Meet The Woodyator, a One-of-a-Kind Ford Woody Wagon That Drives Like a Modern Luxury SUV

In the crazy diverse automotive world, it’s really hard to stand out from the crowd. Most picky collectors are hunting for rare models, crazy one-off builds that were made just for the fun of it. Something that no one else is lucky enough to own. One such vehicle is “The Woodyator,” a custom woodie wagon that has an original 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon body fitted to the chassis and drivetrain of a 2003 Lincoln Aviator.

Described as “one of the best engineered and thoughtfully considered custom Woodies ever created,” The Woodyator is a labor of love and is the only one of its kind in the world. It took the owner of this rare gem no less than three years to finish the project, and he got help from pros like woodie master Ron Heiden, as well as experts Nick Kovacevich and Bill Cooke, who modified the Aviator chassis.

The result is a magnificent updated classic that blends the timeless charm of a Super Deluxe Woody with the drivability, performance, and luxury goodies of a modern SUV. It’s a woody, a surf wagon, and a car show cruiser all rolled into one.

“Woodies” or “wood wagons” are a true symbol of classic American style. Back in the 1940s, these rides were all the rage, and while the woodies from that decade weren’t the first generation of wood-bodied cars, they’re now seen as the most iconic thanks to their unique look. This body style became even more famous around the world a couple decades later thanks to surf culture and surf music of the 1960s and got forever etched into automotive history.

Ford Motor Company’s woodie wagons have a charm of their own, and the Super Deluxe model was the top-of-the-line offering from the carmaker. It was built from 1941 to 1942, along with the Standard and Deluxe models. Production stopped during World War II but resumed in 1946. The series included two-door coupes, two- or four-door sedans, two-door convertibles, and five-door station wagons. Some of the latter were available with “Woodie Wagon” bodies. That means the sides of the car were built with maple and birch framing and mahogany paneling.

Though Ford’s post-WWII models were mostly identical to the cars built before the war, they were super popular among California surfers, who used to strap their surfboards to the roof and hit the beach. The relative lack of newness didn’t stop them from becoming pop culture icons. Ford Super Deluxe units showed up in movies like Back to the Future, Grease, and The Karate Kid.

Ford made less than 9,000 woody wagons in 1947, so it’s truly special to find a clean example like this one nearly 70 years later. Well, the custom-built Woodyator might not be a genuine 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon through and through, but it looks as close to an original as possible.

The current owner and mastermind behind the Woodyator used to drive an original 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon in his youth. He used it to go on surf trips with his friends, so the project was born out of nostalgia.

He wanted to create a modern, updated version of the car from his younger days, so he combined the body of a 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Woodie Wagon with the underpinnings of a 2003 Lincoln Aviator that had just 811 miles on the clock.

The original body of the Ford Woody was carefully and masterfully restored by Ron Heiden, while the Lincoln was modified by experts Nick Kovacevich and Bill Cooke to fit the new body, which keeps almost all of its original maple and mahogany wood structure, as well as the original Dark Blue body paint and weatherproof Stayfast canvas top.

Compared to a standard Super Deluxe station wagon, this custom car has a bit of extra height and a little more ground clearance but rides on period-correct maroon-painted wheels and hub caps. In terms of power, it features the Lincoln Aviator’s drivetrain with a 4.6 liter Ford DOHC 32-valve V8 engine that puts out 302 hp (306 ps). The mill has been improved with a custom dress-up kit, intake manifold, and exhaust system and sends power to all four wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission.

Since it keeps the capable all-wheel-drive of the Lincoln chassis it’s built on, the car offers the handling and performance of a modern SUV. It benefits from the Aviator’s original suspension and braking systems, as well as other modern creature comforts like air-conditioning, heating, power steering, and power brakes. But all these are cleverly hidden to keep the period-correct look.

Just like the outside, the interior of the vehicle looks very much like an original 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon, with chestnut leather upholstery, a three-spoke steering wheel, and a wood-accented dashboard.

The “Woodyator” was finished in June 2007 and then entered the 2,000-mile western leg of the 25th Annual Great American Race from Dallas to Anaheim, where it had a remarkable performance, finishing fourth overall. This one-off custom vehicle is set to go under the hammer on January 25, with a price guide of $200,000 – $250,000.