1933 Ford Model 40 Station Wagon

Harkening back to the days of horse-drawn coaches taking travelers cross-country between 'stations', the wood-bodied 'woodie' station wagon would become a unique bridge between eras.

Due to their need of constant care and maintenance, any wood-bodied automobile was not for the least affluent of society. They not only required constant care but the ideal place in which to store them and this was not in great supply during the 1930s when the concept started to really catch on.

John Moir would be one of those able and willing to maintain such an amazing piece of wood-working art. This particular example, a 1933 Ford v-8 Station Wagon would be just such an example of what could be.

Unrestored and highly original inside and out, this particular example even retains its original paint livery and the name of its first home—Bon-Air Farms. Situated along the Atlantic coast, Hampton would be first founded during the 17th century and would become a popular tourist destination during the 20th century. However, agriculture would still be a big part of the local economy and Bon-Air Farms would be just one of those farms within the area. The Ford Station Wagon would then be a big asset to the farm.

Following its years with Bon-Air Farms, the 1933 station wagon would become a part of a museum based in Glen, New Hampshire. This time would help to protect the automobile from the harsh elements and would lead to the car being able to retain its original condition.

The state of the Ford would draw Moir. He would end up purchasing the car from the museum and would take great pains to keep the car in its unrestored state. This would include keeping the car out of the elements and only driving it very sparingly. In fact, as the automobile came to auction as part of RM Auctions' 2014 Hershey event there was just a little more than 23,000 miles noted on the odometer.

Boasting of an interior showing only minor signs of cracking and aging, original wood inside and out and a rather well known provenance, the 1933 Ford V-8 Station Wagon would garner estimates leading up to the auction of between $70,000-$100,000. When the gavel fell to bring bidding to an end, the final sale price would be $82,500.

By Jeremy McMullen