These days it is hard to imagine any part of a car body with wood construction. Designs tend to be sleek, minimal, and uniform. That is what is so important about a particular design in America’s classic car heritage – the Woodie. This is not a particular make or model but rather refers to a class of cars – often station wagons – with wood panel construction on the sides and rears. For reasons of efficiency and safety we’ll likely never see production models like this roll out of a factory again, but fortunately there is a whole culture of collectors and car enthusiasts who are rallying around their love of this classic design, particularly in Southern California where it has a connection with surfer culture.

Early Days

Woodies date from the 1930’s and 40’s and even then were a rare specialty, usually being third-party conversions from factory models. They can almost be thought of as the missing-link between the carriage and horseless carriage since some were crafted by expert coach builders.

War Years

This was all until World War II. Steel needed to be rationed for use in the war effort. This meant that the wood construction became practical and mass produced. The woodie became an economical means of transport for families, hence the commonality of the woody station wagon. The wood construction kept the vehicles at a reasonable price point, but the booming economy of the postwar era and the freeing up of resources meant that families could afford cars with all-steel construction.

Connection to SoCal Surf Culture

Since woodies had fallen out of favor with the American consumer and were losing value, they turned out to be attractive to the young surf bums of the burgeoning Southern California scene. They were easily affordable but had plenty of room for surf gear and could house a surf party. Hence this great American icon found new life in another great American icon.

Woodies are some of the most popular attractions at car shows. Come down to the Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show on January 13th and you may just have the privilege of appreciating one of these unique pieces of auto history in person.