1949 Chrysler Town & Country Is No Minivan, Becomes World's Most Expensive

Introduced for the 1941 model year, the Town & Country was initially a luxury station wagon of the woodie variety. Production didn't last long, though. The US entered WW2 in 1942, and civilian automobile output was halted. When the Town & Country returned for the 1946 model year, the eight-passenger wagon body was no longer available. Instead, the nameplate was available as a four-door sedan and two-door convertible. In 1950, the final year of the first-gen Town & Country, Chrysler also offered a two-door hardtop.

The name was returned to station wagon duty in 1951, this time around with a modern, all-steel body. The Town & Country remained a wagon-only model until it was phased out for good in 1988. However, two-door hardtop and convertible models were offered in 1968, and a final drop-top was produced from 1983 to 1986.

Although post-1950 Town & Country vehicles aren't particularly desirable, examples produced in the 1940s have become increasingly popular in the classic car market. Restored examples have been selling for over $50,000 for over a decade (as of 2025), and more than a dozen changed hands for six-figure sums in the 2020s.

The first-year "barrelback" wagons are the most valuable right now, but vehicles produced immediately after WW2 are also fetching big bucks. The 1949 convertible you see here just crossed the auction block at Mecum's Kissimmee 2025 for a whopping $173,250. This figure makes it the most expensive 1949 Chrysler Town & Country ever sold at public auction.

The convertible is also the fifth-most expensive Town & Country of any model year, behind a couple of 1948 drop-tops and a pair of 1941 wagons. As of 2025, the most expensive Town & Country is a 1941 woodie, which fetched $286,000 in 2020.

What makes this convertible worth more than $170K? Well, for starters, it's quite a rare rig. Chrysler sold about 124,000 automobiles in 1949, but only 993 rolled off the assembly line as Town & Country convertibles. It's unclear how many are still around, but the survival rate of drop-tops is very low, and we could be looking at one of fewer than 50 still in one piece.

Second, this Town & Country is a fabulous restoration that looks pristine inside and out. It's also a low-mileage example with only 37,037 miles (59,605 km) on the odometer and a highly original vehicle. The Mopar still relies on the original powerplant. It's equipped with a 323-cubic-inch (5.3-liter) inline-eight, which was an optional upgrade over the standard 251-cubic-inch (4.1-liter) straight-six in 1949.

Finished in Maroon, which is more red than brown, and sporting mahogany-look vinyl trim and a brown leather interior, this Town & Country is a sight to behold and the very definition of post-WW2 convertible luxury.