Connolly Leather
Encyclopedia
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
company supplying highly finished leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
primarily to car manufacturers. The term is also used to describe the particular brand of leather itself, when fitted in a car interior.
Connolly supplied most if not all of the leather for the British car industry, including but not limited to Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Motors
Rolls-Royce Motors was created from the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalised in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine...
, Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
, Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, Jaguar, TVR, and MG-Rover (which under its umbrella includes Land Rover, Range Rover, Rover cars, and MG) as well as non-British makes including Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
, Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, and Nissan. US car brand Pontiac used Connolly Leather on their top range model, the Bonneville SSEi in 2000. This leather was also used for the seats in the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s used in World War 2.
In addition to car upholstery, Connolly Leather has been used in the manufacture of high-end audio loudspeakers such as the B&W
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins is a British loudspeaker company that produces mid-range through reference quality hi-fi and home theater speakers. The company name is often abbreviated to just B&W.Joe Atkins is current owner and chairman...
Signature 800 series as an expression of the quality and luxury status of the item. Connolly Leather was also used in other products: even "retro" transistor radios from British manufacturer Roberts
Roberts Radio
Roberts is a consumer electronics limited company based in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, England. It has been producing radios for over 80 years. Initially the company only traded in the United Kingdom, but now exports worldwide...
.
The company also sold leather-care products (e.g. Connolly Hide-Food); restoring leather is sometimes known as "Connollising", thanks to the reputation of the company.
Although "Connollising" is somewhat shrouded in secret, it basically involves scrubbing down the leather with a cleaner/soap while using a stiff brush (such as a nail brush) or slightly abrasive sponge which thins and removes most of the original surface color & finish. The leather is then moisturized and recolored, bringing it back as close to original condition as possible. Connollising involves the leather surface more than the leather itself. Connollising can not fix cracks or extremely dry leather. Connollising fixes the "wear and tear" of the surface due to typical usage and age (and possibly some neglect).
Although the words "Connollising" and "Connolised" are supposedly legally protected, most restoration companies employ a similar if not the same technique to restore leather and "bring it back to life," except they can not advertise it as "Connollising."
Despite having been in the leather tanning and curing business since 1878, Connolly Leather ceased trading in June 2002.
Although the leather manufacturing company no longer exists, the brand remains as a bespoke retailer in Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
and Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
.
The recipes to Connolly Hide-Food and their Leather-Cleaner have since been sold or licensed and have returned to the market.