Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2022 April 17

= April 17 =

Wood in motor cars
Which was the last production motor car that used wood in the main structure or frame of the vehicle, i.e. not just as a decorative interior feature? Thanks. 86.181.187.25 (talk) 19:29, 17 April 2022 (UTC)


 * The Morgan Motor Company still does this. Bazza (talk) 19:34, 17 April 2022 (UTC)


 * Surely, it's less safe than metal? 86.181.187.25 (talk) 19:37, 17 April 2022 (UTC)


 * Morgan claim it's safer. DuncanHill (talk) 19:57, 17 April 2022 (UTC)


 * I wonder what's worse: To be impaled by a piece of wood or a piece of metal? --←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 06:07, 18 April 2022 (UTC)
 * Are you a vampire? Then wood is worse unless the metal is silver, particularly when coated in garlic. --Lambiam 07:06, 18 April 2022 (UTC)
 * So it's the upper body structure, covered in aluminium sheeting, rather than the chassis. "Morgan’s research shows that the wooden frame makes its cars safer than conventional steel frames on impact tests." Doesn't the UK Government have to do independent tests? Thanks. 86.181.187.25 (talk) 07:40, 18 April 2022 (UTC)
 * Neither the USA or the UK governments routinely do crash tests. Instead the manufacturer gets their cars tested at a crash test facility. I think in theory you can get a car into production using your own test lab. Greglocock (talk) 09:47, 18 April 2022 (UTC)
 * You do have to watch where the wood is fitted. Martinevans123 (talk) 09:30, 18 April 2022 (UTC)


 * Certification in the UK is by the Vehicle Certification Agency. Actual testing was by the Road Research Laboratory (RRL), which was privatised in 1996 as the Transport Research Laboratory (now TRL Limited). TRL was instumental in setting up Euro NCAP in the EU. Testing by these bodies seems to be voluntary, but not having a rating by them isn't a good selling point. Alansplodge (talk) 15:47, 18 April 2022 (UTC)
 * Morgan isn't listed on the Euro NCAP site. Perhaps people who buy Morgans aren't that fussed about modern standards? -- Verbarson talkedits 20:57, 18 April 2022 (UTC)
 * "Of course, there is only so much safety tech that the Plus 4 offers -- there are no air bags, for instance -- and crumple zones are just bodywork that will crumple in a crash. In this case it was fortunately enough to prevent a far worse outcome".
 * Morgan Plus 4 driver miraculously survives this high-speed rear-end crash. Alansplodge (talk) 13:13, 19 April 2022 (UTC)
 * (EC) Our article suggest at least in 2005, they had limited or no airbags, so I would expect they do fairly poorly in a number of modern tests whatever the alleged benefits of the wooden frame. Nil Einne (talk) 13:18, 19 April 2022 (UTC)
 * Marcos made cars with wooden chassis but they appear to have swapped to steel in 1969.[] --Ykraps (talk) 09:18, 20 April 2022 (UTC)