1950 Plymouth Special Deluxe Woody in Lithia Springs, Georgia

Woody wagons remain red hot in the marketplace and why not? Cars like this 1950 Plymouth Special Deluxe wagon are not only incredibly attractive, but they're fun and practical as well. The writing was on the wall for the wood-bodied wagon in 1950; even Plymouth had introduced the all-steel Suburban wagon in late 1949 and it handily out-sold its wood-bodied sibling. If you want one of the last, this is a great choice.

We believe most of the wood is original on this Plymouth, which will tell you all you need to know about its previous lives. High maintenance was the reason for the woody's decline in popularity and why so few still exist. Of the 2057 wood-bodied Plymouths built in 1950, only a handful still exist, and Plymouths in particular seem to remain popular with woody enthusiasts. The handsome Rio Maroon paint is a great complement to the rich wood tones and is a nice older respray that can be enjoyed as-is or perhaps given a light color sand and buff to rejuvenate it to a high level. Either way, you get a great-looking little wagon! You'll also note that this was the most expensive Plymouth of all in 1950, and it included a lot of bright stainless trim that's easy to maintain, plus wonderful details like the Plymouth "schooner" hood ornament, unique taillights, and a steel tailgate that has the spare tire enclosed in its own housing. The bumpers are in good order, which is particularly important in back, where the bumper is unique to the wagon and is probably worth a good chunk of cash all by itself.

The beautiful tan vinyl interior is quite neatly trimmed in the original style. Seating surfaces are plain and simple, but that means they're durable and easy to maintain. Simple rubber mats on the floor are joined by some carpeted mats to dress things up a bit and it does offer true 8-passenger seating with a full rear bench. Front windows wind up and down in the conventional style but rear passengers get sliding window panes, which is kind of neat. The dashboard is the same as any other Plymouth, with attractive gauges housed in three round pods, a center stack with the AM radio (powers up and hums but doesn't pull sound) and heater controls, and a fairly convincing woodgrain pattern on top (it had better be with all that genuine wood around it!). Control efforts are light and the Plymouth is a tidy handler, so it should quickly become one of your favorites to drive.

It would be a mistake to underestimate Plymouth's rugged little 217 cubic inch inline-six powerplant. It fires up almost instantly, idles smoothly with a great mechanical whir, and thanks to relatively tall 3.90 gears in the rear end, it's quite peppy around town. While not detailed for show, the engine compartment is tidy and clean, and shows signs of regular maintenance and care. The three-speed manual transmission slips through the gears easily once you've familiarized yourself with the column-mounted shifter's operation and the gears keep the little six in its sweet spot. It's still working on six volts, so it feels quite authentic, and with that giant radiator up front, you don't have to worry about overheating. There's a newer muffler and tailpipe, tube shocks have been installed, and there are
205/75/15 wide whitewall radials on the original wheels that make it a pleasure to drive.

Representing the end of the line for wood-bodied Plymouths, this neat little wagon is a delight to drive and will always be welcome at events. Call today!