A CADDY WITH A BOAT DECK!

Nautical-themed wooden decking on new VW concept.

The VW Caddy Topos Sail Concept will be on show at the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stand at Europe’s largest recreational vehicle show, which starts in Düsseldorf, Germany this weekend. The design features a wooden sun deck on the roof, accessed via a set of steps on the back of the vehicle. This is complemented by wooden trim along the side of the Caddy and on the rear bumper.
Although the Caddy is very unlikely to float, it could be parked up down by the docks, and once climbed aboard, bring the boating life to land.

This isn't the first time wooden panelling has been incorporated in the design of vehicles. Wooden-bodied shooting brakes, station wagons and estate cars, collectively known as Woodies, were the original SUVs (sports utility vehicles).
New! British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950s by Colin Peck.

While they were initially created for a specific purpose, their versatility, adaptability and load-carrying abilities meant that they quickly found favour with British buyers from all walks of life. In their heyday, they were built on virtually every make of car and light commercial chassis, and could be seen on every road in Britain.
Sadly, today they are a rarity, due mostly to the fact that their wooden bodies were not built to last – and most didn’t! Thousands were built by hundreds of coachbuilders, both large and small, and with the passage of time it may never be possible to record all of their details with total accuracy.
The work of hundreds of small coachbuilder firms is highlighted in this book, and illustrated with 99 rare and previously unpublished photos of these wooden wonders.

click here for more info about the book