The Powell: Carlike SUV Ahead of its Time
If you were looking for an economical, good looking pickup you could use for a second car, a hunting rig, or a utility workhorse - a vehicle with a fiberglass front end to resist parking lot damage, with custom wooden front and rear bumpers, with a pop-up camper option, and all priced and under $130... does it sound impossible? Maybe today, but such a vehicle was made and sold.
In the immediate post-war era, many cars were planned but only a few reached production, and few of those made any appreciable dent on automotive history, though some achieved limited success. The Powell Sport Wagon fits this category.
Hayden and Channing Powell started with several clear guidelines. Their vehicle must be cheap to buy, ride like a car, drive like a car, and work like a truck, serving as a second car or as a sportsmanŐs hunting and fishing rig. They started a prototype in 1952, using a Chevrolet chassis and six cylinder engine to keep costs down. When they had to make final decisions for production, they chose to use Plymouth chassis and six-cylinder flat head engines, because they were easy to obtain, cheap, and had a great deal of parts interchangeability across all Chrysler lines. They chose the 117 inch wheelbase chassis and engines from 1941 Q series Plymouths. Their first Powell Sports Wagon was completed in 1954, weighing around 2700 pounds with a steel body (except the fiberglass front grille, varnished oak bumpers, and oak tailgate). The Powell stood 68" high with an overall length of 168".
A unique feature of the Sport Wagon was a concealed tube built into the right rear fender, running lengthwise along the bed. This was designed for carrying long objects or fishing poles. Factory photos of a prototype station wagon show it equipped with a tube compartment on both sides.
The all steel body was built in the Powell factory directly on the Plymouth chassis. Workmen stripped all unuseable parts and pieces from the '41 chassis' to mount the new Sportman body. Upholstery was of heavy duty vinyl stretched over new foam. The instrument panel received a full compliment of gauges and two speed windshield wipers were standard. However, there was no provision for a window defroster. Side windows were of the sliding type and did not roll down. Options were few but included turn signals, two tone paint or chromed wheel discs. The completed rig was rated as a 1/4 ton pickup,
Walt Woron, Motor Trend Magazine's road tester, took a Powell Sport Wagon for a test drive in 1956. By that time the price of the Powell had bumped to $1095 for the standard version, with the deluxe selling for $1198. A factory built pop up camper option increased the price by an additional $295. Walt was not completely impressed with the PoweIl's Plymouth motive power. In his test he averaged only 15 miles per gallon he figured the little rebuilt '6' should have delivered at least 17. He finally passed off the poor mileage on the added weight of the camper and the mountainous terrain over which he had conducted the tests. Oil consumption figures were dismal the engine used over 2 quarts of oil during his test, Overall Woron was impressed with the vehicle when he considered the use the pickup was meant to take and which he had handed out to it.
By late 1956 the Powell had ceased production. Not because of financial troubles, or stock embezzlement problems such as those that had killed so many of the post WWII car ventures. The company had simply run out of raw material from which to build their product ... the local supply of 1941 Plymouth chassis in anywhere near rebuildable condition was rapidly depleting. The company closed its doors with many hundreds of orders still on hand.
By the end of production the Powell Sport Wagon was not only offered in a pickup style but a very utilitarian station wagon was built as well. In fact, a close look at a mid 60s International Travelall and a Powell Sport Wagon station wagon makes one wonder if the IH designers secretly copied the Powell's attractive lines, hoping that no one would notice (or remember).
The Powell was a local product, with most of the completed cars sold in California. Few found homes east of the Rockies.
In addition to the Sport Wagon the Powell Brothers experimented with another novel idea -a self contained motor home. They built three of them in 1953 but never went into serious production.
Channing Powell is still alive and the Powell Company, although relocated from the Compton area, is still very much in business. The Powell family owns one of the three motor homes as well as a Sport Wagon pickup.
The Powell Sport Wagon was a unique idea -a vehicle to fit many segments of the market.-but it was just too early, as have been so many other automobiles. Today many own a pickup as a second car; they ride and drive like a car and they are used for pleasure as well as business and with a camper top they quickly convert into the perfect hunting or fishing vehicle. As for Fiberglass to prevent corrosion or damage, look at all the modern cars around so equipped, and what custom pickup around doesn't sport wooden bumpers.
Hayden and Channing Powell were just about 15 years ahead of their time .... and 15 years behind the times with their antiquated Plymouth chassis and engine!
