Remember These Station Wagons with Rear-Facing Seats?
If you were alive in the 1960s, you might remember sitting in a station wagon with rear-facing third row seats.
Written by Alexandra Maloney
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Station wagons have been the ultimate family car for years. Debuting in 1920 and still present today, there have been plenty of station wagon models and makes seen on the roads. Now, station wagons might be known for their quirky appearance and great cargo space, but those things weren’t always the standout features.
Instead, if we look at past
car history
, we see the station wagon used to be known for its rear-facing third-row seats. The strange setup allowed for more passengers and was quickly adopted throughout the automotive world, proving the beloved station wagon was influential in more ways than one.What were station wagon rear-facing seats?
Rear-facing seats were a phenomenon in station wagons that came to be in the 1960s, when the goal was to fit as many passengers into the vehicle as possible. Some station wagon models accomplished this with a pretty standard extra seating setup; a nine-passenger car that simply had a third-row facing forward, accessible through the standard rear doors.
But, other station wagons models didn’t take such a conventional approach. Instead of forward-facing third-row seats, some models featured a rear-facing third row. Rear-facing third-row seats essentially put passengers in seats in the trunk, looking out the rear window, allowing for up to 10 people inside one station wagon at a time. Oftentimes, parents put their kids in the rear-facing seats, facing away from them and out to oncoming traffic.
Hemmings
reports that the rear-facing seats were quickly adopted by the Big Three’s compact wagons, including the Plymouth Valiant and Chevy Nova II. The design was also adopted in European cars, which increased the station wagon’s popularity globally. By the mid 1960s, countless car models were using the rear-facing third-row seats. Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Rear-facing wasn’t the only wacky seating arrangement
A rear-facing third row perhaps wasn’t even the strangest seating arrangement in station wagons.
Best Ride
reports some station wagons in the 1960s, like Ford Country Squires, featured third-row jump seats that faced each other and folded up from the floor. Plus, depending on the manufacturer, the setup of the third row and overall car makeup would likely be different.Some car manufacturers utilized a dual-opening tailgate that could fold down flat (like a pickup truck bed) or swing out. The rear window on station wagons was also unique depending on the model. Some were operated by a hand crank to be rolled down, while others extended all the way up to the car ceiling.
What happened to the rear-facing seats?
The rear-facing third row trend began to fall out of style in the 1980s, and by the 1990s it was all but extinct due to the creation of the minivan. Surprisingly, while this style of seating isn’t as popular today as it was many years ago, drivers who want to can still purchase a car with rear-facing seats today.
Specifically, European automakers are still producing a limited number of cars with rear-facing seats. Today, the only car that offers the unique rear-facing third row is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class station wagon, which is on the market in its 2022 model at a price point around $113,000.
Are you overpaying for car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
4.7You might also be interested
