Beginning in 1937, Ford station wagons were converted to all-wheel drive by Marmon-Herrington. They were limited to off-road use, as they were initially not offered in two-wheel-drive mode. The wagons were sent directly from Ford’s Iron Mountain facility to the Marmon-Herrington plant in Indianapolis, Indiana. M-H removed the wooden body from the chassis, reinforced the chassis, and installed the full-time all-wheel-drive hardware.

The 239 cu. in. flathead V-8 was retained while mated to a Ford truck four-speed manual transmission and a modified rear axle/differential. The body was rejoined with the newly modified chassis and the cars shipped to Ford dealers. At $4,000, it was twice the cost of the standard Ford wagon, and as such, sales were limited. War interrupted production, which continued following the conflict until 1948. The wagons proved ideal for use by lodges in remote locations to transport guests as well as by the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army, thanks to their off-road capabilities made possible by the substantial increase in ride height over standard wagons.

This example is the beneficiary of a meticulous nut-and-bolt restoration, with much of the work done by staff members from the noted Nick Alexander Collection. Finished in Medium Luster Black, this M-H “woodie” features top-of-the-line Super Deluxe trim that includes chrome moldings around all windows, a horn ring, two sun visors, armrests on all doors, passenger assist straps, and horizontal chrome trim on the body, along with a factory radio. In addition to the stunning woodwork, it has a properly painted wood-grain metal dash, rubber flooring, correct brown interior upholstery, and is fitted with aggressive 7.00-15LT Super Traxion off-road tires.

It has been used sparingly and was recently displayed at the 2018 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance, its only showing. Restoration to original was completed approximately six years ago by the prior owner, and approximately 600 miles have been accumulated since that time.