British Woodies: From the 1920's to the 1950's (Those were the days)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.44 (603 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1845841697 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 96 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-03-03 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
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. 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. 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. The work of hundreds of small coachbuilder firms is highlighted and illustrated with 100 rare and previously unpublished photos. 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. 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.. Today, there’s resurgence in the interest in British Woodies across the world with an increasing number of cars being restored and cherished. Every chassis from Alvis, Austin and
Peck relates how Austin was first to launch a factory-approved woodie - built by Papworth Industries - soon followed by Lea-Francis. Rarest of all is a one-off Invicta Black Prince with a bizarre woodie body by Associated Coachcraft.. The Second World War saw many exotic saloons turned into wooden-bodied ambulances - there's something very appealing about a sporting Bentley Woodie. The early half of the 20th century was the golden age, and Woodies weird and wonderful are crammed into this book, from humble Austins and Fords to a Jaguar XK140 and Rolls-Royces. Pre-war designs are covered briefly, the main focus being 1946-54, the 'golden years of the shooting brake' when woodies were e
Well written and illustrated Excellent book. Good color pictures and good history text. I learned a lot.. British Woodies Mr. Friedel Erdelmann nice pictures. could do with a trifle more technical and/or historical information. still a very good book.. "SpeedReaders.info Review" according to Speed Readers. British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950sby Colin PeckTo an American reader, woodies may seem a quintessential American answer to a practical problem: a shortage of steel. But the Brits, too, suffered the same problem and, necessity being the mother of invention, came up with the same answers. In addition they had a further incentive in the form of tax breaks for cars with utility bodies. This obviously applied to the purpose-built commercial-use woodies, but also explains why the British "shooting brakes" or "estate wagons"--unlike, say, the American Chrysler Town & Country or Ford/Mercury Sportsman--