Vehicle Description
Rare Kingswood 9-passenger wagon with three rows of seats. With the
same family since new. Beautiful original interior, smooth 283
cubic inch V8, PowerGlide automatic. Working power rear window. An
iconic wagon straight from the '50s. This car will be in the
Hershey Car Corral, spaces B135-137.We aren't calling this lovely
Kingswood station wagon a survivor in the strictest sense, as it
appears there has been some paint touch-up here and there and the
engine bay has been detailed. But it is unquestionably a low
mileage unrestored car that has never been blown apart for any
reason. It has lived its entire life under the care of the same
family and does not appear to have ever seen harsh winter weather,
so the sheetmetal remains in fantastic condition. All four doors
close with that substantial kerCHUNK sound and aside from a respray
around the tail fins, we believe it's mostly original code 970G
Gothic Gold and Showshoe White paint. There are a few minor signs
of age and use, mostly along the rockers where there are some minor
stone chips, but as an original car, perfection shouldn't be the
expectation. But it's every bit as nice as it looks in photos. The
chrome and stainless is likewise in fantastic condition with
excellent preservation and very few signs of age-more evidence that
this car has lived an easy life. There's a roof rack, which is
practically mandatory on a wagon of this vintage, and it even still
wears the sticker for the selling dealership right there on the
rear bumper. We'd be lying if we said we didn't love this big
wagon.The interior is almost entirely original and remains in
spectacular condition. Copper cloth and vinyl upholstery uses those
funky brocade patterns that were so popular in the 1950s and the
floors are covered in a color-matched rubber mats that you know are
original because they aren't reproduced. The dramatic instrument
panel houses a big central speedometer with auxiliary gauges and
lights on either side, all of which are fully operational. The
odometer reads 35,000 miles, and while that's probably close to the
right number, it seems to be moving more slowly than it should. All
the lights and signals are operational and even the
factory-installed AM radio pulls in stations loud and clear.
Perhaps most remarkably, the power rear window works properly,
using either the rotary switch under the dash or the rocker switch
in back, presumably for rear seat passengers. Nice! The glass is
all in excellent shape with no delaminations or cracking and that
massive wrap-around windshield is unmarked save for a few wiper
swipes. There's also an accessory tissue dispenser under the dash
and the seats fold down to provide a massive cargo bay that will
still carry anything you can buy at Home Depot.You could get a
dizzying array of engines in your Kingswood wagon, with this car
carrying the mid-range 283 cubic inch V8 topped by a 2-barrel
carburetor. It's a smooth and competent powerplant, ideal for the
big luxury wagon, and it's got enough torque to make it feel lively
around town. We do not believe it has ever been opened or rebuilt,
and with low mileage it runs superbly. Great oil pressure, never
getting hot, and perfectly happy to work with modern traffic
without any fussing. It has been detailed and cleaned up a bit
under the hood, so it looks right with Chevy Orange paint, and all
the factory hardware is 100% intact, including the air cleaner and
unique generator/power steering unit. It always starts easily and
idles nicely, and thanks to the 2-speed PowerGlide automatic
transmission, anyone can feel at home almost instantly. The
undercarriage is, of course, totally original but you'll note the
floors and rockers have zero issues and there's only surface scale
on the unique X-frame and heavy suspension components. There's a
little seepage from the transmission, as you'd expect, but nothing
chronic, and the big wagon glides through traffic with a
boulevard-smooth ride. The brakes are manual drums, so you'll need
to anticipate your stops, but they're in top condition and pull the
car down safely. It's so original that we believe that's still the
original exhaust system! Our only real complaint are those G78-14
Goodyear whitewall tires, which are probably more than 40 years old
and a bit flat-spotted at this point-a fresh set of wide whitewall
radials would make this car an absolutely superb road trip
candidate.Documentation includes the original warranty booklet.If
you love wagons, a '59 Chevy has to be near the top of your wish
list. Dramatic good looks, unparalleled practicality, and fantastic
road manners make it a winner. This car attracts major attention
everywhere it goes because everyone has a great memory of riding in
a big American station wagon, and nothing works better at making
new friends than that rear-facing seat. A wonderful car with a
great pedigree, ready for its next chapter. Call today!Harwood
Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional
inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
