I just picked up a 1960 Mk 2 that was advertised as having leather interior. It looks like much of the trim is vinyl to me: thin with a scrim backing. But I can't tell on the seats. How do I best tell?

 

Does it pass the smell test. Vinyl and particularly leather have very distinctive smells. Leather also picks up very distinctive creases over time unless treated every 6 months in a torrid climate. Door cards are vinyl anyway even on leather upholstered cars. So all you should check are the seats. Consoles are a mixture of leather and vinyl. (at least on an S Type).

The difference on a weathered car is obvious.

 

Apart from the main facing of the seats, most of the trim in a Mk2 is some kind of synthetic material. The type of material depends on location.

 

Refresh page for image.

 

Correct, Glyn, I forgot the console. It is mainly or all leather. To be fair, most of the ersatz leather was fairly good quality and generally survives well. The poorest in appearance in my car is/was the covering of the door cards. The general rule seems to be that if you don't have a good view of it or much contact with it, it's not leather.

 

The vinyl area of the console is very obvious in the console at the rear above. I reupholstered my entire console in leather right down to the piping that disappears as above. Many pipe across that top end panel at the rear. It is wrong. Both sides just disappear into the under console.

 

The B Pillar covers are vinyl.

 

Looking at the photos I would say that is vinyl but not original "Ambla" that Jaguar used. "Ambla had a cloth backing but not like that.
My S Type has "Ambla" seat which are original. The back seats look brand new so I can attest to the fact that "Ambla" is a very good leather substitute for longevity. If I had leather seats the leather after 60 years would be dry and cracked. The creases would be gaping fissures. During Covid I stripped my seats out and replaced all the foams as they had deteriorated and had to do some repairs to the cloth material that was between the "Ambla" and the frame. The Ambla was in great condition but everything else around it was falling apart with age.
Many people who get in my car comment on how good the leather seats look not knowing that they are in fact "Ambla" so someone selling a car with not a lot of knowledge could think that the seats are leather believing that this is what Jaguar would have used when in fact they are "Ambla".

First photo is a close up of the texture of "Ambla" material and you can just make out the backing material in the lower left corner.. Next two show repairs to the joining material to frame.

 

The City Tramway Company of Cape Town proved that leather can outlast Ambla but requires constant treatment which you do on a bus fleet anyway at night cleanup. They used to order mountains of Connolly hides. My Dad was Group Buyer & later Director so I have this from the horses mouth.

There is no doubt that in careless use Ambla will way outlast leather.

 

I mean care less in it's true meaning.

 

The group was The City Tramway Company, Golden Arrow Transport & Springbok Atlas Safari's (luxury long distance coaches)