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Mahogany Wood Paneling From Alaska Defines This Iconic, Eight-Cylinder Chrysler

The 1947 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country was the flagship model for the company and, at a cost of $3,420 or just shy of $40,000 accounting for inflation, it was the most expensive Chrysler of its time.

This beautiful car was also one of the last real wood-bodied autos that were ever produced. We will get to that later.

Chrysler General Manager David Wallace looked for a way to lure the deep pockets of the wealthy to Chrysler showroom floors. With the Town & Country, the company hoped to entice high-end buyers without losing any of the practicality for which the brand was known. This automobile’s bright and warm-wooded body and cool green steel complement one another, creating an iconic — and historic — look.

1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection

Real Wood on Wheels

This Town & Country has structural wood of vibrant white ash with panels of rich mahogany serving as a dark contrast.

Pre-Alaskan Mahogany

For these rolling works of art, Chrysler had the wood shipped in from Perkin Wood Products all the way from what would become the 49th state over a decade later: Alaska.

The mahogany wood featured on Town & Country bodies was used on the model until mid-1947 when the company switched to realistic decals that replaced the luscious sheen of the beautifully varnished wood paneling pictured here.

Exterior Details

1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection

1947 Chrysler Town & Country Specs:

  • 323.5 cubic inch, L-head, eight-cylinder engine
  • 135 bhp
  • Fluid drive with Prestomatic four-speed semi-automatic transmission
  • Independent coil-spring front suspension
  • Live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs
  • Four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes
  • 127.5-inch wheelbase
  • One of the first automobiles with a center brake light

Interior Details

1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection
1947 Chrysler Town and Country - The JBS Collection