The Dodge Magnum

This may be an opinion, but I declare it a fact. The Dodge Magnum is the most beautiful station wagon ever designed. Ever! Compared to the big ol’ clunky awkward-looking pieces of metal from the early 70’s into the mid 80s, the Dodge Magnum is amazing in its styling. The first recognition of this amazing-ness is its side profile. Here, the design is bold, smooth and different, as the roofline, instead of being horizontal from the c-pillar to the trunk, is instead, a slight, but increasing slope all the way to the end of the roof.

In addition, the Dodge Magnum has large tires. These give a gallant big statement-making appearance. It essentially “carries” the vehicle, and makes it look SUV- cool. Still on the topic of the side view, you also have the issue of the windows. The windows are shorter or higher up on the door and it gives the wagon a sort of closed-up gangster-look. Coming around to the front of the vehicle you have a “heavy” SUV- like fascia (with a big grille and large headlamps). It’s almost as if an SUV front end was shrunken down to fit a cars dimension. It’s a great look, and it aids in the bold, brash, brazen-faced look of the Dodge Magnum. The grille itself is also beautifully designed – its shape looking neither like the caravan or the Dodge Charger (though the grille here is hot as well) - is just right.

Now to the rear of the vehicle, here there is also a similarity to an SUV rear end. And it has a wide-track ready to eat-up- the road look. It ties up the entire design perfectly.

Now why this vehicle was dropped from Chrysler’s line up I don’t know, but I think it was very stupid of them to do so. One design professor quipped, “That’s Dodge” LOL! They had a winner with this wagon. It was cool, hip, and “up to date” - a perfect evolution of the American station wagon. It also made the wagon sexy, which was never a possible descriptive term on the American wagons of yesteryear.

- Gebre Mesquitta