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Details
1948 FORD SUPER DELUXE WOODY STATION WAGON
BODY BY FORD IRON MOUNTAIN
Chassis No. 889A 2239226
Green, Honduras mahogany panels, Michigan hard maple stiles, ash roof slats with tan interior
Engine: V-8 flat-head, 239ci, 100bhp at 3,800rpm; Gearbox: three speed column shift; Suspension: leaf springs front and rear; Brakes: drums all round. Left hand drive.
Unlike the rest of the Detroit establishment, Ford was one of the few car manufacturers to actually produce its own wood bodies. Nearly all the rest were built by independent contractors such as Ypsilanti Furniture, J. T. Cantrell and Hercules. Ford station wagon bodies were built from wood harvested at the company's Iron Mountain timber mills in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Much of the wood used to build Ford station wagons went into the construction of the headliner, which consisted of long, white ash slats; the inside door panels were mahogany and the outside panels a combination of mahogany and birch.
While 1931 marked the end of the Model A era, the Woody - a nickname given to the cars many years later - remained in the Ford line until civilian automobile production was officially halted on February 2, 1942 and the last American automobile, a Ford sedan, rolled off the assembly line. The Ford wood-bodied station wagon was one of the first models back into production after the war.
Production resumed post-war in 1946 and for the first three years was very much based on a restyled version of the 1942 models. The grille was restyled with horizontal bars on the outside of the rectangular opening instead of the flush mounted grille of the 1942 model. This attractive station wagon was assembled in 1948 at Ford's Dearborn, Michigan plant and its wooden body was made at the Iron Mountain facility. This original example is indicative of an older restoration and generally seems very sound. Chrome and woodwork are presentable, although the varnish is lifting slightly at the edges. There is a small tear in the driver's seat which the owner hopes to have repaired prior to the auction. The engine is said to run very well indeed and the engine bay is clean with no signs of corrosion. Equipment on this Woody includes a rear mounted spare, jack, driver's compartment heater, radio (not currently working) and an after market electric fan for the driver.
In recent years, public interest and nostalgia surrounding Woodys has grown and collectors are purchasing them. Many concours events such as the Louis Vuitton Concours d'Elegance and Pebble Beach have started to cater to this interest and have classes on occasion just for station wagons. The purr of its flat head V8 engine, its baritone horn and the feel of deep, rich wood will return this car's third owner to another place and time in American automotive history. cater to this interest and on occasion had classes just for station wagons. The purr of its flat head V8 engine, its baritone horn and the feel of deep, rich wood will return this car's third owner to another place and time in American automotive history.
BODY BY FORD IRON MOUNTAIN
Chassis No. 889A 2239226
Green, Honduras mahogany panels, Michigan hard maple stiles, ash roof slats with tan interior
Engine: V-8 flat-head, 239ci, 100bhp at 3,800rpm; Gearbox: three speed column shift; Suspension: leaf springs front and rear; Brakes: drums all round. Left hand drive.
Unlike the rest of the Detroit establishment, Ford was one of the few car manufacturers to actually produce its own wood bodies. Nearly all the rest were built by independent contractors such as Ypsilanti Furniture, J. T. Cantrell and Hercules. Ford station wagon bodies were built from wood harvested at the company's Iron Mountain timber mills in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Much of the wood used to build Ford station wagons went into the construction of the headliner, which consisted of long, white ash slats; the inside door panels were mahogany and the outside panels a combination of mahogany and birch.
While 1931 marked the end of the Model A era, the Woody - a nickname given to the cars many years later - remained in the Ford line until civilian automobile production was officially halted on February 2, 1942 and the last American automobile, a Ford sedan, rolled off the assembly line. The Ford wood-bodied station wagon was one of the first models back into production after the war.
Production resumed post-war in 1946 and for the first three years was very much based on a restyled version of the 1942 models. The grille was restyled with horizontal bars on the outside of the rectangular opening instead of the flush mounted grille of the 1942 model. This attractive station wagon was assembled in 1948 at Ford's Dearborn, Michigan plant and its wooden body was made at the Iron Mountain facility. This original example is indicative of an older restoration and generally seems very sound. Chrome and woodwork are presentable, although the varnish is lifting slightly at the edges. There is a small tear in the driver's seat which the owner hopes to have repaired prior to the auction. The engine is said to run very well indeed and the engine bay is clean with no signs of corrosion. Equipment on this Woody includes a rear mounted spare, jack, driver's compartment heater, radio (not currently working) and an after market electric fan for the driver.
In recent years, public interest and nostalgia surrounding Woodys has grown and collectors are purchasing them. Many concours events such as the Louis Vuitton Concours d'Elegance and Pebble Beach have started to cater to this interest and have classes on occasion just for station wagons. The purr of its flat head V8 engine, its baritone horn and the feel of deep, rich wood will return this car's third owner to another place and time in American automotive history. cater to this interest and on occasion had classes just for station wagons. The purr of its flat head V8 engine, its baritone horn and the feel of deep, rich wood will return this car's third owner to another place and time in American automotive history.