The Bud Hinman roadster- From Kustomrama- "When Eli called Buddy about the car, the first thing Buddy asked him was if the roadster still had the leopard print seats.
Ha! The Owl's nest is only a mile from my house & they make a great brandy old fashioned to go with the fish fry!
I have used animal print upholstery in a few cars, but nowadays I make sure I shoot genuine acrylic animals for their hides. Threatened species and all that.
just to be clear, i didnt say i liked it, just that any really cool car should have it. I think i saw some leopard skin jockey straps at walmart...
PM sent - to get the leopard print conversation back on topic. Although, there was (maybe still is) a cool tavern in Madison, WI named the Leopard Print Lounge. Looks like a strip mall from the outside. Right out of the 70s on the inside. Rat pack music on the jukebox. Cool place.
Wow!!! Check out the sales pitch just under the price. "Try in your car for 10 days at MY risk....." If the dude only knew what went on in my back seat...............................
My brother lives in Madison, next time I'm there I'll look it up. There's a joint by Elderly Instruments in Lansing MI like that. Straight out of the era man, you'd swear Sinatra is going to be up on the little stage singing at any moment, very cool. Not a thing updated since the late 50s. No leopard print seats in there tho....
Duh... Brain fart. It's called "Le Tigre Lounge." Wrong cat. Middle Blvd @ the Beltline (Hwy 12) The Leopard print Lounge was a radio program on the local independent station. Man, my memory is going fast.
Leopard was probably one of those things that was part of the Custom Works offered as something Deco and considered an alternative or compliment to leather, fake or real...I've seen far out Zebra or Zebra like in a late 40s custom...heck it may have been the late thirties...There was big money in Early Custom... Quoted below of Earl Bruce's Custom "Concerning the car’s interior changes, Earle said the upholstery has evolved from a white crushed velvet coffin lining to four-inch electrified lamb to black leather, then to naugehyde with the last "carriage tufting" version stitched by the famous Eddie Martinez." Used sparingly you could have wowed the crowds and got all the gals with that Cruz'n smile...Smithy's Howling away... Earl Bruce's 40...wore this interior and pushed bounderies modding Henry's Finest...a real Looker...it was in a couple of movies... I wonder if it was real? leather is leather so back then exotic stuff was around I assume and big bucks...again more a Custom thing even though Earl's Coupe is looking the Hotrod part as the skirts are off I believe 6 or eight pipes in a row out the back... That's Hotrod and probably sounded like a fighter bomber...actually he drove like that and has plates to prove it...
Maybe not back in the day...but If I ever saw a need to inspire such a skin in a period custom it would be as alluded earlier animal friendly...
It was a lame attempt at humor. I could start a trend here, genuine coyote upholstery...hmmmm... Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I'm having a chuckle thinking of this old Canadian Car Show pic with this Fella standing by his ride with about a dozen or more Stuffed Animals (real) running the length of his spot...He may have had a coyote interior... I know!...Pics or it didn't happen...Shared by @loudbang in the 60s Thread at the link below... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...es-of-what-you-like.132391/page-107#post-1310 Credit to Photographer, Owner
There is a connection to impressing and getting the The Hot Gals/Ladies with these exotic patterns just as Tiki is to Surfing is to Woodies...Movies, Manufacturers and Car Shows helped promote it...to the Hotrod/Custom Crowd...and then there's the Hula Doll... All part of the Big Picture...and @loudbang just highlighted that...all good with me Class Hotrod to Custom Fair Game I say and period Correct...
The Jalopy Journal
