The car for the rich and famous features leather designed to appeal to every sense – even sound
Rolls-Royce claims its leather is ‘without question, the finest in the world’ and after finding out how it is created, it is hard to disagree.
Firstly, they work directly with farmers to ensure the bulls whose hides they use have lived lives in humid, temperate climates while grazing on lush grass full of immunity-boosting nutrients and anti-oxidants.
Once the hides are tanned, the leather is tested to find if it can withstand extremes of temperature. It is placed in a special chamber, chilled to -10°C then heated to 100°C. This doesn’t just happen once. It happens once every 24 hours for 10 days.
When the leather is died, Rolls-Royce uses a process where the leather is tumbled in pigment to make sure it permeates right through the leather, not just the top layer. This means it retains its brilliance in all shades of light from all angles. It also means the leather holds its colour as it matures and builds a patina.
And now the sound element – we weren’t joking. Rolls-Royce are so concerned the leather never squeaks that they revolve the leather in a big drum for 16 hours to achieve the softest, most sumptuous texture is achieved. According to the company, this “ensures sitting back is an uninterrupted and peaceful affair, a detail that often takes our clients by surprise”.
Find out more here.
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