There’s nothing very official about Woodies, once considered embarrassing old wrecks. Sold cheap to haul lumber and surfboards to the beach, the surfing culture managed to invigorate interest in automobiles first introduced as as “Shooting Brakes” or “Estate Wagons” used for grouse hunting on Great Britain’s country estates.

Leave it to California to create a craze around a car that contains wood side panels! While owning a Woodie doesn’t guarantee instant success in most places, in California your ownership sometimes entitles you to special parking privileges, better treatment by valet drivers, and even admission into parades. Woodies are the staple of small town parades, especially at California beach cities and towns where you’ll often find a surfboard strapped to the top rack or hanging out the back. Expect to hear songs pumped out of the radio like “California Girls” by the Beach Boys. It’s part of the Woodie culture. For a guaranteed Woody sighting this holiday season, Huntington Beach’s small town holiday parade has always had them and right they should, as the Woodie is the city’s official car!

Like a military hero collecting medals on his chest, your Woodie should have stickers on its windows gathered from your earnings as a worthy being and proud owner. Here are a few stickers we’ve seen: Help Stamp Out Hodads; Toes to the Nose; Wind n Sea; Greg Knoll Surf Boards; Gordie; Hobie; Dewey Weber; Santa Cruz; Surf City; Endless Summer, The Greek–all cultural classics, much like the Woodie.

If you move to California and have a hard time making friends, invest in a classic “wood” and gain fame, new friends, and maybe even a husband or wife. You never know what good fortune comes your way till you own a classic California icon–the Woodie!

Woodies aren’t just vehicles to get people around. No! They are depositories of memories for those who own these California classics! Everybody who sees a Woodie wants to talk about it with the owner, and take photos. The Woodie evokes emotions and is not the right car for weak-hearted or anti-social types.

However, for those who love the California lifestyle and are open to finding the next party or parade, Woodie ownership has its privileges, as you will find out!