One of the Japanese car brands (I beleive it was the Acura RSX) found
that the sound of the car door closing was used as a surrogate for
consumers in determining car quality.  Therefore, they designed a
system that produced the sound most associated with a heavy door
closing.

I am trying to prove a point in a publication and it would be nice to
get an article or source where this was published.

Marketingevolution,

The information you mentioned in your question was published on the
Honda Canada Website.

Benefits of the Acura TSX

Door Sound 

"Acura has learned that some of the most powerful luxury cues are
almost completely subconscious. One example is the sound of a door
closing. Acura engineers methodically refined the design of the door
sashes of the TSX to reduce high-frequency resonance when the doors
are closed.

The door latches themselves are carefully engineered to latch securely
with a light closing pressure and to emit a quality sound.

Acura engineers also designed a special ?bumping door seal? that
purposefully transmits a certain low-frequency vibration to the door
itself. This desirable vibration is heard as a substantial sound as
the door closes, evoking the impression of substance and quality.

Even tiny details like a door checker - the mechanism that limits the
door?s maximum opening - play a part in perceptions of quality. That?s
why the TSX doors use a new type of checker that lets the door open
more fluidly, yet has a pronounced detent at the intermediate and
maximum open position."

Honda Canada
http://web.archive.org/web/20040214210926/http://www.acura.ca/AcuraEng/Models/TSX/Benefits.htm?Section=Body


Search terms:
Acura door sounds quality

I hope this helps!

Best regards, 
Bobbie7

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Clarification of Answer by bobbie7-ga on 10 Apr 2006 16:30 PDT

This might interest you also:

Brand identity

"In the car industry there are car lovers who recognize their car by
the sound of the slamming door. This sound sometimes especially
created by a multi disciplinary team of sound designers, engineers,
product designers and psychologists is very characteristic for the
brand it is created for. The sound enhances the values, for example
sturdiness, safety, and trust that are the base of the specific brand.
The car becomes a total concept from a form, touch and sound point of
view."

http://www.omroep.nl/nps/radio/supplement/99/soundscapes/engelen.html