Vintage 1940s German Goatskin Leather Belted Motoring Coat

A German leather motoring coat from the late 1940s, cut long and belted from deep green goatskin. The surface has worn back to a pale sage everywhere the weather and the years have reached it.

Look at the back first. The yoke across the shoulders has taken the most, scuffed and lightened by years of weather. Below the yoke the green deepens, and around the gathered waist it’s almost as dark as the day it was made. The sleeves tell the same story: soft at the forearms, creased at the elbows from reaching forward, and paler on the outside where the light fell. This is wear nobody planned, and it’s exactly why these coats are collected.

A coat like this was made for a life spent outdoors, on a motorcycle, a bicycle or behind the wheel, in all weathers. The long cut keeps the legs covered when seated, and the elasticated back and full leather belt pull it in close at the waist to keep the cold out. Four zipped pockets, two across the chest and two angled low for the hands, keep everything shut on the move.

The belt fastens with a buckle by Gutos of Pforzheim, the old jewellery and metalwork town on the edge of the Black Forest. The pocket zips are brass, with their original teardrop pulls. The main front zip has been replaced at some point in the coat’s life. Someone thought it was worth keeping, and they were right.

Open it and the mood changes completely. The body is lined in cotton tartan in cream, tan and chocolate, threaded with fine green lines, gathered at the back to follow the shape of the coat. The front facings are the same green leather, there’s a leather-welted pocket at the chest, and the sleeves are lined in smooth satin.

In the workshop, the goatskin has been specialist cleaned and conditioned. The aim was to feed the leather, not to change it, so every mark of its seventy-odd years is still there.

Condition & Restoration

Very good vintage condition. The leather has been specialist cleaned and conditioned in-house.

The goatskin is strong, supple and structurally sound, with extensive natural colour wear across the shoulders, back yoke and sleeves, and creasing at the elbows and waist. There is light scuffing to the belt edges and pocket welts.

All the zips work. The main front zip is a replacement. The Gutos buckle shows light surface age to the metal.

The cotton tartan lining is complete, with light marks consistent with age.

Key Features

• Original late-1940s German leather motoring coat
• Green goatskin with natural sage patina
• Gutos Pforzheim buckle
• Full leather belt and elasticated back waist
• Long three-quarter cut
• Rounded club collar, front and rear yokes
• Four brass-zipped pockets with original teardrop pulls
• Replacement main front zip
• Cotton tartan lining
• Satin sleeve linings
• Green leather facings and inside chest pocket

Garment Measurements, Laid Flat

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 21.5" / 54.5 cm
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 17" / 43 cm
• Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 26.5" / 67.5 cm
• Underarm seam to cuff: 17.5" / 44.5 cm
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 28.5" / 72.5 cm

Best suited to: 38" chest, regular / Size Small

Fit: A close period cut, drawn in at the waist by the belt and elasticated back. The body is longer and falls below the hip, and the sleeves are long, made for reaching forward on the bike or at the wheel. Please compare the measurements above with a coat you already own.