1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe Woodie Station Wagon

Well, I was sitting at a B&B in England not long ago. Up at the crack of dawn as usual. Jenay in the room snoring as usual.

Having promised that I was no longer “in the hunt” for another classic car, like most guys, I was sneaking on the internet while she was sleeping. She was dreaming… I was dreaming. So, what’s wrong with that? Sometimes, dreams come true, don’t they?

Now, some guys cruise the net looking for love. The other woman. Me too! That’s how I met Edna. I was innocently clicking away and there she was. She took up the whole screen. She was beautiful.

Personally, I thought it was not kosher to try selling your true love. Perhaps even immoral. But here, clear as day, this guy was selling her. AND, he even posted her picture—–multiple pictures—–from all different angles. Even frontal, and rear end. I couldn’t help myself. I never liked red-heads until now. She had to be mine.

I wasn’t sure if Jenay would let me bring another woman into our lives, so I was very careful. I did my research first:
Edna was born in 1949 with only 3,000 or so siblings.

My mother always told me that beauty is only skin deep. It’s what’s on the inside that matters. Well, Edna certainly had all the correct attributes on the outside. Smooth skin, firm around the middle. A great front end, and one of the most unusual rear ends of its kind. She had recently undergone a complete “face lift”. Strictly cosmetic of course.

So I had to find out what she was like on the inside, just like Mom told me. Beautiful original skin on the inside. Not only that , all of her internal organs had lovingly been made to look and work as original. Heck, when you get her going, she even farts clean air from her tail pipe. Edna’s undercarriage is simply amazing. And the ride…should I tell you about what it’s like riding Edna? She dips into the corners, and floats on air as she makes it through town. If you get cold, she can even heat you up. Edna’s such a knock out. The only make up she needs is an occasional application of protective varnish, like a make-up base and face powder. Not like “lipstick on a pig”

Oh, I forgot to tell you the best part. Jenay caught me bathing Edna. Giving her a nice warm sponge bath. Missing not one single spot. I even spent a half hour carefully drying her off with soft cotton towels, top to bottom. And Jenay didn’t even get mad at me.

What’s even more amazing is that at 64 years old, Edna looks and acts like the day she was born. What a woman. You know what? I introduced her to Jenay and she let me move Edna in with us.

What does that tell you,
Jenay’s a great sport too————What a gal.

EDNA————PART 2

Now, when telling a story that took place over a time frame of many years, sometimes the facts get a little distorted. This is especially true when talking about the history of a vintage car. It’s usually very difficult to keep the facts in order due to many different owners. It almost happened here with the story of Edna. “Almost” being the key word here.
When I purchased Edna, a 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe Woody Station Wagon, from Robert Crozier, he supplied me with the following information in a letter that accompanied the car:

“Dear Steve,

The following information on the 1949 Woodie was told to me by Mr. Charles Moody, the second registered owner from whom I purchased the car.

Mrs. Edna Grumbach of 465 Park Avenue, New York City, New York and Elberon, New Jersey, was the original owner of the Woodie. The Grumbach’s estate, Sunnycroth, in Elberon, New Jersey had some affiliation with the Eagle Pencil Company. The word Sunnycroth is barely visible on both front doors of the car. The Woodie was used as a “station car” to shuttle guests to and from the train station to the estate.

Mrs. Grumbach sold the Woodie to Mr. Charles Moody of 33 Ridgewood Avenue, Brentwood, Long Island New York on September 25th, 1965. I purchased the car from Mr. Moody on December 17th, 1995 becoming the third registered owner.

Mr. Moody informed me that the car was off the road and in his Brentwood, Long Island garage from 1969 until I purchased it. It was several years before I began the on-body restoration, and several more years before that process was completed. During that time, the car remained unregistered.

I believe the above information to be true, and am forwarding all of the paperwork that I received from Mr. Moody.

Sincerely, Robert Crozier “

Now, what’s exciting about all of this? I have the hand written bill of sale from Mrs. Grumbach to Mr. Moody, and from Mr Moody to Mr. Crozier. I also have all of the original registrations going back over 60 years.

But now, THE BEST! The best provenance one could have. I dialed 411, that’s right, the old fashion 411 number for information and asked if there was a Grumbach listed in New York. GUESS WHAT? There was one listed, and he lived in Manhattan. I called the number and left a message. Want to guess who called me back?? Edna’s grandson George. I couldn’t believe it. He not only remembered the car, he filled me in on the family history.
Here is what Grandson George e-mailed me. I was so excited:

“Dear Steven,

Having looked at the pictures, I can only say that I wish I looked that good when I was 63, much less today! The car is gorgeous. And it has only 68,883 miles, less than 1000 per year. The pictures do bring back memories. Either the paint color has been changed, or my memory that it was a darker maroon is mistaken. I may have been remembering the color of my maternal grandfather’s Chrysler Town & Country Woody, which I am almost positive was maroon. I was 8 years old in 1949. I remember the metal being a dark maroon.

My paternal grandparents were Louis and Edna Grumbach. They lived in Manhattan and had a summer residence in Elberon, New Jersey on the Jersey shore. The summer residence was a large Victorian house with a separate carriage house which became a garage when horses went out of use.

My grandfather married Edna in 1911, he died in 1952. My grandmother and father owned part of the family owned “American Lead Pencil Company”, which her grandfather founded. The company changed its name to the “Venus Pen and Pencil Corporation” and manufactured pencils under the trademark “Venus.” The logo for the company was the famous statue of Aphrodite (the Greek name for the goddess Venus.)

I’m not sure how long they kept the Woody. According to your paperwork, Grandma kept it until 1965. As I mentioned, it was just used in the summer for short trips to the beach or a golf club.”

So folks, as you can see, George’s memory and the family history closely coincide with the story handed down from the previous two owners.

Just like Dragnet the famous detective used to say in the 1950’s television series, “just the facts ma’am, just the facts”

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