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Vintage sports cars get new life as briefcases

When Porsches and Lamborghinis are no longer road-worthy, they go to Mariclaro to be turned into chic messenger bags.

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Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters/File
Bentley cars are on sale at a showroom in Moscow, Russia.

When Porsches and Lamborghinis die, do they go to heaven? Well, it turns out that some wind up being repurposed into, of all things, tote bags, briefcases and purses.

Canadian firm Mariclaro takes reclaimed upholstery and trim from presumably salvaged high-end sports cars and creates bags—messenger bags, briefcases, purses, and wallets—worthy of a trip down Fifth Avenue.

The high-end bags, which cost upwards of $1,360 for a weekend bag crafted from the interior of a 1969 Lamborghini Espada, are unique thanks to the differing degrees of materials and patina. Each includes a badge engraved with details about the car that graciously (perhaps against its will, but you know what we mean) donated its material.

Of course, it isn't just Porsches and Lamborghinis that Mariclaro uses since that would be a rather limited market.

Some of the company's top-end bags have leather seat trim and webbed seat belt material salvaged from 1950s-era Mercedes-Benzes, contemporary Cadillacs, and even Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] Explorers. One of our favorites is a messenger bag from the fine tan leather used in the last Alfa Romeo sedan sold in the United States, the 164. If you have an Alfa Romeo Giulia on order and you're getting impatient, that bag may tide you over for a while.

This article first appeared at MotorAuthority.

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