Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) When leather is actually plastic...?

I'm not surprised: MB has been using MBTex or whatever it is called more frequently and charging extra for leather.

The leather isn't what it was, either.
The E350 Coupe had porcelain leather and at 7 years was aged, but not worn.
The C43 has the same leather, but at 2 years the colour is lifting: this is the front centre of the drivers seat, not where you'd expect wear.



I've lodged a complaint. It really is not acceptable.

The door tops and dash are MBTex, they look as new.

I think Mercedes call it ARTICO (artificial cow) haha

Now wheres that old cow gone, shes in the Kitchen, i will just give her a poke.

I had never made the connection between the MB not-leather artico and what it meant, excellent. Artificial-cow. It's one of the reasons I love buying massively loaded/depreciated luxury cars. They usually have the top leather and the extended leather packs which cover all the other surfaces.

There are ever more companies offering less leather and more options. I like the new finish Range Rover are offering on the Velar. I have always loved Alcantara as well.

The leathers have got thinner and been mounted on formers to keep them from tearing. Also the tanning can't have the same depth anymore as they have banned all the good chemicals. I won't have white leather anymore after having had to pay for replacement seat covers after my jeans apparently leaked into them. My jeans were a good seven years old and had been washed several times at least.

Went to a talk by a well known Morgan trimmer, someone posed the question of different leather specs / quality

From memory his response was that hides are now 'split' into 3 layers during processing

Top layer with the natural hide grain is the best, second layer is treated & embossed to create a natural grain look, third layer are your basic shammy leathers for cleaning

Offcuts are treated, squished, glued & shaved into sheets with a composite backing, apparently favoured by Mercedes for cost

I called in to a car trimmer I discovered living very near to me.
Discussed covering the door mechanism covers, and a few other ideas.
She quoted £75.00.

Delightful lady, and car nut.

https://www.facebook.com/Trim-Lizzie-430106250723011/

I also talked to her about the failure of the leather on the Mercedes. She said it is clearly a manufacturing / processing fault.
Once the top colour is applied to the leather a second clear layer is applied, to stop the colour bleeding out into fabric and colour staining the leather, which can happen. If this protective layer isn't applied properly it flakes off with the colour.

The leather cannot be repaired, only the seat replaced, unless the dealer has a trimmer trained and licensed to work with airbags, when a new leather cover can be fitted.
On a car with airbags in the seat this sort of damage often means a complete new seat as no independent trimmer will touch an airbag loaded seat.

That's a good find Peter she could be worth her weight in gold, at those prices it seems very reasonable indeed.

And the answer to my original question is........

When it’s confirmed as Everflex

Got a mohair hood on the car so wasn’t sure what Everflex looked or felt like so it was the plasticky smell that raised my doubts. Administrative error and real (hopefully) leather item enroute.

Good to hear MMC redressed the error Bob