Perhaps the most successful wood-bodied vehicle of all, the Chrysler Town & Country enjoyed a long production run that stretched more than a decade. For luxury-minded buyers, it was hard to beat the cache of bodywork that was so obviously, hand-made, and Chrysler was certain to emphasize the car’s connections to the good life: yachts, hunting, and horses were the mainstay of period advertising. The cars commanded a premium when they were new, which made them rare, but time and the elements inevitably claimed most of the natural materials on neglected examples, making finding a good Town & Country today a rare thing indeed.
This 1949 Town & Country convertible offers an all-new body style that was revamped in 1949 to reflect the trend towards longer, lower, and wider styling. At once contemporary and traditional, the wood was no longer structural but became decoration, which preserved the car’s good looks while improving structural rigidity and serviceability.
Mechanically, the 1949 Town & Country was largely carryover, including the 323-cubic inch straight-8 engine. It’s linked to Chrysler’s famous Fluid-Drive transmission, a curious blend of a manual transmission with a torque converter, but in practice it’s quite easy to drive around town. On the highway, the big eight cylinder stretches its legs and can cruise effortlessly at 70 mph thanks to a 3.54 rear end.
This example is a cosmetic restoration on an excellent rust free automobile completed 10 years ago. It was painted at that time and the top was recently replaced. New correct hog’s hair carpet was also installed. The wood is ash with mahogany inserts. The chrome is in excellent condition, except for very minor pitting on the windshield frame. The black exterior and yellow leather interior are correct for 1949 as seen in the full-page ad for the Town & Country in Holiday Magazine, November 1949.
Accessories include backup lights, side mirrors and fog lights. The radio and heater both work. All gauges are clear and the gauges and lights are in good working order. The engine bay needs some minor detailing, but this is a good, solid car with no rust ever that runs well. The 75,913 miles on the odometer are believed to be original. It has cruised about 6,000 miles since it was restored.
The Woodies were dying off in 1949, but the Chrysler Town & Country remained the undisputed queen of the timber.
