• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

RIP – The Front Bench Seat

July 7, 2011 By Nadeem Muaddi

The Detroit Free Press recently published an interesting article about the approaching demise of the six-passenger sedan. As it stands now, the Chevrolet Impala is the last American sedan to feature a front bench seat. Every other sedan sports two buckets. According to the article, a change in consumer taste and interior innovations are to blame. The Detroit Free Press warns, “The six-passenger sedan may soon vanish entirely.”

The Detroit Free Press explains:

Car buyers have moved away from the layout that offered front and rear three-person bench seats. Front buckets give most people more comfort and adjustability, not to mention space for cupholders, power outlets and storage bins in the console between the seats.

Chevrolet is weighing whether to build a six-seat version of the next Impala. Weighing against it, the car will probably be narrower than the current model. It’s based on GM’s Epsilon II global platform. It’s roomy, but probably not enough to fit three comfortably across up front. (The rear seat will accommodate three, of course. It’s OK if backseat riders are shoulder-to-shoulder. You can’t do that to the driver.)

About a quarter of Impalas sold last year were six-seaters. Very few of those are likely to carry six people on a regular basis. Customers are buying the appearance of space more than carrying capacity they actually use, said Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics in Birmingham.

It probably makes sense for Chevrolet to concentrate on giving the next Impala a comfortable and attractive front seat that appeals to the other 75% of its buyers and wins some new customers. [more]

My first car was a ’78 Chevy Caprice – which, of course, featured a giant front bench seat. I’ll be sad to see them go. Cruising in that thing felt like flying at warp speed on my living room couch.

[Picture courtesy of Delaware County Auto Upholstery]

Filed Under: Archive, Industry Trends & Reports, Interesting Read Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Bench Seat, Car Interior, Delaware County Auto Upholstery

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Trogdor says

    June 10, 2016 at 10:48 pm

    I see that the end of the bench front seat came about in a different way. Before the energy crisis most cars were six seaters with on the column automatics. However, when more fuel thrifty Japanese market cars came in to the market, they were all 5 seaters that had a center console manual shift transmission.
    Before that manual transmission cars were the 3 on the tree with a bench seat. It was really this change in the 1970’s not sports cars in the 1940’s that lead to the end of the bench seat.

  2. Marcia Everett says

    February 11, 2022 at 4:32 pm

    If Chevrolet can make the front bench seat flip so that it is reversible facing rearward like a sofa. and have a midway point like a bed., Then they could put that seat in their vans. Or sell them separately to van dwellers.

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • Hyde Leather
  • Big Z Fabric
  • Leather Craft
  • Keyston Bros
  • Albright's Supply

THR Favorites

What’s Your Type of Upholstery Shop?

Auto upholstery isn’t a uniform industry … [more] about What’s Your Type of Upholstery Shop?

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Cutters Custom Stitchin Inc

Shop Profile: Cutter’s Custom Stitchin’

There’s a three-man auto upholstery shop in … [more] about Shop Profile: Cutter’s Custom Stitchin’

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Dan Miller Upholstery

Dan Miller on Upholstering the VLF Force 1

The VLF Force 1 — an all-American supercar … [more] about Dan Miller on Upholstering the VLF Force 1

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Design Studio - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro

Design Studio: 1967-69 Camaro

The popularity and timeless design of the … [more] about Design Studio: 1967-69 Camaro

How to Build a Display Motorcycle Seat

In April, I wrote an article titled "Why I … [more] about How to Build a Display Motorcycle Seat

Then vs Now: Rolls-Royce’s Leather Shop

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is renowned for its … [more] about Then vs Now: Rolls-Royce’s Leather Shop

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • The Viral Headrest Gun Safe Is Going Nationwide with Tint World
  • TMG and Haartz to Open North Carolina Plant, Creating 125 New Jobs
  • Everything We Covered in June 2025
  • How OEM+ Auto Tops is Redefining Convertible Top Manufacturing with In-House Mold Production
  • From Factory Match to Full Custom: LEATHER CRAFT Has It Covered

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in