Leather seats, the height of luxury ?
Discussion
Was looking on the Retro cars thread and it got me thinking, why are leather seats regarded as being posh or Luxurious, surely this is more so ?
Finest seventies velour, warm in winter, cool in summer unlike leather which is generally freezing in winter and hot in summer, ok if you have heated seats but I find that initial
moment until the heaters do their thing is still pretty cold.
I don't think leather is really all that comfy in the scheme of things, it can be pretty slidy as well if the seats aren't shaped to hold you in.
Leather tends to wear well and is easy to clean but to be honest, most look a bit like the seats off a small regional airliner.
Need some Velour back on the options list !
Finest seventies velour, warm in winter, cool in summer unlike leather which is generally freezing in winter and hot in summer, ok if you have heated seats but I find that initial
moment until the heaters do their thing is still pretty cold.
I don't think leather is really all that comfy in the scheme of things, it can be pretty slidy as well if the seats aren't shaped to hold you in.
Leather tends to wear well and is easy to clean but to be honest, most look a bit like the seats off a small regional airliner.
Need some Velour back on the options list !
Must be another marketing led thing. As other posters mentioned, it used to be the case that leather was used for the (often uncovered) chauffer's area because it was hard wearing and the back had luxury fabrics.
I still miss the velour trim in my old Ghia spec Ford. Leather does give off a great smell though.
I still miss the velour trim in my old Ghia spec Ford. Leather does give off a great smell though.
Good quality leather is really nice and can make for very comfortable seats. The "men's shower bag" leather you get in the vast majority of cars is s
t and I'd just as soon have cloth. Velour is just awful though, it gets dirty and you get electric shocks all the time. Did anyone still use it in the 90s besides Vauxhall?
t and I'd just as soon have cloth. Velour is just awful though, it gets dirty and you get electric shocks all the time. Did anyone still use it in the 90s besides Vauxhall?
Ha yes! I do like the full velouriousness of the Senator in the picture. I remember it as being really good quality in them, though I was a small child at the time, so could have been easily impressed!
I really like the velour Mercedes fitted in cars in the Seventies and Eighties. I guess the last cars to have it fitted must be the W124. It is magnificent quality cloth, not unlike the Opel above in look. This era of Mercedes - W116/W126/W124 I would far rather have with velour. As mentioned, Mercedes velour was mightily expensive - almost as much as leather, and Mercedes wanted a King's ransom for that!
Some cars for me, are better with leather. Jaguars, for example. The Connolly leather they used in the Eighties had a lovely feel and smell and gain a lovely patina as they age. The fluted design was particularly attractive too; the cars seem less without it.
The leather used in cars in the Senator's time was a much more expensive, better quality and altogether nicer thing than the modern p-leather in most cars these days.
Modern cars seem much less comfort focused than they did. They don't seem to have any style either; no chutzpah. The Senator in the photo had chutzpah in spades. It wouldn't work now. Buyers seem to be too conservative and afraid of anything out of the ordinary. It's a monochrome, robotic world.
I really like the velour Mercedes fitted in cars in the Seventies and Eighties. I guess the last cars to have it fitted must be the W124. It is magnificent quality cloth, not unlike the Opel above in look. This era of Mercedes - W116/W126/W124 I would far rather have with velour. As mentioned, Mercedes velour was mightily expensive - almost as much as leather, and Mercedes wanted a King's ransom for that!
Some cars for me, are better with leather. Jaguars, for example. The Connolly leather they used in the Eighties had a lovely feel and smell and gain a lovely patina as they age. The fluted design was particularly attractive too; the cars seem less without it.
The leather used in cars in the Senator's time was a much more expensive, better quality and altogether nicer thing than the modern p-leather in most cars these days.
Modern cars seem much less comfort focused than they did. They don't seem to have any style either; no chutzpah. The Senator in the photo had chutzpah in spades. It wouldn't work now. Buyers seem to be too conservative and afraid of anything out of the ordinary. It's a monochrome, robotic world.
I always view leather as the utilitarian choice - very hard wearing and easy to keep clean but not dreadfully pleasant and rather slippery for spirited driving. I think my favourite setup is half leather (leather bolsters for wear resistance, alcantara centres for grip and coolness) but I'd take full cloth over full leather given the choice.
I like it in a car, looks good and if looked after will last for years.
Easy to clean as well, I leather treat my car seats every four months.
My seats are in a old 87 car, so a bit old now but still smell and look good.
The thing is most people, do not look after them and repairs are costly.
Easy to clean as well, I leather treat my car seats every four months.
My seats are in a old 87 car, so a bit old now but still smell and look good.
The thing is most people, do not look after them and repairs are costly.
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