To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Arizona
event, 17 - 18 January 2019.
Estimate:
$80,000 - $100,000
- Enviable custom woodie
- LT-1 Corvette power
- Exceptional craftsmanship
Long appreciated by collectors, "woodie" station wagons gained the
attention of a younger, more active constituency in the 1960s.
Surfers, particularly, liked their varnished wood bodies, which
nicely complimented the surfboards that nestled comfortably on roof
racks. Many of these were "resto-rods:" with traditional exteriors
hiding more modern drivetrains, most often propelled by small-block
Chevy V-8s.
Ford's revolutionary 1949 models left the traditional woodie look
behind, using a half-timbered approach with side and tailgate wood
that was structural, but applied to a skeleton steel framework and
one-piece top. More streamlined than the old station wagons, they
lent themselves to the surfing idiom and were more practical as
well: lower in stature, it was easier to heft surfboards to the
roof.
Not all woodies went surfing, of course, but the new style also
lent itself to the customizing trend that had arisen in the 1950s.
Thus, it was that a number of 1949-1951 Ford station wagons
received the custom treatment, similar to that afforded by their
"shoebox" sedan siblings.
This car is just such a custom woodie. Chopped 2� in., it has raked
B-pillars and Cadillac taillights. A customized 1949 Ford grille
and front bumper are used, and power side mirrors have been
fashioned from bumper guards. The wagon body is hardrock maple with
birds-eye inserts. The Green Pearl paint is a custom PPG mix. The
interior is high-grade leather with ostrich and suede inserts, and
features a green neon halo-lit headliner. It has a Budnik banjo
steering wheel, Dakota digital instruments, and climate control by
Vintage Air.
The drivetrain is 5.7-liter LT1 Corvette with a 700R4 Hydra-Matic,
9-in. Ford rear and custom 2.5-in. exhaust. Independent front
suspension uses a Mustang II rack-and-pinion, Air Ride suspension,
11-in. master disc brakes, and Budnik Arrowhead wheels with 17-in.
tires at the front and 18s on the rear.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az19.