1951 Ford Custom Country Squire
The wood paneling on the flanks of the 1951 Country Squire carries a distinction no later Ford wagon can claim: it is genuine timber, cut from Ford’s own Iron Mountain mill in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The 1951 model was the final Ford wagon to use real structural wood body construction, with the lower tailgate already having transitioned to steel framing with wood trim during the 1950 model year.
The Country Squire script appeared on the exterior for the first time in 1951, beginning a four-decade run as Ford’s top-level station wagon.
Assembly was unusually complex, with the steel body started at Dearborn and wood body framing fabricated at Iron Mountain. For 1951, final wood body assembly was handled by the Ionia Manufacturing Company in Ionia, Michigan, before completion and trim installation.
Two powertrains were offered: a 226 cubic inch inline-six rated at 95 hp, or the 239 cubic inch Flathead V8 producing 100 hp. A three-speed manual was standard, with Ford’s new Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission introduced during the 1951 model year as an option.
The wagon also received heavier-duty rear suspension and a larger fuel tank compared to Ford’s standard sedans.
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