People of a certain age remember the ubiquitous Vilém B. Haan ads in Road & Track and Car and Driver. From a small storefront on Santa Monica Boulevard in LA, Haan sold every motoring accessory that import owners knew they wanted plus some they didn’t know they wanted. Everything from Nardi steering wheels to Maserati air horns and the flagship product, coco mats, the distinctive floormats made from natural coconut husk fibers. Haan sold the business in 1987 and it was gone by 1988, along with it the lovely floormats which were mourned by the automotive faithful, especially the multicolor “calico” pattern.
Fortunately, in 1996, Jeff Allwine mistakenly received a package of coconut fibers from India and it sparked memories of the iconic mats and shortly thereafter, he revived the Coco Mats brand, out of a house in Agoura Hills, CA. Everyone who remembers the old Haan mats agrees that the quality of the new product is aces, better in every way. The patterns and weaves are faithful to the old designs, but the heel pads, no-skid nibbed rubber backing and attachment points that are compatible with most factory mat anchors are next-level. And so is the service. At this point, their pattern library is huge, but if you request something they don’t have, they’ll happily send you some pattern paper for you to trace your footwells, and they’ll take it from there. Juror Rob Sass writing for The Porsche Club of America said “if I could have a suit made by the folks at Cocomats.com, I would.” The chef’s kiss is the packaging, classic brown paper adorned with illustrations of classic sports cars. It regularly gets recycled into everything from wall art to gift wrapping.
For what is essentially a custom-made, bespoke product, turn-around time is quite reasonable, and so are prices. Selection has grown to encompass numerous different materials including wool and sisal, but the originals remain favorites, with a set of front and rear mats coming in at under $350. Nearly every Best One on the Planet judge and jurors has owned a set at one time or another, and while there are all-weather mats that are durable, stylish and well-made, nothing compares to Coco Mats in terms of adding the finishing touch to any car, classic or modern. Juror Deb Pollack’s Speedster replica sports a set in Jaspe (Calico); Paul Kramer’s Porsche 928 looks smart with a set of Checker Mats reminiscent of the famous Pasha interior, and Rob Sass’s Cayenne has a set of Sisals. Coco Mats are a happy combination of Best on the Planet quality and style at a fair price.
Definitely the best. I’ve had them in every classic I’ve owned.