Island Life Magazine Ltd February / March 2016 | Page 55

MOTORING

Bringing

T

leather
back to life

here are few things quite so appealing
to the senses as the feel and smell of
leather seats and trims in a new car.

Soft to the touch, leather is cool in
summer, but quick to warm up in the
winter - and its distinct aroma is as
comforting and soothing as that of fresh
baked bread or brewing coffee.
Historically, top quality leather interiors
were synonymous with the very best car
marques in the world, including Rolls
Royce and Bentley, and almost all of these
were associated in some way with the
Connolly Brothers, undisputed pioneers of
leather in car interiors. They started their
company in 1878, but in 1927 devised a
revolutionary method of colouring hides
across a wide spectrum of colours, which
was warmly welcomed by the auto trade
in the UK.
During the 1950s and early 60s, a total
of 85 per cent of the hides produced by
the firm were used in the motor industry.
However, during the 70s and 80s,
reflecting the increase in use of cheaper
synthetic materials such as vinyl and
plastic and the need to reduce costs, the
use of leather fell, resulting in the demise
of the famous firm in 2002. Whilst the
words ‘Connolising’ and ‘Connolised’
might be familiar, they are supposedly
legally protected and cannot be used in
advertising or marketing.
Fast-forward to the present day, and
leather is enjoying a real renaissance in
the motor industry – although it’s no
longer the preserve of prestige brands, as
the people at Sandown-based cosmetic
refurbishers Bump Express, who specialise
in bringing tired and worn old car seats
back to gleaming life, can verify.
Nowadays the industry is using materials
that in many cases come from cattle bred
purely for the quality of their hide.

The hide has to undergo many
stages before it is suitable for use
in cars, going through various
processes, including tanning,
stretching, uniform graining
application and colouring. A
popular misconception is that
leather is dyed, but that’s not the
case. Leather used in cars has
to withstand not only repeating
rubbing as driver and passengers
get in and out, but also extremes
of temperature and sunlight,
and to cope with these elements,
hides are generally ‘painted’ in
large spray plants with special )