1965 Ford Mustang Station Wagon
Given the Ford Mustang’s success throughout the 1960s, an independent designer named Robert Cumberford dreamed up a station wagon variant. While giving the Mustang a long roof seems like a wacky idea; Ford considered turning it into a sedan or a pickup truck. While none of these variants ever made it into production, the wagon might’ve been the best one.
According to Hagerty, the Falcon-based muscle car carried a ton of weight on its front end, making it sketchy to drive at times. As a result, a couple of extra pounds in the rear could’ve made a massive impact.
While the Ford Mustang station wagon seemed like a sound concept on paper, it never officially went into production. However, this idea made it onto the roads with at least one finished example. Cumberford came up with the idea of the Mustang station wagon back in the mid-1960s.
According to Hagerty, the Mustang’s body lines made turning it into a station wagon quite easy. Believing in the soundness of his design, Cumberford set about getting this odd machine built. This is where Italian coachbuilder Construzione Automobili Intermeccanica steps in.
According to Hagerty, Cumberford purchased a brand-new 1965 Ford Mustang and commissioned the build. The idea was to take the station wagon concept and sell it as an add-on kit for existing cars. All in all, Hagerty reports that this project cost around $10,000, or about $83,496 in today’s money.
1965 Ford Mustang Station Wagon Concept Car - Only 1 is known for sure - Made by Intermeccanica Of Italy.
Once Cumberford completed the project, he took the Ford Mustang station wagon and showed it to the American carmaker. Unfortunately, the carmaker wanted no part of this unusual variant. Like the sedan and pickup truck concepts, the station wagon didn’t make it past the concept stage.
Despite this, Hagerty reports that Cumberford still wanted to press on with his creation. Unfortunately, no one showed interest in this Italian-built station wagon. However, it seems the market still wanted this long-roof variant.
Hagerty reports that a California-based company decided to build and sell the conversion kit. It was called the Hobo, and it is the vehicle shown in the next images. The kit cost around $595 back in the day and would only work on a convertible variant of the muscle car.
Cumberford eventually sold the station wagon concept prototype, only for it to seemingly vanish. As of writing, no one knows where it currently is.
Since there is just one coach-built Ford Mustang station wagon, it might be one of the rarest versions of the muscle car ever built. However, during that same time in the 1960s, Ford commissioned a one-off version of the Mustang built and designed by Italian coachbuilder Bertone*.
While the Bertone Mustang served as a part of a marketing campaign, it is also one of a kind. Additionally, like the station wagon, it remains missing today.
* https://thevillagehemorrhoid.blogspot.com/2026/03/friday-rides-good-bad-and-ugly_61.html
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/ultra-rare-ford-mustang-station-wagon-muscle-car-never-got/
I like station wagons and some of them can be built into racy grocery getters and look cool with the lines, but this, looks awkward, the long hood and then a short body doesn't work into that motif. It looks like some meth tweaker got ahold of a TIG welder, a roof line from an old Falcon station wagon and then took a hit of meth. A solid 1 in my estimation. The Mustang works as a fast back and convertible, even the notch back. I don't see as a SW or even a truck like version of a Ranchero.
ReplyDeleteWell, it was a Falcon based concept so you're right about that. I've never been part of the Mustang fan club, would MUCH rather drive a Camaro.
DeleteYou're the kind of person that kept this concept car from becoming a everyday ride that we would see all over the roads back in the day ... Thank God. This thing, in my opinion, fits perfectly into the "Ugly" category in 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly'.
I was always a Mustang fan since a red '65 was my 2nd car and my 1st nice one back in high school 1970. Still had it in 1972 when I met the future lovely missus. Must be a nostalgia thing. The car is long gone, but at least I still have the missus.......
DeleteGlad you guys are still together even though she did see you driving a Mustang ... 'bazinga'.
DeleteSeriously, whatever side you start out owning, you tend to stick with. Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, etc. They all have their dedicated fans, especially Mustang and Camaro.
My first car was a 1965 Plymouth Grand Fury SW and I thought I was cool by having the Y Block(big block) 318cid with an electric rear window... Paid $250 bucks for it. It was my camping/fishing/hunting rig. I was an outlier among my age group by not having a Camaro, Mustang/Firebird/Vette but I at least paid a hell of lot less insurance than they did.
DeleteThat is an ugly car. But for $250 and cheap insurance, you probably had a reliable car that would haul anything.
DeleteI've said it before but I have always had an affinity for SOME station wagons. Nomads are my favorites but they are a great vehicle for someone who needs to carry around quite a bit of stuff that needs to stay dry. They use less gas than a truck ... usually, and the tag and registration is cheaper. And you can make some of them look pretty good.
That's butt ugly....
ReplyDeleteAgreed. 100%.
DeleteBlasphemy! Kill it with fire!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't evoke love with anybody on this blog, it seems.
DeleteIt probably beats walking. I knew a body guy once that painted flames on a Taurus station wagon. It was his daily driver. I asked him why and he responded "it's a station wagon, I gotta dress it up somehow!"
ReplyDelete"It probably beats walking." Yes sir. Sometimes you have to go with something a little less than what you would have if you could have what you wanted.
DeleteFor a short time in my early teens, I drove a early '70's Pinto station wagon. It did have one of those kits for the back windows that made it look a little less like a Pinto station wagon but still.
I had blown the engine on my truck and was getting it rebuilt and the Pinto was available. I drove very little during that 2 month period while I put together the cash to have the engine done.
Actually, the Brits evolved a style of car called the "shooting brake" which is a 2-door coupe with extended roofline and rear hatchback, essentially a 2-door station wagon. Which is what you're seeing here with that mustang. Supposedly a performance vehicle for the rich with enough room in back for the shotguns and rifles when going out to the country for a bit of pheasant shooting or riding with the hounds. Or whatever rich british people do, IDK / IDC. Doesn't really suit American tastes as we just fancy up our pickup trucks instead for that sort of stuff.
ReplyDeleteAlso, put me down as someone who started with Mopar as a kid and still owns a Mopar today (well, a Ram truck, but it's got a Hemi and that counts!!).
You're absolutely correct, Don.
DeleteI've saved several examples of 'shooting brakes' in my files and maybe I'll do a post about them.
I've owned a little bit of most of the American brands. Right now, my primary drive is also a Ram with a Hemi. It gets the job done.