chryco could've said "If Imperial built a wagon..." My parents bought a new Colony Park in '69, and indeed, some people thought it was a Lincoln! (as though an Army sergeant with 6 kids could even afford a Lincoln!)
One of my uncles had a Ford Country Squire of the vintage, loaded, big engine, 6 kids, told me stories of going to Nevada cruising @ 100 mph. Sketchy on bias tires of the period.
I grew up in a 72 Colony Park wagon!...great ride...some reliability issue's & rusting, fer sure (my father was a Ford engineer--we fixed it ourselves)--Big problem on the body though was with the discoloration of the faux wood-paneling, as it would get a "milky-white" residue look about it, depending on the amount of sunlight....Very comfy ride, though!
I've ridden in the back of those Ford wagons. The sideways rear seats allowed for cargo space inside the car. You could take 8 passengers + luggage inside the car on a trip. GM wagons were either passengers or cargo, not both - or you have to put the duffel bags in the rear facing seat well with the passengers' legs straight out resting on the luggage. I've driven a late 70's LTD wagon (same gen as this wagon) with a 460 and it was definitely not fast by any means. I probably should have bought it anyway because I never seem them anymore (it was rusty but under $1000 like 20 years ago) but eh live and learn.
Dad had bought a 72 Ford County Squire. Dark Green with a Green vinyl seats. First car with AC and AM FM RADIO not stereo. That option was more money. Had that car 16 years!!
Beautiful, and the cornering lights showing in the brochure I don't remember seeing until the greatly revamped 1973 wagons. Interesting. The 1972 version, with this same body, was the last one that didn't visually and dynamically overpower the short 121-inch wheelbase. The 1973 and later big-bumper models deserved more. And, just a note, the window frames on the GM wagons were painted but most had chrome trim as well, albeit more delicately (and arguably more sophisticatedly) applied.
I consider the 1971 Mercury Colony Park's to be the best of the 1971 full sized wagon's followed by the 1971 Chrysler Town & Country wagon, I wasn't really big on the GM's clamshell wagon's TBH, I also loved the 1972 Dodge Monaco wagon's when it comes to the early 1970's full sized wagon's.
Great wagon to go on a family vacation!!!!
I hope the owner of the 1971 Mercury Colony Park Wagon enjoy their Twin Comfort Lounge Seats.
When I was in high school in '72 a friend of mine had parents with a '72 green Colony Park, loaded, and it was a blast to ride in. Thanks, Adam!
We at the International Station Wagon Club recently held our annual convention in Butler, PA. We had a beautiful mint green 1971 Mercury Marquis wagon (not a Colony Park) in attendance that has been in the same family since new.
That car is in impeccable condition!!!!
In 1972 I passed my driving test in a '71 wagon that looked very much like this one. I had practiced my driving manuvers in our large back yard in my little '61 Corvair, but when the time came for the test my mother said we'd use the Merc because of the automatic. I had practiced with the 3 speed in the Corvair for more than a year, but off we went. The parking and 3 point turn worried me, but I came home with a real driver's license! I think my memory of it makes it longer that it actually was, but it WAS huge compared to anything on the road today other than a pick up. A great car, and many wonderful family vacations from Washington DC to Michigan to Montreal.
I am born in Washington, DC, cool.
How about that baby-blue Pinto Pony in the background? Now, That’s luxury!
Pinto 1.6 L automatic - 0-60 mph 10 seconds
Not bad for what it isn't.
Talk to the man who drove them new, no 10 second 60mph with an automatic possibly downhill, way downhill with tail wind. 4 speed yes, was "quick" loosely speaking.
@@michaelatkins9780 👍🏼 gotcha gotcha
@@michaelatkins9780 More like twenty sec if the Pinto had optional a.c. and it was on and there were two adult passengers.
Oh yeah...from 1969-1972 my family rented a house on Sanibel Island, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, in the summer, and we would rent this very same kind of wagon in Miami and drive across the state to get there in air- conditioned, plush comfort. Still great-looking cars to me!
My '72 Country Squire wagon had same wagon rear (as all FoMoCo wagons '69-72); 429 4bbl no problems; very gutsy even when purchased as a rust bucket in '81. My first car; I still miss it.
Hi Adam, first, I’m a big fan of your channel. Second, I’m sure you know but the woodgrain can be replaced using 3M DI-NOC, which coincidentally is my business. It’s used primarily for architectural purposes now but some auto restorers buy it to make their car original. Hemmings did an article on us in 2007/08 and we got flooded with Buick Roadmaster owners as a result! Keep up the great work!
Oh wow. Yes. I need the di noc for my 74 Colony Park. Can you email me? Rareclassiccars@yahoo.com
The new wood grain on that car looks great, and that's the first such replacement of that type of material that I've seen. My favourite wagon has always been the 1972 Chrysler Town & Country, but those I saw most when I was growing up were the Colony Park wagons from 1975 to 1978, with their unmistakable hub caps that had a ring of black squares around the edge. Anyway, when I was in art class in high school we used car ads from National Geographic magazine, and the one I was given to illustrate was for the Colony Park...with the exact colours shown in your video. I still have it and it's in front of me as I type this. Across the top it says... "1970 Marquis Colony Park. If Lincoln Continental made a wagon, this would be it." So true.
My mom had a 72 T&C. She got rear ended by a kid in an AMC Matador going 50-55. My mom got pretty banged up, but my dad was able to drive it home. They took it to a unibody specialist that put it in this special jig that twisted it back into place and it drove like nothing had happened. I loved that car.
@@tristanstrasse I'm Canadian, and 55 mph is very much similar to our highway speed of 100 km/hr. If you had meant 55 km/hr that would have been enough of a hit, so I can't imagine how that car was driven home! My uncle worked at a large auto repair and body shop, and he had one of those "straighteners" that you describe. It seems nowadays that even slightly damaged cars are just thrown into the scrap heap.
I love the HVAC controlls on the driver side exactly where it should be and who cares about the rear seat passengers what they can or can’t see
My aunt and uncle had a '68 Colony Park wagon and we had a '72 Kingswood Estate clamshell wagon. Loved them both! Keep up the great content Adam.
My Pa never drove after the war, Mom had that task, her & Dad bought a 1970 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate S\W, with a 396 4 bbl. That car would roll on at 75... Then traded it in in 1976 on a Ford Country Squire, 400 c.i. Both were terrific cars, I never thought I'd be looking for one just like either 50+ years later! A lot of great family trips in those cars, to see Auntie Irene and Uncle Walt up near Lake Superior in Wisconsin. Michigan and Connecticut were other awesome trips, I miss the 70s!!!
What was the reason Pa didn’t drive after the war?
@@gm12551 that is something he took to the grave with him. We asked as kids, but he just said "Your mother does a fine job driving, I'll always work to make sure we have a decent car."
It was just something he chose not to talk about. I don't even think my mom knew why. I've always wanted to know.
Marvellous. I like.
I believe this is the exact car that was featured on Barn finds for $12 or $13k like 5 years ago. The 2 reasons I remembered this car was its flawless appearance with what appeared to be "clear coated" woodgrain and that it had a pretty big tear on the seat bottom on the driver seat. I noticed the owner of this one had a towel placed on the driver seat exactly where the tear was in the car on Barn finds. It's still a nice car though.
Interesting
Thank you for highlighting focus on station wagons Adam. Really appreciate it and would welcome further stories on wagons. You have a great channel and I always look forward to your channel postings!
Having logged a lot of miles behind the wheel and even those back seats of a 1972 Country Squire (dark green, highly optioned) and 429-4v, I must say it is still one of my favorite cars. My mother also kept the wood paneling on the sides and back looking nice with various shades of shoe polish, so it was a pretty sharp looking car.
Back in the mid 80’s my grandmother left me her 73 Chevy Caprice wagon, at the time I had a 88 Chevy truck and a 86 Corvette. My family loved that wagon, we drove it everywhere, the ac would freeze you out and we didn’t have to worry about someone hitting or scratching the car. It also road better than the caddy I sold when I bought my truck, it also pulled our boat with ease. We did a lot of road trips in that car and I wish I still had it.
We had a 73 Caprice wagon with the 400 V8, it sounds like you had the 454.
When these were new I don't recall the wood grain being so shiny.
That car is in gorgeous condition. What do these go for nowadays? We had a new Robin's Egg Blue Country Squire in 69, and at age 10 then, I thought it was the most beautiful, space age, Buck Rogers thing I'd ever seen. Had a 429 2 barrel in it. LOVED it.
We had a 1973 Colony Park. It was medium green with a 429. Great vehicle for family trips to Cape Cod.
Almost hard to believe but these were the everyday American family cars 50 years ago. The times have definitely changed!
True, and now rverybody drives Kias and Hyundais
@@jeffreyrogers8151 Which aren't as long, but are taller, and which *are easier to flip over due to a higher center of gravity.* SUVs also got popular thanks to car companies using SUVs to loophole through emission laws in the 90s. I miss wagons.
@@101Volts If you take all the reasons you like these older vehicles and apply that logic to newer ones, you will find a whole new appreciation for newer vehicles. I, like you, resisted the crossover/SUV movement for a very long time. Our last family hauler was a Pontiac Montana SV6 due to us being a family of 6. Michigan rust finally got the better of it after 17 years (although it still ran great!) and it was time to get another vehicle. Since I am generally a GM-only person, and GM doesn't build minivans anymore, I had to make the switch to a 7 passenger crossover. I'm so glad I did! We ended up with a Buick Enclave. It (in my opinion) has beautiful styling (especially the front end), is EXTREMELY comfortable, has more space than the Montana, is whisper quiet inside, extremely smooth, the 3.6L DOHC with the 9-speed trans is almost rocket-like, and when I'm being nice to it, it gets great fuel mileage (my record over 50 miles is 35.2 mpg). The Bose stereo is fantastic, too. To summarize, it is a modern replacement for the Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, and it's easier to get in and out of.
None of that means we can't still appreciate where automobiles have been. I'm only suggesting that we don't pigeonhole ourselves into only liking things that aren't made anymore and pretending like everything new is terrible. There are some current creature comforts that are really, really nice. I'm sure when power windows started becoming common in the mid 1900s, there were a bunch of guys screaming about lazy people that didn't want to crank a window handle.
All that said, if I could find a mid 1960s Pontiac or Oldsmobile 9-passenger station wagon that was within my price range, I would like to have one. My air-cooled Beetle does not accommodate my whole family at once. Lol
Very nice, thanks!
My family had both the Colony Park wagon (1969 & 1976) and the 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. All were fully loaded. My aunt had the 1971 Buick Estate wagon. The Mercury was the better riding of the them unless you needed to carry something heavy in the rear. Then, the G.M. wagons with their self-leveling rear suspensions gave them the definite edge. Also, with the G.M. wagons, you could drive a little faster and still be comfortable whereas the Mercury had to be driven more conservatively. We knew someone who had a 1975 Chrysler Town and Country wagon. She would bring us swimming in it. 9 people in that car and it was still pretty firm riding compared to the G.M. and Ford products. It also swayed excessively but, I think it was because she never added air in her tires.
Wow, what a stellar example of a Colony Park!
This was the car that began my life long love affair with the big Merc's. My ex-father in law has a '71 Colony Park with the 429, dark green, green brocade interior, power everything, cruise control with the horn ring. He used it to tow the family camper and a daily driver to work. In '78 he bought a new Colony Park and sold the '71 to me (was just my girlfriend's dad at the time, not my FIL, yet) and I kept it until '81 when I traded in for a '76 Grand Marquis Brougham. Wagon was a beast! Never failed to start, would drive like a tank in the snow, and I loved every minute spent behind the wheel. The two Merc's I wish I had kept were the '71 Colony Park and the '76 Brougham. The other one's were nice, but they still have a place in my heart... along with my current daily driver I refuse to get rid of... '09 Grand Marquis LS Ultimate Park Lane.
I love the station wagons of this era, thanks for all you do Adam
Truly comfy. These full sized cars squealed the bias ply tires in high speed turns. You didn’t need “park assist” technology when backing out of a parking spot. Just keep going until you hear the crunch.
Usually the driver (mom) was not pushing these cars to their limits, and you knew immediately you'd better not go into a curve or turn without slowing down considerably. But then get behind the wheel of what replaced the wagons - a minivan - and whoa! You definitely felt like you could roll the top-heavy vehicle in a turn.
ahh my first car.. moms old 71 wagon.. nothing like being 16 and having 300+hp at your foot of 2+tons of land yacht with 9 of your friends blasting down the freeway at midnight doing 100+ mph
What a great wagon indeed. Just the kind of car we dreamt of having back in the day, but beyond our family's budget. Great twin seats, beautiful job on that wood grain replacement
Nice one. I have a 78 model.
My grandfather traded in his ‘66 Buick wagon for a green on green ‘71 Colony Park because he extremely disliked the radical GM clamshell tailgate design (thought it would leak/jam). My dad learned to drive in that Colony Park, and always fondly remembered it as one of his dad’s favorite cars. He looked for a clean example for a very long time with no luck; very rare!
Adam, you’ve become a Mercury lover! That’s great. You need to do a show on the 1968 Cougar XR-7, the “American Jaguar”.
We had a 65 Buick Sport Wagon, 350, 4V. The third row seat faced the back window.
Loved that car.
Rode car-pool in one of these and I am here to tell you, (if you don't know from YOUR youth) that aft floor when the seats were folded inward was hot as tee-total heck in the sun. (This was in SC) that was ALWAYS something you took into account if riding in the "very back" after swim team practice!
It was in the swim club parking lot that we learned that the black vinyl interior of our new '71 Buick Skylark was a problem we hadn't considered. But that was in the late afternoon when we'd jump in the car to head home for dinner after an afternoon of just plain recreation. My sister was on the swim team and her practices (and my swim lessons) ended mid-morning and up here in PA it hadn't gotten very hot yet on a summer's day!
That is just a handsome car, in any body style. A friend had a new 1971 Monterey sedan in dark green, with black wall tires, and it looked great!
What a cool car. Looks like a million bucks compared to all the SUVs of today.
Hi Adam, Thanks for another classic video of this 1972 Colony Park Wagon. They were big boats as this lady referred to my 1991 Crown Victoria LX Wagon before she sold it to me. She was going to reinvest the money from the sale of the Ford into a transmission rebuild for her Chrysler mini- van ! I got the better part of that bargain ! In regards to that faux wood siding it looks good new but does not age well as my first car was a 1973 Ford Pinto squire. The " wood " starts to discolor over time and the metal trim plastic coating starts to peel and flake. That is why I never bought another wagon Country Squire model opting for just Crown Victoria models.
put the seats away and slide around the back, much more fun for kids
I'm a little behind, and watched most of this video last night. And just love this wagon. Hope ya get one. Now I was just checking quickly and I see a mopar new video. You the man..🙂
When I think of the most 1970s era station wagons, the GM large wagons with the clamshell rear door always stand out. They truly spoke of the meat of the 1970s.
Very nice wagon, and interesting video. When I was growing up my parents had two wagons that they bought brand new. Both were Chrysler Town & Countrys, a `72 and a `75. The `72 was some dark shade of red, while the `75 was the brochure color. Another family that were friends with us had a Mercury Montego MX Villager wagon, at the same time we had our `75 Chrysler.
This is my absolute dream car. This is what every car should be. I also like the boxy 80s wagons with fake wood panels.
We had the ‘69 Colony Park. It’s the car I learned to drive with. I remember many family trips to upstate NY in it at ages 5 to 9. Ours had a 390ci.
The Colony Park was the Escalade of the 1970’s.
Every time I see one of these I'm reminded of my girlfriend's dad's Colony Park wagon which came back from the police heavily smudged with fingerprint dust. They might have run a hose over it. I remember his having more of a greenish-yellow tint to it. Sad to say he was a victim of that most finalizing of crimes. Thanks for another info-packed and entertaining segment Adam!
Beautiful- thanks for posting.
Had a 73 4 door sedan and it was a living room on wheels.Loved driving it on long trips.Between the huge comfortable seats and 460 engine it was really nice for making distance at a relatively high speed. 100 mph all day long if you could get away with it.I preferred driving at night due to less traffic and for some reason to me it was less tiring at night.Did the Florida to Indiana and Indiana to Florida so many times that way.
Very cool.
This would have been a very cool grocery Hauler
I love the seating. Cozy seating and safe surroundings make a desirable package.
The high back seats are safe
I would take the 429 320 horse
The 460 is good with valve rotator’s. We’ve built some amazing 460”s in the day. I’ve always had a thought of Carol Brady’s head bobbing up and down as she would please the guys as they travel down the road on family vacations.
I appreciate your channel so much
Another awesome upload here
Travis
Very informative Adam, enjoyed
Adam, good review. A family friend had a gigantic 71 Buick Estate Wagon back in the day. I rode in the wayback several times on the way to the Jersey shore. It was like riding on a magic carpet... so smooth and quiet.
my grandfather had the big merc station wagon and that thing was amazing!
Kinda like a cross between a giant tiger tank, a well built Amish barn and a very comfortable couch if it was built by the guy who designed the Titanic.
my mom had a Chrysler that was even bigger and had that 440. it sounded so mean.
one night in 7th grade a swiped the keys and went out to take it for a joy ride.
I started it and revved the engine a few times and backed the car up four feet, revved it again and noped the heck out of there.
it was just to intimidating for me at the time.
probably for the best.
As a kid in the 80s and 90s, being hauled around in gm fwd a body wagons Id see these 70s cars and be like damnit why cant they make them look awesome like they did in the 70s. I mean, even the vega was beautiful!
As my father use to say '' until Lincoln builds a wagon this is it!"
Hey Adam, thanks for your excellent review of this 1971 Mercury Colony Park, a beautiful wagon by anyone's standard. At the time, Ford was known as the "Wagonmaster." A title well earned, Ford had the best looking wagons of any of the Big Three. The 1959 Country Sedan and Squires have been my top favorite looking car ever since I first saw them, I was 5 years old in 1959 and already on my way to being a lifetime Gearhead. I still think the 59 Fords were just beautiful. In the 70s the overall shape of the Ford and Mercury wagons were perfect. In fact, I couldn't resist having one of my own. I had a 1975 white with tan tuck and roll vinyl interior. The front seats weren't the lounge chairs with the high backs but they were very comfortable and good-looking. It was a 9 passenger with the 2 facing seats. If I took the seats out, it provided a great lower, locking storage area. It had the mighty Ford 460 cubic inch engine and the Motorcraft 4300 4 barrel carburetor. That 460 4 barrel fit that wagon perfectly. It could climb the steepest grades the Sierra Nevada mountains could dish up with ease it would consistently get 10 mpg, fully loaded or not, in every driving condition it was in. It was completely loaded with every available option, including the same ATC system the one in the video had. Ford loved powering the accessories with engine vacuum. From the headlight doors to the parking brake release system. There were vacuum motors and check valves all over the car, they were always making noise under the dash as the ATC system automatically adjusted itself. It had 8 fan speeds it could choose from. I spent months learning the different vacuum systems. After rebuilding the various systems with new hoses, motors, check valves, vacuum storage canesters, and switches, it all worked perfectly. I did have to add an electric vacuum pump and added additional storage canisters to maintain vacuum in the High elevations of the Sierras, the air was too thin to create enough vacuum. I could have rejeted the carburetor but I didn't want to risk losing power. When I replaced the woodgrain panels, I also learned a lot about how Ford paneled those wagons. The Squires kept the plank lines, and wood moldings while the Colony Park had no lines and were trimmed with bright metal moldings. Each year had a slightly different color and grain. The panels had clear areas in the grain which would allow the color of the car to blend into the grain, something that was known by Ford employees and body shops. I searched Lincoln Mercury dealerships all over the country to find the 9 panels required to replace all the panels. That Colony Park looked brand new when I was done. It also ran like new after fixing all the vacuum leaks. I loved that wagon more than I expected to. My friends and family all made fun of me when I brought that wagon home, but once I restored it, it became everyone's favorite car when we were all going to the same place and wanted to all ride together. It was always one of my favorite cars and still is today. The full-size wagons with wood paneled sides became an American status symbol to American families, and corporations all over the country. Living in LA, I knew a lot of people who worked in the entertainment industry, the Squires and Colony Parks were their first choice in wagons, for their size and good looks. If the studios liked them, it couldn't get much better than that. When Detroit stopped building them in the early 90s, they said it was because they all wanted SUVs, it's not that's what they wanted, it was all they could get. The SUVs never replaced our station wagons, nothing could. I'm waiting for our wagons and sedans to return. I know they will, with today's technology and automotive advances, with or without woodgrain panels I know they will be back, personally I vote with woodgrain paneled sides, but either way they will be back. We want our wagons, not the SUVs that have been forced upon us. And I have read the SUVs were considered trucks and that helped Detroit get around the federal gas mileage restrictions that were put upon cars. That is why SUVs are now everywhere you look.
Would love to see your 1974 Colony Park. Our neighbors had a beautiful blue one with the color keyed wheel covers and I believe the 460 as it sounded richer when starting than our 1970 Country Squire with a 351. And those cool carpet insert floor mats!
One of my favorites!
When I was a kid,we had this very same type of car. 429 c.i. under the hood,plenty of power.
Absolutely Beautiful car!
Funny thing: I know it was a Ford, but this really made me think of the Family Truckster from the Vacation movie.
Growing up my parents had a 1972 Chrysler Town & Country station wagon.
Thanks Adam! While our family didn’t do wagons, my friends had Country Squires, Colony Parks, as well as Kingswood Estates and Chryslers/Dodges, too. By far the Ford & Mercury seemed the most comfortable and had tons of space. I recall the Chrysler/Dodge had tons of back seat space. But the Chevy wasn’t nearly as comfortable or with as much room.
Great wagon...as I love the all. This has a very Cadillac looking front....a little like my 68 deVille
I've had two Colony Parks. a 1968 and a 1986. The 68 was Mercury Iceberg Blue, inside and out. Mighty 390 at 325 BHP. The 86 Wimbledon White outside, and brown and maroon inside. Velour upholstery. the standard 5.0...
The two best cars I've ever owned...
A Terrific Wagon with the 2-Way Tailgate....Very Functional back in the 70's, but SUV's Dominate today and are very boring to look at, as well as having limited functions, Adam😊👏
Mercury were so underrated
My Uncle had one just like this. At the time I considered this the top of the station wagons. Our family had the 1970 Mercury Montego MX Brougham Villager (wagon) with the 351 Cleveland.
I love this, I love wagons in general. I would like a montego wagon, or a torino wagon preferably 68-71, or a 66-7 fairlane wagon.
The cars that would put me at ease would be a Mark 3 a Cougar XR7 a Mercury Marauder and a Colony Park
These are cool for that Griswold type vacation 👍🏻
Beautiful wagon!
We had a ‘69 Colony Park that was white with a burgundy interior. 390 V8 with the tow package. Although the 71 is nice I thought the 69 was a little leaner design and sleeker. Just my bias I guess. We only had it a few years until some clown rear ended us and pretty much totaled it. Eventually replaced it with a brand new 77 LTD wagon. Ford made some real stellar products back then. The wagons were awesome. I think the 77 was the most reliable car we had. Miss those days and cars we had. Got me all misty eyed….
I loved seeing these back in the day hauling a camper or boat, back side window covered with National Park stickers and kids in the third row seats making faces at the cars behind them...well that part not so much.
Enjoyed your video & commentary.
These cars are so cool 😊
Nice 😀
Twin comfort lounge seats - de rigueur for Adam!
Absolutely LOVE these wagons, not to mention the high seatbacks, which are truly much safer to average hight people like me, than average US seat back headrests, which are TOO low.
Standard engine was a 400 cubic inch V8. Late 60s through early 70s were the best years for body style and engines.
My great uncle had one like that but I think newer, maybe 74. Him and my other great uncle's family would take it to WY.
All that woodgrain goodness 😊
Two thumbs up Adam!
Nice but I prefer the old GM Clamshell tailgate wagons. Love to see you do a video on those. My dad always got Pontiac wagons for his company vehicles and he had both a 71 and a 73 Pontiac Safari, that a Grand Safari with the 73 with the powered gate along with a 455 4 barrel. .
That is one awesome rig.
I believe that the woodgrain material is called dynoc which is the same material that was used to cover the clay models done by the stylists.
I still like the Family Truckster!
We had a 69 with the 2 way taikgate,extra rear seats and a 390. Good car.
I can tell you my own experience as far as the ride. I got a ride with one of my friends whose mom had a brand new 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood and on the way home another friend gave me a ride in their 1972 Country Squire. The Ford rode noticeably better than the Chevrolet. Funny, I still remember that after over 40 years.
I get it - I have memories of more rattley GM full-size cars versus soft Fords, many one-time rides with various friends and neighbors.
Adam, Be patient, I am sure some day you will find another Colony Park to keep your '74 company. 😁
Hey Adam, this Marquis Wagon is indeed impressive & very comfortable!!! We had a 75 Mercury Colony Park wagon with the rear facing seats!!! It was a great car but I think my dad's 71 Marquis Brougham with the high back twin comfort lounge seats was a little better!!! 👍👍🙂
One of the advertising slogans was something along the lines of: "If Lincoln built a station wagon, this would be it". But yet not the most expensive wagon for 71 - the T&C was always just a little bit more.
Correction: the T&C was a *lot* more! I suppose Chryco could've said "If Imperial built a wagon..." My parents bought a new Colony Park in '69, and indeed, some people thought it was a Lincoln! (as though an Army sergeant with 6 kids could even afford a Lincoln!)
One of my uncles had a Ford Country Squire of the vintage, loaded, big engine, 6 kids, told me stories of going to Nevada cruising @ 100 mph. Sketchy on bias tires of the period.
I grew up in a 72 Colony Park wagon!...great ride...some reliability issue's & rusting, fer sure (my father was a Ford engineer--we fixed it ourselves)--Big problem on the body though was with the discoloration of the faux wood-paneling, as it would get a "milky-white" residue look about it, depending on the amount of sunlight....Very comfy ride, though!
We had new 71 LTD Country Squire
I've ridden in the back of those Ford wagons. The sideways rear seats allowed for cargo space inside the car. You could take 8 passengers + luggage inside the car on a trip. GM wagons were either passengers or cargo, not both - or you have to put the duffel bags in the rear facing seat well with the passengers' legs straight out resting on the luggage. I've driven a late 70's LTD wagon (same gen as this wagon) with a 460 and it was definitely not fast by any means. I probably should have bought it anyway because I never seem them anymore (it was rusty but under $1000 like 20 years ago) but eh live and learn.
Dad had bought a 72 Ford County Squire. Dark Green with a Green vinyl seats. First car with AC and AM FM RADIO not stereo. That option was more money. Had that car 16 years!!
Beautiful, and the cornering lights showing in the brochure I don't remember seeing until the greatly revamped 1973 wagons. Interesting. The 1972 version, with this same body, was the last one that didn't visually and dynamically overpower the short 121-inch wheelbase. The 1973 and later big-bumper models deserved more. And, just a note, the window frames on the GM wagons were painted but most had chrome trim as well, albeit more delicately (and arguably more sophisticatedly) applied.
I consider the 1971 Mercury Colony Park's to be the best of the 1971 full sized wagon's followed by the 1971 Chrysler Town & Country wagon, I wasn't really big on the GM's clamshell wagon's TBH, I also loved the 1972 Dodge Monaco wagon's when it comes to the early 1970's full sized wagon's.
Our “family car” when I was very small was a ‘71 Corvette in the same gold as the car in the background. My parents were a little looney