For anyone of my age, when one thinks about the good ol' family hauler, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a minivan. Ok, I get it, but go back a little further. Back to a time long ago, when the family hauler was a station wagon, like this behemoth below........
Like the long extinct dinos, these things roamed our neighbourhoods and were as common as the now ubiquitous suv. These days, call something a station wagon and you've destined it to being nailed to the showroom floor. Ain't no one ponying up hard earned coin for a friggin' station wagon around these parts.
Long gone? Ancient history? Dead?
Maybe, but that depends on what you call a station wagon. What is this double talk I speak of? Ok, folks, let's call them something else and see what happens.
Years ago Aston Martin started a tradition of making a few wagon copies of their beautiful sports cars.......
Always gorgeous and always called shooting brakes. They probably could have called them chuck wagons and they would have sold. This tradition has continued up to the present day with the Zagato Vanquish Shooting Brake.......
No wood panelling, but definitely a wagon. Don't look for one at your local mall, as only a handful were made. Wonder if Chrysler knocked off a few of their big old wagons, called them shooting brakes, whether they would find a home?
Now cast your thoughts over to Porsche. Their lovely Panamera has had a wagon version for a few years.......
A wagon? Not quite, a Grand Turismo. Yep, that makes all the difference. Love a Porsche? Love to have a 911, but need the room? Play golf and need even more room? Then look no further.
You're an environmentalist you say? Porsche has you covered.......
Take a Taycan EV, give it the Grand Turismo treatment and viola, you are the envy of your local Green Party candidate and a few other envious tree huggers you pass along the way.
Being one of those oddballs who like wagons, these hot new ones have my eye and heart. Of course, selling my soul still wouldn't give me enough coin to put one in my name. California Dreamin'? I think so. But it makes me happy that the old family hauler is still alive and well, but configured a little differently (and unfortunately vastly more expensive).
Ah progress.
Until next time......
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