It just became a lot easier than ever to support the car-cult that is The Autopian, because we have a new base tier — one that you, dear readers recommended — that sits just below the former-lowest membership level, Vinyl, which itself sits below Velour and Rich Corinthian Leather. The new tier is called “Cloth,” and it foregoes merch to focus on getting you access to Members-only posts, the private channel on our Discord, and you’ll get discounts to our events! If you buy the annual membership, it adds up to just $5.83 a month, which is a 30 percent savings over the previously-cheapest option! (Sign up here). I’m going to spend much of the rest of this blog talking about some very good cloth seats even though I’m supposed to be convincing you to become a member, since it’s a critical part of our roadmap towards sustainability as a website. Let’s talk cloth seats.
The cloth seat that gets the most love, I’d say, is the VW Golf GTI’s plaid seat, and you know what? Rightly so; it’s fantastic:
There are a few other examples of decent modern cloth seats, but these days cool-cloth is rare. We’re at a point where, in the U.S. at least, it seems cloth seats are blander than ever. If you buy a modern car with cloth, chances are you’ll get a plastic-y-single-color fabric of some sort. Maybe you’ll get black and another accent color, but this doesn’t mean cloth is somehow uncool. No, cloth is legitimately cool, even if you’ll be hard-pressed to find a modern vehicle with cloth seats that look as good as those on this old Chevy K5 Blazer:
I once bought one of these seats from a junkyard in Michigan. What a find!:
The thing is: This was hardly an isolated thing. Back before cloth became relegated to the cheaper trims, and leather/fake leather became the standard for higher trims, you’d find great cloth patterns in even the top models. Check out the 1990s-era Jeep Wrangler Sahara’s green and tan seats. Lovely!
And let’s not forget this fantastic seat available on Jeep TJ Wranglers:
Nowadays, if you want cloth seats in a Wrangler, this and a tan version of this are all you get. All the interesting stuff is leather/leatherette, these days.
(Note: Before the Wrangler, there was the CJ, which could be had with a Levis interior:
But, as a reader pointed out, and as written above, this was actually vinyl! -DT].
Oh boy, check out this Jeep Cherokee XJ cloth seat below. XJ seats were fantastic at launch in 1984, remained fantastic even after the headrests entered the game sometime in the late 1980s, and then in the mid 1990s they became awful. After the XJ’s refresh in 1997, cloth seats remained bad but became slightly better than 1995/1996 cloth seats. It’s really amazing how much the seats regressed, but this was a pattern in the industry.
Anyway, please post in the comments your favorite cloth seats of all time to commemorate the new, cheapest Autopian membership tier. Oh, but maybe click the link in this caption first:
If you’re unsure about supporting us, just know that we appreciate the fact that you read our website, no matter what. That said, we’ve amassed a few testimonials from members. Folks seem happy! (Though we’re always open for feedback on how to improve!).
Oh, and here are some grille badges that Velour+ members put on their vehicles. Amazing!:
Rich Corinthian Leather members, though, get the GOOD stuff. Rust (among other things, including private car-collection tours, which we’re working to orchestrate!):
You can sign up here. But expect some weird members-only content from your favorite car cultists.
[Ed Note: What David was supposed to say was: In a world where our competitors are looking to use AI instead of writers, platforms like Facebook are de-emphasizing news, and advertisers are turning more and more to influencers, we’re hoping to build a sustainable community that supports writers and treats its readers like customers instead of just a product to be sold to brands. He was going to add that we have over 750 members and they help cover about 10% of the operating costs of this site. Our goal with this summer membership drive is to get over 1,000 total members, which would help a lot. Additionally, we’ve added a Foreign Legion tier for people outside of the United States who still want merch/gear. If you’re an existing member outside of the USA you’re grandfathered in. – MH]
[Editor’s Editor’s note: Fair point, Matt. I got distracted by the cool old-school seats. -DT]
Peugeot 205 Junior / Peugeot 106 Kid had nice denim seats? Or the seemed nice at the time at least.
What happened to the Merch section? I would get more cool t-shirts like the ones you had early on.
The 1st gen Renault Mégane my friend donated to me was a hilariously terrifying shitbox, but by god, those cloth seats were comfy. And the heater was toasty warm in no time.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The first manufacturer who has the stones to sell me a new crew cab pick-up truck with two plaid bench seats, gets my money.
Also, like I told Matt at the Chicago readers meet. As soon as y’all make comment notifications work, I’m in!
For “not too basic, but not too busy” file: the Toyota Corolla FX16 GTS.
https://barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1987-Toyota-FX16-GTS-41-630×420.jpg
Yep, that’s a subtle checkerboard pattern in fantastically bolstered, amazingly comfortable seats.
In the “holy shit what” category, the winner take all winner? 1973 AMC Pierre Cardin Javelin.
https://www.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/11/2016/04/1972-AMC-Javelin-SST-seats-660×440.jpg?fit=around%7C875:492
Yes. The pattern extends ONTO THE HEADLINER.
Your knowledge of automotive esoterica is remarkable sir. Remarkable. I stand in awe.
I want that Javelin interior so bad.
I did a silly thing and bought the cloth membership without being signed in? Will that just resolve itself and link the account via email to does it get complicated now 🙂
Hah, I don’t know! Let’s find out.
You failed to mention these glorious beasts in your discussion of cloth seats: https://www.autoblog.com/2023/03/26/junkyard-gem-1984-toyota-tercel-sr5-4wd-wagon/
Have mercy!
Look up the “heritage interior trim” for the 1976 Chevy’s for the bicentennial. It’s red, white and blue with eagles. They have a Chevette in the GM Heritage Center in that trim.
They look fairly boring, a cloth that looks sort of suedeish or alcantaraish, but the manual cloth seats in an rx8 are by far the most comfortable seats in any car, especially for a long road trip. While they look the same, the leather power rx8 seats are awful. The leather has more of a hard vinyl feel, the padding seems both stiffer but far thinner, and the ergonomics just don’t feel right. Glad I ordered one with exactly the options and color I wanted rather than grab whatever they had on the lot. Other than the torsen lsd and hid headlights, I feel like every other option made the car worse. Want heated seats? well we’ll place the button right where your wrist wrests while shifting, want a sunroof? it’ll cost you 3″ of headroom effectively making the car untrackable with a helmet, oh and it also comes with leather heated power seats that add ~100Lb to the car, and don’t forget the mediocre sounding bose stereo that wasn’t really an improvement over the base one, but now you can’t easily upgrade it, and need to carry around a bunch of extra weight.
I’m no longer on the lowest level? Al Bundy voice: Ah, I wonder what the poor people are doing now?”
How is cloth below vinyl?
Someone already tagged pasha, and I’ll add Porsche’s tartan plaids, e.g.:
https://www.motorpunk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/006.jpg
Can I still pay $6,000 and have DT come and wrench with me for 3 days and be my friend with pizza and beverages? Bonus, I can easily register said project when it runs and drives!
Yea!
I’ll wrench on whatever you want!
I’m still waiting for my rust.
COMING IN HOT!
90’s and early aughts GMs and Chryslers had some great cloth patterns as well.
We appreciate and applaud the efforts of each of the writers here. Thanks for a quite unique place to get educated and hang out.
I really want to be an official member. TBH even the cloth level is too much for my current budget.
May I respectfully suggest a level known as the “paper” level? A buck a month, and a free sticker?
Per the Memberful website they lose 4.9% + (2.9% + $0.30/transaction to Stripe)… so your $1/month would be $0.72. May not be worth it from a business perspective if the $1 member needs basically *any* staff time in a given year. It would take ~8 “PAPER” members to make one “CLOTH”.
…and now I want to play Catan.
I hear you, and thank you on the math Scone Muncher. The Memberful/Stripe fees definitely play into how we can price these things. A $1 a month plan nets even less than that, actually, because it ends up being $0.62.
I was holding out for exposed springs under a Mexican blanket.
Yea, I’m down for a $1-2 a month tier. Unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to afford anything else.
At least I disabled adblock on here so I’m no completely mooching off the content lol
You forgot the queen of fabric interiors
Porsche Pasha
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESWwAKMWsAEEuIs?format=jpg&name=large
I’ve always wondered – was it offered on anything but 928s?
I think that it was 928 specific, but Porsche being Porsche for enough money you could get it on anything.
There is a 914/6 that the “special wishes” department did a pasha interior for that looks pretty amazing.
Beat me to it. Pasha is the pinnacle of cloth interiors. 928s with Pasha command a significant premium over leather.
MY EYES!!!
I did it, yall got me
There’s a good chance I’ll do this now. I have hithertofore not been a member because I’m too cheap to give you guys money when there are crappy jeeps and jeep-tools to buy.
I trust Cloth members will find most of the links on the site replaced with blanking plugs?
Shouldn’t it be:
Vinyl < Velour < Cloth < Nice Fake Leather (MB Tex, etc.) < Rich Corinthian Leather < Nice Cloth – as shown in some of the pictures with this “story”
???
David – your youth is showing through – if you where there for the 70’s you would know vinyl is the base, worst seating choice. I just got a twinge in my legs from thinking about getting into the hot car after a day at the beach…
And – everyone who isn’t already a member please jump into this mis-named “cloth” level!
Well vinyl was always the objectively worst material, but all through the 90s and 2000s vinyl was an upgrade you had to pay for over cloth.
Gotta disagree with you. I still have the window sticker showing I upgraded to cloth on my truck in ’08. (Apparently the dealer was unaware you could do that and carpet delete until it didn’t reject my order, which is sad.)
Vinyl was certainly the base in the 70’s… but I’d argue it’s not anymore. It’s been spun and counts as “vegan” leather these days.
I learned to drive on our family’s ’73 Chevelle with vinyl seats. No air conditioning. In Alabama. During the summer. And shorts were absolutely out of the question… unless you covered the seats with towels. But I still miss that car.
Yes, there is something different between old vinyl and new pseudo leather you can get from BMW or MB. I, too, remember burning legs in the summer with domestic vinyl back in the 70s.
Porsche’s fun houndstooth and plaid seats give me hope. They go on special-edition models as a throwback. People like them. Now we just need more of them: https://newsroom.porsche.com/.imaging/mte/porsche-templating-theme/teaser_720x406x2/dam/US-local/Press-Releases/2022/April-2022/20220427-911-Sport-Classic/Heritage-Design-Package/M06_EX23V31ID0002_wf04_JDM.jpeg/jcr:content/M06_EX23V31ID0002_wf04_JDM.jpeg
I mean, gosh, just look at the Silver Rose plaid interior from the old 944 Turbo. Bring THIS back. All-over cloth, not just a center insert: https://www.pcarmarket.com/static/media/uploads/galleries/photos/uploads/galleries/new-1988-porsche-944-turbo-s-silver-rose/.thumbnails/2020_hwWUw89.jpg/.thumbnails/2020_hwWUw89-2040×1530.jpg/2020_hwWUw89-2040×1530-tiny-600×0-0.5×0.jpg
Glad to see you mentioned the Silver Rose plaid! (I was just about to… and then I saw your post).
I aim to parsh.
Oh my, that Silver Rose interior is absolutely beautiful!
Bruh those are fire.
I would like to mention the recent wool cloth interior in the 2021 Volvo V60 seats
https://carbuzz.com/features/volvo-proves-car-interiors-are-better-without-leather
And also the class Midas editions of the IH Scout and Travelall. Not only were the seats and door cards covered in excellent plaid, it was also found on the headliner!
https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/auctions/forget-tesla-go-plaid-with-this-midas-edition-79-scout-ii/
I think this is an excellent addition to your line up. It might be just what is necessary to make me sign up!
*classic Midas
Wool interiors are SO swanky, too. One of my favorite things about big JDM luxobarges is that they have wool as an option on the really high-end stuff. It’s a great material! Handles sweat well, feels soft, sturdy.
And my understanding is that leather being an option on the Toyota Century is not as a higher-end option than wool, it’s optional because you’re *supposed* to get the wool.
I forgot to mention the also awesome Nissan 200sx S12 Turbo interior with its crazy magic eye kind of thing going on
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/04/junkyard-find-1986-nissan-200sx-turbo/
Looks like a smaller scale take on Porsche’s iconic Pasha interior.
https://www.motorpunk.co.uk/kitbag/porsches-pasha-automotive-design-icon/
I had a non-turbo version of that exact car – even with the burgundy exterior. Mine had a plainer solid burgundy cloth interior.
Hell yeah, I’ve been waiting for this. Now, to ask permission from my wife…
Also, when will there be a “David Tracy with Cats of the Jeep” calendar? I need one for my office wall.
The cats are no longer in the ZJ! I’m worried sick!
They looked old enough to start exploring… don’t panic yet.
Whew.
Or, having been discovered momma might have moved them on to rustier pastures?
Oh no! Get us an update if/when you find out what’s going on. Also, let more cats into the ZJ so we can get that calendar. 😉
Original K5 seats in that kind of shape go for more now than most of your vehicles are worth. Earlier this year I had to message a seller on FB within minutes of listing and drive 1000 miles round trip just for the privilege of paying $800 for a ripped pair. Finding them in a junkyard is inconceivable.
What?!
Oh lord, that went to the junkyard with Project POStal!
The square body ones might not be quite as pricey as the ones from the 1st gen, I wasn’t actively shopping for those and they made them for much longer.
But yeah, everything 70s-SUV related is through the roof.
There was also a Levi edition AMC Gremlin in ’74.
https://www.heddels.com/2014/08/levis-amc-denim-gremlin-car-wore-pants/
Note that the Levi’s interiors in Jeeps wasn’t actually denim, it was ‘vinyl fabric’ (according to the ad in this very article) which I wouldn’t say is the same as cloth. In fact, the original low seats in my 76 CJ-7 were a tan version of this material, and I’d say it’s just textured vinyl.
That’s fair. I’ll add that note. I’ll also add one of my favorite TJ seats!
I still have the back seat (in rough shape), I just went outside and felt it. Yep, vinyl.
“Jeans” Beetles got denim interiors, too. They wore horribly, though.
Thanks for this! I remember being at the AMC dealership and begging dad to buy one. Ended up with a copper colored Hornet (car from hell).
Awesome for all levels. Someday I hope to get my badge. I got the rest of the stuff.
Our records show you did! Oops. Badge will be sent.
Yes, I, um, I haven’t received my badge, either. I imagine it’s because your records, now clearly established to be of questionable accuracy, somehow show me at a lower level of membership. That must be it.
Badges you say.
We don’t want no stinking badges.
Did you say this in a Sydney Greenstreet voice or a Peter Lorre voice in your head when you typed it, inquiring minds want to know.
More along the lines of Barton MacLane.
I didn’t get a grill badge either. I assumed this was because I selected vinyl membership at the start before jumping up to velour?
Huh! We don’t have an alert set for that. You are, indeed, Velour now. This is a new one. We’ll send you a badge ASAP.
Oh, sure, you believe the guy with the plausible story and the verifiable evidence. I see how it is.
Love my T-Shirt!