Europe
2010-08-13
The surf's definitely up dudes and we have the proof! Chevrolet has pulled the wraps off a one-off special version of its Spark supermini, the Spark Woody Wagon, created to celebrate the brand's American heritage and connection to youth culture.
The Spark Woody Wagon had its first public outing at the Boardmasters 2010 surf, skate and music festival, in Newquay, Cornwall, U.K., a favorite venue for surfers. Chevrolet chose Newquay to show off the car for the first time, as the Cornish resort is famous across the world for its surfing culture – the Atlantic Ocean meets the British Isles at one of its narrowest peninsulas, which gives naturally excellent conditions for surfing.
The car recalls the dawn of the surf movement in the U.S.A., when, in the late Fifties and early Sixties, surfers bought 'Woodies'. These were traditionally large estate cars based on mainstream models, but with timber framed bodywork, as they were both cheap and spacious enough to carry their boards and equipment.
Woody Wagons were immortalized in song, chiefly in The Beach Boys' Surfin' Safari and Jan and Dean's Surf City, both widely regarded as two of the most famous surfing tunes ever.
Yet even when car makers stopped using wooden frames, an expensive and difficult production process, the Woody had become so much a part of American culture that its essence continued, with Chevrolet one of many U.S. manufacturers who used Di-Noc wood-grained vinyl paneling to maintain the woody effect.
The Spark Woody is one of a series of 'Art Sparks' created in the past year. The first, the Smeilinener Spark, a unique interpretation of the car by German fashion designer Smeilinener, made its debut at the final of the Young Creative Chevrolet competition in Berlin last October, while other Art Sparks include a one-off WTCC leading car by Portuguese art student José Rocha, a YCC winner, and a Spark DJ Car – the world's largest record turntable, created by Chevrolet earlier this year.
About Chevrolet
Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet Europe delivers attractive, distinctive design, practical, economical cars and outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2009, Chevrolet held its market share in Europe at 2.3 percent, selling 426,000 cars. Chevrolet has a network of 2,900 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the all-new Spark city car, the small Aveo, compact Cruze sedan, Captiva SUV, mid-size Epica and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet will launch the Orlando, an all-new family van, the Camaro coupe and convertible, the new Aveo and the Cruze hatchback as well as re-launching the Captiva SUV with four new engines. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the U.K. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is preparing to celebrate its centenary with the launch of the ground-breaking Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. More information on Chevrolet can be found at http://www.chevroleteurope.com or http://media.chevroleteurope.com.
The Spark Woody Wagon:
Surfin' USA: The Spark Woody Wagon, a one-off special version of Chevrolet's Spark supermini, is one of a series of 'Art Sparks' created in the past year. It recalls the so-called 'Woodies', large wagons with timber-framed bodywork, that were popular among U.S. surfers back in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
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