Re: V8 hardtop Seat Belts

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2011/9/9 11:01:18

"Auto Safety" as a course of study was in it's absolute infancy in 1956 and thereabouts, the only other serious thrust into safety was by Stutz (the Safety Stutz) in the 20s/early 30s which was less than a rousing success. Ford's mid-1950s thrust into safety was also pretty much a dismal failure (in the marketplace, that is).

I suspect the idea of the seat belt fastened to the door came from the very large number of auto fatalities that reportedly came from occupants being thrown from the vehicle, sometimes into the path of other moving vehicles. I suppose at the time it made perfect sense given the inmature state of the discipline.