British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950s by Colin Peck

British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950s by Colin Peck

In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, wooden-bodied shooting brakes, estate cars and station wagons were commercial vehicles built in Britain mostly for utilitarian roles. They were built in relative 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, were built as Woodies at some stage and reached their peak of popularity in the immediate post-war 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, labor 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 resurgence in the 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 The work of hundreds of small coachbuilder firms is highlighted and illustrated with 100 rare and previously unpublished photos.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 coachbuilder who 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.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781845841690
ISBN 10	1845841697
Title	British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950s
Author	Colin Peck
Series	Those Were The Days
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	David & Charles
Year published	2021-03-02
Number of pages	96
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.