Tag: Woody

These Are The 9 Greatest Woodies Ever Made – Joshua Irvine @HotCars

These Are The 9 Greatest Woodies Ever Made – Joshua Irvine @HotCars

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The real reason people still buy Woodies is not necessarily because of their charm or appeal, but because some are highly collectible and can fetch a small fortune. Woodies are also a fascinating piece of automotive history, deserving a second look. It could be argued that the wooden panels in the early era of the Woodies were a reflection of the old-style horse-and-cart. But later, the faux-wood panels took on their own aesthetic. In the ’60s, surfers proudly flaunted their “woodies,” packed with surfboards, bringing a certain coolness to the sub-culture.
The evolution of these “Woodies” has brought us some awesome models. You just need to check out these stunning modified Woody cars. Let’s check out some of the greatest, perhaps even most iconic, Woodies that once hit our roads, including some of those with fake wooden trim

9 Ford V8

The 1932 Ford V8 Woody is certainly a reflection of its time. Introduced in the early ’30s, the Flathead V8 engine powered this wagon. Baker-Raulang was responsible for the wooden exterior.

Jacob Rauch and Charles E. J. Lang were working together at the beginning of the twentieth century, producing electric-powered vehicles from their base in Cleveland, Ohio. They later merged with Baker electric, becoming Baker Raulang. After the war, their creations were known as Raulangs. The wooden bodies they created soon attracted the attention of other companies. The 1931 Model A Traveller’s Unit, an early camper, was also one of their builds. They were later involved in the production of industrial trucks in World War 2.

8 Chrysler Town & Country

The Chrysler Town & Country station wagons were distinctive because of their wooden paneling. It all started in the early forties. The roof was steel. The straight-six engine powered these early wagons.

When the war ended, the Town & Country “woody” returned. The Town & Country two-door hardtop, produced in 1950, was the last in this line of Woodies. The Town & Country brand continued, and it became one of the most important cars in Chrysler’s history.

7 Ford Country Squire

The Ford Country Squire has a long history, producing eight generations. The woodgrain trim distinguished them. But then consider how much a Ford Country Squire is worth today, with a 1978 model selling for $45,000 at auction.

The first generation of Ford Country Squires is considered a true “Woodie.” The Ford Iron Mountain Plant manufactured the wood panels for these cars. But we can’t go past the later models with their wood-like aesthetic.

6 Buick Roadmaster Wagon

Go back to the early ’90s. The nostalgic memories of the Buick Roadmaster Wagon, with its 5.7-liter LT1 V8 engine, and its practicality. It is what makes the Buick Roadmaster Wagon a classic. Of course, we cannot forget its fake wood panelling.

The ’90s are not the first time we have seen the wood paneling in the Roadmaster. The wood-grain side transports us back to the spacious Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagons of the early ’50s.

5 Jeep Wagoneer

The Jeep Wagoneer had a long run. Starting in the early ’60s, the Jeep Wagoneer continued the tradition of the Willys Jeep Station Wagon. It continued until the early ’90s. But now we are seeing the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer living up to the brand’s legacy.

The Jeep Wagoneer had a distinctive look: Rugged, robust, and ready to hit the open road. When reminiscing about the Jeep Wagoneer of bygone years, one thing that sticks in most people’s minds is the side paneling, with its wood-like look.

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Pick of the Day: 1935 Jensen-Ford woody wagon, only surviving example – Bob Golfen @ClassicCars.com

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Most of us remember the Jensen brand from the 1960s and ‘70s, when it was equipping its British grand touring cars with American V8s, as well as providing the bones for the Jensen-Healey sports car. 

But the Pick of the Day, a 1935 Jensen-Ford Shooting Brake, is a rare oddball that shows Jensen’s ingenuity from the prewar era.  While the appearance seems like the kind of woody wagon that might have been built on a Rolls-Royce or Bentley chassis, a peak under the hood reveals a Ford flathead V8.

“This exceptionally rare Jensen-Ford Shooting Brake is the sole surviving example of an estimated two or three built in 1935,” according to the St. Louis, Missouri, dealer advertising the wagon on ClassicCars.com. “Based on a Canadian Ford Model 48 V8 chassis, it is one of the twenty-odd Fords imported and bodied by Jensen in the ‘30s.

“However, Jensen did much more than simply tack a new body onto the existing frame – to achieve their desired look and lower center of gravity, they repositioned the engine and lowered/raked the radiator, resulting in a dramatic and sporty appearance.”

This unusual shooting brake, as the British call 2-door wagons, was nearly lost to the ages after being stored away for more than 20 years.

“In the early 1980s, the car resurfaced via a Jensen Owner’s Club UK newsletter article, describing a wood-bodied Jensen in a complete but rather sorry state, lurking in a garage in Dorking, Surrey,” the seller explains. “With the threat of the car being sent to the breaker’s yard, the author issued a plea to save it.

“Help arrived when the owner contacted a fellow Jensen Club member for a valuation. When he saw the car sitting in the junkyard, he immediately decided to buy it and bring it home for restoration. A piano restorer by trade, the new owner painstakingly refurbished the ash framework, taking great strides to preserve as much of the original wood as possible.

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Rare 1930 Ford Model A Woody repairs and back on the road! – Paul Shinn

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Meet “Woody”, a 1930 Ford Model A body style 255-A “Special Delivery”. Sometimes called a “Panel Delivery”. This is a VERY rare Model A body style and a special car because it has belonged to the same man since 1940. ‘Termite bait’ has been off the road about 10 years and it is my job to put it back on the road where it belongs!

5 Best Woodie Wagons Sold At Worldwide Auctioneers’ 2021 Scottsdale Event (5 Best Woodie Wagons Ever) – Nzilili Sam @HotCars

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Though they have, for long, been extinct in production facilities, woodie wagons are still counted among the most important cars in America’s automotive history. For several decades, woodie wagons were equivalent to the modern day’s high-end SUV. Buyers loved their spacious cabins, and the quality of artistry it took to turn a pile of wood into stylish and durable car parts.

Though genuine woodie wagons fell out of favor with manufacturers and mainstream buyers due to their increasing production cost and a lack of durability, many pre-loved examples were given a second life by classic car lovers and collectors. Some well-kept examples are even exchanging hands for hundreds of thousands, entering the history books of the most expensive cars sold at auctions. Dive in as we look at five of the greatest woodie wagons of all time, versus the five best woodie wagons sold at the recently held Scottsdale sale.

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Which one of these four postwar woodie wagons would you choose for your dream garage? – Matt Litwin @Hemmings

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Back in the day, those seeking outdoor adventures may have called upon the station wagon as one means to lug their gear to their travel destination. So, let’s take a step further back in our latest edition of This or That by offering four dream garage options from the immediate postwar station wagon market, when such cars were still built with a healthy amount of lumber. Commonly called woodie wagons, they are among the few vintage cars that are icons of the industry and pop culture alike. Here’s a closer look at some that Detroit offered, all of which are currently available in the Hemmings classifieds.

1947 Chevy Woody Wagon, 350 crate engine, 330hp, power steering, AC/heat, 700R4 transmission, new paint, great driver, eye catcher, award winning car.

Let’s start with Chevrolet. Although the division began offering the all-steel Suburban Carryall in 1935, regular production woodie station wagons didn’t technically appear until 1939. We say ‘technically’ because wood-bodied wagons from Chevy had been available through its dealership network on a special-order basis, with bodies furnished by a number of independent suppliers, such as the Springfield Body Company and Hercules Products.

Like others, Chevrolet’s station wagon production were among the last models to be resumed after the end of World War II. Offered only on the upscale Fleetline series, just 804 were produced as 1946 models, but that number jumped to 4,912 units a year later, this 1947 Fleetline among them. Costing $1,893 new (or $22,626 today), it originally contained the division’s svelte 216.5-cu.in. six-cylinder, which was rated for 90 hp; however this stock-appearing “woodie” has been warmed up a bit with modern mechanical enhancements.

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Burly Wood – 1948 GMC Highlander – Mike McNessor @Hemmings

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Behind the making of the Campbell-bodied 1948 GMC Highlander

Eastern feng shui philosophy teaches that everything on Earth is comprised of five elements: wood, fi re, earth, metal, and water. One of the keys to creating harmony and happiness in your environment is to strike a balance among those five.

Read Mike McNessor on Woodies and the 1948 GMC in particular