Rumble Seat Coupes

[JRHaelig]

I gotta tell you...I never got the "rumble seat coupe" thing.  Not snubbing it...I just don't understand it.  Especially in the mid to late '30's.  There's a beautiful '38 Desoto for sale here that got me pondering again.

 

In the early years the difference between inside and outside was much closer together, so inside, outside....whatever.

 

But the deco years are just hard for me to figure out, especially from my perspective as a northeasterner.

 

"No, Daddy....don't make me ride outside!!!" 

 

Or "Now, Darling....it is the 'mother in law' seat.  So when I drive it's your mother......"

[46 woodie]

I always wondered why someone that purchased a rumble seat car, just didn't purchase a sedan. I guess that they wanted a "sportier" vehicle like a coupe or roadster and used the rumble seat for unexpected passengers. Many cars of the era had roll down rear windows to be able to communicate with the rumble seat occupants, but in bad weather the occupants were in trouble.

[Brass is Best]

They were meant for short trips in fair weather.

[stvaughn]

1 hour ago, JRHaelig said:

I gotta tell you...I never got the "rumble seat coupe" thing.  Not snubbing it...I just don't understand it.  Especially in the mid to late '30's.  There's a beautiful '38 Desoto for sale here that got me pondering again.

 

In the early years the difference between inside and outside was much closer together, so inside, outside....whatever.

 

But the deco years are just hard for me to figure out, especially from my perspective as a northeasterner.

 

"No, Daddy....don't make me ride outside!!!" 

 

Or "Now, Darling....it is the 'mother in law' seat.  So when I drive it's your mother......"

I agree with you and I have one. Personally a trunk would be more useful to me. 
 

[J.H.Boland]

This sign may help clarify things !  Displayed in a friend's '29 Hupmobile roadster's rumble seat.

[nickelroadster]

Rumble seats don't seem too bad to me.  The ones that I can't understand are the little slide out seats that will barely hold an average size person.

[CHuDWah]

Coupes and roadsters, with or without rumble seats, generally were less expensive than sedans.  And like today, they were considered "sporty".  But rumble seats are hard to get in and out of, cramped, of questionable safety, and subject to the elements.  They were dying out by the mid-30s and gone by WWII.  Nowadays they're fun for parades, etc but the novelty wears off quickly - they're pretty much useless otherwise.

[1935Packard]

From a modern perspective, the odd part is that a 2-door coupe in that era was ordinarily just a two-seater, instead of a four-or-five seater with all 4-or-5 seats under a roof.   I think a rumble seat makes sense if your baseline is a two-seater, as it gives you more seating in a pinch.  But I agree it's a bit odd if your baseline is a four-or-five seater.  I have to say, though, my experience is that people love rumble seats at car shows.  I usually open up the rumble seat on my Packard, and I'll let kids sit in it.  They love it.

Edited November 4, 2019 by 1935Packard (see edit history)

[Gunsmoke]

The rumble seat I figure was largely an after-thought. When the early coupes/roadsters/2 seat convertibles were developed as in essence a sporty personal car, for 2 people, the back quarter varied including the desirable boat-tail, turtle back and trunk. While initially most had a trunk, I suspect at some point someone suggested a pop-up seat to enable carrying a couple of people (likely children) might be an added sales option, and an accessory rack/trunk would solve the luggage problem. Although they are seen in most circles today as highly desirable ( partly due to their rareness and quirkiness), they were not a huge seller, as they are not really practical for adults. So their usage/marketing was short term. Other than an occasional parade ride, I have never seen people riding the roads in one. I have a 1931 Chrysler CD8 Roadster under restoration, and once finished, I cannot imagine letting anyone crawl/climb over the body work to get into the rumble seat, not even my grand-kids. As for the previously mentioned "mother-in-law" seat, if I recall that was a term for the earlier cars that had a single occupant seat in center rear of car, and was not a reference used for rumble seats. 

[marcapra]

I've only rode in a rumble seat twice.  Back the 80's, my old friend, Vince Marra, gave me a ride from downtown San Diego to La Mesa in the rumble seat of his 33 Plymouth.  I loved it.  People were giving us the thumbs up and I could talk to Vince the whole way with the back window rolled down.  The other time was in a Model A roadster.  I think the key to understanding the rumble seat is with kids.  I think it was mainly for carrying kids.  I remember the movie Boys Town 1938, where the little kid, PeeWee, asks Mickey Rooney a question about a car coming to pick him up.  "Does it have a rumble seat?".  

[ckowner]

 I guess there are all kinds of opinions about rumble seats and their usefulness. Of course a 4 door closed car made more sense for travel sheltered from weather. Why have an open car? Yet as a collector they have more value than a closed sedan. I have a 1930 DeSoto CK6 coupe with a rumble seat. What a special treat for the grand kids to go for a ride in grampa's old car with the rumble seat! I have installed seat belts and only drive slowly on quiet roads. Kids love the attention they get. It is so special to them! My grand daughter said after a short trip "Grampa, 35 people waved at us". The back window cranks down so we can talk to each other. Isn't the intent of the old car hobby to enjoy it. How do we get the next generation interested in this old hobby if our cars are just for show?  have actually crawled into the back and found it very comfortable. Does anyone know of a second DeSoto like this one?

Edited November 4, 2019 by ckowner (see edit history)

[wayne sheldon]

The terms "rumble seat" and "mother-in-law seat" have been used somewhat interchangeably since about 1906. A friend of mine, researching his 1908 Ford model K 6-40 roadster found "rumble seat" used as a description for the single removable seat added behind the main driver/passenger seat on roadsters as early as 1906. Common usage of "mother-in-law" seat seems to have come about soon later. Both terms were used to describe both single and dual seats added in the back during the brass era. The model T Ford offered several variations of roadsters from 1909 through 1912 model years. While the "torpedo" and "open roadster" had no rumble seat, the more common roadster style did, and was generally called a "Mother-in-law" roadster, although that was not its official title. Advertising sometimes called them the "commercial" roadster (either with or without the MIL seat). In the 1920s, the roadster with the more familiar rumble seat in the trunk became somewhat popular, and the term "rumble seat became the preferred nomenclature. By the late '20s, the coupe was also commonly offered with a rumble seat. Primarily for people that usually traveled alone, or with one other person, the coupe was considerably cheaper than a sedan, but offered much more comfort than a touring car. With a rumble seat, the coupe could carry four adults if needed.

Remember, people in those days compared their "inconveniences" to much greater inconveniences just a few years before. Most of the year, that rumble seat ride was just fine. No worse than the back seat of a touring car.

 

The 1929 Reo I had when I was still in high school had a rumble seat. I rode in it a few times with my dad driving, and really enjoyed it. I wish I had a car now with a rumble seat. It was a lot of fun!

Edited April 23, 2023 by wayne sheldon
I hate leaving typos! (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Rumble seats served a very important service that many, many young people needed. It was a great way to go on a date and hide from others where your hands were..........I know I enjoyed many drives in a car with young ladies while my “elders” were up front driving my car. As the announcer says at the beginning of the show.......Are you ready to rumble! 😎

Edited November 4, 2019 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Dave39MD]

Kids love them and I can see the advantages of dating. My mother rode in one from Long Island to Estes Park in 1934 she was 20. Wish I could ask her about that adventure.

 

 

[mercer09]

I find rumble seat cars bring a premium over trunk cars.

 

I prefer the rumble.............

[41 Su8]

I rode in Sam Barnett's Marmon a few years back. I insisted on riding in the rumble seat just for the experience. I enjoyed it so much that my next car was a rumble seat coupe.     John

[dei]

My 1928 Whippet Cabriolet has a rumble seat and with the fact it is smaller than a Model A, should come with a shoe horn! 

We had a visitor come from Germany and just had to go for a ride... A unique experience but wouldn't want to have to travel far in it.

 

And for a perspective on the actual size of the car...

[PFitz]

They are one of the most popular rides during our Club's week long tours....... except if it's raining.   But if the weather is nice, every rumble seat will be full that week, while the back seats of some sedans may not be.  Kids especially love riding in the rumble seat !!!!!

 

My parents told of a weekend day trip for a picnic out Sunrise Highway from Brooklyn to a park somewhere on Long Island. They rode in the rumble seat, with my Father's parents in front. That was back in the early 1930's when they were engaged. The weather turned nasty, and the ride home was in heavy rain. They had to duck down and sit on the rumble seat floor and close the lid. They said it was a very uncomfortable trip jammed into such a small space.

 

Paul

[Tom M]

My brother and his boy enjoying a ride in the rumble seat. My driving companion Harley who is no longer with us. I sure miss that boy.

 

 

 

Our Great Uncle Al own my 31 before my father bought if from him in the late 80's.

I still remember to this day when our Great Uncle Al would take us for a rides in the Rumble Seat around Marquette Park in Chicago.

What fun it was......

Edited November 4, 2019 by Packin31 (see edit history)

[Willie Wurke]

Locke Coachbuilders in NY made a convertible three door coupe body. The third door was forward of the right rear fender!. You stepped from the running board to 

enter the rumble seat! The car's 145 inch wheelbase made this possible!!   Have only seen one in last 90 years.  A Chrysler.  A must for dignified ladies!!!!

Edited November 7, 2019 by Willie Wurke
to correct math (see edit history)

[barry22]

A friend had a brother who was in the rumble seat of Model A coupe that went off the road and overturned. The two people inside the car survived. The brother in the rumble seat was killed.  

[C Carl]

Hi Bill ! How are you ? That 185" wheelbase would have been not only uncommon, but also somewhat unusual to drive. From having owned  a '96 extended 6 door Fleetwood Brougham, I noticed that the rear end seemed to take a moment before deciding to follow the front end  🤔😏 !

 

Barry' , your example is a sad reminder that our old cars are dangerous, no matter what the configuration. Out having fun with family and friends, and in a second, irreversible tragedy strikes. Please be careful everyone, particularly with those VERY cool rumble seats.

 

A number of you have mentioned rides to the park. Dave39MD writes about what really was an EPIC ride to the park. Estes Park is half-way across the country in Colorado ! In 1934 ! With all the dust and dirt, baking in the hot sun, rain ?, exhaust, etc, that "jaunt" sounds like several orders of magnitude more strenuous than a "walk in the park"! 

 

         Aging, fading, too ill to walk through the park anymore, having to drive it these days,   -  Carl 

[Graham Man]

I had the best time riding with my kids in a 1929 Graham-Paige rumble seat coupe.  Getting out was another story.  Sedans were considerably more money.

 

On the dangerous topic, driving is most likely the most dangerous thing any of us do, last year there were 40,000 deaths in the US in car accidents (third year in a row).

 

https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/fatality-estimates

 

 

[58L-Y8]

Rumble seats were intended only for occasional use when more than two need to go and then not for long distance.   In the 1920's, roadsters were generally the cheapest body style; for buyers with only a periodic need for more passenger accommodation a rumble seat was a good solution.    As the closed car became affordable, roadsters assumed a sporty aura, a rumble seat felt dangerous and fun.   

 

One of my favorite lines from M*A*S*H is when Henry Blake returned from R & R in love with young Nancy Sue Parker, Hawkeye tells him "Henry, You just spent a week in the rumble seat of the time machine!"

[ipeeforward]

I have been asked to do 2 weddings using my 1929 Chrysler 75, the bride and father and then bride and groom rode in the rumble (dicky in G.B.) seat.

It's always the most popular seat to have a go in at the car shows.

2 adult passengers means less room for picnic items though. 🙁

 

[Gunsmoke]

The perhaps finest ever American illustrator Norman Rockwell captured the subject in 1935, a picture that may be worth a thousand words! I have this 12x15 print, must get it framed someday.

[tcslr]

My youngest daughter - when she was small - called it the 'bunker seat'.  Taking her and her friends to the ice cream stand in the bunker seat on a hot summer evening with the lightning bugs putting on their show and smell of freshly mown grass is sublime.  Them waving at all passers - the passing drivers mostly waving back.

Good memories - good times.

[jeff_a]

Many moons ago my Grandmother and Grandfather, and my Father and Aunt, went from Hutchinson, Kansas to Mesa Verde, Colorado in a Classic Car. Grown-ups in the front, children in back. There was an accessory canvas top for the rumble set. The scenery was epic from back there, no doubt, but it must have been rough sometimes, too. The car? A 1926 Elcar Cabriolet with a Lycoming Eight my Grandfather traded a plane for.

 

Here is the Elcar without the rumble seat canopy on a casual drive with Bernie, Geneva, and Lorena Brown close to home. Glenn D. Brown photo about 1930.

Edited November 15, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

On 11/3/2019 at 10:23 PM, Gunsmoke said:

...As for the previously mentioned "mother-in-law" seat, if I recall that was a term for the earlier cars that had a single occupant seat in center rear of car, and was not a reference used for rumble seats. 

 

As an editor for one of AACA's regional newsletters,

I enjoyed finding old articles that brought out little-known

facts.  One article, circa 1909, referred to a "rumble seat,"

and it was a small fixed rear seat.  Today people call that

seat a "mother-in-law seat," now that more than a 

century has passed from that era's first-hand knowledge.

 

One of our local members has an EMF "double-rumble roadster."

He wondered why it was called that.  I was able to point out

that fixed rear seats on open cars were called rumble seats.

His car happened to have two bucket-type rear seats side by side. 

 

So those fixed single back seats were known as rumble seats.

When someone came up with the idea to make a seat

that folded away, the same name was used. 

Edited November 15, 2019 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[CHuDWah]

On 11/5/2019 at 8:47 PM, tcslr said:

My youngest daughter - when she was small - called it the 'bunker seat'.  Taking her and her friends to the ice cream stand in the bunker seat on a hot summer evening with the lightning bugs putting on their show and smell of freshly mown grass is sublime.  Them waving at all passers - the passing drivers mostly waving back.

Good memories - good times.

 

 

Many years ago, my wife's sister, her husband, and five kids visited us.  The wives went shopping with the two elementary school kids, leaving us men to babysit the three younger ones.  We loaded them in the rumble seat of my Model A and headed for the Dairy Queen.  I recall on the way back, a guy in a new Corvette convertible pulled up beside us at a stoplight.  He complimented the car and had fun talking to the kids while waiting for the light to change.  When we got home, they told their siblings about the joyride.  So of course we had to make another ice cream run with the older kids. 

[SC38dls]

If you own the car and are the driver the rumble seat is not a problem! If your in the rumble seat it can be sweet depending on who is in it with you! Sometimes it’s good not to be the driver!  

Have fun

Dave S 

[DavidAU]

I'm sure thats where the Air Force got the idea for ejection seats.

[Robert G. Smits]

My first Glidden was in St Paul MN and #34 if my memory is correct.  We were driving my 34 Pontiac Rumble seat Convertible and were at a morning coffee stop when a elderly man with a cane and his wife walked slowly by and stopped by the rear of  my car for a moment.  The wife gave her husband a gentle nudge in the ribs with her elbow and said "Honey do you remember the time we did it in a rumble seat".  To this day that has been the high point of Glidden tours for me

 

[Lebowski]

On 11/4/2019 at 5:53 AM, Dave39MD said:

Kids love them 

 

Mine had room for four of them.... 

[victorialynn2]

I have memories in high school when my dad had a Buick rumble seat car. He took a friend and I to a game riding back there. We were cheerleaders and had our uniforms on. We had to drive through town and I was mortified. I hid down where your feet go and my friend had a blast shaking her pom poms all through town at everyone. 🤦‍♀️

[John S.]

If you never took a ride in one, you don't know what you're missing. Great fun.

[Chris Coon]

My father (age 92) tells stories of riding in rumble seats when he was young with lots of smiles and laughter.  He even laughs when talking about moving down to the floor and closing the lid when the weather was cold and raining.

[1935Packard]

Given our occasional threads such as this one on how rumble seats were eliminated in the 1930s, I thought I might post about this 1945 legal case, Larson v. General Motors, that has some history on the switch away from rumble seats. 

 

The story: Louis Larson sued General Motors claiming that in 1934 he had provided GM with a plan for how to design a coupe with two interior rear seats without needing to lengthen the body, by expanding the roof and widening the doors and adding folding opera  seats, which would enable the elimination of the rumble seat.  GM later built such cars, and Larson claimed it used his design, but never paid him for his idea. 

 

GM responded that GM already had the idea before 1934 and that the idea wasn't novel around then anyway. In 1930, Derham had made coupes of that style, GM said, and patents and publications discussed the idea going back to 1928.  So it didn't need to pay Larson.

 

At trial, a GM engineer testified for GM that GM also had the design in 1933, before Larson:  "A convertible coupe for an 8-cylinder, a 12-cylinder and a 16-cylinder Cadillac was designed and a coupe was constructed at that unit having opera and auxiliary seats, and no rumble, between May and October 1933. Its middle seats were hinged to the side walls and folded back and its doors were wider than in former coupes so as to give access to the opera seats and the roofs were made longer so as to give more head room.   Another witness for GM testified that "he saw a Cadillac convertible coupe having a rumble seat and two opera seats, hinged either to the side or to the back of the car, at a dealers' show in Detroit in December 1933."

 

The jury ruled for GM, agreeing that the idea had been around in 1928, that Derham had made coupes with this design in 1930, and that GM had the design in 1933.  The court of appeals upheld the jury's verdict.

[edinmass]

Is it a surprise that even a hundred years ago, lawyers were bringing frivolous lawsuits? 😎

 

I’m usually agreeing with Shakespeare on this one! 😝

 

Interesting article Orin…….and the first I have ever heard about it. Thanks for posting.  👍

[Xander Wildeisen]

I have owned five cars with rumble seats. I have driven people around while they sit in them. I have sat in them while cleaning the cars. I have never ridden in one. Sad that I have never experienced a ride in a rumble seat. Maybe I did not trust anyone enough to drive the car.🤔