Mercedes-Benz agreed to offer "leather-free" versions to pacify animal rights group
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CL Community Team
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Canada
Mercedes-Benz agreed to offer "leather-free" versions to pacify animal rights group
BERLIN (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz has agreed to offer "leather-free" versions of all its luxury cars to pacify an animal rights group that says thousands of cows are slaughtered each year for leather car seats and interiors.
After complaints from the German chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, DaimlerChrysler said its Mercedes subsidiary will offer fabric or synthetic leather as options. Daimler spokeswoman Ursula Mertzig-Stein said that far from wanting leather-free cars, "our customers ... are more likely to want even more leather at the premium end. But we'll make cars without leather on demand."
PETA officials, who had threatened protests at the carmaker's Stuttgart headquarters, said they were delighted.
"When you consider that the skins of four to 15 cows are needed for each car this means thousands of cows will be spared," said PETA researcher Edmund Haferbeck. "This is a huge victory for animal rights."
source : reuters.com
After complaints from the German chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, DaimlerChrysler said its Mercedes subsidiary will offer fabric or synthetic leather as options. Daimler spokeswoman Ursula Mertzig-Stein said that far from wanting leather-free cars, "our customers ... are more likely to want even more leather at the premium end. But we'll make cars without leather on demand."
PETA officials, who had threatened protests at the carmaker's Stuttgart headquarters, said they were delighted.
"When you consider that the skins of four to 15 cows are needed for each car this means thousands of cows will be spared," said PETA researcher Edmund Haferbeck. "This is a huge victory for animal rights."
source : reuters.com
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Originally Posted by wantAnewLex
Neat-o. I'm a huge fan of cloth. 
I have a unusual cloth-seat IS300 myself with fabric that is like iron.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,851
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From: Arkansas
Count me half way in. Cloth is cooler in summer, warmer in winter, holds you in place better, and the material has actually progressed to the point that it probably will wear as long as properly cared for leather.
But I gotta say I do like the way my leather seats "wear in" and I learned how to drive in a 1958 MGA with leather seats; of course, they smelled like real leather as opposed to the stuff in our cars...........except when I use Sal Zaino's stuff! Of course, they were there not because it was a "luxury" material but because they wore much longer than cloth back then.
But I gotta say I do like the way my leather seats "wear in" and I learned how to drive in a 1958 MGA with leather seats; of course, they smelled like real leather as opposed to the stuff in our cars...........except when I use Sal Zaino's stuff! Of course, they were there not because it was a "luxury" material but because they wore much longer than cloth back then.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,206
Likes: 3
From: Texas
interesting... The only cloth seats I have ever seen in a Lex were in a OLD SC3 that came with cloth and no sun roof, or a loaner IS3... (I have never been in a ES, and am not familiar if they were ever available with cloth...)
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Lead Lap
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 641
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From: Kansas
Originally Posted by Falcon LS
I'm lost! Cows are slaughtered for things cheeseburgers and steaks. Why not make use of the hides? 
and LMAO at the picture up there ^^^^^ haha
Originally Posted by e43Guy
Anyway, I'd love to be able to get a nice car with cloth seats instead of leather. I'm not an animal rights fanatic, but if I have options I'll go the 'no animal used' route.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,864
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From: Massachusetts
I don't even know why this is a debate. As others have said, the cows are not killed for their skins only but more importantly for food. Even if the world stopped making leather products all together
the same amount of cows would still be killed for meat. And then it would just become wasteful to throw the skins away. This makes absolutely no sense. 
