History

By 1946, with the end of World War II still fresh on the world’s mind, Ford slowly restarted production of passenger cars. Despite largely using the same design as the last pre-war 1942 model cars, a new grille and restyled hood helped set them apart somewhat. By the 1940s, woodies were also in full swing, with many automakers producing them as variants of sedans and station wagons, as either basic transportation that used less steel or full-on luxury family haulers.

The Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon is arguably one of the most famous examples of a woodie. As with other 1946 Fords, it used the 239 cu in flathead V8 engine, and replaced most of the body panels with wood. The roof was covered in vinyl, and the spare was mounted on the split tailgate at the back.

This Car

This particular example, Chassis #99A1097092, was purchased by its most recent owner, Mr. John Flemer, in the early 1950s for use as transportation while attending Cornell University to study veterinary medicine. While its early service records have unfortunately been lost to time, the Esso service stickers on the driver’s inner A-pillar show that the engine was replaced at 90,000 miles, with another service sticker at 99,518 miles on May 17, 1967.

The car was driven consistently in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Rhode Island until at least 1990, when the last Vermont inspection sticker was applied to the windshield. We believe the car likely went into storage sometime in the 1990s, and when Mr. Flemer passed away, his heirs entrusted Ragtops & Roadsters in Perkasie, PA, and Apache Automotive Restorations and Customs in Bristol, RI, with the mechanical restoration of the car. With the directive being to make it run, drive, stop and to simply make everything work with an emphasis on preservation.

The process began in 2023 and continued intermittently until 2026, with a total cost of approximately $33,000, leaving this woodie in proper running condition. Ragtops & Roadsters replaced the wiring harness while cleaning all of the contacts and replacing any worn grommets, replaced the exhaust and its hanger, replaced all fluids, replaced the front wheel bearings along with new seals, cleaned and replaced the shifter linkage as needed, switched the electrical system to negative ground, and refurbished any damaged wiring along the way.

Apache took over in June 2024 and began by installing the proper-sized battery alongside a longer ground strap. The shop installed a fire extinguisher in the rear compartment, mounted new tires, reconditioned the gauge cluster for negative ground, installed a new drag and center link, as well as a fan hub, replaced the front and rear spring shackles and their associated bushings, installed new front shocks, replaced the distributor points and cap, and installed new spark plug wires. The entire cooling system, ignition system, braking system, and new tires were also tended to.

The end result is a car that straddles both ends of the automotive condition spectrum. The interior and exterior carry 80 years of patina, from the various dings and scuffs of adventures across the East Coast to wood that has seen better days. The remnants of a 1952 Cornell parking pass and a Gas Ration “A” sticker still adhered to the windows, and an interior that has borne witness to entire books’ worth of conversations. It’s the kind of car where specific wear patterns on pedals, seats, and knobs tell stories of how the owner interacted with their car; things that can’t be replicated ever again. A condition seldom seen and highly coveted – original, preserved, but turn key.

The drive components, however, tell a different story. They have been painstakingly restored with no corners cut to perform just as well, if not better, than when the car left the showroom floor. Every component that could be affected by wear and age has been either repaired or replaced, leaving this woodie ready for continued use by someone who just plain gets it.

The Market