Latest News
Volvo: Safety Beyond the Star RatingsCool Car Find: 1951 GMC Woodie Suburban
For a trip to the beach or a Sunday drive, there’s nothing that beats a classic woody wagon like this 1951 GMC Suburban.
Surf City Rollers
1951 GMC Woodie Suburban – carsforsale.com | Shop GMC Woodie Suburban on Carsforsale.com
Wood was once the default car building material, back when automobiles were basically motorized carriages. But by the 1930s, steel had long taken the place of wood except in the case of woodies where car bodies were constructed of wood for aesthetics. Woodies were often top trim iterations and commonly built as station wagons. Maintenance requirements and shifting tastes saw woody wagons fall out of favor by the mid-1950s, though they saw resurgent popularity among California surfers in the early 1960s thanks to their long bodies, perfect for carrying long boards, and for their low used asking prices.
Today’s Cool Car Find is a spectacular and subtle restomod (restored and modified) of a 1951 GMC Woodie Suburban that features stunning woodwork inside and out, along with a few modern upgrades that perfectly preserves what is most special about this car.
Classically Advanced
The late 1940s and early 1950s Chevrolet Suburban (third generation) and its GMC counterpart were based on Chevy’s contemporaneous Advanced Design pickup. You can see the resemblance in the Suburban’s front-end design, its generously rounded fenders, and the bold Art Deco grille. The Art Deco styling continues in the interior with the gauge font and the horizontal slats on the dashboard. A cool additional interior detail is the green turn signal indicator lights.
The original third-gen Chevy/GMC Suburban was powered by a “Stovebolt” 216 cu.-in. OHV straight-six making 90 horsepower. This came paired with a three- or four-speed manual transmission until 1953 when the GMC version was given a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, with the Chevy following suit a year later. The Suburban came in three main body styles: a panel truck, carry all, or canopy express, and all three came as two doors. However, coach-built woodies, like our Cool Car Find ’51, were sometimes built as four-doors.
Our Cool Car Find
Speaking of which, our Cool Car Find is a 1951 GMC Suburban Woody. This was already far from stock even as an original, and this restored and modified version only amplifies its uniqueness.
The first among its remarkable qualities is the wood bodywork. This was done by the now defunct coach builder Fisher, a onetime GM division. The mahogany extends from the front A-pillars on back and includes much of the interior like the two-tone doors, the floor (from the second row back), and a beautifully wrought ceiling. The condition and finish on the wood is exquisite, as good as you will find in any wood-bodied car.
1951 GMC Woodie Suburban – carsforsale.com | Shop GMC Woodie Suburban on Carsforsale.com
Despite it looking like a pure restoration, there are many subtle upgrades to this ’51 GMC Suburban. Yes, that is indeed a 1952 model year grille, not a ’51. Another change is the vintage wire spoked Ford V8 steering wheel. From here the modifications get much more modern. Check under the hood and rather than an old Stovebolt you have a Corvette LT1 V8. Dig a bit deeper and there is a modern suspension as well with coil overs, double wishbone front and multi-link in the rear. A far cry from the original leaf springs. There is even a modern AC unit and a set of high-end speakers in the way, way back.
Given the upgrades and the astounding condition, this 1951 GMC Suburban Woody is one of the finest and most enjoyable examples you are likely to find.
Looks like really like a Ford V8 Banjo steering wheel to me.