British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950s
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A01=Colin Peck
Alvis
Armstrong Siddeley
Austin
Author_Colin Peck
Bentley
book about British Woodies
Bradford
Bristol
British cars
Category=WGCB
Chrysler
coachbuilders
coachbuilt
Colin Peck
Commer
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
estates
Humber
Invicta
Jaguar
Lanchester
Lea Francis
MG
Morris traveller
Riley
Rolls-Royce
shooting brakes
Standard cars
utility vehicles
V4169
Vauxhall
Veloce
vintage british cars
Wolseley
wood framed cars
wood framed station wagons
wood framed vans
wooden bodied cars
wooden vehicles
Woodies
Product details
- ISBN 9781845841690
- Weight: 292g
- Dimensions: 205 x 190mm
- Publication Date: 15 May 2008
- Publisher: David & Charles
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, wooden-bodied shooting brakes, estate cars and station wagons were commercial vehicles made in Britain, mostly for utilitarian roles. They were built in relatively small numbers, often by small, lesser-known commercial bodybuilding firms, and required high levels of maintenance to ensure anything resembling a long life. Every chassis from Alvis, Austin and Bentley to Standard, Vauxhall and Wolseley was built as a Woodie at some stage, and they reached the peak of their popularity in the immediate postwar years when steel was in short supply and the majority of new cars were being built for export. Some vehicle manufacturers sold wooden-bodied utilities under their own name, but most were built in small workshops under contract to vehicle dealerships or selling direct to the general public. However, labour intensive constriction, high maintenance requirements and the introduction of the unitary chassis by Britain’s car makers all contributed to the eventual demise of the British Woodie. Today, there’s a resurgent interest in British Woodies across the world, with an increasing number of cars being restored and cherished. The work of hundreds of small coachbuilder firms is highlighted here, and illustrated with 100 rare and previously unpublished photos. The British Woodie is undoubtedly a thing of beauty, and this book is a tribute to the skills of the coachbuilders that built these amazing wooden wonders.
Colin grew up in north London and was interested in all forms of road transport from an early age. He initially worked in transport management, before moving into transport journalism and then public relations. He restored his first classic car in the 1980s and became an officer of the Mercedes-Benz Club. After spending four years working in California, where he owned a number of classic cars, Colin returned to the UK and re-established his career in public relations. After acquiring an Austin A70 Countryman in Canada he formed the Woodie Car Club in 2000, and today is the Club’s Chairman.
