What happened to sprung seats?

[RedSwede]

As the title - why do we not get these anymore?

Getting into a quality 70s/80s/early 90s car with sprung seats I always wonder why they don't make them anymore? They're wonderfully comfy compared to the slab of foam you get now. Not much good for press-on driving, but for covering distances and typical driving they're great.

Maybe cost cutting? Or the obsession with everything being sporty? Or some crash issue?

[bristolracer]

Crash protection, modern seats are designed not to 'submarine' in an impact, and to hold the occupant in place. Harder to do when you are sat on a box of springs.
Cost also plays a factor,much less labour combined with the availability of cheap plastics and foams make it a hit with the accountants.

[Yertis]

Even my TR6 has foam seats, and that's late '60s design.

[lowdrag]

Jaguars didn't. Look at the E-type and my XKSS, then a C and D-type and the XK range. The saloons did, but not the sports.

[BryanC]

Slightly O/T but years ago, I once had a pre-war BSA 3 wheeler with inflatable seats to keep the weight down below a full rate car tax threshold. I think comfort was the last thing on my mind at the time.

[Renn Sport]

Last sprung seat was in the Merc W124 from bottom memory. Very comfortable.

I love the Merc W124.

[RedSwede]

lowdrag said:

Jaguars didn't. Look at the E-type and my XKSS, then a C and D-type and the XK range. The saloons did, but not the sports.

Yes - they were very rare in sportier models generally. Probably something to do with height and the fact that if you are pressing on, they're maybe not so great. Continued with Jaguar through to XJ-S (foam) and XJ6 (sprung). (Were any/all/early XJ40s sprung? Not sure.)