The woody wagon was the quintessential sport utility vehicle, far ahead of its time. Thought of mostly in terms of the Ford brand, the Merc was actually a more upscale version and perhaps not as often seen as its sibling rival. It was a rather large vehicle and could hold as many as 9 persons with the optional rear seat in place. Removed, there became ample room for grocery bags, suitcases or for surfboards.

Preceding the issue of the limited edition convertible, Danbury’s daring design crew decided to technically update the older Mercury image with the release of the Woody Wagon. The suspension is operational and even the rear shocks work. The doors are DM-traditional for the 21st century and utilize hidden hinges. The engine bay is treated to today’s techno-modeling and shares the same excitement as the one on the maroon convertible. Plug wires, carburetor linkage and heater plumbing are wonderfully replicated in perfect scale.

You may first be attracted to the genuine wood on the side panels. A rich veneer, it is presented much the same as DM’s venerable ’48 Chrysler Town & Country and their ’42 Town & Country Wagon. In fact, as with the latter, the Woody Wagon has sliding rear side windows. Real wood veneer is also found on the inside door panels, rear interior and on the cargo floor and tailgate. The tailgate is a masterpiece of engineering. The top half of the gate opens on two metal pivotal trail arms and so does the bottom section. Closed together as a unit, the two halves snap together flawlessly and seamlessly.

A really trick feature is the taillight articulation, which allows them to remain horizontal when the tailgate is lowered. It keeps the taillights always pointed toward the rear; the license plate goes along for the ride too. This way, people following you will still see your brake lights when you're carrying your long board back from the beach with tail gate down, instead of having them point downward toward the road (not so useful). The rear seat is removable, just as on the 1:1 car. It is held in place with magnetic action and DM thoughtfully provides a large pair of tweezers to help us accomplish this.

If you like station wagons, woody vehicles, Mercs or just great diecast models, this one is a gem. Gotta give it 5 out of 5 on the drool meter index.

-Tony Perrone