Pamela Anderson demands leather-free Mercedes G55

Paul Halata, the president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, and Dr Dieter Zetsche, the incoming head of Mercedes Car Group, received a special request from Pamela Anderson this week. The actor and animal advocate wants a Mercedes G55, minus the leather. In a letter to the executives, AndersonÃ' -Ã' a vegetarian and long-time PETA supporterÃ' - writes, "Animals used for their skin suffer from confinement, fear, painful mutilations, deprivation of all that is natural and important to them, and cruel treatment during transport and slaughter. I want no part of that, but I would like a Mercedes." Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz informed PETA that all future Mercedes-Benz models will be available with a completely leather-free option in all markets, either directly at the dealership or via special order. However, Anderson points out that when she recently inquired about buying a Mercedes G55, she was told that it is not yet available leather-free."

In her letter, she writes: "May I ask that you please make all Benz models available without animal skin? Nowadays, people see leather less as a luxury and more as smelly, dead skin".

It usually takes the skins of about four cows to produce the interior of just one car. Maybach, however, requires seven cowhides, and Rolls-Royce requires 15, according to PETA.

Mercedes' announcement of the leather-free option followed PETA's consumer-driven campaign to pressure the company to offer alternatives to leather for all models of its cars. Campaign supporters included actor James Cromwell, who asked DaimlerChrysler, maker of the Mercedes-Benz brand, for a face-to-face meeting at its Stuttgart headquarters. Perhaps best known for his role in the movie Babe, for which he received an Academy Award nomination, Cromwell's other recent credits include The Sum of All Fears, The Green Mile and The General's Daughter.