1940 Ford Model 01A Deluxe "Woodie" Station Wagon

1940 Ford Model 01A Deluxe "Woodie" Station Wagon
License no. AN126 (MA)
Chassis no. 185793041
221ci Flathead V8 Engine
Single Twin-Throat Carburetor
85bhp at 5,000rpm
3-Speed Manual Transmission
I-Beam Front Suspension – Live Rear Axle
4-Wheel Drum Brakes

*Lovely Iron Mountain woodwork
*Single ownership for over half a century
*Elegant black over brown livery
*Top-of-the-line Deluxe model
*Tidy example of Ford's iconic Woodie Station Wagon

THE FORD WOODIE WAGON

The V-8 engine was no novelty when Henry Ford introduced the Ford V-8 in 1932, but never before had such an engine been produced successfully in large numbers and at so low a price. Styling followed the lines of the superseded Model A, but with an extra 25bhp, the newcomer's performance was in an entirely different league. Engine development proceeded at a brisk pace and by 1936 the V-8's initial problems had been overcome and maximum power raised to 85bhp. The original 221ci (3,622cc) V-8 was joined by a smaller 136ci (2,227cc) 60bhp version from 1936.

While the number of body styles available on the long-running Model T chassis had been relatively limited, the arrival of its Model A successor for 1928 had ushered in an era of much greater variety and choice. New body styles for '29 included a Convertible Cabriolet, a Town Sedan and a wood-bodied Station Wagon, the first of the latter being built on April 25th 1929. Nicknamed 'Woodie,' the station wagon was not offered during the Ford V-8's - and Ford Model B four's - first year of production in 1932, but this ever-popular rural workhorse was back in the line-up for '33.

There had been Standard and Deluxe V-8s right from the start, the latter, as usual, being distinguished by a higher level of equipment, but from 1938 Ford gave the costlier Deluxe a different, more elaborate frontal styling. The work of Eugene Gregorie, the Deluxe's more modern look had been adopted across the range by 1940. The 'Woodie' Station Wagon was one of only six body styles available in the Deluxe series that year, when 8,730 of these delightful and charismatic vehicles were made, the smallest production run in the Deluxe line-up.

THE CAR OFFERED

Finished in the classic and understated color scheme of Black over Brown Naugahyde, this Woodie Wagon has been in the current ownership for over 50 years. Acquired at an auction at the Larz Anderson Museum in the early 1970s, the Wagon has been a fixture in the family ever since. Lovingly maintained over the years with service completed as needed, it appears that the car has received piecemeal cosmetic work over the years including a repaint and interior retrim – but the old growth Iron Mountain timber for which these cars were famous remains adorned to the exterior and interior of the vehicle.

Used at a conveyance at family outings and even weddings of children, the Woodie has seen more limited use in the last few decades. Reportedly subject to over $9,000 in recent mechanical service in the latter half of last year, the Woodie has been minimally driven since the service work has been completed but carefully stored in an enclosed garage.

Ready for new ownership for the first time since the Nixon administration, this Woodie is perfect for the upcoming summer season anywhere from The Hamptons to Nantucket, Lake Tahoe to Lake Geneva, or right here in Newport. Exuding charming Americana like few other models, a Woodie Wagon surely ought to be a staple in any collection of fine classic automobiles.