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the finish.

He notes, "We particularly like this technology because it solves the problem of expansion and contraction. Wood is a living material, and if you

Story at a Glance

Automobile manufacturers use fine hardwoods for interiors Jaguar has its own sawmill, 190 craftsmen.

have a house with a wooden front door, you know that it swells in summer and contracts in winter."

As has the lumber industry, Williams has had to correct uninformed complaints about using wood.

Jaguar imports wood from 1007o managed plantations where two trees are replanted for every one harvested, resulting in minimal impact on the environment.

"Wood is the most renewable resource we can use," he said. "And, of course, each tree is felled only at the end of its life as a walnut provider."

It's a similar story at Lexus, where experts scrutinized 24 different types of wood for their interiors. "Pine was too stark. Birch, too thin. Oak, far too bland. So we decided on California walnut," said a spokesperson. "Every spring, we spend countless hours selecting it, followed by more than two months of sanding, testing, staining, testing, curing, testing and finishing it."

That sort of fanaticism thev're proud of.