114 hp, 250.6 cu. in. six-cylinder L-head engine, two-barrel carburetor, Fluid-Drive semi-automatic transmission, independent front suspension with coil springs, semi-elliptic rear springs with live axle, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase 121.5"

• Single-family ownership for the past 22 years, following superb restoration

• Regular tour car, wood and chrome maintained in top condition

Chrysler’s Town & Country line was launched in 1941 with the “barrelback” sedan, but it developed a passionate following just after World War II. For five years, almost every US automaker offered wood/steel body combinations, but Chryslers remained the definitive examples.

Woodie wagons had been part of American life as utility vehicles since the 1920s, but Chrysler’s Town & Country image was glamorous, and the workmanship was second to none. Priced at $2,366, the 1947 Windsor Town & Country Sedan cost $755 more than its all-metal sibling. Town & Country models were complicated to build. The white ash frame added structural rigidity to doors and deck-lids, was beautifully mitered and was offset by mahogany veneer plywood.

Owners were instructed to strip the varnish and refinish every year, paying special attention to the joints and corners. In period, parts were expensive; a Town & Country door cost $304.78, against the $58.17 cost of a steel one. Naturally, not every owner was attentive to such demands, which makes strong survivors fairly rare.

A former AACA National First Prize winner, this Windsor Sedan is stunning in its color combination of dark red with ash framing. Restored in Iowa by Arlen Banning, this car has been in the present owner’s hands for the past 25 years and regularly exercised on tours, indicating 81,613 trouble-free miles. Options include twin spotlights, a Motorola radio and clock and clean and tidy Highlander tartan upholstery. The six-cylinder engine compartment is equally clean and correct with all chrome, lights and badges in excellent condition.

An outing to the Amelia Island Concours in Florida not long ago resulted in a People’s Choice Award—a fine achievement in such august company and evidence of the lasting charm of this iconic form of construction.