Ode to the Bench

Another little piece of our motoring heritage is about to be banished to the rubbish bin of automotive history. Like the kerosene lamp, the 8-track cassette deck and the squeezable air horn, General Motors has recently announced that starting in the 2014 model year, there will no longer be an American passenger car equipped with front row, bench seating. Big deal, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought when I first read the press release too.

The press release highlighted the fact that the 2014 Chevrolet Impala would no longer offer front bench seats, and being the last American passenger car to offer them, would mark the passing of an era. “A lot of people prefer bucket seats because they’re sporty, even in models that aren’t sports cars,” said Clay Dean, GM director of design. “Our customers also appreciate having the center console as a convenient place to store their phone and other personal items.”