Behold, one solid minute of the coolest M10 Prairie in the world. Sold as the Nissan Stanza Wagon in the US, this B-pillarless, sliding-door wonder preceded he original Dodge Caravan by two years. While these are usually beat to hell in the US, somehow the wondrous two-tone body of this example has been preserved. When slammed, its already tall greenhouse gives it the look of a superdeformed cartoon car. It is awesome. That is all.
Strange little vehicle at the time – might be why I RARELY saw them when new. Maybe it’s because of the market segment – compact, uh, microvan? Small hatchbacks sold well, and we all know about the minivan craze. The in-betweens, not so much…
Should’ve sold better than they did; compact size and economy, with enough room to carry 5 (we were smaller then) and their junk more efficiently than a regular sedan… Admittedly, I didn’t see a whole lot of Stanzas on the road then, either.
Maybe BECAUSE it was a “tall wagon.”
I THINK they were available with AWD, and 5-speed, though I don’t recall if they could be had together.
Another vehicle that TODAY would make a LOT of sense for me.
I dug the original Axxess, too.
Thinking about it, I only saw the occasional Civic “wagon,” too. Same thoughts apply to it, re: strange, but useful design.
Of course, I don’t grimace when I think of Gremlins and Pacers, or the original Valiants, either, so…
Tall wagons as they were called, just didn’t hit it off in the US. Japan already had minivans years before the caravan, I remember seeing a Delica for the first time in late 1981 in Japan and wished they’d sell them here.
I think the Corolla wagon at the time was the best selling, but when the minivans came out, the tall wagons went away.
IIRC the Colt Vista was a hot item for a few years, at least in Vermont where I grew up and anyone cross-shopping a Chrysler minivan in the same showroom would be attracted by the AWD option and opening second-row windows (nobody bought a/c in non-luxury cars).
Just saw this the other day;
A Prairie is so ridiculously high on my wish list, but they just aren’t out there.
Rust-free, AWD, 5-speed.. may as well just ask for world peace.
Hi, you are searching for a Prairie like mine 😉
http://www.alltagsklassiker.at/forum/index.php/topic,2323.msg33422.html#msg33422
http://www.alltagsklassiker.at/alltagsklassiker-cruisengrill-3-0/alltagsklassiker-cruisengrill-2016-72/
I`m searching for different parts like the rear suspension and so on….
Best regards J
Who’s Prairie is that? Looking to do similar suspension work and curious how the drop was done. Thanks!