This is one of 2,480 Super Estate Wagons built for Buick’s 1950 model year – the rarest and most expensive offering in the Super lineup. The Estate Wagon was “crafted of seasoned wood and stout metal” by artisans at Ionia Manufacturing Company of Ionia, Michigan. Traditional Buick styling cues, including the prominent chrome grille and signature hood ventiports, are complemented by polished wood trim applied to the upper door and window frames, side-body contours, and the rear clamshell tailgate. The interior panels of the tailgate are also finished in matching wood and open to reveal a flat storage deck, which can be expanded by folding the rear seat forward. The interior is finished in red leatherette with matching carpeting throughout, contrasting nicely with the Carlsbad Black exterior paintwork.

Mechanical upgrades for 1950 included a new, larger-displacement 263 cid Fireball engine producing 128 hp with power delivered through Buick’s optional Dynaflow automatic transmission. This well-equipped example also features a radio, heater, clock, backup lights, outside rearview mirror, and whitewall tires.

Buick was the last American manufacturer to build a true wood-bodied station wagon and in its day, the Estate Wagon was perfectly suited for city and country excursions. Today, its stylish utility exemplifies mid-century automotive Americana, at-home and tailgating events, or serving as the center point of any automotive gathering.