Randie Sweetapple, a young woman who came from Mercer County to a station wagon show Saturday afternoon in Butler, was amazed at the huge precursors to the minivan that were shined up and on display.

“I’d love it if they came back,” Sweetapple said. “They are amazing.”

About half of the 42 station wagons parked in the Westminster Presbyterian Church lot belonged to members of the International Station Wagon Club, which organized the show, and half belonged to locals who brought their wagons to the display. The club calls Butler its home.

Rod Sweetapple, Brandie’s father, said he and his wife, Debbie, drove from Venango County to check out the many and varied models of station wagons.

“We like old cars, and we thought the concept of (showing) station wagons was really neat,” he said.

His favorite model was a 1972 Pinto wagon because his parents had one that he drove occasionally once he turned 16.

Debbie said the huge station wagons back in the day had a lot of space and provided a nice place to canoodle with your sweetie on a starlit night.

“The show is fabulous,” she said. “There are so many different years and cars from different states. It’s amazing.”

One standout that drew many curious onlookers was the show’s featured car, a tiny, half-wooden wagon that was the 15th to the last car made at Butler’s Bantam Car Company factory before it started manufacturing Jeeps for World War II.

Brent Thomas, of Butler Township, has owned the 1940 Bantam Woody wagon for two years, but his father had it for many years after buying it from the late Bob Brandon.

Only 17 are known to remain of the 600 made by Bantam, Thomas said.

His Woody originally was shipped from Butler to a podiatrist in Wyoming.

“I can imagine him driving around doing house calls in his little wagon,” Thomas said.

The Bantam has a 20 horsepower engine, three-speed transmission and its top end is a blazing 45 mph.

If Thomas takes it out for a drive around his neighborhood, he does it early Saturday morning when traffic is sparse.

“It’s not the best car in traffic because it doesn’t accelerate too well,” he said.

He said most of the Bantam Woody wagons disappeared due to wood rot or deterioration of the canvas roof.

“It must have been in a garage all its life and kept out of the weather,” Thomas said of his Bantam.

Another showpiece on display was the massive 1958 Oldsmobile Super 88 Fiesta Station Wagon owned by Tom Bogo, of Wickliffe, Ohio.

Bogo, a body shop owner, bought the beast of a vehicle in 2014, began restoring it in 2016, and finished the job in 2020.

He repainted it the original colors of light jade mist and Victorian white.

“I’m glad I kept the colors,” Bogo said. “It just has that pop to it.”

Unlike the Bantam, the Olds has a 305 horsepower, 371 four-barrel, dual exhaust engine.

The wagon came with air conditioning and power seats, Bogo said.

“I must have owned two dozen station wagons in my life,” he said. “I took my driver’s test in a ‘67 Buick station wagon.”

He enjoys showing the big wagon and always fields dozens of questions about it at the 11 or 12 shows he attends each year.

“What I enjoy most are the smiles on peoples’ faces,” Bogo said. “The car is fun, it’s unique and it’s rare.”

Allison Farrugia, of Ontario, Canada, brought her 1964 Pontiac Parisienne Safari station wagon to the show.

“I’ve always loved station wagons,” Farrugia said. “My best friend’s dad had one growing up and I have lots of good memories of riding in the back.”

Family and friends went to great lengths to restore the wagon, which was in rough shape when she bought it.

“The cool thing is that we didn’t just pay someone to redo it,” Farrugia said.

Vintage items from the mid-1960s sat on the seats, such as stuffed animals, a board game and maps.

Everyone at the show, including spectators and station wagon owners, was given a “People’s Choice ballot” so they could vote on their favorite wagons in the categories of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and newer.

Winners in each category received a plaque, and the wagon that received the most People’s Choice votes received Best in Show.

Prizes also were given to club members in various categories.

Chuck Snyder, a club founder, was thrilled at the weather and turnout at the International Station Wagon Club’s show.

“A lot of people slowed down on Main Street to look,” he said