Leather protection - late model Ferrari

around 1940-1950. There are always exceptions. the coating can also wear off in spots.

 

Wow, didn´t know it went back that far in time! I used to use Connolly hide care on my ex 308 leather. What's your opinion on that product?

 

The famous company Connolly started off in around 1878 supplying leather for shoes and horse drawn carriages, So when the first motor cars appeared they were in an ideal position to capitalize on the use of leather to trim the interiors.
Supplying the top echelons of the motor industry they used the very best hides available, but as customer demand grew and manufacturers wanted more and more different leather colours for their clients a new type of leather for car interiors was needed.
In 1927 Connolly invented " Vaumol Connolly Leather " - here the hide is treated to a 2 stage colouring process, the first is a coat of cellulose based colour, and a final top coat colour via a spray gun.
I think they produced around 30 different colours, for Aston, Ferrari, Rolls, Jaguar, Jenson, etc, etc. They also put Vaumol leather into cruise liners and the seats of the House Of Lords.
Alas as we entered the 1980s and onwards, car manufacturers wanted the look of leather but at a fraction of the cost, manufacturing methods had improved too, so you could make inferior leather hides look and feel like natural leather, eg BMW faux grained leather. Sadly due to the above, Connolly went out of production in the late 1990s / 2000.
Not a sad end though, as they are now back in business, and they have archived samples of leather dating back to the start of Vaumol Leather, meaning they can accurately reproduce leather for any classic car restoration. See Tyrrells Classis Workshop / Connolly Leather on YouTube.

 

Per this thread, it really doesn't do mcuh specific to the leather. I like CarPro PERL diluted 3:1. Best thig you can do it tint every window including windshield to block IR and UV rays. All tint blocks UV so its important to get the more expensive films that block IR

 

Ferrari upholstery restorer Henk van Lith says that today's automotive leathers "receive a spray coating of colored vinyl. It's pleather. It looks like plastic because it is plastic." To see how Ferrari leather has changed over the decades,read the article in FORZA February 2019.

 

Ferrari sources it's leather from Paltrona Frau. And yes it's vinyl coated.

 

According to that article,the spray penetrates into the pores of the leather. That should make it harder for the color to rub off,but there would be no point to using products that are supposed to soak into the leather to condition it,moisturize it etc. I clean the leather on my 2019 Ferrari with the same detail spray that I use on the paint.

 

Everything people are saying about modern coated leathers is true.

But that doesn't mean they can't dry out!

On my two modern Alfa Romeos (4C and Giulia Quadrifoglio) the black leather interiors were very dry and almost grey upon delivery, from their time in transit and sitting in port awaiting delivery.

After a basic conditioning they have a much more supple feel and look like the correct black color. Two products I like are Griot's 3-in-1 and Adam's Leather Conditioner. These are both just wipe on, rub in well, then buff off products with good UV protection. They really do seem to keep the leather softer and more pliable. Maybe they are really only changing the feel of the outer coating?

 

It's just simple science. Put a glove on your hand. Rub skin moisturizing lotion on your "hand". It will feel different after you rub the lotion in. But your actual skin will be the same as before.

Yes, you are right, the surface can get damaged over time. So use a product that is designed for vinyl and has UV protection. Better yet tint all your windows with UV and IR rejecting tint including windshield (clear tint). This will protect the "leather" far more than any UV spray.

The takeaway is that most of these so called "leather treatments" are not doing much and many people fall for the marketing hype

 

I am working on my leather and I believe this is true. I guess they when they charge so much, they want natural things to look perfect and they found a way.

What is the point of leather anymore??

 

It is a very strange thing when leather is perceived to be the best and most opulent material for a cars interior (Thru marketing) and then it has to be covered in a modern plastic to survive its intended use, one would think expensive man-made materials would be better but, as humans we look on them as inferior?
I will say the manufacturers of Alcantera have done a wonderful job of convincing us mortals that it is a premium material and should be priced as such.

 

A lot of great info and history on leather/plastic . Anyone have a suggestion for creases on the bolster, or is it irreversible on modern leather?