Subaru Reveals Forester Woody Concept Car
10 February 1999
Subaru `Forester Woody' Concept Car Marks Twenty Five Years of Traction TechnologyCHICAGO, Feb. 10 -- Subaru of America, Inc. today revealed the Subaru "Forester Woody" concept car in celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of its first four-wheel drive passenger car in America. Since 1974, when Subaru introduced a subcompact wagon as this market's first four- wheel drive passenger car, the company has become the industry leader in all- wheel drive technology offering derivatives of either four- or all-wheel drive passenger cars. Subaru has also been the largest seller of station wagons in the US now for the third year in a row and has been the number one selling import wagon for seventeen years in a row.
Thanks to the popularity of its Outback and Forester models, the "cross- over" or "hybrid utility vehicle" niche, which Subaru helped to pioneer, has now emerged as one of the fastest growing segments in the market. And with many of the larger manufacturers just now showing their hybrid concepts, Subaru and its dealers are retailing five different hybrid models, making it the industry's hybrid leader with the largest and broadest lineup.
To mark its success as an innovative marketer of niche cars Subaru built a concept car that incorporates its strengths in both wagons and all-wheel drive and married those attributes to a fun and retro design. The result: the "Forester Woody" -- a car that brings back fond memories of the station wagon during its original heyday. And like all Subaru cars sold in America, it features full-time all-wheel drive.
"Back in the 1950s every kid with a surfboard wanted to drive a woody," says Tim Mahoney, Director of Marketing for Subaru of America, Inc. "We've taken the sport-utility vehicle, which is today's version of the station wagon, and given it a woody look for a new group of young, outdoor-oriented people. Just as the woody was embraced by the `in' surfers years ago, the Subaru Forester Woody concept car is designed to appeal to today's trendy and adventurous snowboarding crowd," adds Mahoney. "What better way to celebrate the modern wagon than by revisiting an era when the woody was the coolest of vehicles?"
The Subaru Forester Woody was made using Philippine mahogany and white ash wood veneers. Almost seventy separate pieces of wood are individually fitted to the Forester with a special all-weather adhesive. A custom made roof rack and cross rails are specially designed to hold two snowboards which are retained by hand tooled English leather straps and fasteners. The rest of the car is painted in Diablo red pearl paint, including the stamped steel wheels. The wheels are fitted with chrome trim rings, baby moon hubcaps, and Cooper Lifeliner STE all-season tires with whitewall trim to complete the Forester's nostalgic theme.
The interior of the Subaru Forester Woody has also been given special attention. A woven material with a wicker cane-type texture gives a nostalgic look to the door panels and seating surfaces, and is complemented by seat bolsters covered in dry-wash suede chenille. A wooden steering wheel and wood rub strips in the cargo area complete the Woody's interior.
Although the interior of the Subaru Forester Woody has a retro look, it offers the latest word in automotive electronics thanks to the world's first AutoPC by Clarion. This system enables the driver and passengers to control the navigation, entertainment, and communication systems with voice recognition using a Windows CE operating system and a Hitachi SH3 processor with 16 MB DRAM/8 MB ROM.
The audio portion of the AutoPC features an AM/FM stereo with integrated Digital Signal Processing (DSP), a built in 35-watt x 4-channel amplifier, and a six-disc in-dash CD changer. Finally, an Infrared Data Port provides easy information exchange with other PC companion devices.
As a concept vehicle, the Subaru "Forester Woody" is a celebration of the company's heritage as an industry leader in both all-wheel drive technology and its specialization in "go anywhere" station wagons that allow customers to enjoy their active lifestyles.
