My family 72' Dodge Monaco station wagon was like a member of the family..

These wagons are a rareity when speaking of wagons. As I read somewhere there was a run of just under 2000 Monaco wagons made for the 72 model year. Toss in the fact that its now 40 years later and in the advent of the SUV lots of wagons were crushed down and made into Hondas. I wish we had more shows here, all we have is one big one in august , The Goodguys. Id think a Mopar show or something .... but nope. I dont have any place to display my 72 Monaco.

 

beautiful car!

 

Titanic, this thread really hit real close to home, so I joined this website as well. In 1972, I was 8 and our family bought a brand new 1972 Chrysler Town and Country wagon. I knew a lot about it even before I even saw it because my dad special ordered it to replace our 68 Plymouth Fury. I think he spent a month going through the options before he placed the order. Then it took 6 long weeks for the car to arrive. The whole family went down to pick it up.

Here's what we ended up with - it had the Honeydew exterior color...I'd say it was between beige and yellow (and of course it had the obligitory simulated wood siding). It had rear a/c which was really unusual at the time. My friends were all burning up on long trips but not me. Just yell up front to dad and he could turn it up or down. It had the 400 2bbl motor and trailer towing package with 3.23 rear gears. The tailgate could open as a gate or a door. Had fender-mounted turn signals...as a kid I thought that was cool. Man I loved that car. On trips, me and my 2 sisters owned everything behind the front seat. We'd change up the rear configuration when we got bored.

When both rear seats were up, we called the space between the "punishment compartment" ha ha.

We took that on road trips ever summing, skiiing in CO, going to the beach in FL. I learned to drive in that car. I learned to center the car in the lane by visually placing the left fender at the left side of the lane, and the right fender one full lane over from the lane you were actually in. I only found out later that all cars are not like that.

My dad kept ours until 1990. It didn't die, my dad just sold it. I didn't want it then. I had a 72 Roadrunner at the time...(hmm wonder what made me want that car?) Wish I had it now though! I will try to dig up a pic.

 

Neat story. Glad to have you here.

 

Yup...gotta love those big old Chrysler wagons!

 

Great story! The car sounded like a member of the family- was this the model?:

 

It sure is! Could be the same car other than the color. Same hubcaps and all. And I spy...a turn-signal indicator on the fender! Note that there was even a little fake woodgrain strip on the luggage rack.

Thanks for that. And yeah, it was a member of the family. Anytime the whole family went, we were in that car. We never flew anywhere, only drove.

 

I am well aware of woodgrain on the luggage rack, two way tailgates, and fender mount turn signals. Original owner (family) here of an all original 1972 Plymouth Satellite Regent.
While my memories may not be as deep as some of yours, I have plenty of family road trip memories. I wasn't around when it was new, I've only known her for all of my life of 16 years. But this ole girl has played the same role in my life as the wagons of your pasts have in your lives. I may be one a VERY few of my generation who truly knows what you are talking about.

Also, I would not doubt the 2000 car production. My car is one of 2907 for 1972...

 

Here is another picture..I *think* this is a Chrysler Town & country- possibly a '72 or a '73- But then again, this might be an Oldsmobile...

 

I'm drooling here. I love those old Chrysler wagons....especially with the 440 in them! They were awesome wagons. Had style!

 

My parent's '72 Dodge Monaco had fake woodgrain along the side panels- I think it was stickons or painted on, i can't remember....You can see what I mean in my avatar- but Our Monaco wasn't blue, but rather dark brown/black...

 

Being a kid in the early '70s & before was a great time, because odds are you grew up in a classic station wagon....I feels sorry for kids today with their Minivan memories...

 

No that's a Chrysler T&C - it looks just like ours in that pic...although I think ours was more yellow. Probably just the light in the picture. I think this one's a 73 because the front bumper is not smooth to the body. The 73s had no changes to the rear, but had a different front with an upright grill. Nice pic, I like the grab-handles and the spoiler.

I must really be getting old. I am among the 1% or less of people who actually know how to remove fender skirts on a car to wash the back tires!

 

Since Dodge was the mid-range of the Mopar line, id think the Chrysler T/C is essentially the same as the Dodge line. Just a few more bells and whistles. The body on this Chrysler wagon looks more or less the same as the Monaco, minus the hide-away headlamps of course.

 

The lines were fuzzy on the different models back then. But...I always thought that the Chrysler T&C was the top of the line. I could be wrong.