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The 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper, the Pushbutton Dream Camper That Never Was

You often hear a lot about the “dream [something],” whether it’s a job, a car, a new house, or pretty much anything else under the sun. Life would be boring without the promise of one day getting or attaining all we dream of.
The 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper was a one-off concept that packed everything for a family outing, including a rowing boat 28 photos
Photo: Ford
The 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper was a one-off concept that packed everything for a family outing, including a rowing boatThe 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper was a one-off concept that packed everything for a family outing, including a rowing boatThe 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper was a one-off concept that packed everything for a family outing, including a rowing boatThe 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper was a one-off concept that packed everything for a family outing, including a rowing boat1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire1971 Ford Country Squire
This is how Ford dreamed back in the day. Meet the glorious and ever-so-competent 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper Wagon, a one-off concept that was displayed for the media and dealers in order to gauge potential interest in a new type of (more versatile) station wagon.

This was happening on the heels of the Eisenhower Recession (1958), as Ford had long established itself as America’s “wagon master.” Of the millions of station wagon units produced, there was the Country Squire, which was in production between 19450 to 199, across eight generations. Country Squires were offered in a variety of powertrains and with a wide range of options, and they were spacious and reliable, which made them ideal for a wide niche of customers.

In late 1958, Ford started toying with the idea of whether one such Country Squire could be even more than just a daily driver. The result was a most glorious and modern (for that time) camper for “travelers and sportsmen,” which packed everything – including the kitchen sink. In fact, it packed even more than the basic amenities since it also featured a rowing boat and, even better, deploying it was entirely automated.

The 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper was a one\-off concept that packed everything for a family outing, including a rowing boat
Photo: Ford
It was the Swiss army of campers in a time when campers had just arrived on the scene. The Country Squire Camper might seem ridiculous by today’s standards when we’re used to seeing campers of more compact dimensions with smart layouts that cover all the basics, so put on your ‘50s-style sunglasses to fully appreciate how amazing the concept was.

As the marketing video below puts it (retrieved by Public Domain Footage), the Country Squire Camper was the dream camper. Like most dreams, it never became a reality.

The Country Squire Camper looked exactly like a Country Squire wagon on which it was based, except that it had an upturned rowing boat on the roof. That boat actually hid the bedroom, which would deploy by pressing a couple of buttons in the command center. The device itself looked like something out of James Bond, but Ford promised that even someone less tech-savvy could use it easily. In fact, the Camper could be deployed entirely without even having to step out of the car.

So, at camp, the boat rolled over to the side, and the tent underneath exploded. It could sleep two adults in a double bed (that was never shown to the public), and two more adults could sleep in the rear of the wagon, which had rows that folded down flat. This made the Camper perfect either for a family of four or for two adult couples looking to get away for a full weekend. Rest assured, these adults did not have to have some sort of acrobatic skill in order to gain access to the rooftop tent because a ladder was included.

The 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper was a one\-off concept that packed everything for a family outing, including a rowing boat
Photo: Ford
The tailgate housed a full kitchen – yet another proof that Ford wanted this to be a family-friendly alternative. As the dad took the boat out on the lake for fishing, the mother could put on an apron and set out to make dinner. To that end, the kitchen had a sink with hot and cold water, a dual burner, a small counterspace for chopping up stuff, and a small refrigerator.

The kitchen block wasn’t much, but it was a lot considering it would all tuck away neatly into the rear of the wagon. Another button deployed a fan-like awning over the cooking area, providing shelter against the sun or the rain. After all, you don’t want mother to get a sunburn while she’s slaving away over dinner, do you?

Brochures circulated at the time also mentioned a shower head in the roof and a curtain that would offer privacy while using a said shower, but the only video available of the concept makes no mention of it. Neither does it show any indication of where it might’ve been placed, but official photos show it on the side, next to the ladder. There was no bathroom.

The 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper was a one\-off concept that packed everything for a family outing, including a rowing boat
Photo: Ford
Ford never had any “definite plans” to mass-produce the Camper, the Washington Post wrote on July 3, 1958 (retrieved by Shorpy). But the company did consider the option that “the automatic equipment could be produced by independent suppliers and installed by a Ford dealer,” if there was enough interest in the Camper.

Sadly, that never happened, so all we’re left with now is this late ‘50s dream of the perfect vehicle to experience #vanlife.

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Editor's note: Photos in the gallery also show a 1971 Ford Country Squire that starred in The Irishman and The Deuce.

About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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