1948 Ford Super Deluxe

1948 Ford Super Deluxe Sportsman convertible (RM Auctions photo).

Nick Alexander made a fortune dealing new and used BMWs in Los Angeles – and in the process became a bit of a local legend because of his “Nick Can’t Say No” sales pitch.
But Alexander’s real passion is for Ford and Mercury woodies. And it doesn’t matter if they’re station wagons or convertibles, so long as they’re powered by Ford’s famous flathead V8.
Assembled over the last decade, his collection of restored or fine original condition woodies grew to more than 60 – with many others awaiting restoration by Alexander’s own crew of bodymen, mechanics, upholsterers and – of course – woodworkers.
The collection became famous, thanks to the Internet, but now 52 of Alexander’s woodies are about to be sold without reserve on Aug. 13 as the kickoff to RM Auctions’ three-day Sports & Classics of Monterey event.
Woodies were built as both utilitarian vehicles and glamorous open cars. Because of the yearly maintenance required, especially in northern climes, they disappeared in the early 1950s. Although replaced by all-steel bodies, for many decades fake wood panels preserved their visual appeal – but without the maintenance headaches.
Part of the proceeds from the sale will go to the Midlands School in Santa Ynez Valley, Calif., a co-ed college prep school for grades 9-12 set on a 2,860-acre working ranch with an emphasis on teaching self-reliance and responsibility to both the community and the environment.
In order not to detract from the wood, all of the cars are shod with blackwall tires.
The Nick Alexander collection offers buyers the chance to bid on some of the best Ford and Mercury woodies from 1932-52. Among the highlights are:
* A fully restored 1932 Ford station wagon, one of only 351 V8 woodies built that year. This vehicle received the prestigious Dearborn Award from the Early Ford V8 Club in 2001.
* A Ford Deluxe station wagon from 1939 – the last year for rear suicide doors and the first year for hydraulic brakes. It was built using bird’s eye maple from Ford’s own vast forests in northern Michigan..
* A 1946 Mercury Sportsman convertible, one of only 205 built, and one of the few to survive. It won the prestigious Dearborn Award in 2004.
* A 1948 Ford Sportsman convertible, purchased as a Christmas gift for a San Diego school teacher in 1947, one of just 28 built and in excellent original condition.
A few days before their Monterey sale, RM will try something different. The Canadian auction house and restoration centre, with headquarters in Blenheim, Ont., will hold its first ever online auction.
Vehicles will cross the virtual auction block starting at noon, EST, on Aug. 9, at the usual pace of approximately 40 per hour, with bids taken live in real time.
Extensive photography and comprehensive condition reports have been prepared or reviewed by RM’s experienced staff. Valid titles are guaranteed for each vehicle, so obtaining a good ownership, often a worry when buying a vintage vehicle online, will not be a problem.
RM says early highlights include a 1953 Cadillac 62 convertible, a 1976 Triumph TR6 with only 10,000 miles and a 1963 Corvette split window coupe.
For more details on these and other upcoming RM events, log on to rmauctions.com.