This might be the type of question you may expect from an Aussie. I'm curious as to the origins and use of wooden panels on the station wagons.? I always remember seeing this in the movies, however it was not seen on station wagons here in Australia. Look forward to your replies
It's because originally the entire body of a 'depot hack' or wagon was framed in wood - easier to build it that way back then. Body building back then closely related to the building of the old covered wagons / horse carriages and wagons.....
An 1802 Steam-powered wagon: http://www.steamcar.net/brogden-3.html And an Aussie-First Steam engine for cars: http://www.pritchardpower.com.au/ http://www.pritchardpower.com/Image of a Pritchard Unit in an Austomotive Application.html Some California Woodies: http://www.beachcitywagonmasters.com/ A bit of an online Museum: http://www.hubcapcafe.com/ This a Diehard hobbyist's Project shopping tour: Really Diehard. http://www.classiccarsrotting.com/tour.html This is for adding wood panels to old and new vehicles: http://www.californiacruisers.com/wood_on_wheels.htm Not that you'll need it anytime soon, but this is a good site downunder: http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/ask_the_unique_cars_team.htm
People who built carriages moved on to the automobile, and took their skills with them, and the limits of design technology.
I should've thrown this link in before. It's a few days of reading: http://www.coachbuilt.com/ You might like to see what some looked like on the real streets of the day too: http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/338226/page/1/fpart/1/vc/1 Pages like that redefine bathroom reading material! A PC in the outhouse?
woodie wagons One of the important and historic events in the Woodie story was; in the mid-20s,Ford came up with a design for an "airport taxicab" that included more room in the back for luggage,via a lengthened roofline and a tailgate.They were also used at train stations...All metal bodies were going to be expensive and problematic,so the sides were made of wood.Inside AND out.Since they were used to ferry people to and from air and train stations and looked a bit like childrens wagons with fences on the sides---they were called station-wagons...Ford claims to have invented the SUV when Henry came up with the Model T. Personally,I think the Mercer Runabout or the Stutz Bearcat more ably fits the term "the first SUV",as the Model T's weren't really that sporty...But Ford really did invent the station-wagon.And all of the early station-wagons were woodies.
Well it's all clear now. Thanks to all for the wealth of information and resources. Now I can appreciate this important part of automotive history. Thanks again to all!!
