It replaced the minivan that replaced the station wagon

Minivans killed the station wagon; the SUV has killed the minivan which is why you see far more SUVs on McHenry roads than you do minivans or station wagons.

The death of the station wagon is almost complete. Few auto manufacturers even offer station wagons anymore. But, at one time, the roads of McHenry (and beyond) abounded with station wagons. What happened?

The station wagon dates back to around 1910, meaning that this was an option among the earlier automobiles. The earliest station wagons had wood sides and came to be known as Woodies. Initially, they had metal framing covered with wood. But the look appealed to enough drivers that, when all-steel bodies became standard, wood was sometimes applied to station wagons for purely aesthetic reasons.

The appeal of wooden sides on station wagons went as far as to include wooden stickers applied to the sides of the vehicle. Wood-like trim was built around the wood stickers so that the appearance of a Woodie was complete.

Station wagons, originally built for commercial use, became the iconic family car in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. They often came with a third bench seat in the very back for large families and when bringing the kids and their friends to Little League baseball games. But, by the ‘80s, a challenger was replacing the station wagon as the family vehicle of choice.

The minivan was even roomier than the station wagon. But, as it was smaller than a full-sized van, it was easier to maneuver in traffic and easier to park when going to the store.

The minivan came to dominate as the choice of vehicle for families. But families were generally getting smaller. People were having fewer kids. And those minivans were still large enough, and lacked sufficient aerodynamics, that they didn’t get the kind of gas mileage people in coupes and sedans did.

The SUV became a compromise of the minivan, the station wagon, and the sedan/coupe. It was aerodynamic enough to beat the minivan on gas mileage, roomy enough for kids and/or a load of camping gear, for instance. It was also stylishly similar to other cars.

Today, the SUV is seriously challenging coupes and sedans as masters of the highways. A ride down Route 120 in McHenry will quickly show you how many of your neighbors, and those passing through town, have opted for SUVs as their vehicles of choice. They are multi-purpose vehicles that look good whatever you’re doing.