| The Astor Collection Friday, June 27, 2008 - Sunday, June 29, 2008 |
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| 1941 Chrysler Town & Country Nine-Passenger Estate Wagon | |||||||||
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112bhp, 241.5 cu. in. “Spitfire” inline six-cylinder engine, Fluid Drive “Vacamatic” semi-automatic transmission, front and rear coil spring suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 121.5" As the United States emerged from the depths of the Great Depression, Chrysler Corporation executives and senior management astutely recognized the need to create public excitement to build showroom traffic. While technically advanced, the Chrysler Airflow failed to generate strong public acceptance and was a commercial failure. In 1941, while many automakers struggled for existence, Chrysler launched a bold, three-pronged assault on an unsuspecting public. Ironically, Chrysler President K.T. Keller, best known for cost reduction, commissioned LeBaron to build two of the first “dream cars”, dubbed Newport and Thunderbolt. Meanwhile, David Wallace, Chrysler Corporation General Manager believed that a luxurious, dramatic, yet production-based automobile would attract wealthy buyers to Chrysler showrooms, and provide more value for the Corporation’s efforts. He envisioned a sophisticated automobile, one that was elegant enough for city and chauffeur driving, yet utilitarian enough for country living. Wallace envisioned a wood-bodied car with the same basic lines as contemporary Chrysler steel-bodied sedans, yet with greater refinement, quality, and panache. The cars were constructed utilizing two different types of woods, including the structural wood of white ash with contrasting panels in a rich Honduran mahogany. This first edition of the Town & Country is known as the “barrel back", by virtue of the fastback rear styling, combined with “clam shell” style rear doors, revealing a large and useful storage area behind the rear passenger seats. An innovation taken for granted today, the rearmost seat could be stowed in a forward position, enlarging the cargo area, or placed rearward, increasing passenger legroom. Two models were offered, with seating for six or nine passengers, with the larger car offering limousine-type folding seats, located between the two rows of standard seats. Don Narus, the noted Town & Country historian, who founded the Town & Country Owners Registry, wrote that Chrysler had a somewhat steep “learning curve” with first Town & Country since Briggs, who normally produced Chrysler’s car bodies, worked with steel, and had no experience with wooden body construction. Briggs did, however, fabricate the other major body components, including the cowl, floor pans, front sheet metal and steel roof. Wallace allocated a section of the Jefferson Avenue Chrysler plant for Town & Country production, and workers were trained accordingly. The new-for-1941 “Spitfire” inline six-cylinder engine powered the Town & Country. Displacing 241.5 cubic inches, this robust engine was offered in three levels, with output ranging from 108 to 115 horsepower, depending on compression ratio. More importantly, this engine was best known for its prodigious torque output ranging from 188 to 196 pounds-feet, necessary to move the 3,600-pound Town & Country. The smooth-shifting Fluid Drive three-speed semi-automatic transmission was the standard transmission; however, the innovative M4 Vacamatic transmission was optional at extra cost. While both used a fluid coupling between the engine and transmission, Vacamatic transmission used vacuum cylinders to shift gears, and offered four forward speeds. The streamlined and beautifully designed Town & Country Wagon was built over a very short time, with production halted at the onset of World War II. A rare sight on the street, the Town & Country remains arguably the most attractive, rare, and desirable prewar wood-based vehicles ever produced. In total, only 997 of these hand-built masterpieces were created in 1941, priced from $1,492. Of these, 797 were nine-passenger models, while 200 were six-passenger cars. According to the Town & Country Registry, only 17 nine-passenger examples are known to remain in existence. Of these, few could be in better condition than the one offered here. Art Astor’s 1941 Chrysler Town & Country Barrel Back Station Wagon is an outstanding, nine-passenger example. Finished in Polo Green and trimmed in red leather, these colors, in combination with the white ash and mahogany wood paneling, give the Town & Country a very attractive and stately appearance. A well-equipped example, the Chrysler comes with wide whitewall tires, a radio, a heater, and a clock. The comprehensive, show quality, photo-documented restoration was completed over a five-year period. Located by Dave Donley in a New Mexico salvage yard in 2001, the car was eventually purchased by Gerald Greenfield of Seattle, Washington. Gary Dunham performed the beautiful mechanical and cosmetic restoration, and fabricated new sills and doorposts to maintain structural integrity in preparation for the wooden bodywork. The car was shipped to Chris Messano Woodworks of San Pedro, California, where the handsome woodwork was added. Fellow Town & Country Registry and National Woodie Club members are credited by Greenfield for their assistance with the project. Vic McBeth provided his own vehicle for the creation of wood patterns, while Tom Kyser, Bob Brelsford, and Harold Mermel provided photos and technical expertise. As well, Steve Glazier loaned a set of the rare hinges for the unique rear doors, allowing Greenfield to have them reproduced. Upon completion, the Chrysler was judged Best in Class at the September 10, 2005 Kirkland Concours d’Elegance, held near Seattle, Washington. Interestingly, the event featured Honorary Chairman and classic car aficionado Edward Herrman, along with noted classic car commentator and publisher, Keith Martin. The beautiful car has also been featured on the cover of the winter 2005 edition of Timber Tales, the magazine of the Town & Country Owner’s Registry. Articles on the restoration process were also featured in the November 2003 and December 2005 editions of the Woodie Times, the magazine of the National Woodie Club. Shortly after its victorious debut at the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance, the Town & Country caught Art Astor’s eye, and he purchased the car from Gerald and Doreen Greenfield. In addition to the complete photographic documentation of the restoration process, the Town & Country comes with a number of highly sought-after items of paraphernalia, including a massive full-color Chrysler dealer display book that contains original upholstery samples, a repair and tune-up manual, a shop manual, and a copy of the 2003 Town & Country owner’s registry. Beautifully finished, meticulously restored, impressively optioned and painstakingly maintained, this nine-passenger Town & Country presents a rare opportunity for the serious collector to acquire one of the most attractive, luxurious and truly rare wood-bodied station wagons ever produced. |
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