Goldvarg 1949 Oldsmobile Woody Wagon

Me too Bob!

This one should be beautiful ! A 1949 Oldsmobile station wagon is a great subject.

This new model caused me to try to think back on what the following years of Oldsmobile wagons looked like from 1951 through '56 but I drew a blank; I don't recall ever seeing one.  I researched it a bit and I now understand, or am reminded, that Olds didn't do a wagon in '51 through '54; which I find very strange considering GM did the Buick wagon in these years.  I include pics of the '55 (red & white) and '56 Olds wagon I found on the internet but to be honest I have no memory of ever seeing one back in the day; '57 onward absolutely but not '55 and '56.  Does anyone else recall seeing/owning such an Oldsmobile wagon?

@jack-dodds Jack now that you have brought it up, I too have never seen a 55 or 56 before the pictures you posted. According to the Standard Catalog of American Cars, none are listed as having been made. This has me thinking, are those pictured conversions?

@bob-jackman I wondered initially if perhaps they were conversions but to my eye the side view of the '56 looks original to me.  The '55 struck me as perhaps perhaps a special build using the Buick body shell but that seems like a great expense for just a rather unexciting looking wagon.  It's a bit of a puzzle!

I've seen the same photo of the turquoise/white one before and I am almost certain this was a creation using a Buick body, front clip rear quarter panels and trim of an Oldsmobile.   Interesting conversion.  Something like I would do in 43rd scale. LOL.

Nitoce, the second and third pictures are not the same car. 

Posted by: @jkuvakas

Nitoce, the second and third pictures are not the same car. 

Correct JK...and I think it might be a plate from perhaps a Latin country on the third pic and it sure doesn't look like a custom job.  Notice as well that the rear side windows and the roof drip rail trim is not the same in the two '56s.

This may answer some questions...........

Interesting. Is this from your library, Nickies?

@nickies It certainly does answer some questions on the 55 IMO.

@nickies I dunno...the roof and rear door seem to be of different height and width respectively on the ambulance example.

Yes, I know about these Comet commercial chassis/bodied vehicles but why exactly didn't Oldsmobile produce station wagons from 1951-1956? Does anyone know?

All the Buick wagons in this era were done by Iona Manufacturing and were chops of sedans.  I suspect they were fairly expensive in comparison to the "factory" ones from Mopar, Ford or Pontiacs.  I will have to research pricing from this era.