When I saw this Stanza Wagon, I had to pull over and peel off a couple of quick shots, as these once very common sights in Eugene are become decidedly uncommon. And when I ran across busy 29th Avenue, i realized it was boxed in by two decidedly un-boxy cars, thus making a nice study in contrasts.
And when I looked up from my phone, I realized there was of course another boxy car in the assemblage. The Japanese have always been fond of automotive bento boxes, and are still to this day, given the huge popularity of kei microvans and such.
My full CC on the groundbreaking Nissan Prairie/Stanza wagon is here.
Such teeny tiny wheels on the old Nissan. And they seemed so normal in the 1980s.
Those tiny wheels are the only thing that keeps this from looking like a proto-CUV especially on the AWD versions – well that and the dual sliding doors years before the Chrysler minivans would get them. This was a nice practical car, although anyone unfortunate to get T-boned in one would learn B pillars are a good thing.
I pulled up next to a utility trailer at a light last week, and noticed that the tires were 175/75R14s – I think this was the standard size for many compacts and FWD intermediates in the ’80s.
13″ tires were the typical size compacts in the 1980’s. 14″ would have been for intermediates or performance compacts like the GTI, etc.
Just put tires on a Cutlass Ciera. 185/75/14’s. I was dismayed at the lack of good choices. Time marches on and I constantly forget that.
We all used to run the same wheels as the tow car, in case we got a flat. But yes, 14s on a trailer do look small nowadays. My trailer runs 16s with used light truck tyres. Yes, it gets overloaded on occasion, but at least the tyres aren’t a problem.
Stumack:
You have to remember that in the 80s car manufacturers were still equipping cars with the smallest tires they could get away with in order to hold down costs. By 1997 my Honda Civic would specify a similarly sized tire on the door post…certainly no minivan wannabe.
But smaller wheels do at least allow for more room in the interior. Compare the original Mini on 10s, to the current one on 16s.
No matter how you slice it: the box is the most space efficient shape for a car, or any container for that matter. My dad’s first car was a Renault 4 TL and I am now using a Pontiac Vibe which reminds me in may ways about the Renault 4 TL. The small wheels were a significant space saver by keeping the wheel wells small.
For unknown reasons, the Stanza wagon was called Multi in Canada.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTzX4LzmLio
Oddly enough, I just saw one of these for sale on my local craigslist
Anyone else think the high sides/small windows on the Chrysler look like Fuselage Revisited? I know the roof doesn’t flow seamlessly into the sides, but the proportions are there.
This reminds me of one of my wife’s favorite vehicles, her 1987 Honda Civic AWD station wagon. It still ran great (though using oil) when the rear end literally rusted off at 150,000 miles.
If i could find one from a little old man (or lady), I’d buy it.
In rust free climates I wonder what sends these to the graveyard most of the time?
Still a couple of these Stanza wagons cruising around Richmond, as far as I know. A fellow at my last workplace used a stunningly clean blue one as his daily driver; I switched jobs about a year ago but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s still driving it. Sadly I never got to speak to him about it as we were on different schedules. And a tan one can be spotted occasionally around my old neighborhood, most recently about six months ago.