1939 Chevrolet Woody Wagon

Chevrolet answered the growing demand for wood-bodied station wagons in 1939 with this stylish and roomy Master Deluxe, which shared front-end styling with the all-metal passenger car models.

Though station wagons now had the division’s full blessing, construction of the wood body components and their assembly was contracted to several firms. Chris Messano, who restored the ’39 Master DeLuxe featured here, had to copy the remnants of body parts to make a replica of its Campbell body.

The large panels are made of birch; framing is of ash. The proprietor of Chris Messano Woodworks in the Los Angeles area, he needed two years to complete the restoration after purchasing the formerly run-down wagon.

During the Thirties, one automaker after another followed Ford’s lead and added factory-cataloged station wagons to their lineups. It probably surprised no one that the 1939 Chevrolet Woody Wagon would be among those that adopted the then-costly and fairly rare body style.

What might have seemed curious, though, was how long it took: Chevy entered the field in 1939, two years after Pontiac — which sold in lower numbers — pioneered the style among General Motors products.