When I reflect back upon my childhood, I now find it quite surprising that the Clan Clarke never numbered a station wagon amongst the list of family cars. I mean, there weren’t a million of us, but if I could have relegated my little brother to a third-row seat, life would have been more pleasant for all of us on those long family journeys. With the demise of the full-size station wagon, classics like this 1969 Chevrolet Kingswood 9-seater have grown in both popularity and value. This one is a clean and tidy survivor and is now looking for a new home. It is located in Englewood, Colorado, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has now reached $8,900, but the reserve hasn’t been met.

Until fairly recently, the Kingswood had spent some 30-years languishing in a barn in Montana. It isn’t perfect, but I have to say that the Champagne paint that the vehicle wears still looks fairly presentable. It is faded in a number of spots, and the wagon would definitely benefit from a repaint. However, if the next owner simply wanted to drive the vehicle as an original survivor, I don’t see that this would be a problem. There are a few dings and marks around the car, but none of these issues appear to be severe. The wagon isn’t completely rust-free, but the few spots appearing along the bottoms of both side windows are fairly small, and also seem to be about the worst of it. The chrome and trim look good, while the tinted glass appears to be free from significant chips or scratches. The chrome luggage rack is a nice touch, and while the wheels aren’t original, they still suit the vehicle very nicely.

I will agree with the owner on one point. Quite often when you find an original and unrestored family wagon of this age, the interior can look pretty tatty. After all, 51-years of children, pets, and luggage bouncing around in there is bound to take some form of a toll on upholstery and trim. That’s what makes this Chevy quite refreshing. The driver’s seat has received a repair at some point, but the rest of the upholstery and trim is said to be original. The seats and door trims look extremely nice, as does the headliner. There are no major problems with the carpet, but it is the plastic trim in the cargo area that is the real star in my eyes. If any single area of a station wagon is going to show high levels of deterioration, then this is it. Unrestrained luggage, groceries, and other assorted objects will do untold damage as it flails around the place. In this case, the cargo area might not be perfect, but its condition is a very long way above average. The wagon features a power rear window, and this works properly from all three locations. As previously mentioned, the Kingswood does feature third-row seating. Not only is this seat in good condition, but it would rate as the perfect location to place any unruly child who is turning a journey into an unbearable experience. Original luxury items are limited to that power rear window, along with a working factory AM radio. However, the owner has recently had vintage aftermarket air conditioning fitted. The installation of the under-dash components looks pretty neat, and the owner says that it does blow ice cold.

The owner regrets not adding engine photos to the listing, and I share his regret. What we know is that the engine bay houses a 350ci V8, and this one pumps out a very healthy 300hp. Shifting duties fall to a 3-speed Hydramatic transmission, but it isn’t clear whether we receive power assistance for either the steering or for the brakes. The news here appears to be all good. The suspension and springs have been replaced, while the exhaust has been replaced with a Magnaflow system. The owner claims that the vehicle is maintained by a classic car specialist and that the Magnaflow exhaust isn’t loud, but it does sound very nice. He says that it will happily cruise at 90mph and that he would have no hesitation in driving it right across the country.

When I was a lad, owning a station wagon as a family car was about as uncool as it got. More often than not, people purchased them more out of necessity than choice. The proliferation of SUVs and people carriers spelled the end for the full-size station wagon, and I doubt that we will ever see their return. This has caused opinions to turn through 180° to transform classic station wagons into something of a “must-have” item. That makes nicely preserved originals like this one all the more desirable. I would be only guessing about where the reserve might be set on this one, but the seller does make it clear that he is fairly firm on his price. Still, given its generally clean and original appearance, this is one wagon that I suspect should have no problems reaching a realistic reserve. I hope that if it does sell, that it will go to a new owner who will appreciate this very clean survivor.