At some point during the 1990s, although I don’t exactly remember the precise moment, wood ceased to be fashionable as part of a car’s interior.
The premium German brands (BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi) were never very good at doing wood in a tasteful way back then, but perhaps it was their diversification into alternative finishes such as aluminium or lacquered carbon fibre that made wood seem firmly rooted in the 20th century.
Then perhaps Rover’s dogged persistence in having slices of tree adorning the dashboard and doors, when as a brand it was seen as past its sell-by date, that finally seemed to consign wood trim to the scrapyard.
The premium German brands (BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi) were never very good at doing wood in a tasteful way back then, but perhaps it was their diversification into alternative finishes such as aluminium or lacquered carbon fibre that made wood seem firmly rooted in the 20th century.
Then perhaps Rover’s dogged persistence in having slices of tree adorning the dashboard and doors, when as a brand it was seen as past its sell-by date, that finally seemed to consign wood trim to the scrapyard.