George Barris, the creator of the original Batmobile, has designed plenty of memorable vehicles throughout his career, but the wood-and-wool-trimmed wagon named Woodie 2050 stands out as one of the weirdest.
His original intention was to take a mundane 1998 Mercury Cougar and stylize it to look like the venerable 1949 Ford Woody. He approached the task most seriously, acquiring the original Woody front end for the task. He then fitted his ride with the radiator frame taken from a Mercury Panel Truck and triple English Lucas headlights. The rear end migrated into the project from the 1950 Ford Station Wagon, and everything was chopped to accommodate the more modern suspension and flooring.
Barris ended up with a vehicle that looked original and inspired, if somewhat eclectic. He must have hoped that the natural wood décor throughout its body would lend it some degree of integrity, but it did not. The cabin trimmed with lamb wool and lined with carpets also caused controversy when the estate came out in 1999.
Why did we reminisce about this 21-year old project? Because the inimitable Woodie 2050 will be going under the hammer in the United States. The starting price isn’t mentioned, but experts evaluate it at between $25,000 and $35,000, which looks like quite a steal.