There’s a concept in the study of history known as the ‘Short Twentieth Century.’ First coined in 1994 by historian Eric Hobsbawm, it posits that, from a geopolitical standpoint, the 20th Century was actually quite short: shorter than its 100 years would suggest. In contrast with the ‘long’ 19th Century, which can be considered to last from either the French Revolution to WWI, the historical 20th century lasted from 1914 to 1991 –from the First World War to the fall of the USSR. By implication, the historical 21st Century then started in 1991, instead of at the turn of the Millennium.

And, in so many ways, this feels accurate, as so many historical trends ended and modern trends began in the 1990s. The Eastern Bloc fell and its former members more or less became democratic and capitalist. Globalism and Neoliberalism became the global economic norm. The Internet gained popularity and connected the world as it never had been before. And, in the American automotive market, the traditional full-size sedan began to draw what would be its final breaths, as its dwindling long reign would begin to crumble under the pressure of minivans and SUVs.

For big station wagons, the fall would come even sooner, as there would be no more full-size wagons in production in the US by the middle of the decade. And this car — ’94 Caprice Classic wagon — was one of the last.

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