Nicholas Maronese
Editor-in-Chief
A long time ago, before there were minivans, the ultimate mark of suburban lameness was a station wagon.
Picture a sedan – a four-door Toyota or Ford, for example – and then stretch the roof back until the rear window is flush with the back bumper. That’s a station wagon. Slap a piece of wood-patterned vinyl on the side and you’ve got a woodie wagon.
You don’t see them around too often anymore (across all makes and models you’ll find about a dozen on the new car market) and when you do, you probably still think they’re lame.
That’s because you’re not part of haute couture car culture.
The real auto enthusiast – I mean the hot rodder, the Jalopnik reader – knows “different” means “cool.” And if wagons are anything, they’re different.
I’m not picky: a Volvo 240, a new Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, a ’90s-era Bimmer wagon. Normally you’d have to dig deeper to find the real good stuff (ever heard of a Chevy Nomad?) but this year, Toronto’s Performance World is bringing the good stuff to you.
I’m talking ’50s Oldsmobiles; ’40 Ford surf woodies; ‘70s-era Chrysler Imperial estate wagons. With luck, you’ll find these and many more gems in the show’s Wagon World section.
Performance World generally caters to the mainstream – high-dollar, trailer queen hot rods; Japanese import tuners; even the rusty patina’d “rat rods” are getting trendy – but they’re aiming at the oddball enthusiast with this feature. And they should be commended for it.
The appeal in wagons lies in part in their being different, but they can’t stand apart from the crowd if the crowd’s way over there. They’re different only in context, obscure only when juxtaposed with the popular. In short, a ’57 Chevy Nomad isn’t really different until you see it next to a shoebox Bel Air.
Of course they run the risk of being picked up by the mainstream in the process, but that’s almost bound to happen anyway. And there’s a fine line between being different and being a hipster (please don’t get me started).
But even if wagons aren’t your thing – trust me, they soon will be – there’s plenty of appeal in this year’s Performance World. Whether you’re a fan of classic tin, rice-burning imports or tricked-out customs, you’ll find it there. Show highlights again include pieces from the legendary Troy Trepanier’s garage, including his beautiful ’56 Chrysler 300B.
Digging it? If your interest isn’t piqued by any of the above, consider hitting up the show anyway. And if you do, make sure you swing by Wagon World – and keep an open mind.
Thank you so much. Actually Alyson is our second child, but to be hosnet, you pretty much forget everything by the time the baby is born anyways. It’s like you’re new parents all over again! lolAlyson just turned 9 months on the 21st, so I guess she’s a few months behind, Noah, but close enough! I have liked your facebook page and will post a pic soon. We are new to the DS community. I’ve waited until now, because I wanted to spend more time on Alyson being Alyson rather than Alyson being a DS child, if you understand what I mean. In a way however I wished I had joined the community earlier, everyone is so nice. It’s indescribable how there is an instant connection amongst complete strangers. If only the entire world is so welcoming as this community is of each other. We are currently working on sitting without the use of her arms to prop and finer gross motor skills in play time. It’s amazing how much work goes into learning small tasks. Not to be cheezy but I really find my daughter to be inspiring.