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Chevrolet did not sell a station wagon in 1934. Dealers who wanted one ordered a DB light-truck chassis and had a wood body fitted. This 1934 Chevrolet DB Station Wagon with a Hercules wood body from Wappingers Falls, New York, is live on Hemmings Auctions. As of Tuesday morning it had four bids, a high bid of $15,121, 56 watchers and about three days and eight hours left.
A wagon Chevrolet never built
According to the listing, Chevrolet did not produce station wagons in 1934. Instead, dealers could order the DB half-ton light-truck chassis with bodywork that stopped at the windshield, then add a wooden body from Hercules-Campbell. Both the chassis and the body were built in Tarrytown, New York, and the two were joined there.
Underneath is a 207-cubic-inch overhead-valve inline-six, said to be original, with the original three-speed manual transmission. The 112-inch-wheelbase chassis has a heavy-duty clutch and springs, and the engine carries an Octane Selector that lets it run on any grade of gasoline. The listing also says this may be one of only two such wagons known to exist, with the other in a North Dakota museum. That is a seller-side claim, and I could not find independent confirmation of it, so treat it as unverified.
67 years in one family
The seller's father bought the wagon from its original owner in 1959, and it has stayed in the family ever since. The listing says it was stored from the 1990s until 2025, when it received an extensive mechanical refurbishment. Records of the parts and labor costs for that work are included, along with some photos and a brief published story about the car.
That kind of continuity is rare for a prewar vehicle. If you like cars with a long paper trail and a family attached, our look at a family-owned 1940 Buick Roadmaster Sport Phaeton tells a similar story, and a 1972 Opel GT that sat in storage for 44 years shows how long a car can wait.
What is original, and what is not
This is not an untouched time capsule, and the seller does not claim it is. The listing calls the wagon in “good, mostly restored condition.” The metal body panels have been repainted. The brown vinyl interior is said to be original, though the seats may have new vinyl covers, and signs of wear appear limited to the floors. The recorded mileage is 13,023, but the listing notes the true original mileage may not be known.
It is worth separating what is documented from what is asserted. The 2025 work comes with paperwork. The 67 years of ownership, the original engine and interior, and the rarity are the seller's statements. Hemmings states that it has not verified the listing and recommends an in-person inspection, which is good advice for a car this unusual.
Why enthusiasts should care
Woodies are usually remembered as postwar beach cars. This one is an earlier and odder thing: a commercial chassis turned into a passenger wagon by a coachbuilder and a dealer, built when station wagons were still a special order. It is also a reminder of how Americans used to buy a vehicle in pieces. For comparison, our piece on a 1950 GMC Carryall Suburban shows where the idea went a few years later.
Auction details
The listing has 41 photos and carries a 5 percent buyer’s fee. It is not marked no-reserve. Because New York does not issue titles for vehicles this old, the seller says the car will be sold on the proper document in his name for transfer of ownership. The auction ends Friday evening, November 6. You can see the full listing and bid on Hemmings Auctions.
