eBay Find of the Week: Wagonaire Extraordinaire
20170726013151)
Today we have SUVs, but 50 years ago trucks were trucks. The words “luxury” or “sport” anywhere near a sentence that contained “trucks” would have elicited a chuckle. Still, there were some early attempts to cross the gap. The Ford Ranchero and later Chevy El Camino come to mind.
Taking a different approach, Studebaker’s Wagonaire took the concept of a comfortable and family-friendly wagon but combined it with a sliding roof so it could theoretically carry large and tall items like a pickup. General Motors recently copied some of the Wagonaire’s ideas: Its GMC Envoy features a sliding roof. Was Studebaker simply way ahead of the curve?
Nice Wagonaires are a rare sight. This week’s subject appears to be in extraordinary condition, as the seller backs up with a long and detailed video. It also sports true sporty pretensions beneath its sleeper skin, with an upgraded Chevrolet 327-cid V-8, which “runs strong, pulls hard and is fast and fun!” and Turbo Hydra-matic three-speed transmission.
Perhaps most importantly, according to the seller, the Wagonaire is “A very solid and rust free car.” As of the time of writing, bidding is up to $17,600 and reserve remains unmet.
