Tartanology

December 2, 2025

Alex Kierstein

Culture

News

Today in “I can’t believe it wasn’t already doing this” news, Porsche announces it’s selling heritage fabrics for restorers and, well, anyone who wants to pay Porsche prices for cloth.

Any automaker with history is smart to monetize that history as much as possible without running afoul of the murky limits of over-merchandizing. Ferrari is a possible exception, there seems to be no object unworthy of a licensed prancing horse. Porsche approaches this from a few angles: heritage-inspired lifestyle products, vehicle accessories ($300+ child seat done up in “pepita” heritage fabric? Why not?), and several flavors of actual parts for vintage cars. There is a lot of money—a lot—in restoration generally, and Porsche is clearly aware of that. That’s why it is a bit surprising to realize that some of the fabrics used in classic Porsche interiors—the Turbo tartans; the 928’s Pasha; and the “pepita” design made famous on expensive child seats for the 356, 911, and 912—were not already being sold through official company channels.

I love vintage Porsches, but I don’t have a working knowledge of the history of the company’s official cloth offerings over the years. A Porsche rep told me that, on customer request, it would search for NOS (new old-stock) bolts of fabric—i.e., the actual original material, sitting in a warehouse somewhere. And while fabrics with similar patterns have been offered on special editions, these new materials are produced “with the original weaving techniques and their distinctive tactile qualities,” and haven’t been previously available. Regardless, I am surprised that it took this long for the company to offer correct seating material, considering it sells a nearly $700 detailing supplies bag with the pattern on it.

I’m poking a little bit of fun at the retail prices of Porsche accessories, but there is money to be made here from the undeniable value to the brand itself of the inspired aesthetic choices it made in the past. The enduring appeal of the Pasha pattern almost certainly exceeds that of the 928 it debuted in. The tartan patterns Porsche adapted for the 911 Turbo (and later the non-Turbo), inspired by a designer’s pants, became something separate from their Scottish origins and are somehow uniquely Porsche in their implementation.

There must now be enough demand to justify making the stuff again, and I’m not surprised. Porsche has been leaning into heritage touches in modern 911s recently, with the Heritage Design limited editions from the Exclusive Manufaktur individualization operation, so maybe that inspired a push to make the fabrics available to buyers, or enabled a production run.

It’s smart from a branding and fanservice perspective, and while I don’t have access to the profit projections, I assume it’s good business as well. And it comes at a good time; many automakers are utilizing interesting (not necessarily vintage) fabrics in their models. JLR made a big deal out of the Velar’s wool interior a while back, and rightfully so. Textile adds texture, both visual and tactile, to an interior, and its use as a leather-free option can be more interesting than synthetic leather. Most modern textile options aren’t so bold as the vintage Porsche stuff, but most auto designers aren’t wearing plaid trousers to work.

The exact options, and the product numbers, for the reintroduced textiles Porsche will offer are available at the Porsche Newsroom. If you want a few yards, contact your local Porsche Center.