British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950s

Book excerpt: Wooden-bodied shooting brakes, station wagons and estate cars, collectively known as Woodies, were the original SUVs (sports utility vehicles). While they were initially created for a specific purpose, their versatility, adaptability and load-carrying abilities meant that they quickly found favour with British buyers from all walks of life. In their heyday, they were built on virtually every make of car and light commercial chassis, and could be seen on every road in Britain. Sadly, today they are a rarity due mostly to the fact that their wooden bodies were not built to last – and most didn’t! Thousands were built by hundreds of coachbuilders, both large and small, and with the passage of time it may never be possible to record all of their details with any accuracy. The work of hundreds of small coachbuilder firms is highlighted and illustrated with 99 rare and previously unpublished photos of these wooden wonders.