Spirit of Le Mans Taps Rothaman’s Colors with Latest SOLM Rally Tartan

Our focus is typically factory specification, though we deviate from that in certain cases such as firms creating remasters of iconic cars. So, should we cover a fabric manufacturer that remasters iconic color combinations of racing liveries and remixes them as a tartan? That seems noteworthy, particularly when we’re checking out these first-look photos of Spirit of Le Mans’ next Rothman’s inspired pattern dubbed SOLM Rally.

Okay, the “rally” name may be a bit broad as we can think of any number of iconic rally liveries – Alitalia, HB Audi Sport, Subaru 555. Even still, Rothman’s is no lesser player in this space so we’ll give them a pass yet keep hoping they branch out into the aforementioned others. SOLM already does a take on Martini, so we’re liking this trend even if the Porsche association is quite obvious.

Why Porsche? Most reading this site probably don’t need to ask, but we’ll tell you anyway. Porsche owners love to retrofit tartans. Add in seats with modular center cushions like the current Porsche shell seats and you get companies who make whole businesses on assembling swappable seat centers for an extra bit of retro flare that doesn’t require a Sonderwunsch build allotment. We’re not so sure Gulf fabric inside a Gulf livery build isn’t just a bit too much Gulf, but if that’s what an owner wants then Spirit of Le Mans seems ready to provide it.

For instance, there are a lot of Porsche 911 Dakars out there wearing Porsche’s “Rough Roads” livery. Why Rough Roads? Well, while they mirrored the period Rothman’s colors of the Paris Dakar 959s (and many other Porsche race cars), they probably didn’t want to pay licensing or deal with the negative P.R. of putting a cigarette manufacturer’s name on the side of their new Safari-from-the-factory Carrera 4s. Even still, we’re guessing that Spirit of Le Mans is guessing lots of owners may want some tartan to match their cars.

SOLM Rally is just one of many incredible looking fabric patterns Spirt of Le Mans offers. They’ve even got a Gulf Racing houndstooth should that be your speed. Check them out at SOLM.co.uk.