Engineering:Chevrolet Parkwood

The Chevrolet Parkwood was a station wagon built by Chevrolet from 1959 to 1961. As the station wagon equivalent of the Bel Air passenger car series, it represented the middle member of the Chevrolet station wagon lineup of those years, above the lowest-priced Brookwood models, but below the luxury-leader Nomad.

1959-1960

First generation
1959 Chevrolet Parkwood at the Bayside Exposition Center in Boston, Massachusetts
Overview
Manufacturer	Chevrolet (General Motors)
Model years	1959-1960
Assembly	Flint Truck Assembly, Flint, Michigan Lakewood Assembly, Lakewood Heights, Georgia St. Louis Truck Assembly, St. Louis, Missouri North Tarrytown Assembly, North Tarrytown, New York Van Nuys Assembly, Van Nuys, California
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size
Body style	4-door wagon
Layout	FR layout
Platform	GM B platform
Related	1959–1960 Chevrolet Biscayne 1959–1960 Chevrolet Bel Air 1959–1960 Chevrolet Impala 1959–1960 Chevrolet Brookwood 1959–1960 Chevrolet Kingswood 1959–1960 Chevrolet Nomad 1959–1960 Chevrolet El Camino
Powertrain
Engine	235 cu in (3.9 L) Blue Flame I6 283 cu in (4.6 L) Turbo Fire V8 348 cu in (5.7 L) W-series Turbo Thrust V8
Transmission	3-speed manual 3-speed overdrive manual 2-speed Powerglide automatic 3-speed Turboglide automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	119.0 in (3,023 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor	1958 Chevrolet Brookwood wagon

All 1959 and 1960 Parkwoods were six-passenger models, whereas the Kingswood (Chevrolet's other Bel Air equivalent during those two years), had seating for nine. The Parkwood became available in both passenger configurations for 1961, when the Kingswood name was dropped. (The latter name returned for 1969.) The Parkwood name was also dropped for 1962, when all Chevrolet station wagons began sharing series names with their passenger-car linemates. Throughout its three-year production run, the Parkwood was available with the choice of a Blue Flame I6, Small Block V8 or Big Block V8 engines.

Tailgate of the 1960 Chevrolet Parkwood station wagon

1961

Second generation
1961 Chevrolet Parkwood 9-passenger wagon
Overview
Model years	1961
Assembly	Norwood Assembly, Norwood, Ohio St. Louis Truck Assembly, St. Louis, Missouri Van Nuys Assembly, Van Nuys, California
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size
Body style	4-door station wagon
Layout	FR layout
Platform	B-body
Related	1961–1964 Chevrolet Biscayne 1961–1964 Chevrolet Bel Air 1961–1964 Chevrolet Impala 1961 Chevrolet Brookwood 1961 Chevrolet Nomad
Powertrain
Engine	235 cu in (3.9 L) Blue Flame I6 283 cu in (4.6 L) Turbo Fire V8 348 cu in (5.7 L) W-series Turbo Thrust V8
Transmission	3-speed manual 4-speed manual Powerglide automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	119 in (3,000 mm)
Length	209.3 in (5,320 mm)
Chronology
Successor	1962 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon

For 1961, Chevrolet again had a totally new body, not just new sheetmetal. Its wheelbase remained 119 in (3,000 mm), but its length was now reduced slightly to 209.3 in (5,320 mm). All engines options of the previous year remained in effect with the standard engines being the 235.5 CID Six of 135 hp (101 kW) or the 283 CID V8 of 170 hp (130 kW). The V8 cost $110 more than the Six and weighed 5 lb (2.3 kg) less. GM discontinued the Chevrolet Parkwood name for 1962, instead naming their station wagons after their series names: Biscayne, Bel Air and Impala.

Safety

Chevrolet's 1961 Parkwood (as well as all other full size Chevrolets) featured a shortened version of Chevrolet's "Safety-Girder" cruciform frame introduced in '58. Similar in layout to the frame adopted for the 1957 Cadillac, it featured box-section side rails and a boxed front cross member that bowed under the engine, these "x-frames" were used on other 1958 to 1964 Chevys, as well as Cadillac. The rear was tied together by a channel-section cross member. This design was later criticized as providing less protection in the event of a side impact collision, but would persevere until 1965.

Chevrolet Parkwood Discontinuation and Replacement

GM discontinued the Chevrolet Parkwood wagon nameplate (as well as the Brookwood and Nomad wagon names) for 1962, instead naming their station wagons after their series names: Biscayne (replacing Brookwood directly), Bel Air and Impala. The 1962-'64 Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala wagons were very similar to Chevy's 1961 wagon models.