1949 Plymouth Deluxe

Offered here is a 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe P18 Woody Station Wagon, one of just 3,443 produced and believed to be among approximately 26 known surviving examples. This Bay Area car has been in continuous Northern California ownership since approximately 1970 and has been cherished within the same circle of car club acquaintances across three owners, the current of whom has known the car personally since 1974. The body is finished in black, the result of a respray performed in the early 1970s. The car is believed to have originally left the factory in cream. The coachwork is notable for retaining the majority of its original White Ash structural framing, Mahogany exterior panels, and Maple interior panels, with only a small number of sections replaced during the 1970s restoration period using correct species throughout. The wood presents with appropriate patina and checking consistent with its age, remaining structurally sound throughout. The interior is finished in brown and is reported to be in good original condition. The third-row seat is present, a feature that brought total seating capacity to eight passengers and was a key selling point distinguishing the Special Deluxe woody from Plymouth's new all-steel Suburban wagon introduced mid-year in 1949. Additional equipment includes a period AM radio, the one-year-only fold-down rear bumper unique to the 1949 model, and a covered spare tire compartment integrated into the lower tailgate. Power comes from the original 218-cubic-inch flathead inline-six, backed by a 3-speed column-shift manual transmission. The car is reported to start cold quickly and without drama, and driveability is described as excellent. The odometer shows approximately 65,000 miles, believed to be original.