We've written extensively about America's waning interest in convertible tops — a trend that doesn't appear to be reversing any time soon. But as automakers manufacture less and less convertible models, there does appear to be a bit of good news: The fad of hardtop convertibles is quickly dying, making way for a resurgence of soft-top convertibles. … [Read more...] about The Death of Convertible Hardtops
Industry Trends & Reports
Haartz Talks Knockoff Convertible Tops
The trend of customers buying subpar convertible tops online and asking auto upholstery shops to install them is a problem we’ve discussed in great length on The Hog Ring. It decreases our sales, disrupts our workflow and – when the product inevitably fails – damages our reputations. Fortunately, we’re not alone in the fight against inferior-quality products. Haartz … [Read more...] about Haartz Talks Knockoff Convertible Tops
When it’s Good to Preserve Bad Car Interiors
While most auto upholstery shops repair, restore or customize car interiors, some also specialize in preserving them. The customers that these shops attract are a rare breed — more interested in freezing their classic cars in bad state than rehabilitating or enhancing them. … [Read more...] about When it’s Good to Preserve Bad Car Interiors
Shop Profile: Auto & Upholstery Center
Press of Atlantic City recently published a profile of Custom Auto & Upholstery Center, a Pleasantville, N.J. shop that's been in the business for decades and maintains a pretty positive outlook on the industry's state of affairs. The article is interesting, not just because it allows us to peer into a another trimmer's shop, but because it provides some interesting … [Read more...] about Shop Profile: Auto & Upholstery Center
Read the Fine Print: It’s Not Leather
In 2012, we inducted Kia Motors into The Hog Ring's "Hall of Shame" for fooling customers into believing that its popular Sportage SUV was trimmed in genuine leather — when, in fact, it featured almost no real leather at all. In 2013, we inducted Toyota Motor Corporation when it attempted to do the same. Sadly, it's come to the point where we may soon have to induct the … [Read more...] about Read the Fine Print: It’s Not Leather
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