Back in the decade that culminated with a pair of Americans walking on the moon and Jimi Hendrix’s plugged-in, distortion-filled, psychedelic rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, the humble station wagon was just a family car. While there were a handful of sleepers that could be put together with some judicious selections on the options list of some cars, fast, sporty wagons have much more of a 21st century vibe than a Sixties muscle car thing.
However, as an answer to the question “What if they made muscle wagons back in the day?” may we present this modified 1968 Oldsmobile Vista-Cruiser wagon, currently offered on Hemmings Auctions. With its “442” badges and Super Stock I wheels, this many-windowed wagon packs a muscle-car-appropriate 400-cu.in. V8 under the hood with some go-fast parts bolted onto it.
Based on the A-body Cutlass sedan, but with a 5-inch longer wheelbase and a foot longer overall, the ’68 Vista Cruiser is remembered as the ultimate family car for its generation. Available in two- or three-row configurations with seating for up to nine people, the Oldsmobile wagon is also remembered for its generous use of Di-Noc woodgrain applique on the exterior and the additional glass panes in the roof that gave credence to the “Vista” part of the car’s name.
Like the rest of GM’s A-body lineup, the Vista-Cruiser benefited from a wholesale redesign in 1968 that featured more curves and the use of a single piece of glass above the rear passengers that had previously been a two-piece setup. The woodgrain for 1968 also flowed over the wheel arches, extending its reach from previous iterations. The result was a more contemporary-looking wagon to compete against Ford, Mercury, Mopar and all the other GM divisions making intermediate-size wagons
However, as an answer to the question “What if they made muscle wagons back in the day?” may we present this modified 1968 Oldsmobile Vista-Cruiser wagon, currently offered on Hemmings Auctions. With its “442” badges and Super Stock I wheels, this many-windowed wagon packs a muscle-car-appropriate 400-cu.in. V8 under the hood with some go-fast parts bolted onto it.
Based on the A-body Cutlass sedan, but with a 5-inch longer wheelbase and a foot longer overall, the ’68 Vista Cruiser is remembered as the ultimate family car for its generation. Available in two- or three-row configurations with seating for up to nine people, the Oldsmobile wagon is also remembered for its generous use of Di-Noc woodgrain applique on the exterior and the additional glass panes in the roof that gave credence to the “Vista” part of the car’s name.
Like the rest of GM’s A-body lineup, the Vista-Cruiser benefited from a wholesale redesign in 1968 that featured more curves and the use of a single piece of glass above the rear passengers that had previously been a two-piece setup. The woodgrain for 1968 also flowed over the wheel arches, extending its reach from previous iterations. The result was a more contemporary-looking wagon to compete against Ford, Mercury, Mopar and all the other GM divisions making intermediate-size wagons
