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Jay Leno Reviews a 1937 Ford Woodie Restomod

Until rumors about Jay getting back on TV in a new car-related show, it’s time to see the showman’s most recent classic car review - a restomoded 1937 Ford Woodie family car.
Jay Leno Ford Woodie 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
The whole idea to fit cars a wooden structure for the passengers compartment took shape back in the early 1930s, especially in the United States, where this construction has been used from sedans to station wagons and even convertibles.

It started as an all-wood construction, since the material was cheap and rust proof but as aerodynamics started to count more and more, automakers discovered thin sheets of steel were better at providing a smooth surface for air to run onto.

Soon enough, paneling started to be replaced by steel and eventually, the whole concept was abandoned, the only woodies available being those well known vinyl-to-the-sides 1988 Chevrolet Caprice Classic wagons and such. I’m pretty sure some of your dads might have had one back in the day; white or green with wood imitations running from front to back and stained rear carpets because your sister threw up on that longer trip after one too many Twinkies.

The wood veneer went extinct in early ‘90s with the Jeep Grand Wagoneer being the last one we can think of right now, but it looks like some people missed the classic styling. Otherwise the 2009 Ford Flex wouldn’t had to wear horizontal grooves/indents to evoke the old wood.

And while the Flex’ indents were there only for your eye, Citroen’s all-new airbumps on the Cactus sure do have a worthy purpose aside from just being brown and reminding you of the old days.

Who knows, maybe the retro styling will return once again, hopefully with automakers not having to ask us pay more on such a car just because it represents the modern incarnation of an old banger (see all minis and Fiat 500s which were basically the cheapest runabouts you could buy back in the day).

Until then, let’s see what’s underneath all that wood on Jay’s Ford here in the video.

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