Original 1930s German Leather Motoring Coat, Double-Breasted Goatskin

This is a German leather motoring coat from the 1930s, double-breasted and cut from soft, pebbled goatskin. Nearly a century of wear has transformed the original dark brown leather into an extraordinary surface of lighter brown and russet across the shoulders, sleeves, collar and front. Lift a pocket flap or turn back the collar and the original deep colour is still there underneath.

The leather has aged differently across every part of the coat, and each part tells you how it was used. The forearms have gone glove-soft and deeply creased from years of bending at the wheel. The front has taken on a gentle burnished sheen from constant handling. The shoulders and collar have taken the weather, and the raised edges and seams have worn lighter still. It’s genuine, uneven wear, and you can see at a glance how long this coat has been around.

In 1930s Germany a coat like this belonged to someone going places. Cars were still a privilege, and Germany had only around a third as many vehicles per head as England, so the men who wore one were usually doctors, businessmen, engineers or chauffeurs. Motorcycles were far more within reach. By the late 1920s DKW was the largest motorcycle maker in the world, alongside BMW, NSU and Zündapp. Whether on two wheels or four, a long leather coat was the best protection there was against wind, cold and road dirt.

You can see that thinking in every detail. The front overlaps deeply across the chest, and the broad collar turns up around the neck. Two large flapped pockets sit low on the front, with upright welt pockets behind them for cold hands. The longer body covers far more than a short jacket when you’re seated.

What makes this one special is how much style went into such a practical coat. Pointed yokes run across the front and back, buttoned straps finish each cuff, and a fixed half belt crosses the rear. The front and cuffs still carry their original wooden buttons, worked in a woven pattern and darkened and polished by decades of handling.

The leather was valuable in its own right. Chrome tanning, perfected for goatskin in the late 1800s, turned it into one of the softest, most supple clothing leathers there was. In Germany, Freudenberg of Weinheim used the process to become Europe’s largest leather manufacturer. By the mid-1930s Germany was short of leather, though, and a full leather coat was a serious purchase, made to last a lifetime. This one has.

Inside, the body is lined in warm tan brushed cotton, soft as moleskin. The sleeves are lined in black cotton with a fine white pinstripe. Both are beautifully preserved.

Goatskin is strong for its weight and naturally supple. Look closely and you’ll see its signature: tiny pores set in little rows, which give it that close, pebbled grain. Here it has softened enormously without losing any of its character. It’s a well-worn coat in the best sense.

A 1930s German motoring coat, with its whole history written in the leather.

Condition & Restoration

Very good vintage condition for its age.

The goatskin is supple and structurally sound, with extensive natural wear throughout. There’s chapping around the shoulders and collar, wear to the forearms and lower front, and rubbing to the raised edges and seams. The seams remain strong. The original wooden buttons are all present.

As you’d expect on a coat of this age, it carries some historic repairs from its working life. Wool fabric has been added to the inside of both cuffs at the hem. The seams at the back of both sleeve heads, at the top of the arms, have been re-stitched at some point in the past. These are period repairs, neatly done, solid and discreet, and sympathetic to the original construction. They’re honest evidence of a coat that was valued and kept in use, and they form part of its storied history.

The tan brushed cotton body lining is very well preserved, and the black pinstriped sleeve linings are complete.

The coat has been specialist cleaned and conditioned in-house, refreshing and nourishing the goatskin while keeping its grain, colour variation and patina fully intact.

Key Features

• Original 1930s German leather motoring coat
• Soft, chrome-tanned pebbled goatskin
• Double-breasted front
• Longer interwar motoring cut
• Broad turn-up collar
• Pointed front and rear yokes
• Original wooden buttons to the front and cuffs
• Fixed buttoned straps at the cuffs
• Two flapped lower pockets
• Two welted hand pockets
• Fixed rear half belt
• Tan brushed cotton body lining
• Black pinstripe cotton sleeve linings
• Old, discreet period repairs to the cuffs and sleeve heads
• Extensive natural patina
• Specialist cleaned and conditioned in-house

Garment Measurements, Laid Flat

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 22" / 56 cm
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 20" / 51 cm
• Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 25" / 63.5 cm
• Underarm seam to cuff: 18" / 45.5 cm
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 31.5" / 80 cm

Best suited to: 40" chest, regular / Size Medium

Fit: A true interwar motoring cut, with the longer body typical of the period, falling well below the hip. Please refer to the measurements above, and for any questions about sizing or display, please get in touch.