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Europe is a true station wagon continent, but that is increasingly changing. SUVs took over as a practical family car. In the US this happened much longer ago, but even there the model family once had a spacious station wagon in the driveway. Take the beautiful Chrysler Town & Country that is the focus of this week’s Spotted section.

The spotted specimen

In Amersfoort, we saw this beautiful 1972 Chrysler Town & Country, which has been in the Netherlands since 2021. At least at the rear, the Arizona license plates are still behind the Dutch ones. The car still looks very nice in several ways. Nice also that it is still used as an estate car is meant to be. On the one hand a spacious family car, but on the other hand also a bit of a workhorse: bench flat, stuff in the back and stuff on the roof.

The Chrysler Town & Country

From 1940 through 1988 (with only a brief interruption during wartime), the Chrysler Town & Country was one of the most luxurious models in the Chrysler lineup. Although there were other body styles, the Town & Country is best known as a luxury station wagon. First with real wood bodywork, later with wood motifs. By the way, Town & Country’s without wood were also available.

Fifth-generation Chrysler Town & Country

The Chrysler Town & Country we spotted is one of the fifth generation, which came from model years 1969 through 1973. This model was always an estate, based on the Chryslers Newport and New Yorker. Those, in turn, were not available at all as station wagons.

The new “full-size” Chryslers for model year 1969 stood out with a particularly sleek design for the time, with convex flanks. The Town & Country was always wood-patterned for this model generation. At the front, the bumper completely surrounded the headlights and grille. The rear bumper was also largely integrated into the body shape. This was not a given at the time.

Nine-person family car

The station wagon had a slightly shorter wheelbase than the sedan models, but was still about the same length thanks to a larger overhang at the rear.A kind of arc around the tailgate ensured, thanks to an aerodynamic effect, that the rear window remained clean while driving. The tailgate could open sideways as well as downwards. Why there were handles in the frame around the tailgate? It was convenient for boarding, because optional seating in the luggage compartment allowed the Town & Country to accommodate as many as nine occupants.

For propulsion, there was a choice of a 6.3- and 7.2-liter V8 gasoline engine. The 6.3-liter delivered either (190 hp) or (240 hp). The 7.2-liter offered (220 hp), but higher torque. All engines were combined with a three-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. Incidentally, later only the 7.2-liter remained, with slightly less power, in order to meet stricter emissions requirements.

Last-minute facelift for the Chryslers

The plan was for the fifth-generation Chrysler Town & Country (along with related sedans) to remain in production for four years. Only some minor model-year updates were made. However, the all-new full-size Chryslers were delayed entering the market, not until the 1974 model year. That while new cars in the U.S. from model year 1973 had to comply with new regulations for bumpers: the body was not allowed to be damaged in rear-end collisions up to converted 8 mph.

So, as a makeshift solution, a new front end was put on the “old” car for model year 1973 only, with conventional bumpers that could absorb such a bump. The rear bumper just got rather clunky rubber blocks stuck on, to comply with the new regulations.

Return of the Chrysler Town & Country

Thus, the Town & Country station wagon line continued through 1988. For model year 1990, the Town & Country name made a return. This time not for an estate car, but for an extra-luxury version of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Grand Voyager, again known to us as the Chrysler Voyager. Such minivans were an increasingly important competitor to the traditional station wagon even before SUVs. In this form, the Town & Country name lasted through model year 2016.