1956 Dodge Kingsway Deluxe Suburban

"These big new roomy Dodge Station Wagons are so colorful and bold, you'll feel like a swashbuckler behind the wheel. And their lively performance will make you invent every excuse to pick up and break-away  . . .  especially with the stepped-up surge of the Super-Powered Super Red Ram V-8 engine at your command. Step in, press a button and take off with the Magic Touch of tomorrow!"

After years of rather stodgy styling, Dodge introduced the stunning all-new "Forward Look" lineup in 1955. 1956 saw minor modifications but anyway, there wasn't much need for change, as the basic proportions of these cars were just spot-on. Now, even the more modest models had become fast and elegant driving machines. Case in point: our pictured Dodge station wagon.

At a glance, it looks like an ordinary Dodge Custom Sierra station wagon. Look closer, and you'll discover Plymouth tailfins aft. The reason: it's a Canada-built export model, which were generally based on the cheaper Plymouth body, "adorned" with Dodge or DeSoto front clips to add some glamour and reason to command higher prices. Accordingly, the Dodge Kingsway Deluxe Suburban was essentially a dressed up Plymouth Savoy Suburban.

In the US, station wagons became quite popular in the 1950s, when the demographic change triggered a massive movement out of the cities into the emerging suburbs. This lifestyle required mobility and was one major reason for the tremendous increase of new car sales in that time. While earlier station wagons typically had been rather utilitarian vehicles, customers now discovered the advantages of space and flexibility but, of course, without sacrificing the comfort they were used to enjoy in their sedans. The manufacturers reacted and began offering lavishly equipped and stylish station wagons, too. Yet, Cuba's motorists were obviously a much more conservative clientele. Here, the station wagon never ceased to be a niche product. However, the few who ordered a wagon certainly were profiting from the new focus on style and comfort in their cars, too.