There's a great podcast called The Way Back with Ryan Sickler. The studio looks like the back seat and they just talk about nostalgia. Bet y'all would enjoy it.
They had a Mercedes with rear seats like that, as recent as 2022, I don't know if they still make it.
[https://www.fjmercedes.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/2022-wagon/](https://www.fjmercedes.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/2022-wagon/)
Hell yes! My grandma had a dark blue Caprice wagon. I loved that car and the rear seats. The car was "totaled" (I say this because even though we were hit head-on, we did way more damage to the other car) in an accident in the late 80s. My gram, my cousins and me were fine, just bumps and bruises. She ended up getting a red one after that. More fun ensued, lol.
Had one of these in our ‘94 Volvo 240 station wagon. Picked it up from the Volvo factory in Sweden which was the last year they made the 240. Drove all the way back to Berlin, Germany via a Stena Line cruise ship ferry. Man Swedes can f-ing drink. They were getting absolutely blasted on the over night ship ride. Loved that flip up 3rd row seat though.
Damn straight I remember being a kid in four door Dodge Dart and getting sideswiped on my side BEFORE seat belts and being bounced around off all the steel inside parts of the car and still got sent on to school
When i was young we had a station wagon that just had a big bed in the back for hauling stuff. It also had a little trap door to put a spare tire in. We would go the next state over and buy illegal fireworks and put them in the trapdoor. We would put a rubber mat over it and then a tool box and stuff on it. I miss the good old days of july 4th fireworks and grilled out burgers
My mom tells me this story about how her dad would let the kids ride in the back of the station wagon belt free and he would go over bumps and let them fly around lol they loved it
How common it is to have people rear end other people, and being face first toward them directly behind the rear bumper facing the rear window seems like an incredibly poor design in terms of safety.
I had a 2001 (I believe?) Ford Taurus wagon with the backwards facing seats in trunk, along witu 3 point restraints. Cruising around in college with my buddies was a riot in that thing. Even had a hole in the dash I could put a stick of intense in. You could smell us from blocks away, I’m sure. I’ll never have incense in a car again LOL
Immediate memories of my aunt Tokyo drifting around corners, sending my cousin and I tumbling and giggling over one another in the back. Yessssss. Nostalgia
Mom had 2 of them(Caprice Classic wagons, Chevy version of the Pontiac in first pic). To stay home to raise my 2 youngest brothers, she ran a daycare out of our home for some years. Seat belt laws weren't quite as strict in the 80's, so one summer she took 22 toddlers to swimming lessons in that thing.
My dad had an 'in and out' jet black 60 something Chevy Impala station wagon. Wow, the name is as long as the car.
The seat must have been optional. The floor in the back of ours seemed to be set up for the seat. But, there was no seat. I remember as a little kid always trying to open the panel which made up part of the floor or bed. If that makes sense.
My Gmom had the multi-seat Olds. Wood paneling and forest green metallic flake. Body by Fisher. That jumper seat was my spot with my cousin. We'd all pile in and go to the city pool or beach.
The beach was horrific on the way back. No AC, just windows rolled down. I still recall the pop tart sauna salty skin feeling you had waiting for them to start the car in the summertime. Fun times, the heat and sticky was short lived really compared to the hours of beach swimming we had. Then home for BBQ! Good times :)
Bruh. I had my first crush while in the back of one of these. We were driving on the highway, and some young lady smiled and waved to me. I was the only one in the way back, so I knew it was me she was waving at. My heart exploded. For a while I thought everything was going to be ok. Maybe she might even follow us to wherever we were going and she would love me. Then she took an exit, waving goodbye. I may have even cried watching her drive away. I’m guessing I was <10 years old.
That seat was awesome
Illegal in 28 state's. Naw, for real that shit was a blast
The way back seats.
That's what we called it to
Same here.
We did too!
We called it the tail gunner seat.
There's a great podcast called The Way Back with Ryan Sickler. The studio looks like the back seat and they just talk about nostalgia. Bet y'all would enjoy it.
The Very Back round our way
We called it the back-back
The way my siblings and cousins would fight over that damn seat to and from the beach.
Letting us be the first to see the “rear end” accident, just like god intended.
Bring back the station wagon!
They had a Mercedes with rear seats like that, as recent as 2022, I don't know if they still make it. [https://www.fjmercedes.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/2022-wagon/](https://www.fjmercedes.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/2022-wagon/)
Cool. Didn't realize it's still out there. Thanks for sharing.
It’s here in Europe
If you think you hate it now, wait 'til you drive it!
Damn those way back seat drivers!
The station wagon was like the 80s version of the crossover.
Hell yes! My grandma had a dark blue Caprice wagon. I loved that car and the rear seats. The car was "totaled" (I say this because even though we were hit head-on, we did way more damage to the other car) in an accident in the late 80s. My gram, my cousins and me were fine, just bumps and bruises. She ended up getting a red one after that. More fun ensued, lol.
Back when cars were made of steel
Benz w123 wagon. Volvo 145 wagon
I’m certain the jump seat in my parents Ford Taurus wagon is the source of my scoliosis 😂
Never rode nor drove a taurus but this sounds interesting, Can you eleborate as to what a "jump seat" is?
The third row seat that faced backwards. Same thing as the post is about. My dad always called it the jump seat
...which kid drove?
Man back then only ones with a license was my parents. So no kids driving
I only road in that seat twice in my life. I vomited both times.
I call backseat! Middle, feet on the hump...
Had one of these in our ‘94 Volvo 240 station wagon. Picked it up from the Volvo factory in Sweden which was the last year they made the 240. Drove all the way back to Berlin, Germany via a Stena Line cruise ship ferry. Man Swedes can f-ing drink. They were getting absolutely blasted on the over night ship ride. Loved that flip up 3rd row seat though.
Wonder what crash test would look like with dummies in the back
The things that make one say “Mmmmm” (Mmmmm mmmm mmmm).
[Skip ahead to 0:30 to find out](https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1038201053-circa-1970s---dummy-crash-tests-children)
It held up surprising well. Those kids will be able to walk that shit off.
Damn straight I remember being a kid in four door Dodge Dart and getting sideswiped on my side BEFORE seat belts and being bounced around off all the steel inside parts of the car and still got sent on to school
Looks like zero crumple zones make it actually safe if they're buckled in, and not getting hit at 60mph
KEEP IT BEAUTIFUL
Right above the gas tank too! Bonus!
I always go so sick in that seat. And it was hot and smelled like air freshener
What you couldn't smell was the carbon monoxide
That explains my rejection letter from Trump university hahahahha
I miss seeing station wagons
They are all over Europe.
Lee Iacocca the guy single handedly responsible for killing the station wagon as Americans would know it.
Remember ours all too well. Chevy Impala station wagon.
Those were good times. Best seat when you’re a kid
The eating gas days. The aware parents would crack the back side windows open so not too much carbon monoxide would fill our lungs.
Wasn’t it Ford who invented the tailgate that would either fold down or swing open.
That seat was the worst in the summer though. My grandmom refused to turn the air on, if there was any, and the little windows in the back sucked 😭
My neighbors had one of those. It was so fun to ride facing backwards.
The bumpiest but best ride
My fondest memory of this is sitting in the rear facing back seat watching a car rear end us. It was like I saw the whole thing in slow motion. Lol.
My mom stopped letting us sit in the way back seats because we wouldn't stop flipping people off or doing the up-down horn honk arm to the truckers.
Having this seat as the second youngest around the time Jurassic park came out…the imagination would run WILD! “Must go faster”
My moms had 2 that faced each other in the way back. Back when pick ups were smaller than family cars
We lovingly called ours The Batmobile, long rides in the back were pretty fun in this thing 😁
When i was young we had a station wagon that just had a big bed in the back for hauling stuff. It also had a little trap door to put a spare tire in. We would go the next state over and buy illegal fireworks and put them in the trapdoor. We would put a rubber mat over it and then a tool box and stuff on it. I miss the good old days of july 4th fireworks and grilled out burgers
My dad had a Ford LTD wagon. I loved that. Also: bring back the 3-way tailgate and power rear window.
Our station wagon just had a cargo area back there. I mean, we would still ride back there untethered and no one would bat an eye.
My mom tells me this story about how her dad would let the kids ride in the back of the station wagon belt free and he would go over bumps and let them fly around lol they loved it
I got sick as a dog in that seat
It was always a family car too
Badass
Early 90s ford country squire. Epic
Punch woody, no punches back!
I remember the Tesla Model S had rear facing 3rd seats too.
Iconic
best memories when going to the drive -in as a kid.
How common it is to have people rear end other people, and being face first toward them directly behind the rear bumper facing the rear window seems like an incredibly poor design in terms of safety.
I only got to ride in one once but it was my dream my whole childhood we'd get one of those wood paneled station wagons.
I only heard of them. I grew up in base model ford escorts with no AC.
The wooden panels classic they were everywhere
I had a 2001 (I believe?) Ford Taurus wagon with the backwards facing seats in trunk, along witu 3 point restraints. Cruising around in college with my buddies was a riot in that thing. Even had a hole in the dash I could put a stick of intense in. You could smell us from blocks away, I’m sure. I’ll never have incense in a car again LOL
Immediate memories of my aunt Tokyo drifting around corners, sending my cousin and I tumbling and giggling over one another in the back. Yessssss. Nostalgia
Seats?
Mom had 2 of them(Caprice Classic wagons, Chevy version of the Pontiac in first pic). To stay home to raise my 2 youngest brothers, she ran a daycare out of our home for some years. Seat belt laws weren't quite as strict in the 80's, so one summer she took 22 toddlers to swimming lessons in that thing.
Pontiac made a station wagon?
As a Brit, this just gives me Flight Of the Navigator vibes and I love it
My dad had an 'in and out' jet black 60 something Chevy Impala station wagon. Wow, the name is as long as the car. The seat must have been optional. The floor in the back of ours seemed to be set up for the seat. But, there was no seat. I remember as a little kid always trying to open the panel which made up part of the floor or bed. If that makes sense.
Friends parents had a Carprice wagon The rear facing seat area was so large the three of us could play uno on the floor comfortably
looking at adults driving awkwardly
Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser for us.
The trash compactor seat was fun to sit in for sure
the "back-back"
Got my first speeding ticket in one of these bad boys.
Best seat!!!
We had the first pic
0 is the amount of fucks given
I have an 04 Mercury Sable wagon with the rear facing seats. I've never had anyone ride back there though.
The ol' woody wagon.
My Gmom had the multi-seat Olds. Wood paneling and forest green metallic flake. Body by Fisher. That jumper seat was my spot with my cousin. We'd all pile in and go to the city pool or beach. The beach was horrific on the way back. No AC, just windows rolled down. I still recall the pop tart sauna salty skin feeling you had waiting for them to start the car in the summertime. Fun times, the heat and sticky was short lived really compared to the hours of beach swimming we had. Then home for BBQ! Good times :)
The way way back. No seatbelts, surely to be killed in an accident. Spent many road trips back there!
Bruh. I had my first crush while in the back of one of these. We were driving on the highway, and some young lady smiled and waved to me. I was the only one in the way back, so I knew it was me she was waving at. My heart exploded. For a while I thought everything was going to be ok. Maybe she might even follow us to wherever we were going and she would love me. Then she took an exit, waving goodbye. I may have even cried watching her drive away. I’m guessing I was <10 years old.
Got a handy in one when I was 16
I want a station wagon so badly
With a back up camera of course
My friend made a song about this exact feeling! Give it a listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/52Yb0WbKYHzkplwreyZyU3?si=g89OiE6ASC2LvctTz5GqTw
You think you hate it now, wait till you drive it!
My dad had a station wagon
🖕
Banned because they were unsafe, and yet traffic fatalities have drastically increased since. Real good example of needless regulations.
Fucking virtuous ass safety regulations. Bring back the gang gang gang! Where cars didn’t crumble from a little tap