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(ad in July 15, 1920 CCJ pp294)

ad in 1953 Silver Book pp109

ad in 1963 GMC Truck Equipment Catalog pp105

Wood Hydraulic Hoist and Body Company, 1026 Bellevue Ave, Detroit, Michigan

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Garfield Wood 1880-

GAR WOOD (U.S.) 1936-1938

Gar Wood Industries, Detroit, Michigan

William B. Stout was an aircraft designer (the Ford Tri­Motor) who worked on a streamlined streetcar design for Pullman in 1934 and then undertook to plan a lightweight bus. The result was a framework of welded tubes covered by a thin aluminum-alloy skin, with a Ford V -8 engine mounted at the rear and driving forward to the rear axle. A prototype was built by Gar Wood Industries, a truck body and boat builder, and when no one could be found to take over full-scale manufacture, Gar Wood entered the bus business with a slightly modified version of Stout's idea. Ford running gear was standard, but Chevrolet or Dodge engines could be had, and about 175 buses were built in just over two years. The operation was sold in August 1939 to the General American Transportation Co. of Chicago (see Aerocoach).

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Marysville, MI

This plant was built in 1930 for the purpose of building Gar Wood Boats. Approximately 200 people turned out 98 types of custom runabouts and utility lines on a production line that was similar to that used by the auto industry.

Garwood is perhaps best known for his amazing speedboat racing abilities however it was due to his invention of the hydraulic hoist that he was able to spend his time racing. This hoist revolutionized both the process and the speed of dumping loads from trucks. The hoist was patented in 1915 and was first used on the Pierce Arrow trucks and by the Packard Motor Car Company.

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The hydraulic truck hoist, manufactured in Detroit by Wood Hydraulic Hoist and Body Company, was first used by Ford in 1934.   Having this feature on the truck was a huge plus as before it's invention by the famous hydroplane racer, Gar Wood, you had to hand shovel out any of the trucks content. 

Wood also manufactured some very streamlined tank bodies and semi-trailers in the mid-thirties. They also offered matching wheel spats - or fender skirts - that could be installed on the rear wheels of truck cabs, offering a very streamlined appearance to their customers.

Wood introduced another industry first in the late 1930s (1938?), the Truckveyor, a semi-enclosed truck body with an integral conveyor. Designed specifically for coal delivery the sales pitch was "from truck to bin - no dump and shovel".

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The problem of money was solved when Wood invented the hydraulic lift dump truck. This came about one day when Gar happened to observe a truck driver laboriously unloading two tons of coal with a hand-operated lift. After listening to the poor fellow curse his fate about having to perform such dirty and heavy work, an idea took root in Wood's mind.

He went home, took half of his life savings of $200, and in his backyard garage built the world's first hydraulic truck hoist, for which he obtained a patent. Gar then established the Wood Hydraulic and Body Company, and his fortune was made.

Invents Hydraulic Lift

By the turn of the century Gar and his wife Murlen lived in St. Paul where he was involved in a number of enterprises including a traveling repair shop to service machines and early automobiles. In spite of the rapid industrial growth that was all around, he was still on the outer edge and had not begun to prosper from it. Then in 1911 at age 31 he focused his creative skills on a mechanical device that would unload coal trucks. Coal was a common fuel for home and industrial use, yet the only way to unload trucks was slow and difficult. He convinced a local coal company to lend him a truck to try out his new invention. With Murlen by his side, and their life savings invested, Gar demonstrated his hydraulic lift. He had attracted several potential investors who insisted on getting in the truck bed to see how it worked. When Gar dumped them in the street with the pull of a lever, they knew he had a marketable product. So vast was the market for the hydraulic lift that Gar built an industrial empire around it.

Soon Gar's eight brothers joined him and they moved everything to Detroit where they established the Wood Hoist Co. Along side other emerging giants like Ford, Dodge and Chalmers, Wood's fortunes grew and the time was right for him to participate in his first love – speedboat racing.

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1940s Dodge WC Dump bodies by Gar Wood Industries Inc, Detroit, Michigan

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Galion and Wood built all of the the dump, coal and garbage bodies offered by Ford on their heavy-duty AA and BB chassis during the 1930s.

Wood also built longer low-sided hydraulic dump bodies as well as some long tree-service bodies that were built on stretched AA chassis with bogie wheels.

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Gar Wood was an early adopter of the pusher-type rear engined bus chassis. One very streamlined example was built in 1935 for Safeway Trailways that appeared to be designed by William Stout. (pictured on pp68 American Buses - Wood) In 1938 they built a more conservative styled model EFS bus on a rear-engined Ford chassis.

As it turns out, it was designed by Stout.

The radical 1935 design was conceived jointly by Stout and Wood. They provided seating for 25 and featured a frameless unitized chassis and welded steel construction. Most Gar Wood buses featured Ford power, although Chevrolet and Dodge powerplants were installed for a few customers. A hatch at the front of the body held the spare tire and many of the suspension components were sourced from Ford.

Heil - 1935-39 Dodge Airflow Truck – Tank bodies were built by Gar Wood & Heil.  Beer Truck bodies were built by the Barko Auto Body Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. SIA #104 pp 46-49

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Garfield Wood never intended to go into the boat building business. His goal was to personally set every speed record on water and be recognized as the world's speedboat king. However, as he set forth to achieve these goals, he was influenced by colleagues and friends and as a result built the world's finest line of production recreational sport boats.

Today Gar Wood boats are among the most sought-after classic boats in the world. The fascinating events that led to the development and production of Gar Wood boats is one of the most interesting stories in boating history.

Garfield Arthur Wood was born in 1880 the oldest of l3 brothers and sisters. He was named after both the nation's President and Vice President, James Garfield and Chester Arthur. When his father was just a lad he ran away from home to join the Union Army as a drummer boy so it was only natural that he would name his first son after America's leaders.

As Gar grew up his father was a ferryboat operator on Lake Osakis in Minnesota. He often took his oldest son with him to help crew on the ferries. Frequently a race between ferry boat operators would emerge. It was good for business to have a reputation for speed, so races were often taken seriously. Young Gar Wood learned early that speed on water meant recognition and fame. Working with his father, Gar also developed unusual mechanical skills far beyond his years. More important still was the development of an aptitude for inventing devices to solve mechanical problems. These skills would continue to develop within him and result in hundreds of patents in his lifetime. However, one invention and patent would create a personal fortune and make him a racing legend.

The problem of money was solved when Wood invented the hydraulic lift dump truck. This came about one day when Gar happened to observe a truck driver laboriously unloading two tons of coal with a hand-operated lift. After listening to the poor fellow curse his fate about having to perform such dirty and heavy work, an idea took root in Wood's mind.

He went home, took half of his life savings of $200, and in his backyard garage built the world's first hydraulic truck hoist, for which he obtained a patent. Gar then established the Wood Hydraulic and Body Company, and his fortune was made.

Invents Hydraulic Lift

By the turn of the century Gar and his wife Murlen lived in St. Paul where he was involved in a number of enterprises including a traveling repair shop to service machines and early automobiles. In spite of the rapid industrial growth that was all around, he was still on the outer edge and had not begun to prosper from it. Then in 1911 at age 31 he focused his creative skills on a mechanical device that would unload coal trucks. Coal was a common fuel for home and industrial use, yet the only way to unload trucks was slow and difficult. He convinced a local coal company to lend him a truck to try out his new invention. With Murlen by his side, and their life savings invested, Gar demonstrated his hydraulic lift. He had attracted several potential investors who insisted on getting in the truck bed to see how it worked. When Gar dumped them in the street with the pull of a lever, they knew he had a marketable product. So vast was the market for the hydraulic lift that Gar built an industrial empire around it.

Soon Gar's eight brothers joined him and they moved everything to Detroit where they established the Wood Hoist Co. Along side other emerging giants like Ford, Dodge and Chalmers, Wood's fortunes grew and the time was right for him to participate in his first love – speedboat racing.

Purchases Chris Smith Boat Co.

In 1916, at the noonday meeting of the Detroit Exchange Club, Lee Barrett secretary of the Miss Detroit Powerboat Association made a plea for some local Detroiter to help out the syndicate and purchase Miss Detroit 1. The man that stood up and said he was ready was Gar Wood. After he agreed to purchase Miss Detroit he left for Algonac to see her. While he was there he bought the yard that built her – the Chris Smith and Sons Boat Company. For the next six years Chris Smith built racing boats under the direction of Gar Wood. With Gar Wood driving and Smith building the boats, they won 5 straight Gold Cups from 1917-1921 and 2 Harmsworth trophies in 1920 and 1921.

"Baby Gar" Era

During the winter of 1921-22 the rules governing the Gold Cup Races were changed dramatically by the American Power Boat Association. The changes limited engine size, length and configuration of hulls. The rules committee said that they wished to encourage "Gentlemen's Runabouts" that could be used for family recreation as well as racing. However, the intended target of these changes was Gar Wood whose advanced technology and use of aircraft engines had totally dominated the Gold Cup since 1917. It was clear the rules were designed to frustrate Gar Wood.

Gar Wood was always ready for a challenge. In this case he and chief designer Nap Lisee developed an entirely new boat as their version of the Gentleman's Runabout. The result was the legendary 33' "Baby Gar" Runabout.

The new Baby Gar was a superb design. It was a comfortable, safe runabout with 3 cockpits and a bottom that incorporated all of the characteristics of the Miss Americas with the step. So great was the performance of this Baby Gar that from the time it was introduced some of America's wealthiest sportsmen appealed to Gar Wood to build one for them. Edward Noble, William Randolph Hearst, John Dodge, Col. Vincent and P. K. Wrigley were among the first to purchase Baby Gars. Soon Gar Wood had to set up a whole section of his Algonac plant to build Baby Gars just to fill special orders. By 1924 Howard Lyon of New York City had convinced Gar Wood that he should place Baby Gars in regular production and he would sell all he could build. Two years later Howard Lyon ran a double page ad in Motor Boating magazine that listed the names of 60 of the world's most prominent sportsmen who were already Baby Gar owners.

What began as an attempt by the APBA to end Gar Wood's domination of the Gold Cup competition resulted in an entire new line of runabouts that became the playthings of millionaires. Gar Wood was now in the boat building business and the small Algonac plant was stretched to the seams.

In 1923 Chris Smith and his sons separated themselves from Gar Wood and decided to operate their own boat building company under the name "Chris Craft Boats". Chris Smith wanted to build a full line of stock boats on a production system to reduce cost and make them more affordable. He was convinced that promotion, advertising and high volume was the key to achieving his goals.

In 1927 a smaller version of the original Baby Gar was introduced at the National Boat Show in New York. The new 28' Baby Gar was an instant hit and sales exceeded those of the larger 33' model. In addition to these stock runabouts the small Algonac plant built high speed custom cruisers and the Miss America racers.

Gar Wood on the other hand was becoming an industrial giant with his manufacturing plants in Detroit. Boats to him were a source of pleasure and he wanted to achieve the highest in quality, engineering and performance for those who could afford his boats. So the two boatmen parted to build their own types of boats in tune with their individual philosophy. Only time would determine which was right.

With the small Algonac plant no longer capable of meeting the demand for Gar Wood boats, Gar decided to build a new factory.

World's Finest Boat Factory

His experience with hydraulic hoist production demonstrated the value of efficiency of facilities design. His new boat plant would be designed to be the finest boat building factory in the world. In 1930 at Marysville, Michigan Gar Wood opened the new factory that could produce 1200 custom quality boats a year. The same excellent standards of quality, finish and performance that had been a Gar Wood tradition would be maintained, with higher production and a new variety of models. Such was the optimism when the new Gar Wood factory opened right on schedule just 3 months after the nation was rocked by the stock market crash.

The first production year for Gar Wood at Marysville included 2 basic models: the 28' Runabout and the new 22' Runabout. The 28' runabout was also offered as a limousine, a sedan and a landau. The Algonac plant continued to produce the 33' runabout which would be the new stock version of the Baby Gar hull. In addition a stock 40' Commuting Cruiser was being built at Algonac.

The line remained the same in 1931 but was expanded in 1932 to include an 18' split cockpit runabout and a very well-received 25' triple cockpit runabout. Both the 28' and 25' runabouts were given the famous Gar Wood folding V-windshield that would become a trademark for the next 10 years. This windshield was an extremely well-designed feature that was far ahead of its time and never exceeded for beauty.

Speedster Era

The next change came in 1934 with the introduction of the 16' split cockpit runabout. Then in mid-year Gar Wood received a personal request from his good friend Edward Noble, owner of the Lifesaver Candy Company. Since 1926 Noble had been speeding on the St. Lawrence River in his famous 33' Baby Gar, "SNAIL". He told Gar Wood that he and his friends on the St. Lawrence River wanted a small, sporty racer that would be like a water version of the popular European sports cars. Gar Wood's answer was a high performance sixteen footer with 2 seats aft of the engine that he called the "Speedster". Its performance and appearance was similar to a cut-down Miss America racer. Noble fell in love with the boat and the first dozen produced were sent to the St. Lawrence River for Noble and his friends. His speedster was named the "Miss Behave" and others in the group were called "Miss Adventure". "Miss Chief", and "Miss Conduct". Speedster racing became a regular event on the St. Lawrence River right to the start of World War II. (Today the original "Miss Behave" is in the Thousand Islands Shipyard Museum).

The success of the Speedster made Gar Wood receptive to customer suggestions. So in 1935 Gar Wood introduced its first utility, a 20' model and a 26' family cruiser for four because their dealers felt that these models would make the line more popular to the growing numbers of people who were becoming interested in boating.

The trend continued in 1936 as Gar Wood introduced an 18' Utility and a 32' Express Cruiser. In addition they offered streamlined sedan cabin versions of the 18' and 20' utility models. The 18' runabout was offered with twin cockpits forward for the first time in this length.

By 1937 boating popularity was growing throughout the United States. Dealers were expanding their inventories and the outlook was very bright. The new Gar Wood catalog had a full color cover and had 30 pages filled with photographs of their full line. The utilities proved so popular that in 1937 they introduced a 24' model that would remain in the line until 1942. A sedan version was offered and proved to be very popular. This was also the year that the very popular 19' runabout made its debut.

The new boat of 1938 was the revolutionary rear-engined Streamliner. This was the hull of the 22' runabout with 3 "cockpits" forward of the engine that was all the way aft. Using a Chrysler crown with a special reduction V-drive this boat had excellent speed with a modest size engine.

The 1939 Trophy Fleet was introduced with great fanfare at the National Motor Boat Show in New York. It was the most complete fleet ever offered and the design detailing was superb. All runabouts had barrel bows and the utilities had the finest styling in the industry. The sedan utilities were unsurpassed for their good looks and customer acceptance. And the nicest surprise in the 1939 fleet was the introduction of the 24'6" "Overniter", a high performance pocket cruiser built on the proven hull of the 24'6" utility.

The large Gar Wood display at the National Motor Boat Show was selected by major boating magazines as the best in their history. Gar Wood was on a roll and production was at its maximum output for the first time since the Marysville plant opened 10 years earlier.

His production continued through 1940 without changes in any models. In 1941 the barrel bow styling was given to the 24'6" utility as well as a larger, redesigned windshield. The sedan utilities had mahogany extended tops over the windshields which were called military visor styling. The 24'6" Overniter was completely restyled and was the best-looking, high-performance pocket cruiser in America. Two totally new boats were added to the 1941 line that shared the same 30' hull. One was the unique Commuter and the other was the Commodore, a handsome trunk cabin sport cruiser.

It was just about this time that Gar Wood, age 60, decides that it's time to retire to his island home in Miami. His plans are to continue inventing and designing new products, but to divest himself from Gar Wood Industries. Although some boats were offered in 1942, they were essentially left over 1941 models. With the start of World War II the Marysville plant converted entirely to war-effort production of' target boats and military tug boats.

Post War Designs

In early 1945 as World War II wound down to its final campaigns, a series of advertisements from the "new" Gar Wood boat division began to appear. The new management of Gar Wood Industries decides to restyle their boat line and Norman Bel Geddes, noted industrial designer, is retained to give Gar Wood boats a complete new look. This was a decision of great magnitude because it meant total re-tooling of their patterns, costly new set ups and high production costs.

The new post-war Gar Wood designs were introduced at the 1946 National Motor Boat Show to an enthusiastic audience. The designs were superb and worthy of the great Gar Wood tradition. But their new boats were expensive and production was slowed by lack of quality materials. Shipments were delayed and production was constantly interrupted by shortages. Dealers sold their impatient Gar Wood customers other boats that were available.

Gar Wood concentrated on building the small 16' utility that had very little bright work and white painted sides. The boat was easy to build and was the lowest priced boat in the line. The other boats took longer to build and required higher quality matched mahogany. In addition the larger boats required much more hardware which was still hard to get in 1946 and 1947. Strikes by major suppliers resulted in repeated production delays.

At the 1947 Boat Show Gar Wood shocked the public by displaying 4 models that had all painted finishes – no varnished mahogany. Whether this decision was for dramatic showmanship to attract attention or due to the lack of quality mahogany was never determined. However, in less than 6 months from the show Gar Wood boats would cease production forever.

Before the end of 1947 Truscott Boats and Cygnet Boats introduced a line of boats that were identical to the post-war Gar Wood designs. Within 2 years, they too were out of business.

Gar Wood produced boats from 1921 to 1947 excluding the four years of World War II. It is estimated that over 10,000 Gar Wood boats were built during that period. Yet less than 300 Gar Wood Boats are registered with the Gar Wood Society and ACBS. Gar Wood Boats will always be among the most sought after craft among wooden boaters and every one is a classic!

For more information please read:

Ed Strauss & Karen Strauss - The Bus World Encyclopedia of Buses

G.N. Georgano & G. Marshall Naul - The Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles

Albert Mroz - Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks & Commercial Vehicles

Donald F. Wood - American Buses

Denis Miller - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trucks and Buses

Susan Meikle Mandell - A Historical Survey of Transit Buses in the United States

David Jacobs - American Buses, Greyhound, Trailways and Urban Transportation

William A. Luke & Linda L. Metler - Highway Buses of the 20th Century: A Photo Gallery 

William A. Luke & Brian Grams - Buses of Motorcoach Industries 1932-2000 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Greyhound Buses 1914-2000 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Prevost Buses 1924-2002 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Flxible Intercity Buses 1924-1970 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Buses of ACF Photo Archive (including ACF-Brill & CCF-Brill)

William A. Luke - Trailways Buses 1936-2001 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Fageol & Twin Coach Buses 1922-1956 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Yellow Coach Buses 1923 Through 1943: Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Trolley Buses: 1913 Through 2001 Photo Archive

Harvey Eckart - Mack Buses: 1900 Through 1960 Photo Archive

Brian Grams & Andrew Gold - GM Intercity Coaches 1944-1980 Photo Archive

Robert R. Ebert  - Flxible: A History of the Bus and the Company

John McKane - Flxible Transit Buses: 1953 Through 1995 Photo Archive

Bill Vossler - Cars, Trucks and Buses Made by Tractor Companies

Lyndon W Rowe - Municipal buses of the 1960s

Edward S. Kaminsky - American Car & Foundry Company 1899-1999

Dylan Frautschi - Greyhound in Postcards: Buses, Depots and Post Houses

G.N. Georgano & G. Marshall Naul - The Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles

Albert Mroz - Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks & Commercial Vehicles

Denis Miller - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trucks and Buses

Tad Burness - American Truck Spotter's Guide, 1920-1970

Tad Burness - American Truck & Bus Spotter's Guide, 1920-1985

Robert M Roll - American trucking: A seventy-five year odyssey

David Jacobs - American Trucks: A photographic essay of American Trucks and Trucking

David Jacobs - American Trucks: More Colour Photographs of Truck & Trucking

John Gunnell - American Work Trucks: A Pictorial History of Commercial Trucks 1900-1994

George W. Green - Special-Use Vehicles: An Illustrated History of Unconventional Cars and Trucks

Daniel D. Hutchins - Wheels Across America: Carriage Art & Craftsmanship

Ronald G. Adams - 100 Years of Semi Trucks

Stan Holtzman - Big Rigs: The Complete History of the American Semi Truck

Stan Holtzman & Jeremy Harris Lipschultz - Classic American Semi Trucks

Stan Holtzman - Semi Truck Color History

Donald F. Wood - American Beer Trucks

Donald F. Wood - Beverage Trucks: Photo Archive

Donald F. Wood - Commercial Trucks

Donald F. Wood - Delivery Trucks

Donald F. Wood - Dump Trucks

Donald F. Wood - Gas & Oil Trucks

Donald F. Wood - Logging Trucks 1915 Through 1970: Photo Archive

Donald F. Wood - New Car Carriers 1910-1998 Photo Album

Donald F. Wood - RVs & Campers 1900-2000: An Illustrated History

Donald F. Wood - Wreckers and Tow Trucks

Gini Rice - Relics of the Road

Gini Rice - Relics of the Road - Impressive International Trucks 1907-1947

Gini Rice - Relics of the Road - Keen Kenworth Trucks - 1915-1955

Richard J. Copello - American Car Haulers

Niels Jansen - Pictorial History of American Trucks

John B. Montville - Refuse Trucks: Photo Archive

Bill Rhodes - Circus and Carnival Trucks 1941-2000: Photo Archive

Howard L. Applegate - Coca-Cola: Its Vehicles in Photographs 1930 Through 1969: Photo Archive

James T. Lenzke & Karen E. O'Brien - Standard Catalog of American Light-Duty Trucks: 1896-2000

James K. Wagner - Ford Trucks since 1905

Don Bunn - Dodge Trucks

Fred Crismon - International Trucks

Don Bunn - Encyclopedia of Chevrolet Trucks