In 1940, Chrysler introduced the wood-bodied Town & Country eight-passenger station wagon. It was hugely expensive, and it was the first Woody with an all-steel roof, which was borrowed from the Imperial eight- passenger limousine. Uniquely styled with heavy Art Deco influences, the roof sloped down at the back for a sporty “barrel back” design, leaving the traditionally boxy station wagon look on the drawing board. Of course, for 1942, production would be entirely suspended, but in 1946, the Town & Country would return as a four-door sedan and two-door convertible, with the station wagon disappearing from the lineup. Built on either the New Yorker or Windsor chassis, the latter of the two would use an inline 6-cylinder engine, the former using an 8-cylinder. Striking in appearance, the ash wood framing with mahogany veneer and steel panels easily grabbed attention, and as the most expensive car wearing the Chrysler badge, very few were produced. The 1948 Chrysler Town & Country Sedan here is one of only 4,049 built in 1948 with the 250/114 HP L-Head Spitfire inline 6-cylinder engine. Fed by a 2-barrel carburetor and an electric fuel pump, the Fluid Drive transmission sends power to the rear wheels. The chassis is a mixture of an independent front suspension with coil springs and semi-elliptical rear leaf springs with a live rear axle and hydraulic drum brakes, all creating a remarkable ride with outstanding drivability. Retaining its original window glass, it was repainted Dove Gray in the 1980s with Imron paint, known for its durability, depth and shine. Fitted with a luggage rack upon the roof, the Town & Country is very well dressed with twin sideview mirrors, twin A-Pillar spotlights, rocker trim and bumper guards. The red and gray interior is a study in details with the optional Comfort Master heater, pushbutton radio, clock, wood paneling, full instrumentation and much more. Rolling on blackwall Goodyear tires with painted steel wheels topped with bright beauty rings and Chrysler-script hubcaps, this Town & Country is believed to have only traveled 30,690 miles from new.
