I have been looking at some leather conditioners that are being sold online. But, I am seeing a fair few that state not to be used on, "ANILINE, SUEDE AND NUBUCK LEATHER" or similar descriptions.

My question is, does the Jaguar XJ (X351) have leather of a type than falls within that kind of description?

John

 

John,

It's a long time since Jaguar (or any other UK vehicle manufacturer) used aniline dyed leather. Suede and nubuck are more relevant to car manufactureres ending with a vowel.

The two major UK leather suppliers, Connolly Brothers and Bridge of Weir stopped using the old process because of the chemicals involved. Connolly have long gone but Bridge of Weir continue with a modified tanning process.

The modern process is nothing like the old tanning which coloured the entire hide. The surface finish is now achieved by colouring and then a sealing coat. Here's a video of the Bridge of Weir process:

Leather Manufacturing page for Bridge of Weir leather company

Consequently the old 'Hide Food' which was absorbed by the leather is no longer effective. You need a cleaner which will remove surface dirt but not damage the surface protection followed by a conditioner.

Jaguar and Aston Martin both have a commercial tie with Autoglym and therefore recommend their products but there are many others available e.g. Gliptone.

Graham

 

are the jags still using Connolly? I remember when it was explicitly stated in the X350 XJ's...but the newer ones look different.

 

The original Connolly Leather Ltd, founded in 1878 ceased trading in June 2002.

In 2003, Jonathan Connolly established C B Leather Ltd resuming manufacture of high quality leather which is sold under both C B Leather and Connolly names.

Connolly Hide Food Leather Cleaner was sold off and is now produced by a different company.

I've read Jaguar now source their leather from Italy and Northern Europe. The reason given being farmers don't use barbed wire in their fences which can damage hides.

Graham

 

This thread from the X150 Forum will tell you everything you need to know about the evolution of automotive leather and how to care for it:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...tioner-125145/