And More Woodies: Wagons

The woodie was revived after World War II, as most of the auto makers built facelifted versions of their pre-war models. This 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster station wagon was among the last woodies produced by Chevrolet. The division built 4,912 in 1947 and 10,171 in 1948, but for the Chevrolet's redesigned 1949 lineup, station wagons were all steel.

Packard's first post-war designs were introduced in 1948 and included this very handsome station wagon with real wood trim on doors, tailgate and cargo area. The wagons, or "Station Sedans," as Packard called them, were powered by a 135-horsepower straight eight engine. Options available included air conditioning, which Packard had pioneered just before World War II, and Electromatic semi-automatic drive with overdrive. Styling of what became known as the "pregnant Packards," 1948-50, won many awards.

The 1947 Ford Station Wagon was one of the last true woodies from Ford. This model was virtually unchanged from 1946 through 1948. It had wooden doors, tailgate and cargo area. Like all woodies, each model is unique because of the variation in wood grains. About 42,000 were made from 1946 through 1948, with both straight six and V-8 engines. With introduction of Ford's post-war designs for 1949, station wagons had steel bodies, although they still had authentic wood trim. After 1951, the "wood" was just vinyl film with simulated wood grain.