Dark interiors going the way of dodo

Is there a future for wood trim in auto interiors? According to Monica Link, special correspondent for Automotive News, there definitely is a future and baby boomers are driving the trend because they can afford to buy the luxury cars and trucks that usually feature the look in their interiors.

Ironically, and for no apparent reason, boomers who were born between 1946 through 1964 prefer wood in interiors with dark tones and the younger generation born after 1977 like lighter interiors, whether wood or other material. According to figures provided by J. D. Power and Associates, both groups are now purchasing more than 49 percent of luxury and mid-sized vehicles sales in recent months.

According to Ms. Lisa Tucci, color and design manager at interior supplier Lear Corporation of Southfield, Mich., "the younger generation does not have to see real wood." Meaning that interior trim can be highlighted with either wood trim or metallic finishes like brushed or polished aluminum. However, she goes on to say that "the baby boomers want real wood."

While many cars feature the look of wood - like my 2001 Dodge Neon with the leather interior option - it is not the real thing. Rather, it is probably a photograph or a film of real wood glued to a piece of metal. On my Neon, the fake wood looks absolutely natural and I resisted the urge early on to remove the panels and install instead painted or brushed metal replacements. I'm sure that many people reading this column have owned cars in the past that featured so-called wood interior pieces where the quality was so poor that even a woodpecker with vision problems could tell the difference.

Most luxury makers, however, do use real wood and carefully follow the market to be sure that the tone of wood offered is what clients want. When in doubt, like Infiniti a couple years back, some makers are hedging their bet and are offering wood trim in two tones, light (burled maple) and dark (walnut).

Sherry Sabbagh, a designer for automotive interiors supplier Johnson Controls Inc. in Plymouth, Mich., was quoted in the Auto News article saying that" interior colors often determine what types of woods are used." She goes on to say "Bleached wood in mango and banana colors are very popular. There is no longer just the traditional medium brown."

Burled woods are very popular in cars right now. Automotive wood supplier Behr Industries Corp. of Grand Rapids, Mich., makes 70 percent of its product from burled woods that are harvested in California and Europe. Lincoln, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are big customers of Behr.

What is the next new wood for use in auto interiors? Would you believe bamboo. It is an attractive alternative to the popular walnut and maple because of its light finish and the fact that the wood grows as much as 3 feet a day - which keeps supply up and prices down.