In 1956, station wagons continued their popularity across America for a number of reasons. The nation was ten years into the Baby Boom era, more families had moved to the suburbs, the nation’s economy was good, and station wagons were downright practical for hauling everything from kiddos and camping gear to groceries and lumber. Although Ford and Chevy ruled the station wagon sales race in 1956 (both sold over 200,000 units), upper-end brands such as Buick and Chrysler also offered station wagons. Their higher price and intended target audience made them more of a niche model, and in this case, only 2,700 Chrysler Windsor Town and Country Wagons were produced (and only 1,070 of the top-of-the-line New Yorker).
I wish I could tell you more about this rare grocery-getter, but the seller is very skimpy about its history other than saying it is originally from Los Angeles. That is certainly a plus and a reason why it’s solid and not a rust bucket. Although offered with a two-tone painted top, this wagon is painted in solid Cloud White. The paint looks presentable as do the chrome bumpers, stainless, trim, and glass. It’s even sporting a vintage roof rack and you gotta love the tacked-on rear fin-ettes. About all it needs are period-correct wider whitewalls.
The interior of this Driver-Quality Chrysler looks good overall, but isn’t perfect. The vinyl with plaid-cloth front and rear seats look nice and period-correct and aren’t showing signs of major wear and tear. The cargo area has its normal bumps and scrapes from nearly 70 years of hauling stuff, which is to be expected. Being a Chrysler, these wagons came “equipped, not stripped,” and has power steering, power brakes, and the unique Push Button Drive Selector on the instrument panel (NO GEAR-SHIFT LEVER! as the Chrysler sales brochure proclaimed in ALL CAPS). The seller says that all the lights and gauges work correctly.
The seller describes the Chrysler’s power plant as “Poly engine. Runs and drives like new.” The sales brochure states that it’s the new Spitfire V8 that has “more power, greater torque, improved fuel economy, and greater performance-ability.” Specs show that the Spitfire V8 has a 331-cubic inch displacement that generated 225 horsepower when new. It’s mated to the Chrysler PowerFlite automatic transmission and the odometer reading is around 65,000.
This rare long roof is currently located in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, the birthplace of Andy Griffith and the inspiration for Andy’s mythical small town of Mayberry. It is listed for sale here on Facebook Marketplace for $22,500. Yessir, this 6-passenger ’56 Chrysler Windsor Town and Country Wagon would fit all six of the Darlings (Briscoe, Charlene, Mitch, Dean, Rodney, and Doug) plus their instruments, and get them to Mt. Pilot or Raleigh in comfort and style. Another shoutout to T.J. for sending this cool, classic grocery-getter our way. We’ll be sending him a jar of Aunt Bee’s homemade pickles (which can be used for kerosene in a pinch).
This isn’t too far for me, I may consider a short flight up and drive it back. It probably cruises like a cloud. The extra size would be a plus because I’d likely have to sleep in it if I dragged another project home. My analogy of “they’re just like rescue dogs” didn’t work!
Briscoe and the boys can stay home, Charlene and I can go for a ride by ourselves and park down by the lake. A wagon could be handy for all sorts of things. A good looking car, but my eyes would only see Charlene.
Ha! I’d keep one eye on Charlene and your other one looking out for Ernest T. Bass. He’s a nut! (to quote Bernard P. Fife).
No offense to Gomer down there at Wally’s Filling Station, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting him turn a wrench on this wagon. But they might even have a Chrysler dealer in Mount Pilot with factory-trained mechanics, you never know!
Gomer and Goober were both great mechanics. Remember when Barney bought that convertible that left him stranded? Gomer diagnosed it as having sawdust in the tranny. He was pretty knowledgeable, at least as a wrench.
Change the color and you have a Bonnie Franklin/One Day at a Time wagon.
These were very solid, for the time, automobiles, could cruise at 80 all day, install a dual master cylinder, front disc brakes, Vintage Air, lap and shoulder belts, and radial tires, and go, go, go. Even if in musuem conditon, there is probably no museum that wants it – my favorite LA Automoible Driving Museum a/k/a the Zimmerman, which had many “ordinary” cars, and actually not only let you touch them, but sit in them, and on Sundays 3 or 4 would let you ride in them, while trained old guys drove them around the block, is no more, the collection being auctioned off soon.
Cool car. Can’t remember seeing one. Has the split back seat. Thinking it’s a 9 passenger wagon, but missing the third seat, which, if like the Fords and Mercs, was removable.
When I first glanced at the top picture I thought, oh an old Mercedes wagon, cool. Classy looking wagon but I wonder if it would look better in the original two tone. Love the plaid upholstery. Speaking of push bottom transmissions, are new cars still coming with rotary knobs for gear selectors? I haven’t been car shopping in a while.
Sky King?
Anybody know what the large canister is on the passenger side inner fender? I don’t think it is power brake related. Those were usually on the driver’s inner fender and a bit smaller, in fact I think I see it in the engine photo.
Looks to me like the heater, possibly a gasoline powered heater.
Yes this car has the “Instant Heat conditionaire” gazoline heater. Burner blower and fuel pump near the radiator.
Could be an air storage tank for long and loud air horn trumpets. This option was popular in the 1950s. My 57 Dodge D100 came with a small electric air compressor, an air reservoir tank and a 24″ long air horn all under the hood. Maybe, maybe not.
1960 Corvair did have a gasoline heater under what we now call the frunk. Lots of heat, lots of fumes.
It’s the burner of the gas heater.
It looked sort of familiar, having seen lots of them in Volkswagens and Porsches, of course, since there’s no radiator to put it next to, they put it right in top of the gas tank over your feet. Nothing like having the gas tank and an actual fire in the crumple zone. I think my grandmother’s Corvair had one too.
Hey, scottymac. I was thinking the same thing. Sky always had top drawer Chrysler station wagons and of course his airplane. For me it was Saturday morning must see TV when I was a kid. I had a crush on Sky’s niece Penny too.
Ahhh, The Songbird.
Had a crush on Penny too.
Remember the spinning Nabisco advert too.
Great looking car, I would love to be able to afford it!
“Finettes” got me. Are those original to the car or did someone add them?
A trainsition from the ’55’s with a suggestion of fins to the ’57 with big ones. When there were almost annual model changes the last version of the old model often had a suggestion of the new. All learned from Chrysler’s mistake with the Airflow which was far different from any earlier Chrysler car. Ford mastered the techinque in the ’30s with the cheaper model being like last year’s, and the new having the new lines. Look at the ’35 – ’41’s to see a gradual transition from the ’34 to the ’41
I would like this one — but I can’t afford it, sadly. Saw LOTS of these, “back in the day”: that 1959 ESSO road map of Colorado probably had one on the cover, ready for a camping-trip or a picnic among the pines by the lake, with mountains in the background. White is not my car-colour, though. Family-haulers are getting nearly as expensive as convertibles and coupes these days — sadly, for those of us who’d love to own one.
A nice one – mine wasn’t as polished but still had that base 331 Poly – which is what Mopar started doing was giving the last year’s Hemi motor a Poly or single rocker head…..a little cost savings. They did that across the board on all the Hemi motors starting about 1955 and I think 1958. Mine was an x-fire chief’s car that I sold at Pate Swap meet to a…..fire man family…..drove it on the trailer !
Hey phil, it’s the other Phil. I knew about the Southwind gas heater in older cars than this, but didn’t realize that Chrysler offered something similar in 56. I had thought by this time most cars just used the hot water heaters that we’re all familiar with. Learn something everyday!
Looking on imperialclub.info I found some interesting info on these heaters. Comparing pictures from that site to the underhood pics of this car, the gas line from the pump to the heater is missing on this wagon.
Very cool car.
Thank you, Phil! I have referred to these heaters several times, but couldn’t recollect the NAME!!! “Southwind” — that jogs it in my mind. The PROBLEM is, recalling it in the future when I want to refer to it!
Sadly, you wouldn’t see a Chrysler car on The Andy Griffith Show. They only featured Ford products. As kids, we would shout, “Barney’s on!”, and sit down for a half hour of laughter!
If you are ever in Mount Airy, NC in September, you must attend The Mayberry Days Festival! The whole town becomes Mayberry! My good friend Tim portrays Goober along with a cast of other look-a-likes! It is worth the trip if you are a fan of the show!
One year, our “Team Goober”, won the Howard Sprague Bowling Tournament!
Sayin’ hey to you an’ yours! Ted