Move over leather, Milan-based Alcantara, the maker of luxury automotive interior material, is winning  the attention of auto makers and consumers in the United States.
Alcantara will soon be available on four new models from Ford, Chrysler and Tesla with additional offerings planned in the 2013- and 2014-model years. The material already is featured on a number of luxury cars built in the U.S. or imported here by foreign car makers. Ford’s industry-leading line of F-Series pickups will offer Alcantara on 2013-model F-150 trucks equipped with its aggressive FX Appearance Package. The much-anticipated 2013 SRT Viper will have Alcantara seats and headliners and Tesla’s Model S Signature and Signature Performance models will feature seats upholstered with Alcantara, officials from the Italian company noted.
 The result of unique proprietary technology, Alcantara material is the choice of leading companies in the automotive, marine, fashion, home-interior and consumer-electronics industries.
“A unique, 100 percent Italian-made material, Alcantara has been featured on prestigious brands at all of the world’s major auto shows this year,” noted Andrea Boragno, the company’s chairman and CEO. “Top-of-the-line cars with Alcantara interiors that made world premieres at the Geneva Motor Show included the Aston Martin V12 Zagato, the Maserati Gran Turismo Sport and the BMW M550d. Alcantara also can be found on a number of luxury car lines built or imported into the U.S. by Porsche, Audi, Ferrari and Lamborghini among many others.
“Porsche and Audi both unveiled vehicles with Alcantara interiors at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show as well. Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mercedes, Skoda, Toyota and Volkswagen also had vehicles on display at the Beijing show with Alcantara material.” By Joseph Szczesny