![]() It was killed by poor execution.the Aztek is uniquely American. Blogger Jeff Atwood carped, "The Aztek was actually a good idea at the right time. But by the time various committees had their way with it, the production Aztek was a far cry from the muscular and alluring concept that inspired it. One theory about what went wrong says that the Aztek premise was right on the money - lots of people wanted a sporty, edgy and versatile vehicle. But to hear some owners tell it, the aesthetically rebellious Aztek was actually a competent vehicle, providing plenty of room, the coveted SUV high seating position, reliability and even reasonable fuel efficiency. At least, that was the consensus of the motoring press when the production Pontiac Aztek debuted in 2001, basing their criticisms mostly on its unconventional looks. If Montezuma could see from the beyond this vehicle intended to honor his legendary tribe/empire, he might consider it another good reason to exact gastrointestinal revenge on the living. Pontiac Aztek - No Respect for a Crossover Pioneer Īfter the war, "Jeep" became much more than a tough vehicle - it became a brand synonymous with adventure, ruggedness and four-wheeling fun. And it ferried enlisted men, officers, dignitaries, even movie stars, around military installations quickly and efficiently. It kicked behind on the battlefield - thanks to the provision of a machine gun mount. It could traverse muddy, hilly and overgrown terrain that stopped other vehicles in their tracks. It could cross shallow rivers and flooded areas on the count of spark plugs, air filters and oil filters that were placed high in the engine compartment. It could tow artillery cannon onto the battlefield. The Museum of Modern Art in New York praised it as "a purely utilitarian design that forgoes styling in favor of efficiency and function". No one would ever mistake it for a Lamborghini in the looks department, but even art critics came to praise its utilitarian melding of form and function. Just please don't call them "station wagons."įrom its early testing, through its stellar military service in World War II, through its transition to civilian life in multiple variants, the Jeep proved rugged, versatile and highly capable. They even share the familiar "two-box" profile. Many of today's crossovers perform the exact duties of the station wagons of antiquity, just updated with more avant garde styling and higher ground clearance. The first "production" car that was purpose-built as a station wagon, according to the site, was the 1923 Star, built by Durant Motors Co.Įarly station wagons had all-wood or wood-paneled wagon bodies, and were called, appropriately enough, "woodies." In later years, manufacturers transitioned to all metal or to vinyl insert panels made to resemble wood but last longer.ĭistinctive features of station wagons are that they have between three and five doors a configurable interior that allows for either more passenger room or cargo room in the back an extended rear with a steep vertical drop at the back (as opposed to a trunk) and possibly a beefier rear suspension than a sedan model, to better handle heavy cargo loads. The earliest station wagons were regular cars such as the Ford Model T modified with more expansive back ends to accommodate the luggage of taxi customers. So how did station wagons get their name? Back in the early days of automobiles, they were originally called "depot hacks," since they were hacks ( taxicabs) that people used in coming and going to train depots (stations). One thing's for certain, with their introduction in the 1920s, station wagons were the first vehicles to execute on the idea of melding a car's comforts and everyday drivability with the practical hauling ability of a truck. Especially in Europe and other places abroad, where car culture can differ from that in the United States as much as social culture. The wagon body style never went completely away, really. Instead, they became a mobile metaphor for middle-class blandness and found themselves vanquished by the minivan in the mid-1980s. If station wagons hadn't come to be permanently associated with the Brady Bunch and the Griswold family vacations, they'd still be ruling the roads and considered a prime symbol of upwardly mobile socio-economic status.
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