U.S. carmakers didn’t have the market to themselves for wood-bodied station wagons after World War II. British manufacturers like Austin got into the act, too, with a small wagon built on the A-70 Countryman platform. They have an unusual production history, which we’ll go into more in a moment. This 1950 edition is from a large collection in Fresno, California, and needs a complete restoration. The seller has access to a goldmine in parts to help with the project. This “Woodie” is available here on eBay where the first bid of $3,500 has yet to be cast. Thanks for the cool find T.J.!
British automakers were short on both labor and materials in the immediate period following the end of World War II. Car builders like Land Rover had to cut corners, for example, painting all their machines in a single color for a while until they used up all their war-surplus paint. The folks at Austin thought that wood could be a good substitute for steel, so wood began appearing in the Countryman A-70 station wagons in the late 1940s. Add to that, assembly work was performed by recovering medical patients as a hospital was located next door to the Austin factory. Sources indicate that 1,515 of these wagons were built over five years and few are thought to exist today. The seller’s edition is likely a rare find.
Not a lot of information is provided about the seller’s car. The wood pieces are pretty much all used up, including the roof which is now see-through. The sheet metal has faired no better with rust in several spots. The wagon has likely sat for years given that the tires are both flat and look to be quite old. The seller believes this Austin to be mostly complete, but his/her warehouse is filled with spare parts that the buyer would be able to tap into (for an extra cost, no doubt). This would be a cool wagon to get going again, but it will be time-consuming and not inexpensive to finish.
No pictures of the engine,chassis. Cool project but need to know more. All that wood looks weathered needing replacement.Price could be way too high, can’t tell without way more pictures.
Kurt, don’t know where you’re looking but the 3 of the photos on ebay sure look like an engine to me.
DFO I was just looking at the pics posted here. Sorry.
There were 2 different versions of the A-70, the early version produced thru 1950, called the Hampshire, is as we see here. The second version was called the Hereford, and had a different body side “swoop” line.
While this is not common in the UK, it’s even harder to find in North America. I’ve seen both versions up close in England, and in my opinion the Countryman estates body design was improved with the introduction of the Hereford A-70, as the front doors were now made of wood above the sweeping fender line, matching the rear doors appearance. The earlier Hampshire versions look like the wood parts were simply tacked onto a saloon body, using the steel front doors.
I bet those recovering medical patients not only used their labor, but also their hospital building structure, to make these
Just as rare, I have started to rebuild a 1950 Vanguard left hand drive wagon
I bet you noticed the Standard Vanguard station wagon in the one picture then. That’s the one i would have or maybe what looks like a Sunbeam Talbot. My first ever company vehicle was a Vanguard panel van and it always jammed between First and Second gear at the worst times imaginable!
Nice if you want to hone your woodworking skills.
If it were a normal A-70 and not a woody, I’d say scrap it because they are like backsides and scones in old blighty, everybody has one. But if your pockets are deep enough and you know a good carpenter and body man, it will be something special when restored. Engine is the least of the problems.
It would seem like the existing wood is in good enough shape to use as a pattern for the new (oak?) replacement. I saw a restored example at local car show and they are pretty cool looking.