While the celebrated postwar “woodies” may trace their lineage back to the rudimentary, hard-working depot hacks of the early days of the automobile, designs like 1948 Chrysler Town and Country Sedan immediately conjure up images of gracious suburban living; they have become nostalgic icons of a bygone era. Yet these labor-intensive (both to build and maintain) designs were never particularly common when new, and they are even scarcer today—all of which only serves to make this example more desirable.

Much rarer than its convertible sibling, the masterfully styled Chrysler Town and Country Sedan was built on the company’s postwar Windsor model platform and continued the prewar station wagon’s exterior design of veneer paneling framed with white ash trim. In production for three years only, the Town and Country sedan was built in modest quantities (sources vary slightly, but it is believed only 1,176 examples were built during 1948); only a small fraction of these cars are known to survive to this day.

Offered from the Duane Sell Collection, research by its owner indicates that this final-year Town and Country is in fact one of the very last examples of the model produced. Originally finished in Heather Green; it has since been refinished in red over a read leather and tartan interior, a classic combination complimented by its wide whitewall tires. Recognized as a Full Classic by the Classic Car Club of America, it would make an appealing addition to any collection.