By Ian Ferguson
A popular upgrade accessory is the tailored fitting of leather seating to automotive interiors.
It’s not just any leather for this rough and tumble role, where temperatures can exceed 80 degrees centigrade and ultraviolet rays are magnified by the vehicles glass area.
Add to this the wear and tear experienced in a day’s work sliding in and out, dropping tools and equipment on seats or the wet and muck of bad weather days.
Where fabric struggles to clean up after the hard days, leather can be wiped down and even rejuvenated. Automotive quality leather is fit for purpose. As a raw material leather is not a cheap one.
RVE Special Leather interior
The processes from hides to workable material are many and difficult, to supply the best quality consistently.
The utilisation of the leather has computer programmes plotting the cutting for the least waste as offcuts lying on the floor are profit lost. Leather feels quality, the fit and finish make the final leather product look the part but also provide a long service life.
To make a bespoke one-off leather seating for any vehicle is laborious and labour-intensive exercise.
To make multiple copies builds in cost effectiveness and quality when done properly. One company that has mastered the business of volume retrospective installation of leather to many vehicle models is Auckland based RVE. Nearly 50 years after the founding by patriarch Vic Stanners, his sons Dave, Jim and Mark lead a team supplying the motor industry and dealers with ute upgrades, respected for the high quality of workmanship and customer experience. The entry was always leather but now a whole host of products are available, some from alliances around the world, building on this specialist industry.
RVE has shown how interwoven they are with the motor industry, when they were commissioned to supply Holden NZ with the concept ROX Colorado that debuted at 2019 Fieldays New Zealand’s premier agricultural event.
From this have spun off some inspired variants and opened up many new product opportunities for the RVE range and for the industry to profit from.
Driving dreams has become RVE's call sign as they navigate the aftermarket waves. Mark Stanners has been lead for design and development working with dealers and motor companies to create the innovative ideas that turn into profits.
RVE upgraded leather interior with Monza sport seating
Much of the passion for the RVE products comes from the evolution of the business but attention to detail is never in short supply. Every new model vehicle is considered, and design options are identified.
There are four options available for leather seating designs, starting with RVE Special leather from RRP $2,450 to the designer series which includes Standard Seat Shape, or the upgraded Monza sport seating, as pictured above. All the latter are price on application. RVE Special is a basic OEM specification leather in black, with perforated leather inserts brought together with grey stitching. This price conscious product is intended to give every dealer the opportunity to add leather to the options list to perhaps make a distinctive point of difference to assist selling “sticky” models or creating the dealer’s own special edition.
Smart dealers may offer leather in their suite of accessories as RVE have very realistic supply lines and timing. For attractiveness and versatility leather is the penultimate product and no longer dogged with lengthy build delays of old. These days the leather installation can happen during the pre-delivery cycle where fitting happens when the fresh licence plates go on.
Dealer tip: Here is an upgrade option that can cost $2500 to possibly $5000 on full-blown designs. Consider the margin possible and look at vehicles that could do with a lift in features or perhaps smell not so good. A window card showing the option on every vehicle may bring only a handful of orders but GP is good. Right? Build that supplier relationship so this becomes second nature and you will reap greater returns. There will be new products on offer and specials to take advantage of. Don’t discount. Value add. Every customer is good and better if they return.
Consumer tip: Leather lifts the value of your purchase. You benefit from the comfort and ease of use for the whole time you own that car. Consider optional seat heaters. These are very popular with passengers, while the driver has plenty to do at the wheel. Make sure you use the care and rejuvenation pack which should come with every quality leather installation. And ... it will assist with the selling on of the vehicle at end of life, with you.