I have researched quite a few “woodies” over the last year and invariably they are Fords or Chryslers (though I did find a Pontiac) and invariably, station wagons. Well here’s a twist, it’s a woodie but a sedan woodie in the form of a 1947 Chrysler Windsor “Town & Country”. It is located in Salem, Pennsylvania and available here on Facebook Marketplace for $28,500.
Chrysler’s marketing material of the time refers to this sedan as a “Town & Country” (T&C) sedan and the badge on the hood clearly indicates this sedan as a T&C but it is built on a Windsor chassis and thus the Windsor association in the listing. The T&C “wood” movement started in ’41, was interrupted in ’42 due to World War II, picked up again in ’46 and was gone for good at the end of the ’50 model year. While I get this woodie look on a station wagon, who thought it was a good idea on a sedan? Well, it makes a visual impression, and a statement, that’s for sure. It was also an available treatment on a two-door sedan and convertible.
The seller states, “woodie is in truly amazing original condition, so solid with a great original interior and amazing original wood, very solid body and undercarriage showing no signs of any rust thru….surface and scale only…” The images that are available bear this out. There is light surface rust on the beige painted steel surfaces, but nothing that would constitute rot or rust-through. The body appears to be very straight and aligned but it is the condition of the wood that is most remarkable – and there’s a lot of wood. The dusty condition of this T&C obscures the complete view of the wood trim but it would seem to be all there and in pretty good nick. As I have stated before, when you own a woodie like this you need a mechanic and a carpenter unless you got gold stars in woodshop class. Seriously, there’s an art to knowing how to find the right wood, cut, shape, and probably most importantly, bend it to fit the body curvature. And then, of course, it has to be finished properly and maintained too. Beyond the wood extravaganza, the bumpers, grille and trim on this T&C appear to be all present and accounted for. BTW, the wood and steel roof-rack is original and not an aftermarket add on.
There is no reference made in the listing as to this T&C’s operational capability or what powers it. The Windsor engine would be a 250.6 CI, in-line, six-cylinder, flathead engine good for 114 gross HP so we’ll have to run with the assumption that’s what resides under the hood. It would be good to know the story surrounding this Chrysler and how long/where it has been parked. It would be possible to make a generalization regarding the engine from that knowledge but a direct inquiry, which is encouraged by the seller, would be the safe route to take. The mileage is claimed to be 98K and if that is accurate, the old flathead engine is probably tired but may still have some life to it; the engine could be fine or not. Gear changing appears to be accomplished via a three-speed, manual transmission though there was a two-speed hydraulically operated gearbox available as well.
The interior features, wood, what else right? The upholstery fabric appears to be maroon leather and a fabric weave of some nature and is in pretty nice condition considering this car’s 73 years of age. The carpet is sound and this T&C possesses one of those beautiful ’40s chrome ornamented instrument panels. There is no word given on how or if any of it works but it really is a purposeful interior. Of special note are the wooden ribs holding up the headliner – beautiful wood-work! Speaking of the headliner, the gray fabric presents itself as new. The interior of this T&C would appear to need nothing other than a good cleaning.
The listing for this Chrysler, while short on detail, contains a nice pictorial and it is worth taking the time to review all of the images. We’ll never see a car built in this fashion again; the artistry involved, probably a lost art, is a thing of the past but this T&C is a great reminder of what Detroit could and did build at one time. The woodie treatment just works on a station wagon, the station wagon being the logical successor to a horse-drawn wagon. The proportions of a station wagon just wear the wood trim really well. I don’t think it’s quite the case with the sedan as it’s not as balanced in appearance, it almost seems as if it is striving to be something else or trying to draw attention to itself. And it is for that reason that I like this Chrysler, it is unusual, not commonly seen and most notable. I would be interested in hearing from readers that have owned a real woodie, primarily, what does it take to maintain or replace wood pieces as needed? Is it worth all of the effort?
Always have liked these Chrysler Town & Country woodies. But for how nice this sedan is, the convertible version is awesome!
Chevy had a “country club” woodie option on the ’47 and ’48 Fleetline two-door, also. Nice looking old cars and rare.
Looks good for it’s age and as for it being in rare condition – can understand the shortness.
Wow, wow, wow. I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t have 28 thousand disposable dollars, because this is just the kind of rabbit hole I’d jump into.
I do hope the next owner plans to drive it
rather than squirrel it away in a hermetically sealed garage somewhere.
All too many times, the owners of these
beautiful machines restore them to factory condition only to lock them away
and never use them. To me, that’s the reason you’re in the hobby in the first place–to find a forgotten old car like this
one, bust your knuckles, do the repairs
the best way you know how just to breathe life back into the car of your dreams. At least that’s how we did it 50
years ago when we’d find a rare car like
this and get it running and driving so that
it could be shared with the rest of the world. Back then, we’d build a car because we loved it–not because it was
an investment opportunity that in the end
you’d be too scared to drive for fear of
losing any of the time and money you
put into it. Restorations are righteous,
but drivers are survivors.
Well said, Ken. Yes, that has been my modus operandi…find the neglected old car, bring it back from the dead, and enjoy it, because I don’t want to throw too much money away over-restoring some car that nobody will want to buy in 10 years. This car though is in another category, and should get a full restoration, yes?
I have a book from 1979 that identifies these cars as being the only post-war classic cars, which makes it all the more remarkable to find one in neglected-but-original condition. The Chrysler Town & Country sedans and convertibles have been recognized as collectible longer than the Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 convertible. Awesome find.
Pretty sure the ’46-48 Lincoln Continentals are also full classics
Also selected Packards are full classics after ww2.
… and Cadillac, and Rolls-Royce, and Bentley, and Delehaye, and Bugatti, and Jaguar.
These are stunning to see in person. You better have Norm Abrahm and Roy Underhill on speed dial!
One of many reasons I love this site and check it every day, never knew a sedan version existed. I’ve seen a convertible and a wagon at shows, and they’re gorgeous……. I’m a woodworker and really appreciate what went into these old gals. We’ll never see their like again, each one is a treasure.
It seems like I have only seen one of these in old movies. It is usually driven by the wife of a sleazy horse owner why drives it down to the stables to make out with Rock Hudson or Robert Mitchum.
Agreed Rex, it does indeed warrant a full
restoration. But after you do that, at least drive the damned thing once in a while. Otherwise, what’s the point in
spending all that hard earned cash in
the first place. And let’s not forget all
the grief your spouse and/or girlfriend
is gonna give you for spending all that
cash on a car that you-re too scared to
drive. Just be glad you don’t have to
justify this one to Mrs. Kahrs!
I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned Ford, who built close to 4,000 Sportsman “woodie” convertibles from ’46 through ’48.
I just looked up the numbers on these T&C 4 door sedans, and from 46 through 48, 4,000 were built. The T&C convertibles? Would you believe 8,400+? Yeah, seems like a lot compared to that Ford number.
If you want a rare woodie convertible, Mercury offered the bodystyle for 1 year.
This has to be THE most complete, original T & C of any variety I’ve ever seen!! Just try to find another one with wood this solid & complete; you won’t! And the interior? Absolutely amazing!! The price sounds good for this jewel. These are EASILY $130K+ when restored! This car won’t last long at all; I bet it’s gone by this weekend!!
A show-winning example just sold for about $60,000 at Amelia Island Sotheby’s RM auction.
It’s not a standard shift. It is a Fluid Drive, which is basically a four-speed transmission with a fluid coupling instead of a torque converter. As a wise guy wrote once, Fluid Drive combines the worst features of a manual transmission with the worst features of an automatic! They are actually quite reliable, though.
I believe the Chrysler Fluid-Drive was a “3 on the tree”, not 4 spd.
There were two types of semi-automatic transmissions. DeSoto and Chrysler had the Tiptoe-Matic and Presto-Matic four speeds (three speeds with a compound low), and Plymouth and Dodge had the Hy-Drive and Gyro-Matic three speed transmission which actually used a torque converter instead of a fluid coupling.
https://www.allpar.com/mopar/hydrive.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presto-Matic
With couple gallons of lemon oil, and the new owner should have a gorgeous piece of automotive furniture. Very fun car which should remain in its original condition as much as possible after cleaning and mechanical recommission.
Only half the price of a nicely restored show-winning example.
Also built 7 (I believe) Town & Country 2 door hardtops which predate the ones built by GM.
I want to see this one when it has been restored. It will be breath taking.
As a kid in the mid 70’s went to a fishing camp where they had one of the converibles- they had cut the trunk off and were using it for a pickup in the 80s I went back and it had been left in a wet area and there was almost nothing of it left
My Uncle n’ Aunt had a 47 New Yorker 4 dr, same color, no wood,had the straight 8, it had the “Fluid Drive” which this one has due to the round clutch pedal and almost square brake pedal. Believe the main body was the same as with the Winsor, difference was the engine and the hood was lo-o-o-o-g on these N.Yorker. They sat like your living room, huge back seat. the Fluid drive was slow our ‘s had 35-40,000 mi and needed help, tired, barely get away from a traffic light so this at 98,000 I’d figure a rebuild or new power plant and modernize its rolling gear
Holly crap,,, if a woody car is your love jump on it for you many never find a beauty to restore like this and it’s in fantastic condition for the age to start with…
Worth Every. Dang. Penny.
I’ve never seen a Woody sedan!!
I love this car, but can’t afford it… so dream on!
If I could buy it, it would get a hemi, Auto trans, Vintage air, etc. and would be my daily driver.
Buy it clean it. Drive it til all the paint Flys off. We’re Americans drive it.
MANY MOONS AGO in the 60s to be exact my Dad had a Service Station we had a customer with a Chrysler just like his. Although I don’t recall if was a Woodie do recall the luggage rack the same. If I recall it was called a Traveler?
This same had another rare Mopar a couple of years newer, 50 Imperial Sedan. Both of these cars were very nice and right after he died disappeared into thin air.
This was in Portland Or. The Chrysler was brown and the Imperial Gray.
I need to take this to my cabin in the Adirondacks.
I owned one of these which I bought in 1964 for $60.(!!!) The painted part was Midnight Blue and it had the Scotch Plaid Highlander interior. The engine was the 250cid flathead six with Fluid Drive. The man I bought it from was a musician who pulled two accordions out of the trunk and two more from the back seat when I came to take it away. It ran and drove well enough. But when I had to go in the Army in Oct ’66 for six month National Guard training my dad wouldn’t let me park it in his back yard, so it went to the junk yard.
The sedans were all sixes but the woody convertible had the longer straight-8 motor and was built on the longer New Yorker chassis to accommodate the longer straight-8 motor.
They made about a half-dozen 8-cylinder sedans.
I have viewed this car in person one week ago. As the information states, it is very solid and after some work would make a nice vehicle for anyone to use and enjoy.
Thanks for mentioning the Ford Sportsman. My mother had a convertible one, with power windows (!) that were hydraulic operated. “Three on the tree” tranny. We would sand and varnish the wood every spring and every fall. I’ve always dreamed of owning another. It was beautiful and, being heavy, a great cruiser.
Ken H:
isn’t this the “metal woodie” (painted to look like wood)? Only real wood is the light colored perimeter pieces?
“…have Norm Abrahm and Roy Underhill on speed dial!…” no, I think by this time they went to ‘fake wood’, nxt iteration – the plastic perimeter ‘boards’ and roll on vinyl wood stickers. 1st switch over (30s?) – painted wood-like dash boards…
Let me know…
If you will look at my comment from earlier I viewed this vehicle approximately a week and a half ago, this vehicle is all real wood it is not a metal woody. This vehicle would clean up nicely especially the wood.