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So, what is a woodie? Basically, it is any wood-panelled station wagon. Technically, a cross between a sedan and panel truck. In the early years of production, bodies of cars were commonly framed or completely made from wood. Early car manufacturers actually very rarely made or added bodies to their vehicles. They commonly sold there cars as nothing more than a chassis and engine and another company or cabinet shop would build a body on the vehicle to the owners needs. In the United States, the wooden station wagons were first built on a truck chassis and were basically used by train depots to cart passengers and luggage. They were known as "depot wagons". Later as depots changed to stations, the cars became known as "station wagons". In Britain, the cars were used by the rich and elite as hunting vehicles or on their country estates and were known as "shooting brakes" or "estate wagons". As safety standards and new developments came about, the use of wood in cars was replaced with metal. In 1946, Jeep was the first to produce an all-steel "station wagon" on a truck chassis, known as a suburban. And in 1947, Crosley was the first to produce an all-steel "station wagon" on a car chassis. The wooden bodies on wagons became too much trouble and expensive to produce and maintain. As the market became flooded with metal bodied wagons, the wooden ones soon found their way to junk yards. For the good ol' "surf bums" and "beach bums", who spent their time hanging out on beaches and searching for the ultimate wave and who commonly did not have funds or large incomes to purchase a nice car, they found that they could easily and cheaply pick up these rotting wooden cars from junk yards and due to their size and shape, they worked great to haul their surfboards and buddies to the beach. Today, these cars are extremely collectible and great pieces of automotive and surf nostalgia. |
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