Town & Country Nothing New...

Bruce Kunz
03/05/2007
A 1946 Chrysler Town & Country.(www.woodiesusa.com)Straight-Eight Trivia Question of the Week: 1. In what year did the Chrysler Building in New York City open to the public... 1920; 1930; 1940 or 1950? 2. What was the name of Plymouth’s minivan, based on the Dodge Caravan? In what model year was it introduced? 3. In what year were the Plymouth and DeSoto automobiles combined with Chrysler to form Chrysler Corporation? 4. Who was president of the United States when the production of American automobiles was ordered to a halt so that resources could be directed to production of war related machinery and equipment? 5. One of my all time favorite blues musicians began his career in late 1946-47. Can you name him and his guitar? 6. And finally, an automotive journalist, whose weekly articles about old cars are a favorite among readers of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was born in October of 1946. Can you name this handsome devil? For the answers to this week’s Four Barrel Trivia Question, visit my web site at: http://groups.msn.com/the-fin-man/triviaanswers.msnw.If you were to go up to the average person on the street and ask the question, “what is a Chrysler Town & Country?”... most would respond that it is Chrysler’s minivan, for that has been the moniker applied to the upscale version of Dodge’s renowned front wheel drive minivan, since the top-of-the-line marque joined in the minivan craze some seventeen years ago. MoPar has been a leader in the minivan market since the introduction of the first Dodge Caravan for model year 1984 and is generally considered to be the company responsible for creating the minivan market in North America. The name “Town & Country” is far from new, however. It has been tossed around for decades by Chrysler Corporation– the trademark owner. Originally applied to designate a wood-bodied, luxury, four door sedan in 1941, the T&C moniker has since been used on convertibles, roadsters, two and four door sedans, wagons and, of course, in more recent years, minivans– with or without real or fake wood trim. The ‘41 model was called a 4-door sedan by Chrysler, but in actuality, it was a fastback 4-door style, more resembling a wagon than a sedan. Although “woodies” have been around since the beginning of the horseless carriage... the ‘41 Chrysler, of which only 1000 were built, was the first all steel roof woody wagon. When those of us in the collectible automobile hobby hear the name Town & Country, most of us think of the early, wood-trimmed Chrysler automobiles of historic significance. Like many of these, the 1946 models are highly sought after collectibles and a very handsome example of early “woody” transportation. The early, wood trimmed wagons, often called “estate cars,” were once used by wealthy estate owners to carry supplies from the city to their lavish, country homes. The first 2-door hardtop automobile (pillarless coupe) was a 1946 Chrysler Town & Country, of which only SEVEN were produced! (How would you like to own one of those today???)
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These early woodies were the real McCoy... trimmed in real wood. The framework on the ‘46 Chryslers was made of genuine ash and the larger, dark colored panels, were thin sheets of mahogany veneer. In late ‘47 and after, these panels were made of vinyl plastic material which has been the material of choice to this day. Eventually, with new technology for producing plastics, the ribs were made of composite materials.Government sanctions called a halt to all private passenger car production in February of 1942 in order that the vast resources of the giant American automobile manufacturing industry could be utilized in the production of military weapons and vehicles for land, sea and air. All of the major American auto manufacturers joined in the effort to supply the “seventy-five essential items” deemed necessary to support our military efforts around the globe. General Motors was employed to produce antiaircraft guns, bombs, shells, fuses, artillery and navigational equipment and Cadillac and Oldsmobile V-8 engines were used in tanks. Ford made airplanes and Chrysler, which was heavily involved from the get-go, produced the tanks in which the Caddie and Olds engines were dropped. Nearly every manufacturer made trucks, and of course the tiny Willys company was granted the contract to build the general purpose military vehicle, designated “GP” which most G.I.s slurred phonetically into “Jeep.”When the war ended and the government sanctions were lifted, the American automobile manufacturers were once again back in the retail business and post war automobile orders were overwhelming. GIs were returning home, marrying their sweethearts and starting families. The “baby boom” generation was quickly in full swing, launched as if by mortar shell from a destroyer’s giant gun. It was a difficult time for auto manufacturers who had to switch gears quickly in the giant machine that was the automobile manufacturing business. There was precious little time fresh designs and the necessary retooling that would be required for such an effort. As with many manufacturers during this immediate post war period, Chrysler was scrambling to fill the tremendous demand for private passenger cars, so 1946 models were, for the most part, warmed over prewar vehicles. Although cosmetic changes were few and far between, the 1946 sported a new “harmonica” grill (you can see why it was so named when you look at the photo), replacing the former one which was made up of simple, horizontal bands.Style didn’t come cheap in 1946. The Town & Country models were priced eight to nine hundred dollars above their steel bodied siblings. Chrysler’s line up for 1946 consisted of four basic models... the entry level Royal, the Windsor Series, the upscale Saratoga and the top-of-the-line New Yorker. Although a 6-passenger, four door sedan, powered by a six cylinder engine, was available in the Windsor series (121.5 inch wheelbase), the bulk of Town & Country production was reserved for the glitzy New Yorker models in which one could chose from either a four door sedan or a two door convertible, both with straight eight engines and riding a longer, 127.5 inch wheelbase. Low compression ratios were typical... in the range of 6 to 7. Horsepower was a modest 114 for the 4.1 liter six and just 135 for the 5.3 liter, in-line eight. These big, clunky engines were generally considered ready for overhaul after fifty to sixty thousand miles in the day when it was considered amazing to have a car which reached the century mark on the odometer! As one might expect, being the top-of-the-line in the top-of-the-line model, the Town & Countrys were outfitted with most everything a would be owner could desire. The Windsor models were equipped with a standard, 3-speed manual transmission buttoned onto that six cylinder engine, but New Yorker versions came standard with Chrysler’s famous “Fluid Drive” a sort of “semi-automatic” if you will. (Fluid Drive was available as an option on the Windsor models.)Standard niceties on ALL Chryslers for 1946 included electric clock; fold down rear seat arm rests; directional signals; entry light; cigarette lighter with illuminated ash tray; two speed electric windshield wipers; emergency brake light; arm rests on both front doors; glove box light and lock; and a luggage compartment lamp. New Yorker added two toned wool broadcloth upholstery, a carpeted front floor mat and a gooseneck mounted rear view mirror on convertibles.Extra cost options included “Highlander” upholstery... a Scotch plaid design which was particularly attractive in the T&C wood trimmed cars; “All Weather Air control system (Don’t ask. NO, it was NOT air conditioning as we know it); twin heaters (there were many heater/ventilation systems offered); fog lamps; spot lamps; chrome center bumper guard; windshield washers; roof mounted luggage rack; compass; a “refrigeration unit” (was that a/c? You tell me.) and three types of radio antennas to go with either the 6-tube or 8-tube AM radios, both of which had automatic tuning. Exterior colors were available in over twenty hues including Melody Blue Sympho-Chromatic shown in the example above (or Sumac Red if red car illustrated).If you are interested in pickup up a number one, show quality Town & Country convertible for the first Chuck-A-Burger cruise night (coming soon), you can expect to shell out around a hundred grand for a pristine example. That doesn’t leave a lot left over for Bar-B-Cue Chucks with cole slaw! (Good thing they’re cheap!)Do you know the difference between antique, collectible and Classic Cars? Spend a week at the beautiful YMCA Trout Lodge on Sunnen Lake in Potosi, Missouri, June 3rd-8th or August 12th-17th, 2007, reminiscing about your first car while learning how to be an old car hobbyist from The FIN MAN himself. The 6-day, 5-night program for adults 55 and older, runs $548 each double occupancy, $628 single and includes The FIN MAN’s presentation, PLUS two additional programs, one discussing antiques and collectibles (what’s hot and what’s not) and the other covering Route 66, Main Street USA, plus lodging, meals, classes and entertainment. An evening of wine tasting is provided by a local winery. For more information or to register, go to the YMCA of the Ozarks web site at: http://www.ymcaoftheozarks.org/OlderAdults/index.cfm. Please tell them you heard about it here. Bruce Kunz is available for your group’s special event and is currently booking dates for 2007 and 2008. During his appearances, he presents an overview of the collector car hobby plus a detailed look at American cars from the fifties and sixties. His program includes a Power Point presentation with images of collectible automobiles and various associated nostalgia and Americana. Guests also have the opportunity to play “FINS for FUN” (which inspired his nickname), the video car trivia game Mr. Kunz first produced in 1987, in which players compete for auto related prizes donated by supporting Fin Man sponsors. For more information, click on this link: http://groups.msn.com/the-fin-man/seminaragenda.msnw. Bruce Kunz is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians, the St. Louis Chapter of the Buick Club of America and the Monte Carlo Owners Association of America. He welcomes your comments and suggestions. To e-mail him, click here > mailto:the_fin_man@msn.com.