Vehicle Description
1941 Ford Super Deluxe Woody Station Wagon
"Originally created as a cheaper utilitarian vehicle, the Ford
Woody quickly turned into one of the most iconic and recognizable
cars of all time. The first woodies were manufactured in the early
1900s by local coach makers, who purchased chassis without bodies,
and constructed the bodies out of wood themselves. The woody
continued to grow in popularity, until finally in 1929, Ford
released its own version. Ford marketed the cars as all purpose
utilitarian vehicles with low initial cost, as wood bodied cars
were less expensive to build than steel bodied cars." Thx to
audrainautomuseum.org
For consignment, a 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Woody station wagon
showing 94,305 unverifiable miles as the title reads exempt, and
retaining much of its original wood and equipment. It has a
Flathead V8 from 1946 and the visor has been signed by Beach Boys
legend, Mike Love. The car is the recipient of several Best of Show
awards.
Exterior
Let's do the impossible, ignore the wood for a minute, as we gaze
upon the Tucson Tan paint that smoothly coats the incredible steel
front end of the car with its forward pointed hood and unique
grille configuration, both of which set this car apart from
anything of the era. The wrap around trim piece on the fender, when
you really stop to look at it, is a lovely addition and complements
the nose trim that sweeps back to the cowl. This side trim picks up
again on the tan rear fenders and creates a continuity broken only
by the spectacular wood panels. Mahogany framed in Birch is simply
breathtaking and the artisan skill used to bend wood to contour to
fenders is exhibited with excellence on this car. Destination
decals and many others are affixed to the back windows and if you
have time after admiring the wood, you will have lots of fun stuff
to read. The color matched 16-inch wheels wearing Coker white walls
are very nice and so is the rest of the wagon, and we could not
find any glaring exterior flaws.
Interior
The great thing about Woodies is that the wood is on the inside
too! And this one has a little extra with mahogany panels on the
doors surrounded by the honey colored wood and it's like a rolling
piece of fine furniture. Brown vinyl bench seats occupy the first
and second row and are nicely stuffed and stitched in immaculate
condition, made by the LeBaron-Bonney company. More Tucson Tan on
the 2 spoke steering wheel which leads to a simple brown dash with
a narrow band of horizontal gauges in chrome housing and bakelite
knobs down below. That chrome strip spans the dash and houses a
deco style clock on the passenger side. There's an AM radio onboard
and a two gauge pod below the dash. Wood kick panels are in the
footwells and a knit mat covers the floor, along with clear plastic
mats. The ceiling is a spectacular lattice work of wood, dripping
with shine and extending the length of the wagon. The cargo area
wears a knit mat which shows some discoloration from usage.
Drivetrain
Earthtones aside, we're hit with a big blue 239ci flathead V8 under
the hood which is clean, fed by a 2-barrel carburetor, and rated at
100 horsepower. A 3-speed manual transmission is augmented by a
Columbia Overdrive unit mounted on the left side of the steering
column. Drum brakes are supplied at all four wheels.
Undercarriage
Nice and clean underneath where the big X-frame is bathed in black
and surface rust is nowhere to be found. There's some oil on the
transmission and a bit of residual oil on the rear diff, but
otherwise a clean and dry underside. Transverse leaf springs make
up the suspension front and rear and dual exhaust encounters slim
stock style mufflers before exiting out the back via chrome
tips.
Drive-Ability
The cabin is not unlike a Polynesian tiki bar with hula dancers on
the dash, flower leis hanging from the mirror, and wood
construction all around. The flathead V8 starts up without
hesitation and off we roll in this tall wagon with lots of airy
space inside and big slab sides on the outside. She tracks straight
and provides good visibility, even out the back where decals frame
the windows. On our report card, we note the following things as
inoperable. The exterior lights, the turn signals, the horn, and
the trip odometer. All other functions operate as they should.
While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were
working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these
functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Often associated with surfing and surf shops, it's no wonder this
Woody bears the signature of Mike Love, a Beach Boy. You don't see
them casually at the beach any more as we imagine salt air might
impact the wood, but you do see Woodies at car shows where they
often draw oohs and aahs as a finely crafted American automotive
icon. The National Woodie Club just celebrated its 50th anniversary
so there are plenty of resources if you're new to the wooded
world.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
