Country Squire

What is a Country Squire? Based on the Ford LTD, these cars were famous in the sixties and seventies for being the ubiquitous family wagon on TV shows like "The Brady Bunch" and "My Three Sons" and movies like "The Blues Brothers" and "National Lampoons Vacation". While they were designed as a recreational vehicles for middle class urban families, nowadays, these land yachts are simply massive dinosaurs that roam the earth in the hopeless search for enough gas to get to the next petrol station.

The kitchest car I've ever seen or driven...released during the 1973/74 oil shock...you can tell coz there's a 7 litre V8 in there...many older folks have a fascination with these cars since they have either seen them on TV as a kid or been driven around in one as a kid. Lots of car nuts in New Zealand have seen cars like these on TV but not many have seen 'em "in the flesh".

Here she is in Hastings, New Zealand, 7 litre (429cu. in.), C6 auto, 9 inch diff, electric windows, seats and tailgate, air conditioning, complete with functional 8-track AM/FM stereo, Brougham interior, factory transfers still on the engine and a hula-girl on the dash. I got her from a mate John Smith who aquired her through his Uncle Jims estate in the U.S.

Here we are at Mount Bruce Conservation Reserve. This picture was taken on New Years Eve 2006/2007 on my way to Hastings from Wellington, NZ.

Uncle Jim really looked after her but I wonder if he new that there was a 7.5 litre (460 cu. in.) option that year! Thanks Jim.

Here she is resting under a blanket of North American snow.