[SmartCat]

My guess is that there are simply not enough suppliers of wood interiors anymore. The OEM will now have to go out of its to source quality wood parts for a car.

But when it comes to soft touch or hard plastics or leather, there are already suppliers who have the volumes/economies of scale to keep the production costs reasonable. More importantly, quality of their products is likely to be consistent.

[astrodex]

Actually, I had always related wood interiors to old cars. It often reminds me of cars of the 70s and not in a good way. While looking for a used car in US more than a decade ago, we turned down a sparingly used Lexus only because we didn't like the wood interiors. Carbon fibre, piano black etc. felt much more premium.

I think I am more amicable with wood veneers now, and love some of the amazing interiors posted here, but then I blame that on my age.

[srini1785]

I feel its mainly costs incurred during manufacture and maintenance, crash safety issues and availability of quality materials. Although I must admit a well decked up wooden interior is just exquisite.

The Indian commercial vehicles extensively use wooden panels for carrying loads.

[anjan_c2007]

In some of the older cars, wood was lavishly used on the interiors, floors of these marques and even exteriors of those Woody Station Wagons so popular in the immediate post WW II era from many American car makers.

Apart from the multiple reasons we have debated here for the decline of wooden interiors, there are some more other genuine reasons too.

- Safety: In this era even the front facade of a car has almost no rough or pointed edges to enable it become pedestrian friendly. This is to minimise injuries in case of hits. The old time mascots of some marques above the front grille are retractable now. Hence wood in a car's interiors could also prove to be unsafe in case of breakage and the brittle, sharp edges hitting occupants, in case the car is totalled.

-Maintenance : This has already been discussed but I would like to add a point. A family friend who owns a 1948 Jaguar 1.5 L had shown me its wooden floors and also its wooden dash. The wooden floor required some repair jobs only around 2003. The wooden dash is still intact. It would have been an excellent quality of wood that Jaguar used. The upper end car makers can afford such durable goodies, but coming to a Wagon R or Creta, what premium quality of wood can they use? Walnut veneer or real mahogany are considered very durable. Use of these could push up costs by some few lakhs. And above that there is GST plus road tax + insurance which all spin like dice to the higher side instantly.

Among the most durable wooden interiors observed by me in old cars are the dash of the 1950's MG Magnette ZS and dash of the 1970's-80's Rolls Royce Silver Shadow/ Corniche /Silver Spirit /Phantom IV, which all used the walnut wood dash. The symmetry of this wooden dash in these RR's is so awesome that from to centre to either sides, the wood design matches as a reflection of its distance from the centre. Off - topic, but the RR brochure describes this symmetry and says "the only sound in the passenger cabin is that of the clock ticking". The 1932 Phantom II owned by an acquaintance has a wooden dash that has now lasted for 109 years and is still pristine. Most RR's from the era and later had walnut wood dashboards that was also used plentifully on their interiors during coach work. Also, the Wolseley 16/60 's from the 1960's have a lasting wooden dash with two inch, horizontal wooden veneers on its interior, about three inches below the four windows' bases. The 1940's - 50's Austin Sheerline too has a durable, wooden dash. Our very own Standard Heralds post 1963 or so had factory fitted, wooden dashboards that have lasted till now in well maintained examples.

There are umpteen examples of older cars with lavish usage of wood in their interiors, but the life and times of "wood in car interiors" has almost come to an end. There are multiple constraints these days. The car designers' mindsets and hands are tightened as the design they conceptualise has to cheat the wind tunnels and score safety stars too, besides being thrifty on fuel.

[On4Wheels]

Thanks to all for your valuable thoughts and comments. A big thumbs up to Jeroen and V.Narayan for amazing pics.

Originally Posted by Ravi Parwan

One factor not being considered is maybe crash worthiness. It is also difficult to develop crumple zones inside to cushion impacts, which is easier with plastics. If you note, most new car interiors have a single piece dashboard which acts as a crash barrier for occupants.

I beg to disagree on crash worthiness. I fail to understand how a dash board can act as a crumple zone. If you are talking about cushioning of occupant’s body impact on dashboard, the softness of material may not be a factor here. Rather, it is the time period that matters. Even the soft seat cushions will be like a hard rock in that minuscule time frame. Regarding the energy absorbed for crumpling, I guess the amount of energy required for plastics is much lower than metals. I appreciate if someone can share the exact number here.

Originally Posted by androdev

There are many logical explanations but I feel the real reason is that wooden trim has gone out of fashion with the increasingly younger demographic of car buyers. Like Mercedes 3-pointed star (Jaguar too) on the hood.

You may be right. But, I hope the cyclical nature of fashion and push for the sustainable products may bring back wood (like paper bags instead of polythene bags).

Originally Posted by SmartCat

My guess is that there are simply not enough suppliers of wood interiors anymore. The OEM will now have to go out of its to source quality wood parts for a car.
But when it comes to soft touch or hard plastics or leather, there are already suppliers who have the volumes/economies of scale to keep the production costs reasonable. More importantly, quality of their products is likely to be consistent.

That is very true. At present, many manufacturing industries are bullied (forced not to think beyond it) by petroleum products and its derivatives. Even sustainability-thought process is also strangled with it to some extent. Somehow, it looks like, the traditional materials are being forgotten in industry. At the same time, I think, the present gaps like weak supply chain, consistency issues etc., can be resolved, if there is a constant demand for the wooden parts.

Originally Posted by astrodex

Actually, I had always related wood interiors to old cars. It often reminds me of cars of the 70s and not in a good way. While looking for a used car in US more than a decade ago, we turned down a sparingly used Lexus only because we didn't like the wood interiors. Carbon fibre, piano black etc. felt much more premium.

During my school days, there was an Ambassador car with rosewood dash board in my village. By the looks of the car, it was premium luxury at dashboard and the rest was normal ambassador car. It is a nostalgic car for me.

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

In some of the older cars, wood was lavishly used on the interiors, floors of these marques and even exteriors of those Woody Station Wagons so popular in the immediate post WW II era from many American car makers.

Great points!! Regarding the sharpness of the broken objects in case of accident, I guess the plastic dashboard can be detrimental. I may be wrong but that present intricate dashboard layouts made me to think so. Nevertheless, I wish budget cars have some wooden embellishment at least.

[Caffeinated_Owl]

Firstly, wood is a natural material that is prone to cracking, warping and fading when exposed to extreme temperatures and humidity. Cars, especially those parked in direct sunlight, can experience such extreme conditions, which could damage the wooden dashboard. Additionally, wood is a heavy material, which could add to the weight of the car and affect its fuel efficiency.

Secondly, car manufacturers have to comply with various safety regulations that require the interior of a car to be fire retardant and non-flammable. Wood, being a combustible material, does not meet these safety standards and could pose a risk to the passengers in case of a fire.

Therefore, car manufacturers have been using alternative materials like plastics, carbon fiber and aluminum that are lightweight, durable, and meet the safety standards. These materials also offer greater flexibility in terms of design, as they can be easily molded into different shapes and sizes, which is important in the automotive industry.

[shauryadabas]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Well crafted wood is a delight to behold as the photos below of a 6-year old Lexus ES300h depict.

Wow! The dashboard panels look like they haven't aged at all. Your Lexus looks exceptionally well-maintained I must say.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by shauryadabas

Wow! The dashboard panels look like they haven't aged at all. Your Lexus looks exceptionally well-maintained I must say.

Thank you. :-) The credit for the woodwork with its classy matt finish and subtle looks is the wood work craft of Japan that Lexus has nurtured and married to modern manufacturing methods. I'm told each piece of wood is cured and worked upon over long periods of time to get it to where it is the workers are highly prized craftsmen of the company. More on the site below created by an enthusiast.
https://lexusenthusiast.com/2018/04/...art-wood-trim/

[keshavarora]

My Audi A6 matrix has wood on the centre console and I love it. It feels great to look at and touch. I agree and wish more cars had wood highlights.

[shauryadabas]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Thank you. :-) I'm told each piece of wood is cured and worked upon over long periods of time to get it to where it is the workers are highly prized craftsmen of the company. More on the site below created by an enthusiast.
https://lexusenthusiast.com/2018/04/...art-wood-trim/

Really interesting info on the wood panels.