1975 Greenwood Sportwagon
The story goes that the original ’wagon concept was commisioned by a drummer who wanted a Vette with enough cargo space to haul his drums to various gigs. Since the demise of the Corvette trunk, easily accessible cargo areas were definitely on the wish list for many enthusiasts. Chuck Miller designed and built this first Shark-era Sportwagon, which also incorporated a unique front end.
Chuck Miller's first Shark Era sportwagon
A Stationwagon Corvette wasn’t an original Greenwood idea, but it was redesigned to better fit the shape of the rubber bumper body style. The first ’wagon variation was designed to fit the chrome bumper Vettes of ’68 to ’73 with their Kamm-back style rear end. The production version had narrow side windows, a high, turned up rear roofline (mimicking the stock rear deck) and a non-functioning rear window. These kits were sold through Eckler's catalogs, and could be ordered with or without side windows (called a Panelwagon). This original 'wagon design kit could be ordered as an upper-half rear section or as a complete rear clip, with or without flared fenders.
The original design left a few things to be desired, particularly with the advent of the soft rear bumper in 1974. The upswept rear roof no longer seemed integrated, the side windows limited vision and access through the cockpit made cargo access no easier than a stock Vette.
Text: Mike Guyette - www.GreenwoodCorvettes.com