Beschreibung:

In 1941, Chrysler introduced a unique wood-bodied car to the six-cylinder Royal line. Neither sedan nor station wagon, it had a fastback profile with twin hinged ‘barn doors’ at the rear. In contrast to most wood-bodied utility vehicles, the new Town & Country had lavishly-varnished wood inside and quality upholstery. Exactly 999 were built, 200 of them in six-passenger configuration and the rest with three bench seats to hold nine people. In addition, a single prototype was built on an eight-cylinder chassis. A similar lineup was continued into 1942, with nearly identical production despite the war-shortened model year. The response to the Town & Country was such that an expanded range was planned for 1946. Seven prototype hardtop coupes were built, along with a single two-door Brougham, but a planned roadster never saw the light of day. Once the assembly lines started rolling, only an eight-cylinder convertible coupe joined the sedan, which was built in both six- and eight-cylinder form. The long-wheelbase eight-cylinder sedans, however, were discontinued after 100 had been completed. From 1946 through the first series cars of 1949 (which were identical to the 1948s), 4,149 Town & Country sedans were built, along with 8,368 convertibles. The new-design second-series 1949 line dropped the T&C sedan, and for 1950 the model retreated to an eight-cylinder hardtop coupe with painted insert panels. Thereafter, the name ‘Town & Country’ designated a long succession of Chrysler steel-bodied station wagons. This 1947 Town & Country sedan was sold new to a wealthy customer in Mexico. It remained there until purchased by an avid and experienced collector in Guadalajara. When acquired, it was in solid original condition, even to its original spring gaiters, but in need of restoration. A comprehensive mechanical and cosmetic restoration was performed. The original wood merely needed refinishing. New Di-Noc panels were applied and the car was repainted in dark blue. The interior is blue leather with Highland plaid inserts. It is equipped with twin spot lights, fog lamps, roof rack and white wall tires, and comes complete with its original Spanish language instruction manual issued by Chrysler Export Division. Wood-bodied cars have a big following. The Chrysler Town & Country sedan was one of the original crossover vehicles, with the style and practicality of a woody station wagon and the comfort of a sedan. Although 1947 gave rise to the greater portion of Town & Country sedan production, at 2,651 cars the total is tiny. This car represents a chance to acquire one of the most stylish and practical automobiles of the post-World War II era.