How automobile bodies evolved through history from wood to carbon fiber Industry insider George Wand portrays the automobile’s changing shapes and various materials used during its 125 year history., 1.1.1 Brief History The first motor car bodies and chassis frames, made between 1896 and 1910, were similar in design to horse-drawn carriages and, like the carriages, were made almost entirely of wood. The frames were generally made from heavy ash, and the joints were reinforced by wrought iron brackets which were individually fitted., Then, wood frames reinforced with steel to give the car body greater rigidity came along. Called armored wood, it saw its first use as framing to hold the steel body panels of the 1911 Hupmobile., Our fleet fuel card company shares a brief history of the car body style, from wood to steel to aluminum and more., Evolution of Frame Design⁚ From Wood to Steel The transition from wood to steel in automobile frame construction marked a significant leap forward in durability, safety, and manufacturing efficiency․ Steel, with its inherent strength and resistance to rot and decay, quickly became the dominant material for automotive frames․ Early steel frames were often constructed using a ladder frame , Some people would be surprised to learn that wood was used to make most car frames until 1937, according to Georgia-Pacific Corp., a forest products firm.Because of its strength, wood from oak and hickory trees was the most popular among carmakers. Today, oak is used to produce lumber, furniture and paneling. Hickory is used for veneers and moulding..