Connolly Leather Limited was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

company that supplied highly finished

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

primarily to car manufacturers. Founded in 1878, it went out of business in that form in 2002. A successor firm, Connolly Brothers, UK, has resumed producing traditional Connolly leather products and lines, including its popular Vaumol.

History

Connolly supplied most of the leather for the British car industry, including

Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with ...

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Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...

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& Daimler, Vauxhall Motors and

Rover Rover may refer to: People * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Places * Rover, Arkansas, US * Rover, Missouri, US ...

cars including its

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and

Range Rover Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

vehicles as well as some MG and

Mini The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...

models during the

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era. Non-British makes included

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...

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and

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

. This leather was also used for the seats in the

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...

s used in World War 2. Connolly leather gained such prominence in the world of luxury travel beyond cars, such as private jets and yachts, that it was selected for high profile projects as

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and the

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ocean liner. Connolly also reached the world of interiors and design, with Mies Van Der Rohe's original Barcelona chairs upholstered with Connolly leather as well as the benches in Britain's Houses of Parliament together with many other parliaments around the world. Connolly earned a Royal Warrant, being appointed Leather Tanners and Curriers to Queen Elizabeth II. In addition to upholstery, Connolly Leather has been used in the manufacture of high-end sound audio components such as the B&W Signature 800 series loudspeakers as an expression of the quality and luxury status of the item. Connolly Leather was also used by Luxman and "retro-design" transistor radios from British manufacturer Roberts. The family started a retail business, Connolly Luxury Leathergoods Limited, selling exclusive and bespoke leather goods and accessories. The business developed a high profile clientele which included celebrities, socialites and industry leaders. Today, Connolly accessory designs can be found in museums around the world. 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.

Demise

An attempt to expand into the American market in the 1990s failed badly and Connolly Leather ceased trading in June 2002.

Rebirth

In 2003, Jonathan Connolly established C B Leather Ltd and resumed the manufacture and production of high quality leather and now sells under both C B Leather and Connolly Brothers, UK. The recipes to Connolly Hide-Food and their Leather-Cleaner have since been sold or licensed and have returned to the market.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Connolly Brothers
Defunct manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom Auto parts suppliers of the United Kingdom Defunct leather manufacturers Companies established in 1878 Companies disestablished in 2002