1950 Ford Station Wagon Custom "Envy" in Phoenix, AZ

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.