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1941 Chrysler Town & Country - $437,500 - St. Louis, MO - The traditional American wood-bodied car or “Woody” as we all know them by evolved from the early days of coach and car body building where a wooden frame was fashioned to form a skeleton then skinned with a steel or fabric outer shell. Affordable wooden aftermarket bodies were adapted to cars such as the Ford Model T usually to make utility wagons and trucks. As manufacturers caught up to the aftermarket the factories began to offer their own wood station wagon bodies which soon grew in size and complexity and gained a healthy dose of style to complement the function. From the late 1930’s and into the 1940’s a woody station wagon began to morph from commercial people-mover into a fashionable choice for the type of buyer who could afford both a city and a country home – and needed at least one car at each. Alongside the utilitarian Fords Chevrolets and Plymouths higher end manufacturers such as Buick Chrysler and even Packard joined the woody market.Chrysler is perhaps best known among all the American manufacturers for producing some of the most innovative and beautiful woodies of the period. In fact it is Chrysler who is credited with building the first fully styled and luxuriously equipped woody the Town & Country featured here. The name Town & Country is credited to the late Paul Hafer a freelance designer from the Boyertown Bodyworks who happened to be sketching for Dodge at the time. Hafer founder of Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles in Boyertown PA said the car looked “Town from the front and Country from the rear”. First appearing in 1941 the Town & Country represented a significant leap forward in wood-bodied car styling. It was the first factory built woody to feature a full steel roof (borrowed from a limousine) which curved and swept dramatically from the windscreen down into the rounded wood tail. In place of a trunk or fold-down tailgate the Town & Country has a unique arrangement of split “ambulance” doors to access the trunk. The fully modern design also had concealed running boards (behind full-length doors) and a bold six-bar grille that swept back from a center point. Front and rear bumpers echo each other in a V-pattern and some examples had wheel spats and luggage racks to turn up the style factor. The Town & Country eschewed traditional woody design it was curvaceous and sleek and it was a full-on luxury car rather than a utilitarian people mover. The cars left the factory with beautifully varnished wood and were opulently equipped for the day.This 1941 Town & Country Barrel Back is a striking example of one of the most sought-after classic American woodies. One of only 996 of its kind produced it is a very desirable and significant piece of automotive history. The car offered was previously in the possession of the renowned woody expert the late Dr. L. Wesley “Wes” Aplanalp best known as the owner of Woodies USA of Scottsdale Arizona. Wes was more than just a dealer in wood-bodied cars; he was a passionate collector and a hub for collectors to share in his vast knowledge and he dealt in the finest quality cars of the type. This particular car is believed to have been sold by Wes in the last 15 years. It has been comprehensively refurbished and restored and presents in stunningly beautiful condition today. It is highly original and as such the body appears never to have been off the chassis. Remarkably the extensive wood work is highly original. The wood in these cars is not just decorative it is integral to the structure of the body and as such it can be subjected to stresses. Few have survived the elements and the rigors of regular use as exquisitely as this car has. Only the contrasting panels in the doors and body sides appear to have been replaced. The paint is attractive the chrome has been restored to a high standard and it wears factory fog lamps and a fantastic wooden roof rack a desirable and attractive option.Inside this car is in 9-seat specification showing extremely nicely in partially restored condition with fine maroon leather upholstery. The dash is an exquisite display of high-deco design with geometric chrome details amidst a striking marbled Bakelite dash panel and steering wheel. It’s quite unlike anything else of the period. Switches and instruments appear to be totally original further evidence of this car’s outstanding originality. It is well-equipped with an original clock heater and radio. In the engine bay resides a nicely detailed “Spitfire” inline six mated to a fluid-drive “Vacumatic” transmission. For those collectors who appreciate touring the Town & Country has CCCA Full Classic status and is welcome at their events.We can thank the Barrel Back Town & Country for initiating the post-war woody movement with its stunningly beautiful looks and lavishly finished wood and interior. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a fundamentally original and correct example of one of the most desirable and important of the American woodies.Link to ad on Hemmings.com