Geneva '08 Preview: Castagna gives Fiat 500 and MINI Clubman a big Woody
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Carrozzeria Castagna loves tinkering with little retro hatches. The Milanese design house has brought us wave after wave of unique creations – including MINI pickups and custom 500s – and is looking to continue its grand tradition of peculiarity at the Geneva Motor Show this week.
The MINI Woody Passion Kit (try saying that three times fast) is fairly straightforward because MINI already makes a wagon, so Castagna has put together a package of trim pieces for the Clubman in contrasting dark and light woodgrain effects. For the 500 WoodyWagon, however, Castagna had to take things a step further. About 50-60mm further, actually, as the coachbuilder has stretched the Cinquecento – only the rear overhang, it seems, with the wheelbase left intact) to create its interpretation of how a 500 wagon would look. The reports suggest that the 500 WoodyWagon will also come equipped with Castagna's supercharger kit, boosting power from 100 up to 155hp. Equally intriguing, however, is the suggestion that this is only a preview, as Fiat itself reportedly plans on making a 500 wagon by 2010 to be called the Giardiniera, which is news to us.
Gallery: Geneva '08: Castagna WoodyWagon
[Source: Italiaspeed]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Reuben 7:17PM (3/02/2008)
HAHA greatest title ever...
Woody...
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Andrew Tanasescu 7:20PM (3/02/2008)
I had the same immature giggle when I read "mini woody passion kit". sounds like some horrible sex toy.
Anyways back to the car. I never understood the whole wood on car exteriors. I remember seeing it on some Pt Crusiers and I think it looks like the dumbest thing ever. Cars are and never have been made from wood. Not even the flinstones did that.
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Ohso Clutch 7:25PM (3/02/2008)
It's a nod to the old Ford Woody panel Wagons from the 40's. For some reason, they fail to realize that those cars are the only acceptable application of wood panels.
Reader 8:18PM (3/02/2008)
I think I saw it here on Autoblog, but some students made a concept lamborghini-esque car out of all wood. Looked pretty good. Now wood panels... Those never look good.
Reuben 8:34PM (3/02/2008)
Wood panels have never and will never look good on cars..that I agree with.
However, as for a car made with wood....see Morgan (wood chasis)
garland823 12:04PM (3/03/2008)
You might want to ask Jaguar about wooden cars...
garlinski 7:23PM (3/02/2008)
The 500 looks pretty good... the Mini, not so good. Looks like the the trees from the Wizard of Oz puked all over it.
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Allan 7:53PM (3/02/2008)
Old school woodys... awesome.
New vehicles with retro woody styling... not so awesome. The PT loser, Mini, 500... just not feeling it.
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SPG 8:32PM (3/02/2008)
Chrysler made every Lebaron wagon, coupe, and convertible somehow cool with faux wood panneling.
These cars... Just are not working the wood so much.
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goalieguy314 11:20PM (3/02/2008)
Wow.. they made two ugly cars even uglier
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FThorn 6:53AM (3/03/2008)
Ugliest thing I've ever seen.
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ehisforadam 8:56AM (3/03/2008)
I just threw up a little in my mouth.
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Rick 10:18AM (3/03/2008)
I'm not a fan of the Clubman, but this wood setup makes the Clubman that more hiedous.
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Iridium 11:32AM (3/03/2008)
The 500 looks ok, the clubman is hideous.
For a real woody check out this:
http://www.cherrybronco.com/
I saw all of thier cars at the autoshow. Wood Bronco, Jeep, golf cart. The cool thing about them is that they are actually functional cars you can drive.
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