Scarce 1932 Chevrolet “Woodie” Station Wagon scheduled to attend the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Concours

1932 Chevrolet “Woodie” Station Wagon; image by the author.

An icon of automotive design was introduced by Ford Motor Company on April 25, 1929, when the Model A station wagon was unveiled, featuring, as an intricate construction material, maple and birch bodies built by the Briggs Body Company, the Murray Corporation and Baker-Raulang. Although the use of the organic material had been a significant part of the auto industry since its evolutionary leap from horse-drawn carriages, the new Ford wagon – with its four-door styling, three rows of seats and a tailgate – was, in hindsight, a monumental step beyond the plain high-roof hacks that preceded it. The “woodie” wagon was born, and while Ford and Woodie wagons will forever be synonymous in the minds of many collector car enthusiasts, a high number of competing companies embraced the design, including Chevrolet.

One look through Chevrolet’s production records will indicate that the division didn’t offer a regular production “woodie” station wagon until 1939 (all-steel Suburban Carryall wagons appeared in 1935), yet Chevy woodies existed for nearly a decade prior. Throughout the decade, the automaker provided wood-bodied station wagons through its dealership network on a special-order basis, with bodies supplied by a number of independent suppliers, such as the Springfield Body Company and Hercules Products, the latter of which was based in Evansville, Indiana.

As had been the case prior, the division’s “woodie” wagons were constructed atop its half-ton truck chassis, featuring a 109-inch wheelbase, four-wheel mechanical brakes and 18-inch wire wheels. The front sheetmetal, the same as that found on the passenger cars, hid a 194-cu.in. straight-six that was rated for 53 hp (slightly less than those found in the same-year passenger cars); it was backed by a three-speed manual. Each Hercules (number 3949) station wagon body provided 70 inches of “floor load space” while tipping the scales with a net weight of 795 pounds. With body and chassis bolted together, the curb weight was officially listed as 2,685 pounds. As of this writing, few are known to exist, including this 1932 Hercules-bodied edition pictured above, owned by John and Maureen Walker, which is scheduled to be on display in the Wood-Bodied Station Wagon Class at the 11th annual Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance.

Presented by Gullwing Motor Cars, the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance is also proud to welcome Arkonik, as well as our new hospitality sponsor, Rogo Fastener Company, to our growing contingent of sponsors, including Covercraft Industries, Coker Tire, MPT Industries and Thermo-Tec. With their collective support, the gala event will take place on the weekend of September 15-17 at The Festival Commons — Charles R. Wood Park, in Lake George, New York, where we will honor six feature marques: 1967-’81 Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, in honor of their 50th anniversaries; 1963-’73 Buick Riviera; Studebaker; MG; Wood-Bodied Station Wagons; and Professional Vehicles through 1980. These featured marques will be accompanied by our remaining traditional pre-1974 classes, headlined by Full Classics (as recognized by the Classic Car Club of America), along with American pre- and postwar cars, American Muscle cars, European cars, Vintage Trucks and Preservation cars.

As is always the case, due to class size restrictions, many categories fill to capacity quickly. If you would like to have your vehicle considered for this year’s Concours, we urge you to submit your entry early. To do so, please send full contact information, photos and a brief write-up about it to Hemmings Motor News Concours, Attn: Matthew Litwin, 222 Main Street, Bennington, Vermont, 05201, or by email at [email protected].

A portion of the Concours proceeds goes directly towards the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Autism Speaks. For more information about the 11th Annual Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance presented by Gullwing Motor Cars, including tickets and accommodations, visit Hemmings.com/events/concours. For more information about Lake George, including activities and attractions, visit LakeGeorge.com. For sponsorship opportunities, please email Jeff Yager at [email protected], or call 802-447-9679. Vendors can contact Mary Pat Glover at [email protected], or Kathy Ryder at [email protected].