Dumb question...

[ply33]

In conversation last night I was asked why I was putting a rubber floor mat in the front of my 1933 Plymouth instead of running the carpet all the way forward. My explanation was simple: That was how it came from the factory: Carpet in back, rubber matting in front.<P>But it started me wondering about what the designers were thinking about.<P>Another item came to mind: The car came equipped with two "ash receivers" (i.e. ashtrays) located in the rear seat area. There are none up front.<P>It is almost as if it were assumed that a peon chauffeur was to be up front, his soiled boots too dirty to trust on carpet and certainly not allowed to smoke on duty. While the wealthy patron sat in back lounging in the lap of luxury, wiggling his toes in deep carpet and smoking cigars.<P>It makes no sense. This is a coach (two door sedan) at the bottom end of the market that was targeted at families with small children. Were mom and dad expected to sit up front in more Spartan conditions than the children in back? Why not give the parents the carpet and the ashtrays?<P>I am not very familiar with other makes from the late 1920s and early 1930s. Was this fairly common? What was the logic behind it?

[Guest BruceW]

I don't know the answer to your question.. but as far as the rubber mat up front.. I was thinking maybe it was because in the day to day use (i.e. daddy driving to work, mommy driving to the store, etc) the driver may be the lone occupant in the car, and the continuous use would have worn a carpet much more than the rear which would be used occupied occasinally by family. <P>Also, along the same thought, if it is a low end model, it would have likely been used by salesmen, who traveling alone, would have worn the driver side carpet out from the continual use in all kinds of weather, etc. Perhaps they decided to use a more durable rubber mat up front instead of a carpet.<P>Just a thought.... probably very far fetched. <P>I don't have any ideas on the lack of ashtrays up front, which most lonely, bored salesmen driving long distances probably would have used during that time.

[Guest]

I can't prove it, but I believe the thoughts on wear are correct. Eventhough ti was designed for families, the fact is that most of the time it would have had one occupant-the driver. So it makes sense to have very durable items in the high wear areas. As far as the ash trays and cigar lighters being in back I was told by an old timer a long time ago that they were there because it was thought that smoking distracted the driver. Sounds reasonable, but who knows?

[Dynaflash8]

Remember, there were a lot more dirt (muddy in wet weather) roads back then. I suspect it was truly practical. In early 40s cars which went to carpet in the front, they had rubber pads sewn into to them underthe driver's feet. Higher end cars in the late 30s also had this feature; which one might assume to be because those cars were expected to be used in urban areas most often

[D Binger]

Todd,<P>My 1930 Chevy 4 Dr Sp Sedan has rubber in the front and carpet in the rear. It also has two ash trays in the back, but none in the front. When I smoked I had a spitoon on the front floor board that worked very well as an ash tray. It also held a beer bottle very nicely without tipping over. Even with all that, I still can’t answer your question.<P>Dan

[Mark Huston]

I don't know why Plymouth set your car up with the rubber front. My experience with 1928-29 Studebakers has been the high end models (Presidents) had a carpeted front floor that matched that of the rear, and the next lower model level (Commander) had rubber on the front floor. On both of these model lines there was only ash receivers in the rear doors. This problem was solved by early owners who attached after market ash receivers to the dash. I have examples from both cars, one set of onxy and another chromed metal set. Since they are not original factory equipment I can not reinstall them unless I take up smoking again.

[ronbarn]

My 34 Chevy Master Sedan also has rubber up front and carpet in rear. One ash tray in rear and none up front. Explanations above are reasonable.<P>Another interesting design feature in those days was that the passengers in the rear sat on cloth (of various grades) material, while leather was good enough for the driver up front.

[Guest]

Tod -<BR>I'm not sure that early auto interior designs were really well planned. Example is my '23 DB touring which has heavy linoleum covering the floor boards up front (and also on the running boards), but has short pile light brown floor carpet in the rear compartment. This carpet runs up about one foot on the sheet metal that forms the back for the front seat. One should wonder why carpet is used in an open car that has linoleum and leather upholstering everywhere else. No ash trays, but also no interior storage except for the flap covered door compartments in the rear. And how about those little cup holders?

[Guest boettger]

Yup, Ron,<BR>But notice the leather that was used in the front seats of the Chauffer driven town cars.<BR>That leather was not usually the soft supple leather as used in a fine car. It was usually a tough thick leather, designed for wear and stain resistance. I doubt that it would have been real comfortable on m'lady's tushie on a cold winter morning!

[Dynaflash8]

Steve B: You mean rough, hard, non-plyable leather like in all the 2001 Buick Park Avenues, Cadillacs, Fords, Suburbans, etc. with the "European feel". I hadn't realized that Detroit was now treating its customers to all the comfort of a chauffeur! Humpf, my new 2001 Park Avenue is about as comfortable as a church pew. What's worse is that the Lincoln Town car shared this same discomfort.

[Guest BruceW]

Mr. Beauchamp,<P>I think its a sign that we are coming full circle in the automobile world back to the 1930s. Once all cars were manual transmissions. They used bulbs for headlights. And they had hard uncomfortable seats.<P>Then came advances such as automatic transmissions, sealed beam headlights and velour interiors.<P><BR>Nowadays manual transmissions are popular again, just about all cars have dropped sealed beams for bulbs in headlights,and based on your experience they are using that hard, uncomfortable leather again.<P>Whats next? mechanical brakes????<BR>

[novaman]

Dynaflash8, the 2001 Impala leather seats are comfortable. Chevrolet treats their comstomers better than chauffers.

[Dynaflash8]

Novaman: R U sure you just aren't young enough to appreciate the "european feel"? And Bruce, Mr. Beauchamp was my dad. I'm old, but not that old....call me Earl <p>[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: Dynaflash8 ]

[Guest]

Dynaflash ~ Thank you for reminding me why I stopped going to church years ago. I thought it was the sermons, when really it must have been the pews. <P>By the way, the leather seats in my 2001 Yukon XL are very comfortable I always thought the cloth seats in my 93 Suburban couldn't be beat, but I must admit the new ones are better. I rode in a couple of late '90s Suburbans with leather and those seats were hard. ~ hvs

[novaman]

I rode in an Oldsmobile Intrigue today. Man are those leather seats hard. It felt like they used some cow that was road kill and been lying by the road for a week.