Beginning in 1940, after the relationship between Ford and the Murray Corporation went south, Ford needed an alternative way to produce their Woodie Station Wagon. This led to Ford having the idea of fully in house production will all body assembly being completed in Michigan and then sent to assembly plants fully trimmed out. They made the change and with it also redesigned the overall look. A lot of changes were incorporated including a more rounded roofline at the windshield, the rear quarter panels were now one piece, new grill design and the rear doors were no longer "suicide" now opening towards the front. They also relocated the spare back to the tailgate as it was in the mid 30's. Management was ultimately very happy as the quality increased while also coming in at a lower price point. This beautiful 1940 Deluxe was found in 2007 where it was tucked away in a San Francisco boatyard. It was then sent to Jim Lowrey's restoration shop in Tilton, New Hampshire by a well known collector Michael Dingman. The result is a beautiful frame off restored car that looks as though it could be brand new on a showroom in 1940. All of the wood work was done by Mike Nickels in Traverse, Michigan who pulled out all the stops. The wood used during normal production was somewhat random so they opted for the high end birdseye maple. Due to being such a treasured wood this grain was often reserved for Henry Ford's small collection or special customers. It is absolutely gorgeous and the Maroon painted steel is the perfect backdrop to highlight its beauty. It is clear that during the build a large effort was made to keep as original and factory looking as possible. It wears all its correct chrome and trim as well as the correct brown grain leather roof. The glass is all in great condition with a 2 piece windshield and pop up rear window. The painted to match wheels feature Ford Deluxe hubcaps with beauty rings and the wide white wall tires look perfect on the car.

3 engine options were available for the cars with the largest being the 95hp 239 V8 flathead produced for Mercurys. The motor was totally rebuilt and refinished with everything under the hood looking factory correct. It has been driven very minimally since completed but it does run great. The 3 speed manual transmission shifts smoothly with no issues. If you were impressed with the cars exterior just wait until you take a peak at the undercarriage. All of the stock components received the same quality level of paint as the body did. It is so clean you could eat off it. This is definitely a concourse level car that all car aficionados will appreciate.

The interior features brown leather that looks like it has never been sat in. It has the stock 3 row bench seating with the middle being slightly shorter to allow access to the rear. The headliner is like a work of art and from top to bottom this thing is one if not the nicest original '40 Woodies around. The dash features its original components all of which are working properly.

This beauty is something you need to see in person to truly appreciate. It could easily be a museum piece as an example of exactly how these Wagons were originally constructed.