1942 Woodie Wagon

If you drive today’s Chrysler Town & Country, you might be surprised to know what the name used to represent back before it was the capable, family-approved minivan it is in its present form.

The Town & Country, born in 1941, was originally a station wagon (pictured at the top). The style was called a “woodie wagon” because of the wooden double-doors. There weren’t very many produced – in fact, production ceased entirely shortly after it began because of World War II, so less than a thousand of these woodie wagons ever existed.

As America recovered from war, the Town & Country re-emerged with sedan, coupe, and convertible models and became a popular, well-known name in automobiles. This one here is a Chrysler Newport Town and Country from 1950:

1950

The woodie style went out of fashion, and after 1950 the Town & Country became synonymous with a steel-bodied station wagon like the minty green one pictured here:

1952 Town & Country

Still a station wagon throughout the early sixties, styling got more and more interesting on the Town & Country. Check out this super-sixties model from 1961:

1961

The giant wagons continued to be family favorites throughout the sixties and seventies, including a big return to the woodie look that continued well into the 1980s.

1986

Then, starting in 1990, as the station wagon began to fall out fashion in favor of even more space for big families, the name was lovingly handed over to Chrysler’s new luxury minivan. And that’s just where it remains to this day.