The automotive landscape has seen some wild trends over the years. Many features that once seemed innovative have now become relics of a bygone era. Some were flashy but impractical, while others simply missed the mark.
Remember vinyl roofs? They looked great until the sun took its toll. Then there were fender skirts, which often ended up being more of a hassle than a stylish touch.
In this article, we’ll explore ten old car features that everyone has tried to forget. These gadgets may have had their moment, but it’s safe to say they’re better off in the past.
1. Curb Feelers
Curb feelers were a unique feature in cars of the 1950s and 60s. These metal devices were designed to alert drivers when they were getting too close to curbs. They were meant to prevent damage to the car’s wheels and hubcaps.
However, curb feelers were often damaged themselves and were not very reliable. As technology advanced, rear-view cameras replaced curb feelers, making them obsolete.
2. Car Phones
Car phones were large and bulky mobile phones that were popular in the 1980s. They were expensive and difficult to install in cars. Unlike today’s smartphones, car phones had poor reception and limited coverage.
As mobile phones became smaller and more affordable, car phones became less popular and were eventually replaced by in-car mobile phone technologies like Bluetooth.
3. Push Button Transmission
Chrysler introduced push button automatic transmissions in the 1950s. These transmissions replaced the traditional gear shift lever with buttons. While they were initially exciting, many drivers found them confusing and unreliable.
As the 1960s progressed, push button transmissions were replaced by simpler and more reliable lever-controlled automatic transmissions.
4. Fender Skirt
Fender skirts were decorative panels that covered the upper portions of rear wheels. They were popular in the 1940s and 1950s, but they were impractical because they made it difficult to access the rear tires. As practicality became more important, fender skirts were gradually phased out.
Some luxury cars continued to feature fender skirts until the mid-1970s, but they eventually disappeared from mass-market vehicles. Today, fender skirts are mostly seen on classic cars and are considered a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era.
5. Fuel Filler Behind Car Plates
Back in the 1940s and 50s, some car manufacturers hid fuel fillers behind taillights or license plates. This was a unique but impractical design. As cars evolved, hidden fuel fillers became less common and were eventually banned.
Hidden fuel fillers were inconvenient to access and prone to damage. They also became less necessary with the rise of self-service gas stations. The ban on center-rear fuel fillers sealed the fate of this quirky feature.
6. Record Players
In the 1950s, Chrysler introduced the Highway Hi-Fi, a record player mounted under the dashboard. This system played special 7-inch records. However, the Highway Hi-Fi was expensive, had limited record choices, and was prone to skipping. Chrysler discontinued it after just two years.
The Highway Hi-Fi was a unique feature at the time, but it was quickly overshadowed by the development of portable audio systems and cassette players. Today, the Highway Hi-Fi is considered a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era when music was enjoyed in a completely different way.
7. Swivel Seats
Swivel seats were a feature in some cars in the 1950s and 1960s. They made it easier to get in and out of the car, but they were mechanically complex and often failed. Swivel seats were discontinued in the 1970s but were briefly revived in Chrysler minivans in the 2000s.
Today, swivel seats are a rare feature in cars, but they are sometimes found in luxury vehicles or minivans.
8. Automatic Seat Belts
In the 1970s, automakers introduced automatic seatbelts as an innovative approach to enhancing vehicle safety. However, these unconventional restraints proved to be less effective than initially hoped. They were often inconvenient and unreliable, and in some cases, could even increase the risk of injury.
As technology advanced, airbags emerged as a more effective and safer alternative to automatic seatbelts. By the late 1990s, airbags became a standard feature in most vehicles, leading to a decline in the use of automatic seatbelts.
9. Vibrasonic Sound Systems
In the 1950s and 60s, General Motors introduced the Vibrasonic sound system, which aimed to create a unique audio environment by introducing a reverb effect. However, the reverb effect was often distracting and hindered speech clarity.
As drivers sought clearer and simpler audio systems, the Vibrasonic sound system was discontinued in the mid-1960s. The Vibrasonic sound system marked a brief experiment in car audio technology, but it ultimately failed to gain widespread popularity due to its limitations.
10. Tucker 48’s Cyclops Eye
The Tucker 48, a pioneering car from the late 1940s, introduced an innovative third headlight called the Cyclops Eye. Designed to illuminate the car’s path around corners, the Cyclops Eye was a unique feature at the time.
However, the Cyclops Eye was expensive and not very useful. The added mechanical complexity escalated manufacturing costs, and the perceived benefits did not outweigh these drawbacks. The Tucker 48, which also faced other challenges, was ultimately a commercial failure.