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British Woodies

Colin Peck

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Description for British Woodies Paperback. Wooden-bodied shooting brakes, station wagons and estate cars, collectively known as Woodies, were the original SUVs (sports utility vehicles). While they were initially created for a specific purpose, their versatility, adaptability and load-carrying abilities meant that they quickly found favour with British buyers from all walks of life. Series: Those Were the Days.. Num Pages: 96 pages, Illustrations (some col.). BIC Classification: 1DBK; WGCB. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 190 x 213 x 9. Weight in Grams: 316.
In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, wooden-bodied shooting brakes, estate cars and station wagons were commercial vehicles built in Britain mostly for utilitarian roles. They were built in relative small numbers, often by small lesser-known commercial bodybuilding firms and required high levels of maintenance to ensure anything resembling a long life. Every chassis from Alvis, Austin and Bentley to Standard, Vauxhall and Wolseley, were built as Woodies at some stage and reached their peak of popularity in the immediate post-war years when steel was in short supply and the majority of new cars were being built for export. Some vehicle ... Read more

Product Details

Publisher

Veloce Publishing Ltd United Kingdom

Number of pages

Format

Paperback

Publication date

2008

Series

Those Were the Days...

Condition

New

Weight

316g

Number of Pages

Place of Publication

Dorset, United Kingdom

ISBN

9781845841690

SKU

V9781845841690

Shipping Time

Usually ships in 4 to 8 working days

Ref

99-2

About Colin Peck

Colin grew up in north London and was interested in all forms of road transport from an early age. He initially worked in transport management, before moving into transport journalism and then public relations. He restored his first classic car in the 1980s and became an officer of the Mercedes-Benz Club. After spending four years working in California, where he ... Read more

Reviews for British Woodies

. .. packed with make-by-make histories, historic photos and contemporary photos of restored woodies and those awaiting restoration. - Woodie Times Nicely illustrated with period and modern photos, ads, and a few detail shots of workshops. The literature on this subject is exceedingly thin and this book, small as it is, fills a gap. - The Flying Lady ... Read moreNew Zealand Classic Car, October 2008NZ magazineIn this book, another in Veloce's 'Those Were The Days' series, Colin Peck takes an affectionate look at what he calls British Woodies - although somehow the term remind me more of California than of Lea-Francis. After an overview of their birth as a utility vehicle for country estates, Peck looks at the use of woodies in WWII (when they were sometimes cut down for desert welfare); the attraction of their tax-exempt status; and their slow decline because of the complexities of their manufacture, the need for frequent maintenance, and the rise of the unitary body structures. There are separate chapter on marques that had some woody bodies made on them (Allard, Morris) and body builders, many of which weren't traditionally associated with the motor trade. Peck doesn't claim to have written a definitive history, but it's still an interesting read. You're just as likely to buy the book for the photos anyway. There are about 100 of them, a mix of contemporary photos and shots of restored woodies. You see Austin A70 Countrymen on the assembly line at Papworths, and other cars that are much more of a one-off like the unique Invicta Black Prince. Most of the cars shown are pretty square-sided and traditional, like a Bentley R-type and a Morris Y, but there are some fascinating variations such as the Allard P2 Safari, and a fastback woody body on Riley RM.This book is reasonably priced, and well worth a look. New Zealand Classic Car, October 2008NZ magazine In this book, another in Veloce's 'Those Were The Days' series, Colin Peck takes an affectionate look at what he calls British Woodies although somehow the term remind me more of California than of Lea-Francis. After an overview of their birth as a utility vehicle for country estates, Peck looks at the use of woodies in WWII (when they were sometimes cut down for desert welfare); the attraction of their tax-exempt status; and their slow decline because of the complexities of their manufacture, the need for frequent maintenance, and the rise of the unitary body structures. There are separate chapter on marques that had some woody bodies made on them (Allard, Morris) and body builders, many of which weren't traditionally associated with the motor trade. Peck doesn't claim to have written a definitive history, but it's still an interesting read. You're just as likely to buy the book for the photos anyway. There are about 100 of them, a mix of contemporary photos and shots of restored woodies. You see Austin A70 Countrymen on the assembly line at Papworths, and other cars that are much more of a one-off like the unique Invicta Black Prince. Most of the cars shown are pretty square-sided and traditional, like a Bentley R-type and a Morris Y, but there are some fascinating variations such as the Allard P2 Safari, and a fastback woody body on Riley RM. This book is reasonably priced, and well worth a look. Classic Motor Monthly, September 2008 UK magazine Circ: 14,500] A book that I had eagerly been awaiting was 'British Woodies' (from the 1920s to the 1950s) by Colin Peck. It's from Veloce's 'Those were the days' series. As Colin admits in his introduction the book is not intended to be a definitive history, but more an introduction to the subject. This is a very good introduction to the subject, many illustrations with excellent historic and modern photographs: Highly recommended. - Octane, October 2008 UK magazine A really interesting little softback about a previously unexplored subject, this book contains some great archive shots- especially of WW2 utilities, and of shooting brakes under construction. Spanning the 1920s-1950s, it outlines the surprisingly large number of body builders involved, and is brightened with color photos of surviving cars. New Zealand Classic Car, October 2008 NZ magazine In this book, another in Veloce's 'Those Were The Days' series, Colin Peck takes an affectionate look at what he calls British Woodies - although somehow the term remind me more of California than of Lea-Francis. After an overview of their birth as a utility vehicle for country estates, Peck looks at the use of woodies in WWII (when they were sometimes cut down for desert welfare); the attraction of their tax-exempt status; and their slow decline because of the complexities of their manufacture, the need for frequent maintenance, and the rise of the unitary body structures. There are separate chapter on marques that had some woody bodies made on them (Allard, Morris) and body builders, many of which weren't traditionally associated with the motor trade. Peck doesn't claim to have written a definitive history, but it's still an interesting read. You're just as likely to buy the book for the photos anyway. There are about 100 of them, a mix of contemporary photos and shots of restored woodies. You see Austin A70 Countrymen on the assembly line at Papworths, and other cars that are much more of a one-off like the unique Invicta Black Prince. Most of the cars shown are pretty square-sided and traditional, like a Bentley R-type and a Morris Y, but there are some fascinating variations such as the Allard P2 Safari, and a fastback woody body on Riley RM. This book is reasonably priced, and well worth a look. .. . packed with make-by-make histories, historic photos and contemporary photos of restored woodies and those awaiting restoration. - Woodie Times Nicely illustrated with period and modern photos, ads, and a few detail shots of workshops. The literature on this subject is exceedingly thin and this book, small as it is, fills a gap. - The Flying Lady This publication is as delightful as the cars themselves and contains a fascinating collection of period and black-and-white photos as well as color photos of restored examples. Highly recommended. - Australian Classic Car This excellent little book recalls the dying gasps of the coachbuilder's art and a number of famous names as well as many more obscure ones ... Recommended. - Gay Classic Car Group Classics Monthly, September 2008 UK magazine As club chairman of the Woodie Car Club, Colin Peck is the ideal author for this fascinating glimpse into British part-wood estate cars. The early half of the 20th century was the golden age, and Woodies weird and wonderful are crammed into this book, from humble Austins and Fords to a Jaguar XK140 and Rolls-Royces. The Second World War saw many exotic saloons turned into wooden-bodied ambulances - there's something very appealing about a sporting Bentley Woodie. There are also a handful of rare assembly line photos giving a fascinating insight into the handbuilt production of these cars. By the late 1950s, with the exception of the Morris Minor Traveller, the Woodie had all but died out. The last chapter looks at a few daunting restoration projects that will almost certainly bring tears to your eyes. Yes, it's specialist subject matter, but one that will appeal. - Classic & Sports Car, September 2008 UK magazine Circ: 82,000 Who better to write a book on British-built woodies than the founder of the Woodie Car Club? The latest in Veloce's square paperback 'Those were the days ...' series, this 90-page edition is packed with insight and photos. Pre-war designs are covered briefly, the main focus being 1946-54, the 'golden years of the shooting brake' when woodies were exempt from purchase tax. Peck relates how Austin was first to launch a factory-approved woodie - built by Papworth Industries - soon followed by Lea-Francis. Chapters review wartime woodies, chassis builders and specialist body firms; illustrations are a mix of period shots of long-lost cars and a gallery of survivors including Peck's Austin A70 Hampshire Countryman. Rarest of all is a one-off Invicta Black Prince with a bizarre woodie body by Associated Coachcraft. Classic Motor Monthly, September 2008UK magazineCirc: 14,500+A book that I had eagerly been awaiting was 'British Woodies' (from the 1920s to the 1950s) by Colin Peck. It's from Veloce's 'Those were the days' series. As Colin admits in his introduction the book is not intended to be a definitive history, but more an introduction to the subject. This is a very good introduction to the subject, many illustrations with excellent historic and modern photographs: Highly recommended.- Octane, October 2008UK magazine A really interesting little softback about a previously unexplored subject, this book contains some great archive shots especially of WW2 utilities, and of shooting brakes under construction. Spanning the 1920s-1950s, it outlines the surprisingly large number of body builders involved, and is brightened with color photos of surviving cars. Classics Monthly, September 2008UK magazine As club chairman of the Woodie Car Club, Colin Peck is the ideal author for this fascinating glimpse into British part-wood estate cars. The early half of the 20th century was the golden age, and Woodies weird and wonderful are crammed into this book, from humble Austins and Fords to a Jaguar XK140 and Rolls-Royces. The Second World War saw many exotic saloons turned into wooden-bodied ambulances - there's something very appealing about a sporting Bentley Woodie. There are also a handful of rare assembly line photos giving a fascinating insight into the handbuilt production of these cars. By the late 1950s, with the exception of the Morris Minor Traveller, the Woodie had all but died out. The last chapter looks at a few daunting restoration projects that will almost certainly bring tears to your eyes. Yes, it's specialist subject matter, but one that will appeal.- Classic & Sports Car, September 2008UK magazineCirc: 82,000Who better to write a book on British-built woodies than the founder of the Woodie Car Club? The latest in Veloce's square paperback 'Those were the days ...' series, this 90-page edition is packed with insight and photos. Pre-war designs are covered briefly, the main focus being 1946-54, the 'golden years of the shooting brake' when woodies were exempt from purchase tax. Peck relates how Austin was first to launch a factory-approved woodie - built by Papworth Industries - soon followed by Lea-Francis. Chapters review wartime woodies, chassis builders and specialist body firms; illustrations are a mix of period shots of long-lost cars and a gallery of survivors including Peck's Austin A70 Hampshire Countryman. Rarest of all is a one-off Invicta Black Prince with a bizarre woodie body by Associated Coachcraft. Classics Monthly, September 2008UK magazineAs club chairman of the Woodie Car Club, Colin Peck is the ideal author for this fascinating glimpse into British part-wood estate cars. The early half of the 20th century was the golden age, and Woodies weird and wonderful are crammed into this book, from humble Austins and Fords to a Jaguar XK140 and Rolls-Royces. The Second World War saw many exotic saloons turned into wooden-bodied ambulances - there's something very appealing about a sporting Bentley Woodie. There are also a handful of rare assembly line photos giving a fascinating insight into the handbuilt production of these cars. By the late 1950s, with the exception of the Morris Minor Traveller, the Woodie had all but died out. The last chapter looks at a few daunting restoration projects that will almost certainly bring tears to your eyes. Yes, it's specialist subject matter, but one that will appeal.- Classic & Sports Car, September 2008UK magazineCirc: 82,000Who better to write a book on British-built woodies than the founder of the Woodie Car Club? The latest in Veloce's square paperback 'Those were the days ...' series, this 90-page edition is packed with insight and photos. Pre-war designs are covered briefly, the main focus being 1946-54, the 'golden years of the shooting brake' when woodies were exempt from purchase tax. Peck relates how Austin was first to launch a factory-approved woodie - built by Papworth Industries - soon followed by Lea-Francis. Chapters review wartime woodies, chassis builders and specialist body firms; illustrations are a mix of period shots of long-lost cars and a gallery of survivors including Peck's Austin A70 Hampshire Countryman. Rarest of all is a one-off Invicta Black Prince with a bizarre woodie body by Associated Coachcraft. Classic Motor Monthly, September 2008 UK magazine Circ: 14,500+ A book that I had eagerly been awaiting was 'British Woodies' (from the 1920s to the 1950s) by Colin Peck. It's from Veloce's 'Those were the days' series. As Colin admits in his introduction the book is not intended to be a definitive history, but more an introduction to the subject. This is a very good introduction to the subject, many illustrations with excellent historic and modern photographs: Highly recommended. - Octane, October 2008 UK magazine A really interesting little softback about a previously unexplored subject, this book contains some great archive shots- especially of WW2 utilities, and of shooting brakes under construction. Spanning the 1920s-1950s, it outlines the surprisingly large number of body builders involved, and is brightened with color photos of surviving cars. Classics Monthly, September 2008 UK magazine As club chairman of the Woodie Car Club, Colin Peck is the ideal author for this fascinating glimpse into British part-wood estate cars. The early half of the 20th century was the golden age, and Woodies weird and wonderful are crammed into this book, from humble Austins and Fords to a Jaguar XK140 and Rolls-Royces. The Second World War saw many exotic saloons turned into wooden-bodied ambulances - there's something very appealing about a sporting Bentley Woodie. There are also a handful of rare assembly line photos giving a fascinating insight into the handbuilt production of these cars. By the late 1950s, with the exception of the Morris Minor Traveller, the Woodie had all but died out. The last chapter looks at a few daunting restoration projects that will almost certainly bring tears to your eyes. Yes, it's specialist subject matter, but one that will appeal. - Classic & Sports Car, September 2008 UK magazine Circ: 82,000 Who better to write a book on British-built woodies than the founder of the Woodie Car Club? The latest in Veloce's square paperback 'Those were the days ...' series, this 90-page edition is packed with insight and photos. Pre-war designs are covered briefly, the main focus being 1946-54, the 'golden years of the shooting brake' when woodies were exempt from purchase tax. Peck relates how Austin was first to launch a factory-approved woodie - built by Papworth Industries - soon followed by Lea-Francis. Chapters review wartime woodies, chassis builders and specialist body firms; illustrations are a mix of period shots of long-lost cars and a gallery of survivors including Peck's Austin A70 Hampshire Countryman. Rarest of all is a one-off Invicta Black Prince with a bizarre woodie body by Associated Coachcraft. Classic Motor Monthly, September 2008 UK magazine Circ: 14,500+ A book that I had eagerly been awaiting was 'British Woodies' (from the 1920s to the 1950s) by Colin Peck. It's from Veloce's 'Those were the days' series. As Colin admits in his introduction the book is not intended to be a definitive history, but more an introduction to the subject. This is a very good introduction to the subject, many illustrations with excellent historic and modern photographs: Highly recommended. - Octane, October 2008 UK magazine A really interesting little softback about a previously unexplored subject, this book contains some great archive shots- especially of WW2 utilities, and of shooting brakes under construction. Spanning the 1920s-1950s, it outlines the surprisingly large number of body builders involved, and is brightened with color photos of surviving cars. Classics Monthly, September 2008 UK magazine As club chairman of the Woodie Car Club, Colin Peck is the ideal author for this fascinating glimpse into British part-wood estate cars. The early half of the 20th century was the golden age, and Woodies weird and wonderful are crammed into this book, from humble Austins and Fords to a Jaguar XK140 and Rolls-Royces. The Second World War saw many exotic saloons turned into wooden-bodied ambulances - there's something very appealing about a sporting Bentley Woodie. There are also a handful of rare assembly line photos giving a fascinating insight into the handbuilt production of these cars. By the late 1950s, with the exception of the Morris Minor Traveller, the Woodie had all but died out. The last chapter looks at a few daunting restoration projects that will almost certainly bring tears to your eyes. Yes, it's specialist subject matter, but one that will appeal. - Classic & Sports Car, September 2008 UK magazine Circ: 82,000 Who better to write a book on British-built woodies than the founder of the Woodie Car Club? The latest in Veloce's square paperback 'Those were the days ...' series, this 90-page edition is packed with insight and photos. Pre-war designs are covered briefly, the main focus being 1946-54, the 'golden years of the shooting brake' when woodies were exempt from purchase tax. Peck relates how Austin was first to launch a factory-approved woodie - built by Papworth Industries - soon followed by Lea-Francis. Chapters review wartime woodies, chassis builders and specialist body firms; illustrations are a mix of period shots of long-lost cars and a gallery of survivors including Peck's AustinA70 Hampshire Countryman. Rarest of all is a one-off Invicta Black Prince with a bizarre woodie body by Associated Coachcraft. New Zealand Classic Car, October 2008 NZ magazine In this book, another in Veloce's 'Those Were The Days' series, Colin Peck takes an affectionate look at what he calls British Woodies - although somehow the term remind me more of California than of Lea-Francis. After an overview of their birth as a utility vehicle for country estates, Peck looks at the use of woodies in WWII (when they were sometimes cut down for desert welfare); the attraction of their tax-exempt status; and their slow decline because of the complexities of their manufacture, the need for frequent maintenance, and the rise of the unitary body structures. There are separate chapter on marques that had some woody bodies made on them (Allard, Morris) and body builders, many of which weren't traditionally associated with the motor trade. Peck doesn't claim to have written a definitive history, but it's still an interesting read. You're just as likely to buy the book for the photos anyway. There are about 100 of them, a mix of contemporary photos and shots of restored woodies. You see Austin A70 Countrymen on the assembly line at Papworths, and other cars that are much more of a one-off like the unique Invicta Black Prince. Most of the cars shown are pretty square-sided and traditional, like a Bentley R-type and a Morris Y, but there are some fascinating variations such as the Allard P2 Safari, and a fastback woody body on Riley RM. This book is reasonably priced, and well worth a look. Classics Monthly, September 2008 UK magazine As club chairman of the Woodie Car Club, Colin Peck is the ideal author for this fascinating glimpse into British part-wood estate cars. The early half of the 20th century was the golden age, and Woodies weird and wonderful are crammed into this book, from humble Austins and Fords to a Jaguar XK140 and Rolls-Royces. The Second World War saw many exotic saloons turned into wooden-bodied ambulances - there's something very appealing about a sporting Bentley Woodie. There are also a handful of rare assembly line photos giving a fascinating insight into the handbuilt production of these cars. By the late 1950s, with the exception of the Morris Minor Traveller, the Woodie had all but died out. The last chapter looks at a few daunting restoration projects that will almost certainly bring tears to your eyes. Yes, it's specialist subject matter, but one that will appeal. - Classic & Sports Car, September 2008 UK magazine Circ: 82,000 Who better to write a book on British-built woodies than the founder of the Woodie Car Club? The latest in Veloce's square paperback 'Those were the days ...' series, this 90-page edition is packed with insight and photos. Pre-war designs are covered briefly, the main focus being 1946-54, the 'golden years of the shooting brake' when woodies were exempt from purchase tax. Peck relates how Austin was first to launch a factory-approved woodie - built by Papworth Industries - soon followed by Lea-Francis. Chapters review wartime woodies, chassis builders and specialist body firms; illustrations are a mix of period shots of long-lost cars and a gallery of survivors including Peck's Austin A70 Hampshire Countryman.Rarest of all is a one-off Invicta Black Prince with a bizarre woodie body by Associated Coachcraft. Show Less

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British Woodies

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