Not your typical movie car

Sure. We could do a blog about the most iconic movie cars. When it comes to those, there are the obvious ones with an off-the-chart cool factor: the Batmobile, Burt Reynolds’ Trans Am in “Smokey and the Bandit” and the “Back to the Future” DeLorean. And of course, you can’t leave out any of the cars from the James Bond movies. Or you might think of the Ferrari from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” or the one Christie Brinkley drove in “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”

But hasn’t that list been done… a lot?

Instead, let’s look at a car that doesn’t make the typical “coolest movie cars” lists but is just as iconic and maybe even more fun: the station wagon.

What other car could the Griswold family have set off in that would have been as fitting? And what about the station wagons from “Ghostbusters” and “Adventures in Babysitting,” “When Harry Met Sally” and even “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”?

Did you know that station wagons originated as “depot hacks”? They were vehicles used to carry cargo – luggage and people – to and from the train depots. The first true station wagon was the Star introduced in 1923 by Durant Motors. Until the 1950s, station wagons were commonly considered to be commercial vehicles. However, by the end of the decade, the station wagon had become the family vehicle. They began to fall out of favor during the 1960s and 1970s as more compact vehicles took over.

But never fear! Station wagons are back. Actually, they never went away completely. (Some might argue that minivans and SUVs are essentially station wagons. We won’t get into the details that define the differences.) Several automakers have continued making station wagons through the years, although you might hear them referred to as sport wagons now. The 2018-2019 lineup is pretty impressive.

The station wagon may not have the cool factor and may never hold the top spot on iconic movie car lists, but it is an iconic car that has changed with the times even as it holds its own.