It may seem hard to believe today, but there was a time when station wagons were in high demand. The 1950s, for instance, was a great era for grocery-getters. That's when Ford, GM, and Chrysler sold hundreds of thousands of units yearly.
Wagons were so popular that carmakers offered several models and trims. The iconic Chevrolet Tri-Five alone spawned five long-roofed iterations. In 1955, the lineup included the 150 Handyman, 210 Handyman, 210 Townsman, Bel Air Beauville, and the Bel Air Nomad. Chevrolet sold a whopping 166,456 grocery-getters that year.
In 1956, the company added a sixth wagon to the lineup, and sales soared to nearly 194,000 examples. And while overall Tri-Five sales decreased by 4.2% in 1957, grocery-getter deliveries jumped to $219,972 units. In all, Chevy moved more than a half-million wagons in three years.
Ford haulers were also selling like hotcakes at the time. The company had five different rigs in showrooms from 1955 to 1957 and sold more units than Chevrolet. Total deliveries for this period came in at 669,280 examples. For reference, US station wagon sales have fallen below the 20,000 unit mark in recent years (the number doesn't include the far more popular SUV-style models).
But why am I talking about grocery-getters produced nearly 70 years ago? Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a big fan of wagons. Second, these long-roofed 1950s vehicles look cool. Third, I just stumbled onto a pristine 1956 Ford Ranch Wagon. And that's a big deal because these rigs are super rare in this condition.
It's ironic, but even though Ford sold 214,446 wagons in 1956, you barely see any on the road today. Most of them are rotting in junkyards and barns, with only a few spending their retirement years as unmolested survivors, Concours-ready restorations, or restomods. It's been a while since I've seen a fully restored Ranch Wagon, and this mint green example is fabulous, to say the least.
If you're unfamiliar with the Ranch Wagon, it was the company's entry-level grocery-getter from its introduction in 1952 until it was phased out in 1974. The early version was part of the economy Mainline series, but Ford also introduced a slightly fancier Custom Ranch Wagon in 1954. When this specific two-door came out in 1956, the Ford station wagon had become a series of its own.
That year, the lineup included three two-door versions and a couple of four-door models. The two-door models were called the Ranch, Custom Ranch, and Parklane. The four-door wagons had Country Sedan badges and offered six- or eight-passenger capacity. This green example is one of 48,348 Ranch Wagons sold in 1956.
Most likely the result of a rotisserie restoration, this grocery-getter looks spotless on the outside. It's probably just clean inside the cabin, but our host doesn't give us a closer look. The Colonial White over Springmist Green finish is flawless, as are the matching wheels and the chrome trim.
The engine bay remains closed throughout the video, so I have no idea whether this Ranch Wagon has a Mileage Maker inline-six or a Y-block V8. But I bet the mill looks just as good as the exterior and makes this grocery-getter drive like it's fresh off the assembly line. This Ranch Wagon is so cool it makes me forget about the notably rarer and more iconic Chevrolet Nomad.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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