Vehicle Description
1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Woody Wagon ?California Woody ?Final
model year for Chevrolet?s Fleetmaster series and one of the last
wood-bodied station wagons Fisher Body made for Chevy and
Oldsmobile ?Seldom-seen survivor eight-passenger wagon; one of
10,171 Fleetmaster station wagons made in 1948 ?216 CID straight
six-cylinder engine ?Three-speed manual transmission with 4.11
gearing ?Medium Cream steel panels (code 382), front and rear, ash
and mahogany doors, window frames, fenders and tailgate plus a
rubberized roof ?Brown imitation leather interior (code 149)
?116-inch wheelbase ?Rear-mounted spare tire and wheel ?AM radio
and under-dash heater By the late 1940s, the woody craze was past
its zenith, ranging from Chrysler?s Town & Country models to
everyday marques like Chevrolet?s Fleetmaster. The National Woodie
Club estimates that there are fewer than 100 1948 Chevy Woodies in
existence. What was still in ascendance were sales as American
consumers continued to gobble up new cars after World War II. The
1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Station Wagon was the last true woody
(structured wood) from Chevrolet and the only 1948 model Chevrolet
that had a list price over $2,000.00! Nineteen forty-eight was the
final model year for the postwar Fleetmaster series and the last
year for wood-bodied wagons that Fisher Body made for Chevrolet and
Oldsmobile that date back to the depot hacks of the mid-1910s. This
is one of 10,171 Fleetmaster station wagons made in 1948. This
example was made in June 1948 at General Motors? Los Angeles,
California assembly plant (VIN code 20). Wagons were usually at the
top of the model food chain and this example was no exception. The
car?s steel panels were finished in Cream (code 382) with ash and
mahogany doors, window frames, rear fenders and tailgate plus a
rubberized roof. The wooden panels received a coat of varnish at
the factory. The chrome front bumper and rear bumperettes look
great. There?s a driver?s side taillight at the rear. At the back
is a horizontally split tailgate. Part of it lifts up while the
rest folds down. The steel panels are in overall very good order
while the wooden sections have been regularly taken care of for
decades. The effort needed to keep these wood panels in shape was
only maintained by a few people, so it?s no surprise at the low
survival rates for these woody wagons. This Fleetmaster rolls on
BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whitewall tires, size 6.00-16 at every
corner. Each one is mounted to a steel wheel with a cream beauty
ring topped by a chrome factory center moon. The wheels are in
excellent shape while the tires are in very good order. The
rear-mounted spare tire is a Firestone wide whitewall of matching
size to the others. Lifting the hood provides access to the 216 CID
inline six-cylinder engine, a Chevrolet mainstay since 1929, with
this engine generation in production since 1937. This motor, with a
single-barrel Carter carburetor, is backed by a three-speed manual
transmission with 4.11:1 gearing. Driver convenience features
include an AM radio and a B&B Deluxe heater under the
dashboard. Inside, the interior is finished in brown imitation
leather. The front, middle and rear bench seats all look great.
Seating arrangements in this Fleetmaster are three people in front,
two in the middle and three more in the rear-most seat. Both middle
and rear-most seats are removable. the middle seat is shorter in
width to facilitate entry and exit to the rear-most seat. Hotels
and schools often selected these wagons so they could transport
more people than the typical five- or six-passenger sedan. Fuel
gauge is inop. Floormats cover the open real estate inside and a
wooden headliner is above the driver?s head and looks excellent.
The ivory, two-spoke steering wheel provides interior contrast. The
brown, imitation wood instrument panel echoes the rest of the
interior and the inner door panels are in similar, excellent shape.
A column-mounted shift lever completes the interior. The 1948
Series 2100 FK Fleetmaster was again little changed from the
previous year. There were no significant body alterations, except
the radiator grille featured a vertical center bar. Competition to
this Chevrolet in 1948 included Ford?s Super DeLuxe, Pontiac?s
Streamliner Six and Plymouth?s Special DeLuxe series. This is a
special opportunity to own a milestone Chevrolet vehicle, one of
the final wood-bodied cars made by Fisher Body as part of the
postwar rush to satisfy demand after four consecutive model years
of no new cars. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today, to check
out this classic hauler. VIN: 20FKF11873 This car is currently
located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on
the odometer shows 7,248 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a
clean and clear, mileage exempt California title. GET OUT AND
DRIVE!!!? Note: Please see full terms and conditions listed below
that pertain to the purchase of any said vehicle, thank you.
