An introduction to the automotive carpet industry examines the history of automotive carpets since the early 20th century and the nature of the market, styling, and performance (including lightfastness, flammability, abrasion resistance, tuft bind, acoustics/heat, and molding conformity). The four key areas in automotive carpet manufacture are tufting, dyeing, coating (including polyvinyl acetate or styrene butadiene rubber/jute pad, natural latex/molded jute pad, polyethylene powder/jute pad or waste fiber pad, extruded polyethylene/waste fiber pad, massback/synthetic backing/filled thermoplastic, and massback/EVA/polyurethane foam), and molding. Future trends in automotive carpet marketing and technology include higher lightfastness requirements, an increase in solution dyeing, more automated systems, more structured carpets, and improved lower unit cost.