A finned station wagon built in 1959 is bound to attract attention, particularly if its owner has a young family.
Such is the case with Joe Barton, the proud owner of a 1959 Plymouth Sport Suburban station wagon that is a favorite with his wife and kids.
Jerry Sutherland
Joe purchased his Plymouth wagon in 2024. The car had undergone a major restoration via its former owner and had a long history with him. In fact, it became known as “Burt’s car” in the previous owner’s community because he drove the station wagon enough to become his daily driver.
The 1959 Plymouth still has its original order sheet, so Joe was able to discover how it left the dealership 68 years ago. For example, the station wagon was originally a white car with a red roof, according to Joe.
A ‘59 Plymouth Sport Suburban was an upscale model, so it has a few extra features like a power window for its tailgate, along with a remote control on the driver’s side outside mirror. The Plymouth wagon also has its factory 313 cubic-inch Poly V-8 mated to its original 3-speed automatic transmission with push button controls.
The car underwent a few major improvements under the previous owner’s guidance, including a major engine overhaul with an overbore to make it go faster, as well as power front disc brakes to make it slow down faster.
The former owner’s list of upgrades also included an alternator because it provided a more efficient charging system.
As mentioned earlier, the former owner drove the car a lot, even in winter, so he wanted to ensure the old Mopar long roof was a reliable mode of transportation.
Joe is not a typical owner of a 1959 Plymouth station wagon, given his young age compared to most fans of the Forward Look era, but he is an enthusiastic owner of his Sport Suburban.
Joe told MyStarCollectorCar that he liked wagons when he was a kid in England where they were commonly called “Estates” in British parlance. His new home in Saskatchewan exposed Joe to vintage North American station wagons, including the 1959 Plymouth Sport Suburban.
Joe told his wife that he found the Plymouth wagon and initially she had misgivings about the car before she saw it and fell in love with the finned long roof. So did his young daughter, who is not quite six, and told Joe she “wants to own it one day”.
The car has become a family cruiser that builds memories over every mile. It also attracts plenty of attention whenever Joe and his family hit the road in their classic station wagon. Joe told MyStarCollectorCar “most car guys own Fords or Chevys”, so his distinctive finned Mopar is a very unique ride that makes it a rock star at car shows.
The ‘59 Plymouth runs down the road very well in Joe’s assessment and can handle modern traffic speeds with no issues, although stop-and-go urban traffic causes it to run hotter, so Joe will likely add an electric fan in the future.
Joe is also considering a color change to give the wagon a new identity, and, since he has a background in auto body work, Joe could make the color switch a winter project because winters are long in Saskatchewan.
The most important part of the equation is that a 1959 Plymouth station wagon is still building memories on the road in 2026 with its new family.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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