How many beautiful Ford Squires will the month of June bring us? So far this month at Barn Finds, we have covered three of various flavors, and here is yet another on craigslist, a 1972 LTD Country Squire station wagon. The asking price is $15,000 and the car is located in Santa Cruz, California. Barn Finder numskal found this fine example for us – thanks! While the station wagon was unceremoniously bumped from prominence by the minivan, the wagon is exacting its revenge: many have become intensely collectible, particularly models that are idiosyncratic to an era. Ford, wagonmeister extraordinaire, began producing the Country Squire in 1950 based on its Custom Deluxe, only phasing out the style in 1991. “Squire” always denoted woodgrain patterned panels, while the Country Squire was a top trim level. No automaker produces cars with wood-grained panels any longer – faux or otherwise – leaving the Squire and its ilk standouts in the realm of collectibility.
The LTD was a full-sized car until 1983, so the County Squire sits on a 121-inch wheelbase. With extra seating and the body’s bulk, the wagon’s curb weight was 500 lbs more than the LTD sedan. All that heft required plenty of horsepower to reach initial velocity, but unfortunately, due to looming emissions regulations, the 400 cu. in. V8 in this car was detuned from 260 hp one year prior to 172 hp in ’72. The factory transmission was a C6 automatic. This car has seen considerable mechanical work including a new transmission, new steering and brakes, new suspension, a rebuilt carburetor, new ignition, and new plugs and wires. The seller reports that the car starts, runs, and drives great.
A snazzy interior (complete with Hula Girl) showing minimal wear complements the exterior. The seller reupholstered the front seat with factory-matched vinyl. The door panels – particularly on the driver’s side both front and back – are slightly wrinkled here and there, but the headliner is excellent. I’ll trade a wrinkled door panel for a nice headliner any day. This car has Ford’s Magic Doorgate, offering two ways to open the tailgate: from its side hinges like a door, or from its lower hinges conventionally.
The hood and roof have been resprayed, but rust is visible here and there, especially in the corners of the door jambs. Replacing the cracked side marker lens and faded woodgrain trim will kick this Squire up a notch, but the woodgrain vinyl is not cheap! Veritable boatloads of Country Squires were sold in the late 1960s into the mid-1970s, thanks to parents hauling scads of Baby Boomers to swimming lessons, parks, and road trips. Still, the wagon population has declined precipitously, and prices have increased. Comparing the ’72 to any earlier model isn’t terribly useful thanks to the performance downgrade, but here’s an older sale of a similar Squire, ringing in at $19,500. The asking price on this very nice ’73 is a beefy $34,500. What do you think it will take to find this ’72 Country Squire a new garage?
Nice wagon with lots of good work done. Considering what other wagons have sold for, $15K seems like a pretty good deal for this one. The interior looks good, and the blue color is attractive. It seems like all or most of the mechanicals are up to snuff and if true, the low mileage means there’s lots of life left in the mechanicals. Rust repair should be addressed by the next owner as well as tackling the faded faux wood grain. These cars were common back in the’70s but rarely seen today, especially up here in the Northeast. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen one. I can’t see this wagon lasting long, it should sell fairly quickly.
Been posted 20 days, I don’t know…..
Nice write-up Michelle. I’m with FordGuy1972, this looks like a solid example which just needs finishing. Replacing the wood paneling will do wonders. Especially if you have grandkids to tote around, this could be fun.
I’ll bet Hula Girl is standing on a crack…
Beautiful and neat car in very nice shape, bigger engine with A/C, what’s not to love? The price. I think he’d be lucky to get $10k for it. It’s nice to look at, but it’s not a muscle car.
Dad had a ’73 in this same color combo. I had to fight with him to get a car with AM/FM stereo radio (I won). I put a nice little crease in the rear passenger door one evening picking up my sister from church when I took a corner a little too sharp and hit a bollard in the lot. Had the nice turbo-fin hubcaps that went missing after driving it to my high school one day. Big old boat.
The horsepower reduction from 1971 to 1972 was due more to change in ratings from gross to net horsepower than “looming emissions regulations”
I was about to say the same thing.
Lower compression and retarded cam timing also…
$12,000 overpriced
for a condition 3 or 4 should be about $4-9K.
Lots of rust for that kind of money
I remember our 1973 Country Squire. It had power windows, AC, AM/FM stereo and we had a 460 V8 to pull our travel trailer. I don’t remember it having cruise control. My dad paid a little over $6000 for that car from a Ford dealership in St. Petersburg Florida.
i would love to have this wagon remines me of dad always had to have his country squire even after me and my sister were grown up last one he had was a 72 pail yellow lost his sight couldn’t drive anymore i sold it like a fool i would pay the price but i am in R.I.. and the cars in California the shipping would be to much
Road trip!
I recall the rear facing seats on some of these wagons … imagine a rear impact with the kiddies back there? I do love the old wagons though.