[updraught]

Many people have run with no shocks for a good many years.

Leaf springs, especially rusted ones, come with a good deal of resistance.
Well lubed leaf springs, however, less so.
The story goes that Henry Ford took the new Model A for a ride over a field and on return said "put hydraulic shocks on it". If so, like the Model T, it was designed to run with no shocks, but is improved with them.