We're 55's really 5 passenger cars?

[Jeff Rose CLC #28373]

Silly question I know but this got me wondering.
I was reading the post on 55 Fleetwood options and saw Dave's post on the Gray Lady. It shows these as 5 passenger cars. Well we all know you could fit about 8 in them compared to today's cars (more if they were clowns). Just curious as to where the 2 sat and the 3. I would think 2 in front and 3 in back but the rear had an armrest so 2 in back and 3 in front? The lack of seat belt positions makes it hard to tell.
Attachment courtesy of The Gray Lady.
Jeff

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Of course they were 5 passenger vehicles.   Include the driver, and they held 6 in comfort.

Bruce.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

Hah! Bruce, I was a passenger for some fifty miles in a full sized 1970 Fleetwood in the middle of the front seat back in the day when the car was still nearly new. I had to hold myself unnaturally stiff to stay out of my friend's way who was driving. No, they were really five passenger cars if you wished to be comfortable. (And I was still much slimmer than I am now.) Coupled with holding myself in an weird position, I had to twist myself even more to put my feet and legs to the right over that big transmission hump.

[D.Smith]

In 1980 when my Grandfather passed away, the Funeral home sent over a new 1980 Cadillac factory limousine to pickup the family.   I was 14 years old so fairly skinny at the time.   I got put in the middle of the rear seat between two adults.  The jump seats were used for two more.   So there were five of us in back.   I was excited to be riding in a new limo (despite the circumstances) but man it was crampted back there!     I was squished on both sides and because the jump seats were in use I had virtually little leg room.   So despite the claims these cars held a maximum number of people, the comfort level was much better if you didn't put three across, front or back.

[gary griffin]

In 1958 I was training at Fort Ord California and there was a civilian cab service that we used when off duty. 25 cents fare to anyplace on base. Cabs were older Cadillacs with jump seats. Being young and fuel cost conscientious I asked  a driver why Cadillacs.  His answer was they run forever and he could make more money cramming 7 or 8 of us skinny young guys that rather than a smaller that got better mileage. I can not remember the name of the company but the cars were all light blue. Probably mostly WW-ll surplus military cars. Back than I thought they were ugly but ended up restoring a 1942 Cadillac series 67 which would have accommodated jump seats.

[Greg Powers]

I think the preferred seating was two in the front seat, one being the driver, and three in the back. When I was travelling with my parents during my youth we traveled six in a full sized Cadillac Sedan. My youngest brother got the middle of the front seat between my parents for several reasons. Haha! You have to remember also that on the older cars the driver had to really driver the car, not just sit back and enjoy the ride. They had to have a little room for them and that big steering wheel.