Plymouth Special Deluxe Woody Wagon, 1941
Plymouth De Luxe I
Plymouth De Luxe I•
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Chassis No.: P12484389
Auction: Monterey 2018
Auction date: August 25, 2018
Lot No.: F174
$63,250 | Sold
- Exterior: Maroon
- Interior: Tan
- Body: Woody Wagon
- 1 of 5,594 produced in 1941
- 201 CI inline 6-cylinder engine
- 6.7:1 compression
- Carter downdraft carburetor
- 6 volt system
- Column-shifted 3-speed transmission
- Independent front coil springs
- Semi-elliptic rear leaf springs
- Finished in Maroon
- Tan interior with 3rd bench row
- Mayflower hood mascot
- Painted steel wheels
- Chrome hubcaps and trim rings
- Wide Whitewall tires
Woody wagons have always held a special appeal in the car hobby. Plymouth first began offering its woody wagon just six years after the brand was created by Walter P. Chrysler in 1928. Built by the U.S. Body and Forging Company in Tell City, Indiana, those early wagons came solely in black with drafty side curtains, though it wasn’t long before side glass windows became available, as well as three different tailgate designs and a wider swath of paint options.
Plymouth’s woody wagons began to find popularity among the buying public in the following years leading up to World War II, with production leaping from just 555 Westchester wagons in 1938 to 5,811 station wagons in 1941, the year Plymouth released this example. The company had used the 1940 new car brochure to tout Plymouth’s budget-oriented “luxury ride” quality overall and the engine, driveline and suspension technological innovations found on woody wagons, which carried over to the 1941 release.
In 1941, Plymouth marketed three distinct series for the first time since the introduction of the Plymouth woody wagon: the P11 Plymouth, the P11D, called the Deluxe, and the P12 Special Deluxe, the pinnacle of the Plymouth totem pole that year. Only a small percentage of woody wagons from the top-of-the-line P12 Special Deluxe series like the exquisite example offered here survive today. One of just 5,594 produced in 1941 and stunning in both condition and appearance, this 1941 Plymouth Special Deluxe Woody Wagon exudes originality in many areas.
Under the hood, this classic retains the 201 CI inline 6-cylinder L-head engine, whose 6.7:1 compression was the highest in the low-priced vehicle field. This engine has a Carter downdraft carburetor and the 6-volt electrical system. It is backed by a column-shifted 3-speed blocker-ring manual transmission featuring helically cut gears, both recent innovations as well, plus Plymouth’s new True-Steady steering design. The suspension consists of independent front coil springs and semi-elliptic rear leaf springs. The interior is done in a tan material with third-row bench seating, a fluted Art Moderne dash design, red steering wheel with half-crescent chrome horn ring, and a white dash panel.
The wood theme continues on the inner door panels as well. The outside evokes the late prewar feel, with the curving sheet-metal nose in a bright Maroon and the styling cues like the tri-craft Mayflower hood mascot, unique headlamp bezels, classic 1941 grille and hood chrome accents glimmering in the sunlight, and beautiful woodwork throughout. The car rides on painted steel wheels featuring chrome hubcaps and trim rings shod in wide whitewall tires for an appearance of class.
A stunning example of the last iteration of Plymouth’s top-of-the-line prewar woody wagons, the fact that few of those built in 1941 exist today makes this 1941 Plymouth Special Deluxe Woody Wagon an opportunity that’s hard to pass up.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/336540/1941-plymouth-special-deluxe-woody-wagon/
