We’ve recently seen a few great classic station wagons cross our desks at Barn Finds, but this 1974 Ford Country Squire could be extraordinary if the seller’s claims pass scrutiny. There’s no denying that it presents exceptionally well for an original survivor, but the odometer reading of 13,000 miles may set it apart from mere mortals. The owner is a dedicated enthusiast who is thinning his collection, so this Ford needs a new home. Located in Oxnard, California, the Country Squire is listed for sale here on Craigslist for $27,900. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L. for spotting another wonderful classic for us.
The seller has listed the Ford on behalf of its owner and goes to some trouble emphasizing that the wagon isn’t perfect. However, its condition is well above what you might expect to find with an original survivor of this age. Its Wimbledon White paint shows consistently across the entire vehicle, with an excellent shine and no evidence of significant flaws. The story is better still when we examine the faux woodgrain, a Country Squire’s defining feature. This type of vinyl can deteriorate with age, but this wagon hasn’t suffered that fate. The panels are free from any signs of rust, and the underside shots reinforce its rust-free status. The chrome sparkles as impressively as the paint, the glass appears excellent, while the full wheel covers and narrow whitewall tires add a perfect finishing touch to the exterior.
I admit feeling surprised when I saw the engine shot for this fantastic Ford. I was expecting to find a 400ci or 460ci V8 under the hood of the Country Squire, but the 351ci Windsor was unexpected. It still isn’t a bad choice because it delivers 153hp under the driver’s right foot. The rest of the mechanical components include a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power front disc brakes. At 4,740lbs, the Country Squire rates as a big and heavy beast, and while the larger motors deliver better performance, this classic should cover the ¼ mile in a respectable 19.7 seconds. The seller indicates that this Ford is a numbers-matching survivor that runs and drives well. They suggest that the carburetor may need some attention as the idle speed is slow, and the wagon can be cold-blooded. They also claim an odometer reading of 13,000 genuine miles but fail to mention any supporting evidence. If someone can confirm the reading, that makes this an exceptional survivor.
If this Ford’s exterior presents well, the interior takes that impression one step further. The original owner ordered the vehicle trimmed in Blue vinyl, and it looks fantastic. There are no signs of wear or the type of physical abuse common in family wagons. The plastic has avoided crumbling, cracking, or other problems. The woodgrain trim looks crisp, while the dash and pad are perfect. The only flaws worth noting are some wear and fading on the carpet and marks on the plastic trim inside the tailgate. The original owner didn’t load the interior, although the buyer receives the versatility of third-row seating, an AM radio, and a remote driver’s mirror.
Taken at face value, the overall condition of this 1974 Ford Country Squire is consistent with the claimed odometer reading. An in-person inspection will probably reveal a few flaws, but there’s little doubt that it could still turn heads wherever it goes. I’m not going to pretend that it is a cheap alternative for those seeking to enter the classic market, but it’s worth remembering that the Country Squire tracks the market trend that has recently seen a constant increase in value. The asking price looks pretty competitive, and when you consider the value increases, now might be the right time to park this classic in your driveway.
Amazing to find a wagon in this condition considering how wagons were typically used. The family hauler for messy kids, runs to the hardware store and building materials or even dump runs. It’s in incredible condition and the claimed low mileage seems believable. It’s a very heavy vehicle and that little Windsor will have to work hard to haul itself around. It’s a nice find though I wonder if the seller will get his price.
Thata a lot of coin for a wood clad brick but i cant fault the condition of this clean whale
It’s not a ’74. The frontal styling is ’75-’78, and according to my sources, the 351 was available in 1978 only, so this is a 1978 Country Squire.
I thought the ’78 came with hidden headlights?
Some did, some did not.
I think the lower priced LTD cars had fixed lights but the brougham and Country Squires were hiddeN
I Google-searched ‘1978 Ford country Squire’ and every picture showed cars with hideaway headlights, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.
The 1975-78 LTD Country Squire had concealed headlights. I have never seen a 1975-78 LTD Country Squire with fixed headlights. Frankenwagon?
“The original owner is the publisher of Guadalajara Newspapers.”
Exposed headlights, no evidence of headrests on the front seats, underhood warning label in Spanish. Mexican model, perhaps?
Good eye, now that you mentioned it. Definitely not a 74 because they were identical to the 73s up front. This is newer for sure
They started production of the 75 shape in late 74 so this is likely a December 74.
Having lived in southern Cali for 5 years for a construction gig I can say I find it hard to believe this car has only traveled 13k over its life. Looking at the underside I would suspect 113K. It’s also unusual to see a base model LTD in Cali without factory A/C and cruise control. While the condition is impressive the lack of options doesn’t support the asking price. Still a very impressive and clean wagon.
In the 70’s, people out here didn’t automatically have A/C in there vehicles yet
🎶 🎸
I found out long ago, oooohhhh
It’s a long way down the Holiday Road, oooohhhh
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, oooohhhh
Take a ride on a West Coast kick, oooohhhh
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
I’ve come back long ago, oooohhhh
Long way down the Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road 🎶 🎵
A cruiser for when you want to take the grandkids for ice cream and have more than a couple of them to take. Very nice.
I thought the ’78 came with hidden headlights?
Someone on a different page said this was a Mexican spec car based on equipment, lights, wheel covers.
Also has a “PELIGRO” (caution) label on the fan shroud. Don’t think Ford was using bilingual labels back then, so that’s more evidence.
Speedometer is in Kilometers as well…
Maybe it originated in Canada they have a their version on their cars!
No headrest too . So its really a Mexico market car.
Very Odd car. The grill is definitely not a 1974. Its a 1977-78 LTD grill. And why is the roof rack deflector backwards?
My thoughts exactly . . . I grew-up with/in a 1973 LTD Country Squire wagon in black, with a 429-4V under the hood. My childhood/teenage memories recall that the woodgrain strip on the roof rack belongs at the BACK of the roof rack, not the front of the roof rack, as in the picture.
8 mpg, and baked the tires very easily :-)
113K is a lot more believable, easy to keep one of these in this condition up to those miles if garaged the whole time and pampered. In the 90’s I attended car auctions and needed a cheap car so my employee could be reliable. Bought one of these, identical but gold, for about $300, immaculate car.
The speedometer is measured in KpH, not mph.
The Craigslist photos make it plain.
351W 4 barrel is a rare find.
https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/1974-ford-ltd-country-squire-station-wagon
Speedometer is in km., so the mileage is not accurate. Roof rack on backwards. Strange car indeed.
8578 Miles when converted,
If the speedometer is in Kilometers, does that mean the odometer is too? That’d be only 8578 miles! Unreal.
In 74 the Steering wheel was straight across (last year)
I bought one in Maine in 1978, for 900 USD, drove it cross the US for 6 months, and sold it for 950 Dollars, which was just enough for 2 flight tickets back to Denmark at the time. Gasolien prices soared from 51 to 62 cents pr gallon during the trip.
Great car, it easily sleeps 2 adults inside,
Those seats look great but recovered. Definitely not a 1974! Wheel covers?? There just something not hitting home on this one!
Seats could be original if it’s indeed a Mexican-spec car, upholstery was often done locally even in a CKD operation as a way of increasing local content.
Believe I’d get a Marti report before spending that much. Seller should provide one asking that much.
Two more things— 74 was the last year without cat. converters in the US. And if you do the math again for 113,000 km’s , the distance traveled in miles might better match the condition.
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/threads/1975-ford-ltd-country-squire.57756/
Barn Finds commenters aren’t the only ones that are curious about this car. A V.I.N. would definitely answer a few questions. Can we really believe he mileage claims of a seller that doesn’t even know what year the vehicle is?
Car is a Mexican market version and also at least a ’75 model at oldest. Roof rack on backwards, left front and right rear sill plates attached underneath the kick/trim panels instead of on top of them. Under the hood we see white inner fenders which would be black on ours. Stranger yet, the J-nuts that attach the inner fenders to the fenders are painted, as are the exposed threads on the bolts running through them. Look on roof driver’s front next to rain gutter and you will see the layers of paint. A little overspray on driver’s door latch IMHO, the car has been disassembled and repainted. Note orange peel on wood decals. Rack was put on backwards afterward. The one cool part is that the Mexican 351W engines use a factory 4 barrel carburetor, and notice no smog controls whatsoever. Sucks to not have A/C. Mileage is in kilometers, and has easily rolled over which would indicate about 70,000 miles.
Here is another example of a car featured that initially looks very attractive, that is until one starts to move through the comments and things go from “lookin -pretty good to well maybe it’s a coincidence onto hey that’s not right finally to No way would I touch this bizarre amalgamation of parts masquerading as a classic.
But it looks nice.
gimmie the fox (’83/6) variation.
(o0OPs, just got 1).
Something’s wrong with this picture. The 74 Country Squire has a different grille, and the grill pattern continues onto the bezels surrounding the headlights. The door panels on the 74 are different than those on this featured car. The seat upholstery was different for 74. It had a different pattern, and had thin rectangular buttons on the seat backs, mounted vertically, vs the round ones on the featured car. And yes, the luggage rack is on backwards – the wood grain air deflector that’s supposed to be over the rear window is on the front of the roof of the featured car. This is a 75 through 78 Country Squire for sure…
To me the back bumper looks like a 73, not 74 or after.
It’s not a ’74. That front-end design was from 1975 to ’77. And Canada didn’t officially go metric until Jan. 1, 1978. I’d say this is a ’77 model, because they might have started putting metric speedometers and odometers in Canadian market cars a little early.
Allow me to correct myself, as I was in a rush to get out of the house when I wrote the above remarks, and hadn’t read the majority of comments on this forum until now.
First of all, I reiterate that this is most definitely NOT a 1974 model; I knew that the second I looked at the first picture. The front-end design of the car featured here was first introduced for the 1975 model year.
Second, I agree with David G that this is a Mexican-spec car. That would account for the deviation from the hidden headlights, standard in the U.S.- and Canada-spec cars. Also, Canada-spec cars would have English and French labels on them, not Spanish. That is is a Mexican-spec car would also explain the speedometer in kilometers, as Mexico has been on the metric system since 1857, and Canada didn’t adopt it until 1978.