The most famous of the 33,387 that were built that year.
If you grew up in the 70s like I did, your family most likely had 2 cars in the garage, a sedan and a station wagon. For us, it was a 63 Rambler Classic 4-door and a 67 Rebel Wagon. Mom and Dad took us everywhere in that wagon, to Washington DC, the New York World’s Fair, Yellowstone National Park, and lots of other places. During that time period, just about everybody with a family owned a wagon, and at one point in the early late 60s and 70s, Americans could throw a dart in any direction and hit one of 47 different flavors of station wagons. And then they went away.
Acutally it was the new Jeep Cherokee introduced in 1984 that led to the wagon’s demise. The XJ Jeep created a new category by pioneering unibody construction in an off-road vehicle, blending car-like comfort with truck ruggedness and legendary reliability. In a world overrun by SUVs, the antiquated age of the “station wagon” has been relegated to the landfill of life along with typewriters and 8-track tapes.
An Aztec Gold Metallic 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon, showcasing its simulated wood grain trim, is unlike any other in this week’s spot, featuring a great story behind it. In its day, Oldsmobile’s gussied-up Vista Cruiser was right up there with the fancier family freightliners. In its 1969 magazine ads, the Vista Cruiser boasts the ability to carry 100 cubic feet of cargo. No one could have ever predicted that a Vista Cruiser would one day “carry” an entire television show, literally.
Olds produced 33,387 second-generation Vista Cruisers in 1969. Only one of them is famous…. this one from the legendary sitcom That ’70s Show! Though it never uttered a single line of dialogue across 8 seasons, the Vista Cruiser was a central character in the show and now ranks among the most famous vehicles in television history, and is now on display at the Automobile Gallery in Green Bay, WI, thanks to my car buddy, Darrel Burnett. Every time I spend time with him, I’m amazed at how plugged in he is in the car community.
That 70s Show is one in a long line of successful sitcoms from Carsey Werner Television, the Hollywood juggernaut behind hits like The Cosby Show, A Different World, Rosanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and The Drew Carey Show, and many more. That 70s Show premiered on the Fox television network just about 27 years ago to the day on August 23rd, 1998. Following an impressive 8-season run and 200 episodes, That ’70s Show took its rightful place among the top 50 longest-running sitcoms in television history. Sliding right into syndication, the show has never stopped running in the soon-to-be 20 years since director David Trainer yelled, “Cut” for the last time, and it isn’t likely that 70s Show ever will stop running.
Before the car was put in the museum, it was shown in the Lambeau Field Parking lot before a Packer pre-season game. Darrel told me there were huge crowds backed up clear to the Johnsonville Village, 50 to 60 rows deep to see Kurtwood and the Vista Cruiser. Carsey-Werner hated to do it, but they finally had to cut off the photos and autographs with Kurtwood because the kickoff was nearing, and Kurtwood and Darrel had to get on the field. The outpouring of love for Kurtwood that weekend was like nothing Darrel had ever experienced.
The Automobile Gallery & Event Center is exactly 2,123 miles from Hollywood. GPS says that it takes 31 hours by car to get here but, in this case, it took three long years for this very special Vista Cruiser to arrive. That’s how long Darrel worked with Carsey Werner Television President Paul Schreiber, Sr. Vice President Janet Bonifer, and the Carsey Werner team to bring this iconic Vista Cruiser home to Green Bay. That’s right… home… to stay!
RELATED Spot: Another famous TV car.
When the talented trio of Bonnie and Terry Turner and Mark Brazil created That ’70s Show, they set the show in the fictional Green Bay suburb of Point Place, WI. Turning fiction into a feel-good flashback for all to enjoy, the Gallery is the perfect permanent residence for the Vista Cruiser…. back where it all began. The affable and ageless actor Kurtwood Smith, who played the unforgettable Red Forman on That 70s Show, was on hand the day that it arrived, late Sunday morning, August 10th. As Kurtwood’s eyes came to rest on the Vista Cruiser for the first time in many years, he turned to Darrel with a smile and said, “I feel like I’ve reconnected with a member of the family.” In 1969, an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser stickered for about $3500. Thanks to That 70s Show, this Vista Cruiser is now worth millions…of memories and laughs!
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest spot, which was a lot of fun. Come back next Sunday for another one of my finds, along with some of its history, and have a great week.
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