As the transportation industry transitioned from horse-drawn buggies to automobiles, wood, a primary building material, was phased out. Many manufacturers still produced “woody” wagons as a nod to the automobile’s heritage and as a warm counterpoint to the car’s steel components. Up for sale here on Craigslist is a fine example of Ford’s final true woody: a 1951 Country Squire. Located near Seattle, Washington, this wagon is said to be all original, with paperwork dating back to 1960. This woody could be yours for the tidy sum of $45,000. Thank you so much to Curvette for sending in this absolute peach!
Wood is a material that surrounds our lives. Even if you are reading this on your phone at home, take a quick look around to see how many items in your home are made from trees. But as the manufacturing industry advanced, enabling faster, more reliable production of a broader (and much cheaper) range of materials, wood was phased out of the automotive industry, relegated to dashboards and interior accents for high-end car manufacturers. Of course, Morgan Motor has to be mentioned as an exception to this, as it still uses ash lumber in its chassis construction.
This particular woody appears to have had a great life. According to the ad, the car retains its original paint, except for the hatch, which was painted by hand at some point in its life. This adds to the charm of this car. The wood is said to be original and in good condition, which is a considerable expense for these models, so the future owner is ahead of the game there. The best words in this ad are “Stored in a heated garage,” with “I have history of the car back to about 1960” coming in a close second, showing the car has been well cared for throughout its life.
Every car person has their automotive wish list. The cars later in the list tend to ebb and wane, but the top-of-the-list cars are the ones that stay with us and ignite our passion for the hobby. Dreaming of being behind the wheel and cruising down the road is a cheap form of therapy on a difficult day. A shoebox Woody inhabits my list. I’ve wanted one of these for a long time, and have always kept an eye out for a project I can afford. Unlike most other cars on my list (air-cooled Porsches, Gen 1 Bronco), the price of woodies appears to be dropping. Twenty years ago, the cost of this car would have been much higher. So who knows, maybe in a few years, one of these great cars will fall into my range. Or, maybe Santa will leave one under the tree for me… Merry Christmas, everyone!
Original varnish? Let’s go surfin’ now, zzzzzzzzzzz, surfers were generally beach bums with no real vision, except surfing, and I doubt would have a new Woody Ford. More like a ’32 with no back seat or a rear window. I always thought it was cool how the tail lights were hinged, for when the back was open. I got news for ya’, the most this car hauled was a pic-i-nic basket to grandmas house, on a dry day. I wondered, since wood was the primary material, once the varnish was gone, what rotted faster, the wood or the metal. I bet there were some sorry looking Woody wagons, with surfboards. Since these were pricey, GI Joe hadn’t quite made it yet, and not really a family car anyway. Only the hoi-paloi could have them. At $2029 in 1951, it was the most expensive car in the Ford lineup. It was also the last year for the Woody. Beautiful cars.
They say you can’t smell a picture, I do with theses!
Awesome!
Always liked the 49-51 Ford and Merc Woodys even though they were 2-doors only. The one peculiar thing about the 51 Ford was the dashboard. Merc had the mid 1950-51 standard dashboard (in woodgrain design) while the 51 Ford did not have the updated 51 dashboard, carrying over the 49-50 dashboard with the separate key and pushbutton start. Never figured that out unless the guy in the warehouse said, hey Mac, don’t order so many new style dashboards we have plenty of 49-50 blanks and parts to use on the wagons. Still has me wondering. This is an excellent example of the early 50s All American lifestyle.