1948 CHEVROLET FLEETMASTER WOODIE WAGON

Details

One of the last of the wood bodied station wagons manufactured by Fisher Body for the Chevrolet Division of General Motors for the 1948 model year. Fisher Body produced the wood bodies for Chevrolet and Oldsmobile from 1946 to1948 only. Two colors were available for these vehicles from the factory: Oxford Maroon and Live Oak Green. The maroon color was the more popular choice, so fewer examples survive in the original Live Oak Green. Based on statistics from the National Woodie Club, it is

estimated that less than 100 1948 Chevy 'woodie' wagons are in existence today, out of only 10,171 produced .The bodies are framed in ash with mahogany side panels and were factory finished with varnish as a protective coating. The wood bodied wagons were labor intensive to build by hand and were discontinued in favor of all-steel bodies during 1949. Wood bodies require high maintenance when exposed to weather, and as these wagons aged, few received the care required which accounts for the low survival rate. These wood bodied station wagons when equipped with three rows of seats from the factory were chosen by buyers such as hotels and educational institutions to transport more passengers than the available sedans. The front seat and rear most seats held 3 passengers each and in the middle was a 2 passenger 'jump' seat that was shorter in width to allow passenger entry to the rear seat. As the rear two seats were easily removable, one or both were often lost after removal, especially if both were removed to allow for carrying cargo. This vehicle has all three of its original seats as well as the metal cover over the spare tire attached to the rear lift gate, which also was frequently lost when the spare was used. This vehicle is also equipped with the rarely ordered factory option of directional signals, which makes for safer driving in modern traffic. The optional gearing of this particular wagon also allows it to be driven at speeds of 60 to 80 miles per hour so that it will easily keep up with highway traffic. Finally, this vehicle was driven from New York to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the Antique Automobile Club of America annual Fall Meet on numerous occasions and has received the coveted (AACA) HPOF Award for preservation of original features.