Let’s savor a few more details of that woodwork (and Stephanie’s cottage garden) before we get in.
Here’s some dovetail joints of the framing members.
And a look along its flanks to appreciate the effect that genuine wood chunks make compared to the fake wood paneling seen on decades of Di-Noced Country Squires.
Steel meets wood, quite successfully.
It really does have a nautical feel, in more ways than one.
Let’s hop inside.
The dash has a symmetrical layout, quite popular at the time (and later too).
A handsome steering wheel. The column shifter activates the three-speed manual transmission, with non-syncro first gear. Lytton displayed very fine skills at downshifting into first while on the go with adroit double-clutching. Not even the faintest scratch or clash to be heard.
The original temperature gauge has been taped over, as it’s been replaced with a more accurate aftermarket gauge attached down below. Road and Track measured a top speed of 81 mph. But who would want to go that fast in a convertible?
The radio still works, as I can attest, and you can too, in the video further down.
Behind those doors sits the heater core. The heater was of course optional.
Enough of the preliminaries. Let’s roll. The V8 comes to life almost instantly, and is bare audible.
I shot two videos while Lytton took us on a little tour of our neighborhood. He talks about the car and its history, although he’s a bit hard to hear. I finally turned the radio off.
Here’s a bit more.
Here’s a still shot in case video gives you motion sickness.
We arrived back at Niedermeyer Cottage with big grins on our faces. And we saw a few of those on folks who watched us roll by, including some little kids who waved and cheered. Did they know it was made of real wood?
Thank you Lytton for sharing your delightful family heirloom with us all. I only wish you all could have come along for the ride. It might have gotten a bit crowded though.
Related reading:
CC 1946 Chrysler Town and Country: A Slave To Fashion And Varnish PN
CC 1942 Mercury Woodie Station Wagon: An American Icon LR
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I like your garden cottage.
Your friend Lytton looks surprisingly young. I realize the car has family attachment but I was still expecting someone of our generation to be interested in such an old timer.
It makes me hopeful that these cars will still live on.
The wood bodied cars are, to me, the most beautiful and fascinating American cars of the 1940s. Seeing one outside of a museum is a real treat.
This terrific Ford has enhanced appeal with Lytton taking good care of it and providing the exercise it needs.
Years ago I did see one of the Mercury Sportsmans, on display at the Towe Ford Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana.
Oh my, there is nothing like getting a personal tour of a fabulous car by a dedicated owner. I loved your pictures of those areas most of the rest of us will never see anywhere else. So many of the cars of this era pass down to a new generation who cannot work up the enthusiasm for them, but Lytton is a wonderful exception.
I remember reading about these years ago – my impressions now are that this is the most Un-Ford Ford ever built. I cannot imagine all of the hand work that went into those body panels.
These 1941-48 Fords were never the most attractive cars in my estimation, but this one – as a convertible and with the gorgeous wood – may be the very best of the lot.
Beautiful car. Just to add to the nautical tie in-Chris Craft used a version of this steering wheel in their fancier models from ’52-’54.The piece in the center is the throttle in place of the “Ford” emblem.
Such a great car, and a great story too. I would have loved to go for a ride, for all my exposure to 1946-48 Fords in my childhood I have never ridden in one.
Is the wood ash framing and mahogany panels? Looks in great shape for having been restored 30 years ago.
That hubcap sure is familiar, I have one left over from my uncle’s projects as a cap on our chiminea.
Love them “fat” Fords. I had a ’41 V8 and a ’48 six. Super Delxue coupes both. That six cylinder is probably the most overlooked and underappreciated engine ever. It was a sweet runner. Also, the hub caps on your friends magnificent auto are from a ’46, for whatever that is worth.
Great car and a wonderful home.
Thank you, Paul.
I love everything about this post, but the primary subject almost pales in comparison to that garden. Kudos to Stephanie for nurturing that. My ex and I put countless hours into the yard at our first house in NY, which was a small stone cottage, with the goal of achieving pretty much exactly what you’ve got there. From a distance of 25 years memories get fuzzy, but those involving wheelbarrows full of soil, digging through rocks and roots, hauling stone for garden paths and mixing lime into earth, etc, etc,etc. are still pretty vivid. The desired result was never quite achieved to the extent of yours. It’s just beautiful.
Outstanding car! Thank you for sharing this, in particular the detailed photos of the vehicle’s construction. I have never had the opportunity to examine one up close and in detail, so those photos are quite the treat. I share the opinion with others that the these fat fendered Fords were attractive cars, especially as a Woodie. Although for me, I only prefer the 1946-48 models, the 1941-42 Fords were not nearly as nice looking.
Wow, that’s quite the car and lucky you for being able to go for a ride in it, fun! Nobody seems to ever drive them around anymore (for good reasons, obviously). The craftsmanship is astounding for something from a volume manufacturer and I shudder at the upkeep it must need to stay looking so good.
I don’t think the upkeep is much of an issue as long as it stays inside the garage as much as it does. Lytton did mention that he was concerned about the rodents in the garage at his mom’s house where it lives.
Fantastic! The final shot in front of your cottage just needs a budding forties starlet in it to look like a studio promo from that era.
Great car and nice pictures, too.
That’s an amazing ride! And beautiful time of year to enjoy the ride as well. Loved that you caught a little sound bite of the flathead pulling through first gear there as well. Nothing else sounds like a flathead.
A lovely car indeed .
Nice to see someone thought ahead and added a PCV valve to it .
-Nate
It is great to see such an interesting car that is actually driven, even if only occasionally. The Cobble Beach Concours is held relatively close to me, and in 2018 a 1942 Chrysler T&C wagon was one of the winners. They called it a ”barrelback” because of the round shape. One particularly interesting feature was that the trunk does not have a normal one-piece top hinged lid, but has 2 side hinged doors, sort of like a Mini Traveller. In the photo in this article of the 1941 you can see the 2 chrome hinges at the side of the trunk. One is at the bottom and the second is half way up by the taillight. On the 1942 at Cobble Beach the second hinge is right at the top.
I found a photo of the 1942 with the trunk open.
The Sportsman is the bomb. As the owner of a ’47 Super Deluxe Wagon I’m going to pick a nit. At the risk of sounding like a real ahole, please spell Woodie…W o o d i e. Makes us Woodie owners feel so much better 🙂
The Chrysler is often referred to as a “Barrelback” for obvious reasons. There is a hugely active Town and Country appreciation group.
http://www.townandcountrywoodies.com/
Also, the National Woodie Club can be joined by anyone who has an interest:
https://woodies.clubexpress.com/
There are Woodie shows all sumer culminating in the grand daddy, Wavecrest, the third weekend of September at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas California.
San Diego Woodies is the sponsor and heres their website
https://sandiegowoodies.com/
The way we keep Woodies going is to bring folks in. Come on we’d love to have some Curbside feelers!
Done.
I thought the two were interchangeable. Oddly enough, I prefer the look of “woodie”, but don’t ask me why I didn’t use it. Never again.
What a wonderful looking car – no wonder Stephanie was smiling in the back seat – and a great link for the owner to father and grandfather. I do hope he’s able to keep it in the family for a long as he wants.
And that garden looks like a bit of an achievement too – well done!
I had a 48 mercury woodie convertible i bought in 58 from a vet returning when at college and for $100. I could not afford to drive back and forth to college and left at home without enough antifreeze and block cracked.. Could not afford to repair and sold for $40. Would love to find another to restore or even reworked but not too pricey.