From Wood to Steel: General Motors Station Wagons Circa 1950

This is one of a series about the circa-1950 transition of American station wagons from wood to all-metal construction.

This post features General Motors brands.  GM's first all-metal station wagons began to appear during the 1949 model year on Chevrolets, Pontiacs, and Oldsmobile 76s. These cars used the GM entry-level A-body.  Olds dropped station wagons after 1950 when its entire line was based on B and C bodies.

Buick built part-woodie station wagons for its senior Super and Roadmaster lines through the 1953 model year: the 1954 redesign was all-metal.

Gallery

1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Station Wagon - Bonhams auction photo
An example of a General Motors A-body station wagon before GM's post- World War 2 redesigned cars appeared.

1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Station Wagon
Construction is typical of American wagons of that era: note the non-metal roof.

1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Station Wagon
Rear quarter view.

1949 Chevrolet DeLuxe Woodie Station Wagon - Bonhams
Redesigned '49 Chevy Woodies had a lot less wood than those pictured in previous images.

1949 Chevrolet DeLuxe Woodie Station Wagon
A tell-tale is the shape of framing above the rear fender.

1949 Chevrolet DeLuxe Woodie Station Wagon
That wood framing is angular.

1949 Chevrolet Styleline DeLuxe Station Wagon brochure page
But 1949 all-metal Chevy wagons featured curved "framing" that was actually stamped steel covered by wood-imitating decals.

1950 Chevrolet Station Wagon - for-sale photo
Here is an example from 1950.

1949 Pontiac Station Wagon - for sale
This Pontiac puzzles me.  The panel above the rear fender is the stamped steel type shown in the Chevrolet images above.  But the tailgate area looks like it's mostly wooden.

1949 Pontiac Station Wagon
Interior view of the car above showing woodwork.

1951 Pontiac Station Wagon - Hyman consignment photo
By 1951, Pontiac station wagons were clearly all-metal, as can be seen here.  The "wood" is actually decal-work.

1949 Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon - for sale
This postwar redesigned C-body GM station wagon has a metal roof and wood framing in the cargo area.

1949 Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon
This is more clearly shown in the rear quarter view photo.

1950 Buick Super Station Wagon - Barrett-Jackson auction photo
Buicks got redesigned bodies for 1950.  However, the station wagon tailgate is quite similar to that of 1949.  Wooden sides are shaped to accommodate the new fenderline.

1953 Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon - Mecum auction photo
The last of GM Woodie wagons.

From Wood to Steel: Ford Motor Company Station Wagons Circa 1950

This post is one of a series dealing with the American transition to all-steel station wagon bodies from part-wood construction.  This took place during model years near 1950 for various carmakers, though timing varied.

Today's subject is Ford Motor Company station wagons.  They were found on the company's Ford and Mercury brands, but not on line-topper Lincolns.  Commentary is in the image captions below.

Gallery

1947 Mercury Station Wagon - for-sale photo
This is representative of Ford's wood-based wagons in the period before post- World War 2 redesigns appeared.

1947 Mercury Station Wagon
Abaft of the cowling and windshield, wood framing and panelling predominated.

1947 Mercury Station Wagon
Note the thickness of the framing.  Such cars required a good deal of upkeep for the wood in the form of cleaning and perhaps re-varnishing.  This almost surely inhibited sales.  Price was another consideration.  A wagon such as shown here cost more than 30 percent more than a four-door sedan.

1949 Ford Station Wagon - Mecum auction photo
Redesigned Ford and Mercury station wagons featured less wood than before: note the metal top.  There was steel framing combined with wood paneling and somewhat decorative wood frames.  (This is guesswork on my part, based on photos.  Please comment on this matter if you are knowledgeable regarding construction of these cars.)

1949 Ford Station Wagon
Redesigned Ford and Mercury wagons were two-door models only.

1949 Ford Station Wagon
Steel framing is evident in this rear-quarter view.

1949 Mercury Station Wagon - RM Auctions photo
I am curious regarding the front door of the Mercury wagon.  Note how it contains a continuation of the front fender line -- not exactly like that on all-steel Mercurys.  Was this shaping atop a metal foundation?  Or was it strictly wood-based.  Please comment if you know for sure.

1952 Ford Station Wagon - factory photo
The Ford Motor Company line was redesigned for the 1952 model year.  Station wagons were all-metal.  Here is a two-door wagon with no wood trim.

1952 Ford Country Squire - for-sale photo

This four-door wagon has applied-wood side décor.  The window frame "wood" is actually a set of decals.

1952 Mercury Custom Station Wagon - RM Auctions
Here is the Mercury version.

From Wood to Steel: Chrysler Corporation Station Wagons Circa 1950

Until the late 1940s, American station wagons (or "breaks" as they are called in England and some other places) had bodies with extensive wood interior and exterior structure and cladding.  A very few years later, American station wagons had all-steel bodies.

Today's post features Chrysler Corporation's transition.  Images below are from Chrysler or are of cars listed for sale unless otherwise noted.

Gallery

1948 Plymouth DeLuxe Station Wagon
Post- World War 2 Chrysler Corporation station wagons were found only for the entry-level Plymouth brand.  A likely reason is that Plymouths retained short, prewar fenders whereas all other Chrysler brands had been facelifted with front fenders extending over the front doors.  Therefore, it was easier to place wooden wagon bodies on Plymouths due to no need for shaping front door wood cladding.  Note the cut lines on the B-pillar and the after edge of the rear side door: these are characteristic of wood construction.

1948 Plymouth DeLuxe Station Wagon - photo via Old Cars Weekly
Showing the tailgate and other wood detailing.

1950 Plymouth Woodie Station Wagon
The entire Chrysler Corporation line was redesigned for 1949, and this 1950 model is unchanged aside from a restyled grille.  Front fenders continued to shade into the front doors.  Nevertheless, "Woodie" type bodies appeared on several brands.  This Plymouth's rear has much less wood than on the previous station wagon.  Door cut lines indicate the wooden structure.  Note the curved wooden panels on the front door that allow some blending with the front fender.

1949 Plymouth Special DeLuxe Woodie Station Wagon - via Vintage Trailer Museum
A true 1949 Plymouth station wagon.

1949 Plymouth Suburban
Plymouths also received all-steel station wagon bodies for 1949 as seen here.  The Suburban was a two-door car, whereas Woodie Plymouths had four doors.

1949 Plymouth Suburban
Aft quarter view.

1949 Chrysler Royal Station Wagon
The Corporation's top-level station wagon.  The front door appears to be steel-clad, unlike Plymouth's Woodies.

1951 DeSoto Station Wagon - Barrett-Jackson auction photo
By 1951, Chrysler Corporation station wagons were all-steel.  Areas that appear wooden are actually steel covered by decals to provide a Woodie appearance.

1951 Chrysler Windsor Town and Country Station Wagon - photo source unknown
Here is a Chrysler with the same body as the DeSoto station wagon -- but lacking the fake wood.

Packard Station Sedan: An Ur- Crossover SUV

Today's post is a follow-on to this 2014 post about the Packard Station Sedan.

I consider typical SUVs (Sport-Utility Vehicles) a form of station wagon (or "break").  That's because of the basic shape of their exteriors, internal layouts, and rear access.  Early SUVs were body-on-chassis, the chassis being from a manufacturer's truck line.  Later came the "crossover" SUVs whose bodies were sedan-like, in that they were unitary -- chassis-less.

Packard's Station Sedan, introduced for the 1948 model year was based on the short (120-inch) wheelbase Eight four-door sedan.  The station wagon feature was minimal, compared to pre-1949 station wagons from other American carmakers.  Those had bodies abaft of the cowling that were largely wood-framed and wood-clad.

Station Sedans therefore were far more automobile-like than station wagons of their era and even of most more modern wagons.  That's why Packard's coined-term "Station Sedan" seems appropriate.

Gallery

1948 22nd Series Packard Deluxe Eight Sedan - Mecum auction photo
This was the basis for Station Sedans.

1948 Packard Station Sedan - Bonhams auction photo
Compare this profile view with the one above.  The passenger compartment greenhouses as far aft as the C-pillar are the same.  So are the aft fender areas and adjacent side metal.

1948 Packard Station Sedan - Mecum
Wood items framing the front and rear door windows along with the other wood on the doors are strictly ornamental, giving the car a late-1940s station wagon "feel."

1948 Packard Station Sedan - Mecum
This view shows the station wagon area.  The body sides taper slightly towards the rear, making the cargo area significantly smaller than those of contemporary station wagons.  Note the large, painted hinges below the tailgate.

1948 Packard Station Sedan - Mecum
Interior of the cargo area, back seat folded down.  This is the most station wagon- like aspect of the car.

1950 Packard Station Sedan - car-for-sale photo
The other Internet images I found of what were said to be 23rd Series 1950 Station Sedans (Packard might have termed them Station Wagons by then) are of cars with the wood trim shown in previous images.  This car has 23rd Series chrome side trim, and might well have been a rare "production" job -- perhaps a special order by a customer.  Total Station Sedan production was low and few were sold during the 1950 model year.  Interestingly, a Packard model-line poster for dealers I found on the Web did not include a Station Sedan with models shown as available for sale.