Many manufacturers of station wagons had their own systems of rear door openings. The Studebaker station wagon of the 1964 model year had a section of the roof open as well as the rear tail gate which folded down. This allowed it to carry tall objects that wouldn't fit otherwise. The Chevrolet station wagon had a rear window that would slide upwards into the roof as the tailgate dropped down. The later Pontiac Parisienne station wagon of the 1980s had a window that moved up and down in the rear tailgate by an electric motor that could be operated from the drivers seat as well as by the key in the rear door. This rear door was made to open downwards like a regular tailgate (if the window was also down) or like a regular door and swing outward from the curb side (whether the window was up or down.)
Station wagons are lower in profile than a mini van or SUV and thus have less air resistance when driving on the highway.
Many early station wagons were styled with woodgrain[?] panels along the sides and back of the vehicle to "enhance" the country styling. These are now called "woodies" in the United States. Station wagons were the originators of fold down seats to accommodate passengers or cargo.
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