Once I Found My 1979 Dodge Aspen Special Edition, I Drove It Everywhere

This story first appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Join the club to receive our award-winning magazine and enjoy insider access to automotive events, discounts, roadside assistance, and more.

I have a thing for beige Mopars, especially the F-body cars from the Malaise Era. In 2002, I was on the lookout for a Dodge Aspen or Plymouth Volare station wagon like the one my dad had when I was a kid. They were hard to find, even back then, and most examples were complete garbage. But I lucked out at that year’s Mopar Nationals, where a fellow collector of Mopar F-bodies was selling her 1979 Aspen wagon. It was a nice California car with no rust and original paint. I drove the car home that day from Columbus, Ohio, to Pennsylvania. The odometer showed 101,979.

I’ve kept my Aspen stock over the years with the only exception being the 17×8 Mustang wheels. It still has the original 318-cubic-inch V-8, four-barrel carburetor, and 2.45:1 rear axle gear. Surprisingly, the California emissions equipment and lean-burn spark computer have never given me problems.

Since buying it, I have put over 20,000 miles on the wagon, driving to shows and on vacation with my family. My wife and daughter like it because we get a lot of looks and comments wherever we go, and the R12 A/C works well. We’ve taken the Aspen to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, the Poconos, and Glen Arbor, Michigan. It may be slow, but it arrives in style.

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