In recent years, station wagons have begun to find favor with collectors, especially unique models. This collector is going the other direction, thinning his herd from 300 vehicles and shedding all his wagons in the process. We don’t know if there is any rhyme or reason why this seller collected these wagons, as none were made before 1976 and they’re some of the biggest station wagons ever made. They’re located in a garage/barn in Bangor, Pennsylvania and available here on craigslist from as little as $4,900 and as much at $18,000. Thank you, Ikey Heyman, for coming up with another neat tip for us!
From what we can tell, the condition of the wagons in this collection ranges from Fair to Very Good. All of them are said to run except one, and that may have been an oversight on the part of the seller. As you’ll see in the photos provided, there are lots of other cars that may or may not be for sale. These are the only four the seller is attempting to address at this time. He says he has already sold seven wagons, so that suggests his inventory was at least 11 at one time.
1976 Buick Estate Wagon
The Buick Estate was a line of full-sized station wagons. Available from the 1940s through the 1990s, the Estate was GM’s most expensive and most fully equipped entry in the market. The seller’s wagon was the last of the generation that ran between 1971-76 and the year of the Centennial was the last one before they were downsized for less weight and better fuel economy. The seller describes this was as being a one-family car that has seen just 74,000 miles in 45 years. It’s the nicest wagon in the bunch and priced accordingly at $18,000. It sports a 455 cubic inch V-8, a mint interior and three rows of seating.
1976 Chrysler Town & Country
We now move from the most to least pricey in terms of the seller’s asking price. The Town & Country was a long-term nameplate in the Chrysler family, although it disappeared after the 1980s. Like the Buick, the T&C would get downsized in 1977, so the 1974-76 models were as big as they would get. This one has 96,000 miles with a 440 V-8 and every option you could get. It runs well and had a lot of suspension work previously done. But it wears rust in the outer dog legs and at the bottom of one of the quarter panels. The paneling is faded and the interior needs work. $4,900 takes this one home.
1989 Mercury Colony Park
Mercury’s Colony Park is also a full-size station wagon that was offered between 1957 and 1991. This wagon was produced toward the end of the sixth generation. It, too, has three rows of seating with 84,000 miles on the odometer. It’s been living amongst this collection for about five years and is in mostly good condition, although you’ll find some rust brewing in a couple of places and the interior is rather dirty and worn. $5,500 is what the seller is looking to get for this one.
1996 Buick Roadmaster
The newest wagon of the bunch is the ginormous Roadmaster which was in its last year of production in 1996. I haven’t checked the numbers, but this could be the longest wagon in this garage. Besides running well, it’s said to have a LT1 engine, no rust on the body, three seats yet again, worn carpeting and 145,000 miles on the clock, although the seller says it could pass for 45,000. A nice touch is that the original window sticker was saved. $6,900 is the going rate for this one. So, if you like wagons as much as this guy once did, you could have them all for $35,000 and change.
I think the coolest car there is the white Imperial.
Its a 64-66 Le Baron, they made very few of them.
I also like the White 61-62 Chrysler something, could it be a Letter car ;-)
Agreed!
When I see a collection like this, I’d like to hear the back story. How did you get to 300 (now 100) cars? What were your reasons for building the collection? Does it have any themes? How and where did you store them? Did you attempt to keep them running? How did you reach the decision to sell down?
Even if the cars were not particularly valuable, that many cars would have significant value. Would you rather have 300 low-priced collector cars or a handful of super-high-dollar collector cars?
My question…
Did you not have enough cash left to invest in a decent camera?
You writing a book or buyng cars? , who gives a hoot ? Make an offer or move on
No need to be nasty to Bob, man. He’s asking some good questions that I would also like to know the answers to.
I wish that I could afford a collection like this… and had a place indoors to keep them all!
Bob,
I can speak from experience when I talk about collecting not dozens, but hundreds of cars. When I finally sold off most of my vehicles, I had been leasing a 13,000 sq ft former DeSoto-Plymouth dealership with 4 acres of land, all filled with cars. I decided enough was enough, way too many were deteriorating, and I realized I couldn’t “save ’em all”. I kept 8 rare & valuable cars, now down to 6.
Unless you’ve got unlimited funds, I don’t suggest you attempt to corner all the collectible vehicles you can.
I’ll take the ’58 Edsel.
That would be my first choice, too.
Just one of these beauties would be enought. Thanks for the look, they are great.
Hands down, if I had the room, the Ford wagon and the Buick.
The Buick is 2.9 inches SHORTER than the ’77-’90 Squarebacks that preceded it. It is built on the same chassis, floor pans, and interior seating components as the previous versions.
You mean collection of Swagons, right?
The 74-77 Town & Country has all the styling grace of a school bus.
CCFisher,
I’m in agreement with your statement, but you might have insulted a few School Bus designers in doing so!
Will any of these fit in a newer garage?
No they will not fit
Susan,
The typical depth of a standard residential garage is between 22 and 24 feet. Width is typically 12 feet.
That said, it’s always a good idea to know the size of your garage before buying a larger car. When my parents were looking to have a house built, my dad wanted a much deeper attached 2 car garage. The architect asked why, and my dad showed him a photo of his 1940 Packard Super 8 1808 limousine, saying “That’s why!”
Wagons ho!
Luv love luv me the wagons.
Do you have more photos of the Buick?