Fishy Smell in C70

No emergency here, just idle curiosity. When I test drove a C70
convertible with leather interior at the dealer this past May, the
interior gave off a *strong* smell of fish, as though the factory had
prepared the leather with fish oil. It wasn't just us; others --
including salesmen at more than one dealer -- acknowledged the smell
and said that was just the way Volvos are. We bought a C70 in which
the smell was much less noticeable than some others we test drove, and
the odor is dissipating as we've driven a lot with the top down. No,
there weren't Swedish herring hiding in the trunks, or cod left on the
engines. Hallucinations? Or has anyone else experienced this as
well?

 

I was in a new(ish) V70, and the leather had a pretty strong smell, but no
worse then the leather in my families 960 at the same age... it didn't smell
like fish tho.

Our 960's leather still has a smell... but it is just of leather.

 

A pal had a similar experience with an older SAAB 9000, which on
really close investigation turned out to be a small bag of whelks
tucked under the carpet!