Wraps let you personalize autos without paint

Without Wraps let you personalize autos without paint

When you buy a Smart car, you can get it wrapped to go.
Smart USA is announcing today that it will become the latest automaker to offer vinyl stick-on graphic "wraps" — in patterns such as military camouflage and hound's tooth — as a way to let customers add a personal, even wild, look to their car.

WRAP PHOTO GALLERY: A closer look at auto wraps
Ford recently rolled out its own program. BMW's Mini has had one for a while.

Smart Expressions, as the program will be known, "really builds on the innovative spirit of the brand," says Jill Lajdziak, president of Smart USA. "This car was made for something like this."

Besides wraps, Smart also will offer 93 special paint colors, including the ability to match any color.

Wrap appliqués give automakers the chance to liven up the image of vehicles. And because they mainly appeal to younger customers, they can give a brand a hipper feel.

Smart could use it, having seen sales decline after a big splash when the stubby ForTwo entered the U.S. market 21/2 years ago.

After wrapped versions of Ford's Fiesta subcompact were featured on the recent season of Fox's American Idol, "Suddenly, getting wrapped became cool overnight," says Tom Stemple, CEO of Original Wraps, the company that handles wraps for Ford, Mini and other automakers.

Ford is extending its wrap program to more vehicles, such as Mustang and the F-150 pickup.

Mini offers the British Union Jack flag or a checkerboard pattern for $398, according to its graphics website. That price does not include installation, which is done through the dealer.

But some customers design their own and can pay $1,000 or more for a fully wrapped car. Custom designs are proving popular.

Owners "can take a picture of their dog and create a custom graphic for the side panel" of the car, says Florian Kuenstner, Mini's U.S. accessories manager. "There are no limits."

The wrap trend takes advantage of the intersection of several developments in auto marketing and technology:

•Personalization. Youthful buyers want to put their own imprints on their cars, a trend made popular by Toyota's Scion division.

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