Ford introduced its first all-new post-war automobiles in 1949 and wood-bodied station wagons were still in the mix. But the amount of wood deployed was reduced and would be replaced 100% by wood paneling in 1952. For 1950, these wagons were now called Country Squires, a name that would stick with Ford for much of the remaining century. This 1950 example has its original paint but all the outside wood pieces have been removed and restored, so it’s not quite a survivor. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this Ford is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $12,100, but not enough to trigger the seller’s reserve.
Unlike prior Woodies, Ford’s 1949-51 editions would rely more on steel and less on wood. They were more economical to produce that way, even though ole Henry had his own forest to draw from. The full Woodies were a lot more labor-intensive. In place of a complete wooden body back of the firewall, the 1949-51 Ford wagons were designed with a steel roof, rear fenders, and tailgate frame. Wood construction remained for the side bodywork and the tailgate innards. The bodies were shared with Mercury and – to reduce noise and improve sealing – the “Woodie” was now offered with two doors instead of four, but three seats were still in place, providing seating capacity for eight.
These transitional wagons saw production in the neighborhood of 83,400 across three model years. The 1950 edition has the smaller numbers at just shy of 23,000 units, which would include the seller’s transport. Before the seller acquired this Ford, it had been owned by the same family since 1958, having paid a whopping $485 at the time. The seller has a bill of sale dated from that exchange along with a clear Texas title today.
We’re told the original flathead V8, likely a 239 cubic inch engine, starts and drives smoothly with the help of a 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The odometer reading is 48,000 but there is no validation as to whether that’s accurate. An expensive part of restoring this vehicle has already been done, getting all the exterior wood pieces refurbished. The light green paint, though scratched in places, may be 72 years old. These cars are a throwback to mid-20th Century technology and finding a solid example to work with isn’t always easy. “Wood” you be interested in buying this one?
Flathead Flatbed Fathead..
Thanks for catching the boo-boo. Fixed!
Sadly, ever since I noticed these wagons has a fivehead I’ve never been able to unsee it.
The top picture should be used as the new Barn Finds logo.
The bid is now at 17 K . In the last few years I have seen two of these at auctions, in very similar condition go in the low to mid twenties. This seemed like a bargain to me compared to past history. From the ad this looks like a very good car if the sell stays under 30. I am sure some one will say ,if you want to sell a car , you could at least clean it up.
OK, I’ll say it.
A woodie in a woodie.
I thought by ’47 or 8 they were all tin woodies (like this 1’s tailgait). I like both varieties. Also like them w/o much modification (mechanical breaks, cloth covered wires, etc, etc).
Thnx for post, write-up.
I honestly never knew that woodies were built entirely from wood from the firewall back until a few years ago. I guess I just assumed the wood was laid over inner steel structure.They must’ve had to reinforce the chassis and floor considerably more (I would hope). Otherwise, that’s crazy. I like the build of this woodie with just veneers much much more.
Love that they kept the paint original- fantastic car.
I’ve owned two 40 Ford Woodies in the past. The only extra reinforcement that I’m aware of on those cars is that they used a convertible floor pan.
Only the ’49 woodies (Ford & Merc) had wood-trimmed tailgates – ’50-’51 were all steel with matte-colored paint. To correct Eric B.- The wood trim started after the ‘A’ pillar and was bolted over a steel skeletal body down each side. Wood only body structure was never done after 1948. All Mercs had the Merc cowling (and instrument panels) which were wider at the ‘A’ pillar than the Fords.
This looks to be a really nice one! Wish I lived in the neighborhood (and was 20 years younger for the restoration process).
Looks nice!