I still remember my aunt’s look of horror. When my brother passed his driving test, she generously gave him the treasured Morris Minor she and my granddad before her had pampered and kept polished to within an inch of its life. He then filled her in on his plans to clamp down the suspension and fit fat tyres, dark windows and a stereo that would allow her to hear his Led Zeppelin collection 30 miles away in Wisbech.
I imagine a similar look of horror passed over the face of Mini aficionados and members of the timber trade when the Daily Express reported that the proposed new BMW-made Clubman estate would feature plastic instead of the traditional wood external trim.
As it turns out, however, the Express jumped the gun and the initial horror story now has the potential to be transformed into a tale of opportunity for timber. BMW said they haven’t finalised plans for the new model and that, if the timber trade made a convincing case, wood may yet get a look in. We called TRADA and they’re now planning to bombard the car maker with all the necessary technical detail!
This might on the surface sound a relatively minor opportunity for the industry – certainly the volumes of timber involved are not going to set the trade alight. But, if wood beats off the plastic challenge, it could be a useful little publicity vehicle for the industry. It would undoubtedly gain wood valuable exposure, both on the street and in the media. And the fact that timber had stolen a march on plastic would be an added twist in the tale. As Wood for Good managing director Charles Trevor told the London Softwood Club last week, we need to communicate timber’s benefits in ways that ‘resonate with the consumer’.
Needless to say, my brother’s Morris remodelling plans didn’t go ahead, although he did controversially remove the factory-fitted plastic seat-cover protectors.
