The Sweet Smell of Luxury: That New Car Scent
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Land Rover ::: new car leather scent
VOLATILE organic compounds or (VOCs) are what account for most of that heady scent each and every time you step into a new car. Essentially, that new car smell is a perfume of air born molecules emitting from freshly applied glues, plastics, vinyls and, of course, leather.
For some, that new car – leather smell is a kind of aphrodisiac. Or at least was.
In an effort to be environmentally friendly, car makers are cutting back on VOCs as a way of preempting EU safety nannies; eager to levy taxes on anything deemed unhealthy or un-green.
The result is kind of sad for the auto aficionado as most of those blissful scents of new hide bound interiors are gone or subdued from contemporary cars.
Sigh. Let’s wind back the clock 10 years to headier times with lovelier bouquets. The following were the best new car leather scents in the biz.
6) Lexus
5) Saab
4) Land Rover / Range Rover
3) Volvo
2) BMW
1) Jaguar
Find yourself inside a new RX300 back in 2000 and the smooth hides seemed to embrace you in a buttery aroma so rich you couldn’t believe it wasn’t. And, in fact, you did salivate.
Saab’s 9-3 convertible and hatchback featured hides that awakened our nasal senses with tea-tree oil and perhaps a bit of eucalyptus. Sub. Lime.
Land Rovers and Range Rover came fitted with a thick musk as standard equipment which seemed to espouse the very essence of the great outdoors as catered for by Abercrombie & Kent. Decadent.
Volvo’s leather once emitted a luxurious perfume, so full yet zesty like the Saab. A V70′s interior was an uncommonly decadent space, considering the safety focused Swedish company that marketed its models to a decidedly pragmatic clientele.
BMWs through the 90s into the early 00s seemed to lace their hides with pheromones, particularly if you opted for special edition Montana leather packages. The electricity was in the air even before you turned the ignition.
But, by far, the finest scent ever produced for any automobile was the AutoLux hides produced for the Jaguar Vanden Plas (Daimler) by Connolly. Easily trumping Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and vastly superior to the deluxe interior packages of the current XJ. Those piped hides emited a peerlessly rich, luxuriant bouquet that seemed to permeate life’s finest ingredients.
Picture it: reposing in the rear seat, leather soles meeting the soft cushion of deep pile Wilton carpeting, gazing through the stretched window framed in chrome and boxwood and breathing in the most heavenly automotive scent ever created.
Connolly should’ve bottled that essence and sold it next to Gio and Cool Water. Magnificent.
About the Author: Gunnar Heinrich is publisher of Automobiles De Luxe online and is executive producer of the Automobiles De Luxe Television series on PBS member station CPTV.
Chris | Apr 9, 2010 | Reply
From what I understand, reducing VOCs in a car interior shouldn’t harm the rich scent of leather. Toyotas as of a few years ago had such a strong smell of plastics and glues that many customers complained of headaches.
The best smells in cars are from the natural materials including not only leather, but also natural seat stuffing. This is the reason a Mercedes even from the 1960s features a unique smell. In contrast whenever I’ve found myself in a Subaru that has been sitting in the sun for a few hours, the smell is rather nasty. Then again, maybe I’ve got a different sense of smell.
Brad Starcevich | Apr 9, 2010 | Reply
Gunnar,
Wow, great post!! Olfactic memories of my early Jags came rushing back. You are quite right about Jaguar leather, especially early Jag leather. My ’87 XJ had that voluptuous aroma, but I don’t remember the scent of my later Jags being nearly as wonderful. Thanks, Gunnar.
Best, Brad
Sybarite | Apr 9, 2010 | Reply
LOVE the rich leather aroma! Although lately there were stories about how the ‘new car smell’ was hazardous, guess that’s why they stopped that.
Gunnar | Apr 10, 2010 | Reply
Interestingly, the Mercedes Classic Center is replacing vintage seats on select old models that were originally made with horse hair to ones that are now made with the inside of coconut shells. This, too, affects the car’s interior scent.
Chris | Apr 12, 2010 | Reply
Hmm, that is interesting. I remember w215 CLs having a very distinct smell inside, from what I believe was something coconut based. Several CL500s to me often smelled like, well, um…pot. Though maybe that was due to the driver.
bobby | Jun 9, 2010 | Reply
My 86′ Vanden Plas has that very smell to it. They are Connolly Autolux hides and the entire cabin is leather. I can still remember the day I bought the car and felt so special as I drove it home, that heady Connolly leather aroma permeating the interior. No other car I’ve owned since has had that effect on me. 25 years on it still has that intense rich smell. If anything it has gotten better with age.
Amazing that seemingly ordinary materials shared by so many manufacturer’s can convey such a sense of well being for a driver.
Gunnar | Jun 9, 2010 | Reply
Bobby, I remember that ‘vintage’ well. It was slightly different than the magnificent scent of the 90′s Vanden Plas, but no less fine. Super fine, actually.
Jackie | May 2, 2011 | Reply
Since that new car smell comes primarily from glue, plastics and vinyls it doesn’t surprise me at all that it’s harmful and most likely toxic. not just cars per se; once I bought a vinyl shower curtain and the plastic smell was so strong and toxic that I had to return it. Probably best to drive down with the windows down to air it out in the beginning. I read that a high content of VOC can increase your chances of cancer.