Who made the old woody cars?
Woodies, or wood-bodied cars, were produced mainly in the United States from the 1910s through the early 1950s. The short answer is that they were made by major automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, using wooden bodies built by specialized coachbuilders such as Fisher Body, Briggs Manufacturing, and Murray.
What counts as a woody car?
A woody is a passenger car or station wagon whose body structure or visible panels employ substantial wood framing or wood veneer. In the classic era, the wood provided the skeleton of the body, while metal skin, filler, and paint completed the look. By the 1950s, most manufacturers shifted to all-steel construction, and true wood-bodied wagons became rare.
Who made the old woody cars?
The following overview highlights the main players involved in producing wood-bodied wagons and the teams that built the wooden components.
Major automakers that offered woodies
- Ford Motor Company — produced numerous wood-bodied station wagons (often called woodies) from the 1920s through the early 1950s, with many bodies supplied or finished by specialist shops and, later, by Ford’s own contractors.
- General Motors — offered wood-bodied wagons across its brands (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac) during the 1930s–1940s, with the wooden bodies typically built by Fisher Body, GM’s in-house coachbuilder.
- Chrysler and its divisions (Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto, Chrysler) — also offered wood-bodied wagons in the same era, produced through in-house or contracted body shops.
In the era when woodies were common, these automakers often partnered with specialized body builders to create the wooden frames and paneling that defined the look of a woodie. The result was a distinctive blend of craftsmanship and mass production that became an icon of American automotive design.
Key coachbuilders behind the woodie movement
- Fisher Body (General Motors) — GM’s primary in-house coachbuilder, responsible for many wood-bodied GM wagons in the 1930s and 1940s before steel bodies took over.
- Briggs Manufacturing Company — a major independent supplier that built wood and metal bodies for several brands, including Ford and others, during the height of the woodie era.
- Murray Body Corporation — another prominent coachbuilder whose work covered multiple brands, especially in the period when wood bodies were still common on wagons and coupes.
These shops specialized in carpentry, framing, and finish work that carried the wood structure through to the finished automobile. As all-steel bodies became standard in the postwar era, the role of wood-bodied construction diminished and eventually disappeared from mainstream production.
Why did woody cars fade away?
Several converging factors ended the woodie era: the cost and complexity of maintaining wooden frames in automotive use, the rising strength and lower weight of all-steel bodies, and evolving manufacturing practices that favored universal all-steel construction. By the early 1950s, most major brands had shifted away from true wood bodies, leaving only decorative wood trim or faux wood paneling on some models.
Legacy and collector interest
Today, woodies are prized by collectors for their craftsmanship, nostalgic design, and historical significance. Restored examples command strong prices at auctions and in specialty markets, and they remain a symbol of a transitional period in automotive manufacturing when wood and steel coexisted on the same vehicle.
Summary
Old woody cars were the product of collaboration between major automakers and dedicated coachbuilders who specialized in wooden construction. Ford, GM, and Chrysler produced wood-bodied wagons, while Fisher Body, Briggs Manufacturing, and Murray were the principal builders of the wooden components. The shift to all-steel bodies in the postwar era ended the era of true woodies, but their legacy endures in museums, collections, and popular culture as an emblem of early American automotive design.
