LOOK INSIDE A modern car, and you’ll see many of the same materials that formed the earliest automobiles. Leather, wood, metal, and cloth convey a sense of luxury, a connection to the beloved way things were. You may see synthetic stuff too, materials born of the jet and space ages. Radical and often questionable ersatz substances like vinyl, Fiberglas™, wood grain veneer, velour, and injected plastics climbed into the car as symbols of technological sophistication and durability.
As the auto industry adapts to a smartphone-enabled world and looks to the potentially radical changes offered by autonomy, sharing, and alternative powertrains, what you touch and feel inside the car has once again drawn the attention of the world’s designers.
