Classic Wood

Posted on Feb 8, 2020 in Antique | Comments Off on Classic Wood

What type of car do you think is a Woody Is it the Wagon Queen Family Truckster from the movies with its “metallic pea” paint and its sheets of fake wood? A beach buggy complete with surfboard? Something that can’t be discussed on a family website? For me, a New Englander, the Woodie brings to mind a great 1930’s station wagon driving up a quiet road in Vermont, the brightly colored leaves reflecting off the golden wood beams.

Woodies are known throughout the world by many different names, such Woody, Woodie, Beachwagon, Estate Car, Shooting Brake, or Brake de Chasse. They’re basically wagons with the rear section of the car made of woods like Ash and Mahogany. The beauty of each detail in these cars are amazing. Finger Joints on boards that are wrapped around the shape of a door, or the sanding and varnish work on the inside roof are as magnificent as any work by Stradivarius. The color of the wood varies with each individual make or restorer. Creating the finished product is an art, and restoring pieces of wood to match the originals is almost a miracle.

Woodies have been around since the dawn of the automobile when many bodies were created using aluminum and steel with wood bolted onto the frame. Railroads used these cars for the transport of customers and luggage because they were inexpensive, giving the cars the name “station wagon.”

Woodies were usually base cars with few options, but as the popularity grew, many luxury car brands created their own versions. In Europe, classic coachbuilders like Franay and Henri Labourdette worked in wood creating “skiff” and “torpedo cars” with boat-like lines on the chassis made by companies like Rolls-Royce, Renault, Panhard and Delahaye.

By the end of the 50’s, most Woodies were discontinued, with the remaining being created by third-party coachbuilders. New automobile regulations and improved body designs forced the end of the true Woodies, and replaced them with “faux” cars with plastic beams and sheeting. Except for a brief period during the “retro” phase recently, the days of the Woodie are over. People who really need to have the look can still buy kits for everything from a PT Cruiser to a Smart car, but I don’t think there are many cars today that would benefit from 1930’s-style wood paneling.