The 1953 Chrysler Town & Country wagon was one of the more obscure cars of the early postwar period, but it was essentially the granddaddy of today’s large sport-utility vehicles. Not the only one, but an interesting specimen.
Of course, the Town & Country didn’t have all-wheel drive. However, most of its dimensions were within two or three inches of a 2025 Ford Expedition. The 1953 models were 211 inches long, 76.8 inches wide and had a wheelbase of 125.5 inches. Perhaps most importantly, the height was 64.5 inches. That was 13 inches lower than an Expedition but much taller than American wagons of the 1970s.
For its time the Chrysler was also heavy, weighing 4,170 pounds for a Windsor and 4,265 pounds for a New Yorker. Some of the main differences between the two models were that the Windsor came with a 265 cubic-inch six whereas the New Yorker had a 311 cubic-inch V8 and a simulated leather interior. Even in V6 form, an AWD Expedition is around 1,600 pounds heavier (Gluckman, 2025).
The Town & Country wagons were among the lowest selling of Chrysler’s body styles in 1953. Under 3,000 of them left the factory despite the brand producing more than 170,000 units that year.
Chrysler had the best-selling upper-premium wagons
Despite their low production levels, Chrysler’s wagons actually outsold those of their only direct competitor — Buick — by a small margin.
The Windsor Town & Country listed for $3,289, which was somewhat below the Buick Super Estate Wagon’s $3,430. Meanwhile, the New Yorker went for $3,933 compared to the Roadmaster’s $4,031.
You have to go down a major notch in price to see higher-selling wagons. The Mercury Monterey listed for only $2,826 and saw output surpass 7,700 units in 1953. Dodge’s wagons were more than twice as popular, but they were priced as much as $600 less and only came in two-door models.
Pontiac offered four-door wagons priced between the Dodge and Mercury, but production breakouts by body style are unavailable.
An old body had one advanced feature
Chrysler’s 1953 wagons were not given a full reskinning like the rest of the brand’s lineup. From the A-pillar backwards the Town & Country had the same sheetmetal as in 1950. That was when the Chrysler brand first gained an all-steel wagon.
This gave the Town & Country a conflicted look. The front end was relatively contemporary for the times with its new, one-piece windshield. But then the back end had stubby outboard rear fenders that did not look nearly as sleek as other Chrysler body styles, which sported integrated fenders and modest tail fins.
The main feature that gave the Chrysler wagon an air of modernity was its frameless roll-down tailgate window. That was arguably an advancement over the usual two-piece liftgates common at the time.
The Town & Country’s basic body would soldier on for one more year before it finally received a complete reskinning. Chrysler designers appear to have kept the greenhouse’s basic shape but tacked on longer fenders and a massive rear bumper – and sales were still meager. The era of the luxury wagon had not yet arrived.
NOTES:
Specifications and production from the auto editors of Consumer Guide (2006) Flory (2009), and Gunnell (2002)
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RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 1993, 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL.
- Flory, J. “Kelly” Jr.; 2009. American Cars, 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year. McFarland & Co.
- Gluckman, David; 2025. “2025 Ford Expedition.” Accessed Aug. 28.
- Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised Fourth Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
- Langworth, Richard M.; 1993. Chrysler & Imperial 1946-1985: The Classic Postwar Years. Motorbooks, Minneapolis, MN.
ADVERTISEMENTS & BROCHURES:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Buick (1953); Mercury (1953)
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