A recent Collectible Automobile Facebook item (2024) stated that for 1977 the “pseudo-‘woody’ Malibu Estate models” were dropped and “the plain-sided Malibu Classic station wagon became the top hauler on the Chevrolet Chevelle roster.” I was surprised by that so looked into it.
Motor Trend (1976) reported that for 1977 the Malibu line lost the Laguna coupe and Classic Estate wagon models. However, J. “Kelly” Flory (2013) stated that wood-grain trim became part of an optional Estate package. And as you can see from the above image, a woody Malibu was featured on the cover of a Chevrolet wagon brochure for 1977.
So while it is technically true that a plain-sided Malibu Classic became the “top” Chevelle wagon model for 1977, it may very well have not impacted all that much what proportion of buyers went for the wood-grain trim (I haven’t come across any figures).
Dropping the Classic Estate model may have stemmed from a major transition in the Chevrolet lineup, whereby the big Impala and Caprice were shrunk so significantly that they were now similar in size and weight to the Malibu — and were closer in price as well.
Meanwhile, the Malibu was in its last year of production before being downsized. So it arguably made sense to prune back the lineup.
Also see ‘1964-77 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu shows growth of mid-sized American cars’
The top-end Malibu wagons nevertheless saw an increase in output from roughly 48,000 units in 1976 for (the Classic and Classic Estate models together) to almost 51,000 units in 1977 for just the Classic.
For 1978 the Estate wagon would continue to be treated as an optional package rather than a separate model.
NOTES:
Production figures and product information are from the auto editors of Consumer Guide (2006), Flammang and Kowalke (1999), and Flory (2004, 2009).
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International; Lincolnwood, Ill.
- Collectible Automobile; 2024. Facebook item posted July 25 at 7:24 am.
- Flammang, James M. and Ron Kowalke; 1999. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1976-1999. Third Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
- Flory, J. “Kelly” Jr.; 2013. American Cars, 1973-1980. McFarland & Co., Inc.
- Motor Trend; 1976. “The New Ones: GM ’77.” Pp. 30-47.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Chevrolet Malibu (1977, 1978)
Never understood the appeal of the wallpaper woodies. Hell, I don’t understand why all steel wagons weren’t produced starting 1935 or so. Cars were starting some serious sculpting around then. Imagine an Olds, Packard 120 or DeSoto all steel.
I am in agreement with Kim in Lanark: I cannot imagine the annual chore of sanding and revarnishing the wood trim of the original woodie wagons. If the first all-steel car body was the 1923 Dodge Series 116, and the first all-steel wagon, the 1935 Chevrolet Suburban, why did it take so long to go all-metal ? Even as a teenager and into my sixties, washing, detailing, touching up and waxing the two or three vehicles in my stable was a hugely major chore annually every fall, but that did not include real exterior wood trim. Chrysler may have made desirable real wood-trimmed sedans and wagons into the early 1950s with their Town & Countrys, but the 1949 Plymouth Suburban all-steel wagons joined the 1946 Willys-Overland all-steel wagon in the marketplace. Today, now that I am in my seventies, my limited mileage keeps me doing my scheduled maintenance at the dealer’s and detailing my Kia Soul with a ceramic coating annually every fall since my vehicle now sits outside in the Indiana winter at my assisted-living home. I wonder how many of us “Indie Auto” patrons still “wax” our vehicles ?
At the end of 1980, I took a job as program director at 940 / KIOA-AM, Des Moines. I was changing to programming from Rock Top 40 to personality and news Adult Contemporary with Iowa State Cyclones football and basketball (the FM, KMGK became the rocker). The black and gold (University of Iowa Hawkeyes which were on WHO-AM) Chevy van with a big V-8 was several years old and needed a lot of work to be event presentable (Tires, suspension, engine work, paint, etc.) So, my boss and I decided to sell the van to a pair of staffers for a bit more than trade-in value and buy a 1981 Chevelle Malibu station wagon with a V-6 in Iowa State crimson with a gold vinyl interior, which would serve as my company car. The 350 V-8 van swilled gasoline around town and without a lock-up automatic, did not get great mileage on the highway. The ’81 wagon with the V-6 and the overdrive Hydramatic was much more economical, plus the tires were much safer than the van’s “American Bald Eagles”. My boss had a 1980 Caprice wagon in his fleet and the Chevelle was almost as roomy as the larger wagon and with the back seat down, one could not tell which was which !