Woodies

Long before the sport utility vehicle revolution, surfers on the Southern California coast discovered the perfect vehicle for hauling their boards, beer, and buddies to the beach. Wood-paneled wagons and trucks were produced for a relatively short time, but by the mid-1960s, old ones were available in abundance and on the cheap: a surfer could plunk down less than $100 and drive off with what has since become a classic. Immortalized in the songs of the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean, woodies have a following unlike that of any other collector automobile. Increasingly rare, difficult to restore, and demanding rigorous care and maintenance, these once-cheap utility vehicles have become among the most desirable and expensive of all classic cars.