Indecently, quick wagons may seem like a new idea, but they go back much further than we realize. Long before Volvo enlisted Porsche to develop the T-5R or Audi unleashed the 311-horsepower RS2, a handful of American automakers were already stuffing station wagons with enough power to embarrass weekend drag racers. The recipe for these muscle car wagons was simple: take a cavernous weekend machine for the whole family, shoehorn in the tastiest motor you had in the factory, and see if anyone would buy it. Turns out a brave few actually did. Muscle Wagons That Bucked The Trends Bring A Trailer The muscle car Golden Era was in full swing by the second part of the '60s, having been kicked off by the Pontiac GTO in 1964. Not only were manufacturers working out ways to fit a coupe with the kind of V8 you would previously use to run a tank or maybe an ocean liner, they were also thinking of new ideas to ride the muscle car wave.One niche that seemed to be underexplored was the station wagon category. With the baby boomer generation enjoying having a bit of money in their pockets (and starting families), huge hatch versions of sedans were selling well, offering a way to take off for the weekend with ten suitcases and grandma packed in.MecumThe result was cars like the Dodge Coronet wagon, which could be had with a 383 big-block V8 that produced 330 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque, backed by a three-speed automatic. The Chevrolet Caprice-based Kingswood Estate of 1970 was available with a massive 454 V8 and a four-barrel carburetor. This wooden-sided monster brought 395 gross horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque to that weekend camping trip with the folks.The second-gen Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser arrived for the 1968 model year with decent engine offerings, including a 250-horsepower 330 and a 325-horsepower 400, but Olds realized a few customers weren't content with decent. For them, Olds offered from 1970 to 1972 a big block 455-ci V8 too. The Ford Country Squire Started Out As A Sensible Idea Bring A TrailerFord wanted in on the muscle wagon game in the '60s. If Pontiac had kicked off the muscle car bizz with the GTO, the Blue Oval could lay claim to helping to get the hot rod wagon game going in the '50s.Pre-dating even the muscle car era, in 1957, Ford offered the F-Code Country Sedan Wagon with a supercharged 312 Y-Block V8. This jukebox on wheels was, perhaps unsurprisingly, not hugely popular, but it did offer 300 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque. "What could Ford pilfer from the lineup to make a face-melting estate car for the '60s?" it probably thought.The Country Squire was the unsuspecting recipient of muscle car madness, and seemed about as fitting as strapping a rocket pack onto a labrador. The Ford Country Squire was, as the name suggested, a cozy living room on wheels, with a body-on-frame chassis designed for comfort, space for nine, and an ability to chew up miles like the emperor of the slow lane. The Engine Options Were Decidedly Un-Hot Rod Bring A TrailerYou wouldn't find many people salivating over the Country Squire's engine line-up. The standard mill in 1967 was a straight-six, while a 200-horsepower, 289 small-block V8, or a 315-horsepower, four-barrel 390 was available as an option. Perhaps the tequila was flowing at the business meeting one night, but it was decided that the Country Squire should get a top gun motor in the form of Ford’s 428 V8, which had been swiped from the Thunderbird. This 428 was good for 345 horsepower and 462 lb-ft of torque.This motor was normally connected to a three-speed auto, but there is at least one that was matched with a four-speed manual transmission instead. That car, now owned by Hagerty's Barn Find Hunter Tom Cotter, came about because the potential buyer (a muscle car fan with a family) personally wrote to then-Ford executive Lee Iacocca to ask for a Country Squire wagon with the four-speed manual, and it was built. The 428 Country Squire Was A Drag Strip Monster For Trips To The Hardware Store Bring A TrailerWhat makes the 428 Country Squire interesting is that it is very much a sleeper car of its time. This being a wagon, Ford didn't feel the need to cover the most potent version with "go faster" bits that would be standard fitment on a muscle car. In fact, the options lists on many '60s cars were pretty wild pick-n-mix stuff.You could get the suburban grandpa spec for everything else, and also tick the box for a Thunderbird Q-Code big block motor. So, buyers usually had the standard wood paneling, power drum brakes, 15-inch steel wheels with full covers, air-assisted rear suspension, and a luggage rack, but then a bonkers mill that would get them down the road at alarming speed. The Country Squire Is A Muscle Car The Size Of An Office Block Bring A Trailer Top speed for the 428 Ford Country Squire was a faintly ridiculous 120 mph, and anyone seeing this 4400-pound behemoth on drum brakes (not including the extended family inside) hurtling towards them better jump out the way. With some estimates saying the Thunderbird with a 428 could hit 60 mph in eight seconds, you could expect the Country Squire to be not far behind — enough to mean the big Ford wagon wouldn't completely embarrass itself at the drag strip. In the end, perhaps unsurprisingly, not many people opted for the 428 Country Squire, and they are a rare find today. The 428 Country Squire Is An Affordable Entry Into Rare Muscle Car Fame Bring A Trailer For 1968, the Country Squire received a facelift, losing the stacked headlights in return for a more streamlined, Charger-like nose with hidden lamps. The 428 was still available, but looking at the classifieds, there don't seem to be any around (or at least for sale), although you will find reports of loving restorations of these near mythical beasts in the depths of Facebook. In recent years, there have been two 1967 models sold.Bring A Trailer The first is the aforementioned special order four-speed 428, which went up for sale on Bring a Trailer in 2020 and fetched $47,750, complete with cool patina and well-used aesthetic. Another Country Squire 428 was offered by the same site in 2023, looking in very original condition. This car sold for $25,250. While we all dream about getting our hands on rare big block '60s muscle car heroes, these will often fetch six figures or even more. Which leaves the unicorn Country Squire as a quirky, affordable muscle car option — and you can take the whole family for the ride too.
