• Year of manufacture 
    1939
  • Mileage 
    77 815 mi / 125 232 km
  • Car type 
    Station Wagon
  • Drive 
    LHD
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Number of doors 
    5
  • Location
    Netherlands
  • Exterior colour 
    Brown
  • Gearbox 
    Manual
  • Drivetrain 
    2wd
  • Fuel type 
    Petrol

Description

Transmission: 3 gears, Manual gearbox
Model year: 2021
Registration number: CH-36-14

In 1939 Chevrolet decided to offer its clients the opportunity to buy a car with a wooden body; a so-called “Woody”. The Chevrolet Master Wagon was the top of the range model at the time. The idea to use wood in the superstructure was not new. It had been used during the construction of lorries and buses. Towards the end of the ’30s Chevrolet was inundated with requests for a car with wooden coachwork. As the Master Wagon was thought to be very suitable clients were able to order their Woody in 1939. There are a number of obvious benefits in using wood as opposed to steel. It is light, strong, easy to apply and cheap to buy-in. After a few years, the downside became clear. It was relatively expensive to repair small damaged areas as this was more labour intensive than repairing steel constructions and if not properly maintained wood will rot. As with any car, a moment comes when their value has greatly diminished. That is probably the reason the Chevrolet Master Wagon has become quite rare. Only a few are thought to be left. Being the top of the range not many people were able to afford the car. Sales only totalled 989. That was not so surprising as a Chevrolet Master Wagon cost $ 883.- in 1939., when the average hourly worker's rate was around 60 dollar cents. This car remained the American Dream for the common man. Our car is in absolute top shape. It was subjected to full nut & bolt specialist restoration in the States. Since the restoration, it has only travelled some 1,500 miles and then again only in fair weather. A look under the car is enough to convince us that this Master Wagon never saw any rain since restoration. The wooden top was totally rebuilt and brought up to a better condition than the original in the ’30s of the last century. It is a brilliant piece of work. The wooden body aligns overall neatly, has a beautiful lacquer coat and is in absolute top quality condition. The rest of the bodywork was spray-painted in the original Wood Ash Brown finish, the only colour available for the Master Wagon. As was the case when the car left the factory the roof is covered in brown vinyl. First impressions do not deceive with this car: it is perfect. Inside things are just as fine. The benches are upholstered in lovely dark brown Leatherette with the dashboard, steering wheel and column sprayed in that same lovely Wood Ash Brown as the exterior. Being an extremely luxurious car in its day, it also had a precursor to the modern air-conditioning; a small dashboard fan! The instrument cluster has been laid out clearly and is in good working order. The wooden door panels and headlining are naturally in perfect condition. The car’s mechanics were fully overhauled during the restoration. The 3.5-litre straight-six developed 85 Ps coupled to a manual 3-speed transmission. The transmission is also fitted with a “Vacuum Assist” for ease of use. The engine is known to be very sturdy, runs lovely and is easy to maintain. Besides this the engine allows the Chevrolet to maintain modern speeds. The good thing about top of the line cars is they were fitted out with featured we now take for granted. The brakes are hydraulically powered and it has independent front suspension. Just before it left the States it was thoroughly serviced by one of the best specialist firms in the States. The service and top-quality restoration mean this car is in peak condition. As icing on the cake, there is an extensive documentation file accompanying the car. There is a book describing the Master Wagon, a workshop manual in both book and CD format, a number of invoices relating to recent maintenance, an original owner’s manual and brochure as well as a 1939 Chevrolet calender. Finally, there is a “Collectable Automobile” article featuring this brilliant car. The documentation is as impressive as the car itself. This is the king of all Woody’s! Gallery Aaldering is Europe’s leading Classic Cars specialist since 1975! Always 400 Classic and Sportscars in stock, please visit www.gallery-aaldering.com for the current stock list (all offered cars are available in our showroom) and further information. We are located near the German border, 95 km from Düsseldorf and 90 km from Amsterdam. So easy traveling by plane, train, taxi and car. Transport and worldwide shipping can be arranged. No duties/import costs in Europe. We buy, sell and provide consignment sales (selling on behalf of the owner). We can arrange/provide registration/papers for our German (H-Kennzeichen, TÜV, Fahrzeugbrief, Wertgutachten usw.) and Benelux customers. Gallery Aaldering, Arnhemsestraat 47, 6971 AP Brummen, The Netherlands. Tel: 0031-575-564055. Quality, experience and transparency is what sets us apart. We look forward to welcoming you in our showroom