On Sat, Jun 3, 2023 at 5:20 PM Alexander Schreiber via cctalk < [email protected]> wrote:
> > So the Mercedes T model was (at least in Germany, the manufacturers > country) > never called a "station wagon" because that category name doesn't exist > there. The closest analogue to it in German parlance would be the "Kombi" > class of vehicles. Based upon the more numerous sedan models, but shaped > like a station wagon with a large rear door, a level trunk (usually) > and with the option of considerably expanding cargo space by folding > down the rear seats to provide a flat surface In other words, a station wagon :) > And - since demand for that kind of vehicle never went away - there are > still quite a few "Kombi" variants of common sedans. As for why "nobody > makes station wagons anymore, but something like it and calls it a > different name" - I get the impression that station wagons in the US got > a bad rap as "big and wasteful" vehicles. Which is hilarious when you > think about the SUV epidemic that happened (and seems to be getting > worse still) many years later and very much redefined "big and wasteful" > (aside from "silly and dangerous to use due to high center of gravity"). > It's because the station wagon has the connotation of being a perfect transportation machine for a large middle class family, and being middle class and having a large family are two concepts that are in the process of being stamped out by people who want neither. Bring back the station wagon! Sellam
