Surfin’ USA — Most Famous Cars Used to Haul Surfboards (and Guitars)

Beach and surfboard culture exploded on the California coast of the 1950’s. The longboard became the surfboard of choice, and to haul it to the beach, young surfers bought used, cheap station wagons — typically “woodies” of the late 1940’s that were rusting and rotting away — but were perfect for carrying the longboards — which ranged from 10 to 15 feet long.

And it was never 1 surfer and 1 board — it was multiple surfers and multiple boards on the wagon.

1. The Woodie (or Woody)

Woodie’s — or Woody’s; both spellings are used — originated as automobiles made mostly of wood, created in the early 1900’s by furniture makers who had been making horse-drawn carriages. The 1929 Ford Model A was the first mass-produced woodie car: its hood, front bumper and rails were steel, but the passenger compartment was made of hardwood. Plymouth, Buick, Chrysler, and Chevrolet followed with mass-produced ‘woodies’.

As steel became more affordable in the 1940’s after World War II, cars made partially out of wood became passe. By the late ‘40s, automakers introduced and marketed the new “all steel” body technology. Wood looked nice — but if not cared for, would rot, splinter, discolor, and warp due to moisture damage. The wood doors became hard to close in the summer. By the late 1950’s, any wood seen on wagons was a wood-grain facade that was pasted on.

2. Surfers Discover Woodies

Back in the 1950’s a 10-year-old car was typically caput — especially one that had rotting wood on it besides the rusting steel. Woodie’s were cheap and big and perfect for hauling long surfboards — and became the car of choice for young, poor surfers.

Woodies were also perfect for the surfer lifestyle — as many surfers could sleep in them overnight at the beach, in between nomadic traveling to different surf spots.

The most famed woodie’s were the 1951 Ford and the 1951 Mercury woodie wagons.

Woodies are now sought-after collectible cars, and a 1951 Mercury or Ford will go for $45,000 to $50,000 on places like Bring a Trailer.

Collectors of Woodie’s get together each year at the Wavecrest Woodie Car Show on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, California (just north of Del Mar and San Diego) each September. Hotrod.com provided coverage and took photos of the event back in 2018.

Here’s a picture of a 1951 Mercury that is missing wood — a barn find:

3. Automakers Create “Surf” Station Wagons in 1950’s

The car manufacturers were all over the surfing trend — and by the late 50’s were creating station wagons built for the surfer, and marketed to the surfer. General Motors produced one for both of their lower-cost divisions: the Pontiac Star Chief Safari and the Chevy Nomad.

Safari refers to the surf lingo of traveling to different beaches to find a place where the waves are coming in high. It’s referenced in the lyrics “Come on and safari with me” by the Beach Boys, and the psychedelic surf group The Safari’s, who had the hit Wipeout.

Nomad of course refers to the nomadic lifestyle of the surfers, traveling up and down the coast in search of big waves.

GM also made the Oldsmobile Fiesta wagon and the Buick Caballero Estate wagon but they weren’t really targeted at surfers.

Ford made the Ranch Wagon, Country Sedan, and Country Squire — which continued the woodie tradition, but with plastic wood-grain decals glued to the side of the car.

Plymouth made the Suburban station wagon — not specifically made for surfers although some had ads that showed it at the beach.

4. Surfers Used Any (Cheap) Car that Could Haul Boards

Videos of the 1950’s/60’s era surfing show that any cheap car that a surfer had or could get their hands on would be used to haul the longboards.

Encyclopedia of Surfing has collected surfing videos from youtube and other places. This snippet from the Bruce Brown movie “Barefoot Adventure” shows a 1948 (or so) Peugeot 203 and a 1948 (or so) Plymouth Deluxe being driven through a very muddy trail to get to Kaena Point in Hawaii in 1960.

The footage is by Bruce Brown from 1960; the narration was added by Brown in a 1990 re-release of the movie — he initially used to show it in movie theaters and add live dialog.

Brown describes the scene: “20 miles of mud — the only way to make it was to keep it floored the whole way. The Jungle Cruiser and the White Elephant. Let up on the gas and you’re stuck. These cars cost between $25 and $100 — although I don’t know anyone who paid $100 for one. With a little luck you can keep it running, and sell it to some surfers arriving in Hawaii and get most of your money back.”

This snippet from the Bruce Brown movie “Surf Crazy” backs this up — showing all kinds of cars carrying surfboards in the early 60’s — including the 1950 Ford Country Squire below:

Old cars from the ’40’s and 50’s are shown in this movie short that features famous surfer Pat Curren: “Used Car Salesman.”

5. Surf Guitar: Fender Strat, Jazzmaster & Jaguar

Surfboards weren’t the only thing hauled in the Woodie’s and “steel body” station wagons. Music was a big part of the surf scene — and besides carrying acoustic guitars for fireside music on the beach, the electric guitar became a mainstay of clubs on the California coast.

Fender — a California Company

Fender Guitar — a California guitar maker formed by Leo Fender outside of Los Angeles in the early 50’s — had great success with their solid body Telecaster. It was originally named Broadcaster but changed to Telecaster (for Television — another big advancement of the day) as a speaker company warned Fender that they already had a speaker named Broadcaster and the name was trademarked.

Leo Fender then invented the Stratocaster guitar (named for jet and space travel — another big thing going on at the time).

Dick Dale — the King of Surf Guitar

King of surf guitar Dick Dale was a leading adviser to Leo Fender on enhancements to the Stratocaster, and then creation of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar.

Dick Dale and his Del-Tones began their legendary performances at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, California in 1959, playing for surfers. Dale became known as the “King of the Surf Guitar” for his energetic, reverb-drenched performances. He used a Fender Stratocaster and gave continuous feedback to Leo Fender on it and on speakers he needed to be heard amongst thousands of people in a ballroom.

Dale — who was of Lebanese background from Quincy Massachusetts — blended Middle Eastern musical influences with rock and roll, most prominently in his big hit “Miserlou” — which was a cover of a traditional Greek folk song. His performances at the Rendezvous, along with the early recordings of “Let’s Go Trippin‘,” helped lay the foundation for the surf rock genre.

The Rendezvous Ballroom was a large dance hall built in 1928, located on the beach of Balboa Peninsula — between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. One of the requirements at the Rendezvous Ballroom was that all male patrons wear a tie, even though most were barefoot and in surfer attire, leading to a memorable sight of surfers in ties. Picture that in your mind.

In the video below, at the Harmony. Ballroom in Anaheim California in 1959, you can see Dick Dale playing his signature hit Miserlou on a Fender Strat, while two surrounding members of the Del-Tones play a Jazzmaster (to the right, facing Dale) and a Strat.

The Jazzmaster

The Jazzmaster was introduced in 1958 to cater to the needs of Jazz guitar players, but it really found a following with surf guitar players, who were looking to replicate the sounds of surf waves, and could do it with the spacey sounds that could be created with the Tremelo bar of the Jazzmaster.

The Jazzmaster was so successful that Fender created a trimmed down version of it directly marketed to psychedelic surf guitar players — the Jaguar. It would many years later become the guitar of choice for Kurt Cobain, as well as guitarists of later psychedelic eras such as the mid 1980’s Paisley Underground scene in LA, and the current psychedelic era of US/Europe and Vietnam, with guitarists such as Socha Got of La Femme preferring it.

Below is a video of the Ventures playing the massive hit of 1960 — “Walk Don’t Run” — which is credited — along with Dick Dale’s Misirlou — of spawning the whole psychedelic surf sound movement. Interestingly enough you don’t see lead guitarist Bob Spalding using a Tremelo bar on the Jazzmaster he plays — even though you hear it:

6. Hollywood Surf Movies: Cars & Guitars

Meanwhile Hollywood jumped on the trend and was producing Surf movies — the first and biggest was Gidget in 1959, starring Sandra Dee. The movie features a 1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner, a 1958 Mercury Commuter, and a 1957 Mercury Montclair — but no point in the movie do you see a surfboard being carried in a car.

There are, however, beach campfire scenes where the bongos and mandolin are played. Also featured in the movie are The Four Preps — a 4-person harmonizing group who were famous at the time but now mostly forgotten. They had a number of top hits, played with Rickie Nelson, and were an inspiration for The Beach Boys.

At 1:42 in the video below you can see lead guitar player of The Four Preps playing a Fender Strat (although he may have just been holding the instrument — the group were known primarily as harmonizing singers).

Elvis Presley made Blue Hawaii in 1961 (and later Clambake in 1967).

In the early 1960’s, Hollywood started churning out the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello series of 7 surf movies: Beach Party in 1963, Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Pajama Party (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), and Ski Party (1965).

In 1963’s Beach Party, Frankie Avalon drives a yellow 1926 Model T Ford with surfboard in the back.

Non other than Dick Dale is a musical supporting star in Beach Party. He plays the bongos early in the movie, and later on he and his band the Del-Tones steal the show with a performance of “Surfin’ and Swingin'” (below).

It’s a tremendous scene where you see dying-era Beatniks at the same club as the surfers, and comedian Maury Amsterdam (Dick Van Dyke fame) introducing Dick Dale with a funny hat on. In the middle of the scene, Frankie Avalon is seen passing a joint to one of his friends. Candy Johnson shows off her “machine gun hips” dancing movies which made her famous at the time. She’s on the floor dancing with legendary surfers Johnny Fain (powder blue shirt, no jacket) and Mickey Dora (red shirt, gray jacket). Dick plays a Strat as do 2 members of his band, while one plays a Jazzmaster.

In 1963’s Muscle Beach Party, Frankie Avalon drives an orange 1926 Model T Ford at the beginning of the movie:

The car behind Frankie’s Model T in the picture above is a Chevy Firetruck carrying none other than Dick Dale and his band The Del-Tones. In the scene, which is at the beginning of the movie, Dick plays a gold Fender Telecaster on the truck. It is none other than his famed guitar named The Beast, which has a story all its own. He plays The Beast in other scenes later in the movie.

Dick Dale stole the show so much in Beach Party, that his performances were totally neutered down in the sequel, Muscle Beach Party. He appears in a number of scenes, but his guitar playing is not highlighted at all. A young Stevie Wonder has a much bigger musical role in the movie, with Dick Dale basically clapping his hands in accompaniment.

While Beach Party was a cute, decent movie, Muscle Beach Party is an absolute bunch of schlock. They were both directed by William Asher, who directed 5 of the 7 films. But in Muscle Beach Party he really butchered the opportunity for a great movie with dynamite talent: comedians Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett, and Morey Amsterdam all in their prime; music legends Dick Dale, Stevie Wonder, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello; and the Malibu beaches with lots of excellent surf footage. Dancer Candy Johnson — whose dancing provided a special touch to Beach Party — is completely overused in Muscle Beach to the point of nauseum.

However — Muscle Beach Party does bring out one thing in its opening scene — which features a Model T Ford, a Chevy Fire engine, and a Woody: young surfers without much money would have used any car they could get their hands on to haul their surfboards.

1964’s Bikini Beach features a number of cars, including a 1962 Ford Country Squire “Woodie”, a 1961 Pontiac Catalina Safari, and a 1964 Buick LeSabre Estate Wagon — none of which are ever seen carrying a surfboard.

7. The Volkswagen Bus

By the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Volkswagen Bus became an iconic surfboard hauler.

The amazing surf movie below — by Brian Tissot aka Dr Abalone — shows a 1966 Volkswagen Camper Bus in all its glory in 1975 — with a couple of young guys over on the East Coast in Alexandria, Virginia traveling to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, and then on to Sebastian Inlet and New Smyrna Beach in Florida.

The movie features the music of Wishbone Ash — the greatest group of the 70’s that many people have never heard of, which featured the dueling lead guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner. Powell was known for using a Gibson Flying V. Ted Turner was known for playing Fender Stratocasters.

Some additional details of the movie are provided in this article by the filmmaker.

Additional surf videos have been compiled by Brian Tissot on his youtube surf channel, such as the one below with (what looks like) some of the same surfers as in the movie above. It has a great ending!

A Volkswagen Bug and a pickup truck are shown at the end hauling the surfboards. The movie credits say the music is The King Will Come by Wishbone Ash, but the music track has been changed to R.H. by Slowride.

Here’s another by Tissot — with music by Mike Farner and Grand Funk Railroad. Farner is a phenomenal guitarist, lead singer, and songwriter, and is  part Cherokee Indian, from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He plays a Fender Strat.