It wasn’t that many years ago that I looked at station wagons and wouldn’t have given them much more than a second glance. However, having lived with them for a few years, I find them a wonderfully rewarding and practical vehicle. That is especially true of wagons like this 1969 Impala Kingswood Estate. This classic presents well and has a healthy V8 under the hood. Throw in the versatility of third-row seating, and it seems that it would be the perfect vehicle for any family contemplating a cross-country journey. If that sounds tempting, you will find the Estate located in Hayward, Wisconsin, and listed for sale here on eBay. The bidding has hit $10,001, but this figure remains short of the reserve.
The photos that the owner supplies are not what I would class as awesome, but they seem to paint a positive picture. Determining the color is difficult, but it appears to be Champagne Metallic. The paint holds a good shine, with no signs of significant flaws or defects. The faux woodgrain vinyl may have some slight lifting on its edges, but it looks consistent and free of obvious damage. The panels are straight, with no evidence of flaws or prior accident damage. The gaps are tight and consistent, and the overall impression is positive. It appears that rust is not a problem with this wagon because there is nothing visible in the supplied photos, and the owner doesn’t mention any problems in the listing. The chrome is in excellent condition, and the Rally wheels add a classy finishing touch. The glass is flawless, and it appears that this Impala has no immediate needs.
If I were to single out one aspect of this Impala as a highlight, that honor probably falls to the interior. I can spot some slight damage to one of the armrests on the back door, but the rest of the interior is in excellent condition for its age. The dash is spotless, while the pad is free from cracks and the usual deterioration around the speaker grille. The seat upholstery seems to show no evidence of significant wear or damage, while the carpet and remaining upholstered surfaces look spotless. This wagon comes with the versatility of third-row seating, meaning that it is a perfect vehicle for a larger family. As well as a factory AM radio, the interior is equipped with ice-cold air conditioning. The overall impression is that this interior needs nothing.
Potential buyers in 1969 could choose from several engines to slot under the hood of their new Kingswood Estate. This wagon’s original owner decided to tread the middle ground by ticking the box beside the 327ci V8. With 235hp being fed from that small-block to the rear wheels via a three-speed Hydramatic transmission, this classic should cover the ¼ mile in 18.4 seconds. While that figure may not sound particularly impressive, it stands up well in a vehicle of this age capable of seating eight people in comfort. Driving chores are made that much easier by the inclusion of power steering and power brakes. The owner says that this wagon runs and drives well, suggesting that it is ready to tackle that cross-country journey for someone wishing to channel their inner Clark Griswold. It may not be a muscle car, but it should devour the miles effortlessly at highway speeds.
Sometimes it can be easy to gauge the desirability of a particular vehicle by assessing its bidding history on eBay. That is the case with this 1969 Chevrolet Impala Kingswood Estate. Since the owner listed it for sale, it has received an impressive fifty bids. That suggests that there are plenty of people who like what they see. With the ongoing popularity of classic station wagons, I would not be surprised to see bidding top $20,000 before the hammer falls. It will be interesting to know whether any of our readers have ever owned a wagon like this and whether they found that to be an enjoyable experience. Over to you for comments.
Hayward Wisconsin? Needs a thorough inspection for rust.
I have a thing for the 1969 & 1970 Full size Chevies, 1969 being my favorite. If solid, I would want it. I hope it is!
I went up to Hayward to see some family over this last weekend. It takes 6 hours to get there from Milwaukee. There was a blizzard up there when I was trying to drive back. The drive took 9 hours to get back. There was no snow in Milwaukee.
Had a 69 Chevy for my drivers ed car. Beautiful. Mostly suspect bidders tho.
Good luck and happy Motoring.
Cheers
GPC
With words like spotless and slight to describe the condition of this car is worth every penny, in regards he day with this one you could be having a smoke and a 16 ounce steel can while doing 90 easy on the right road
This was are last family wagon. Ours was a serious lemon. The build quality was very poor. One thing that stood out was the chains for backup if the motor mounts let go. I agree the ’69 Kingswood was good looking though.
We had the factory motor mount fix on our 1968 (Canadian) Pontiac Parisienne 327. It was a steel cable. The motor mount recall was a big deal back then.
By series number, this is a Caprice, even if its interior is closer to Impala-spec. The plain Kingswood wagon was the Impala wagon.
Good looking station wagon. Gotta love (or hate) those late sixties colors but at least it isn’t white black or silver like most of today’s car. I hope someone gets this one and enjoys it
At Kelsey Hayes we had several 1969 & 1970 Chevrolets. One was the car given to thesalesman that called on Checker. He had a 1970 Caprice 4 door sedan with the 454 engine and the complete list of options, full power and positraction. I was onthelook out for it to come up for sale but theguy kept driving it. In my younger days I started an inventory service and I purchased a 1962 Impala wagon withthe 300 HP 327 engine. I only got 8 or 9 miles per gallon. I traded for a 1963 Impala hard top witha 6 cylinder engine. The next 12 months I had 75000 miles on it.
I dont know if it was because of the unique wheel arches , but the 69 and 70 full size Chevies were serious rusters here in New England. This one is a real beauty- I hope it ends up far west of me !
It looks like the left rear bumper has been hit. Did anyone else see that?
It is a Caprice. The Kingswood is an Impala. The Kingswood Estate is a Caprice.
Has ’70’ The frame rusted thru. It wa s a 350 auto. Used the trans in my wife ’75’ Caprice Classic and my brother still has the 350. It was rebuilt and ran like a bear and is still sitting in his garage. (35 years)
I have an Olympic Gold ’69 Impala convertible with black interior, black top , AM/FM with 8 track player with 327, powerglide for 20 years now :)
I remember fondly that my parent had Garnet red ’69 Impala four door sedan with black interior, AM radio, Power Steering, driver door’s beeper with 327, Powerglide. Boy it was super SOLID SMOOTH sailing boat without a burp or anything like this. We got it in Summer ’71 with 48,000 miles on it. We kept the car until Christmas ’83 with 191,504 miles on it.
The third owner (retired custodian on fixed income) got our Impala and drove it until he wrecked the Impala (front) in 1989 with I would estimate about 240-260,000 miles on it. Saw this Impala for last time in 1990.
So, to speak… ’69 Impala become my love from the childhood days in the 70’s and early 80’s.