I once sat in a Delahaye upholstered in buttery and richly tanned ostrich hide. To tell the truth, it kind of creeped me out. My plebeian tastes not withstanding, automobile upholstery can make the difference between the chintzy, and the cheap but eclectic. Over the years car makers have used interior fabrics to define and establish their products’ identities. Some of them – like the hallucinogenic chequerboard of the Porsche 928 have become iconic, while others, like the diamond quilting common on certain Bentleys are for some an acquired taste.

An auto’s interior can have a big influence over your choice to purchase, seeing as you have to send pretty much the entire time interacting with that car in there. That means that it needs to be a cosseting place to be. But more than just that, it should be somewhere you desire being, an environment that’s engaging and aesthetically pleasing. That’s why car makers try to snazz up even the cheapest of rides with funky threads.

Do you have a favorite factory interior, one whose upholstery you find particularly pleasing to the eye? What do you think, which car has the coolest factory upholstery pattern?

Image source: eBay