Wagon Week: 1974 Ford XB Fairmont Wagon

You may have noticed the Car Rave posts have been a little slow as of late, for which I apologise (as if anyone cares). There has recently been a new addition to the Car Rave family (no, not a new ca r- a baby), so I have been inundated with nappy changes whilst attempting to also work from home and prevent our toddler from destroying the house out of boredom. Yay!

So I thought it only fitting, that in honour of our newest family member, this week Car Rave will be honouring the staple of all families between the 1950’s through to the 1990’s: the wagon. Yep – Car Rave will be featuring a handful of the coolest wagons for sale currently, so stay tuned! If you hate wagons, then best fuck off (but come back next week).

Personally, I bloody love wagons. To me they just make way more sense than a sedan. They almost always look better too. A cool wagon will always get my attention when out on the road, whether it be an old EH or a brand new Audi, whereas a cool sedan can often be forgotten.

Maybe it’s because I was brought home from the hospital all those years ago in the back seat of one. Infact, the wagon in question was actually one of these – a 1974 Ford XB Fairmont Wagon.

That’s why when this XB showed up, I just had to include it in the Wagon Week posts. It is simply stunning example of an original and unrestored (Jay Leno’s favourite) Aussie icon.

And I mean, it is STUN-NING.

With just 41,000 genuine kilometres on the clock, this XB has had a very easy life. Throw in the fact it is a 4-on-the-floor manual, sitting behind a silky smooth 302 Cleveland, and the whole story becomes a little too tempting. You’ll also notice the factory air, almost untouched interior (with buckets), unique paint colour and perfectly 70’s 12 slotters – rounding off a rather special long roof.

So whilst the once mighty wagons fade into SUV filled haze of obscurity, I will continue to honour their place in family roadtrip history. Maybe one day, we will all come to our senses and start buying more. Until then, lets just reminisce.

Geeeeze. How do I convince the wife this would make a great family car?

You can check out this 1974 Ford XB Fairmont Wagon on Carsales for $46,000 here.

Follow Car Rave this week for Wagon Week posts featuring the coolest wagons for sale right now.

1974 Ford XB Fairmont Wagon: In the owners own words

I photographed this car for Jason and it is probably the best ‘old’ unrestored original car I’ve ever seen! This XB Fairmont is about as close as you’ll get to brand new.

This is an exceptional Fairmont wagon that deserves to be in a museum! It has a 4 speed manual, in my opinion, making it way nicer to drive. The kilometers are original, it is in absolute original condition, has zero rust, the air conditioning is still cold, interior is like new, which you should expect form a car that has only travelled a genuine 41,000 klm’s. It has a set of 12 slots on it,along with the original rims and hub caps which are included in the sale.

This car spent over 40 years dry in the Victorian countryside and is always stored in garage with a cover. For a serious buyer any inspection of this car is welcomed, as you might be able to tell from the trophy in the pictures, this car has won best original unrestored condition at a show.