The automobile industry has been continuously evolving and innovating over the years. But you will be surprised to know about some features that are no longer seen in today’s modern cars. Read on to know more.
Tailfins
Born in the factory of General Motors, Tailfins were designed by Harley Earl. Inspired by WWII Lockheed P-38 Lightning plane, these tailfins first appeared on the 1948 Cadillac. Tailfins became tremendously famous in the 1950s owing to its space-age futuristic appeal.
Bench seats
Chevy Impala was the last American production model car to offer a bench seat in the front. Before the seat belts became mandatory, these bench seats could easily fit three adults or four, including a kid in the front. Those cushiony sofa style seats were mind-blowing.
Ashtrays
Commonly found in the dashboard next to an electric lighter, on the back of the front seat or on the armrests of the back seats, those ashtrays were super convenient. Even if you were a non-smoker, you could easily hold coins upfront. The rear ashtrays often became a dumping ground for candy wraps or discarded chewing gum.
Floor mounted dimmer switch
In the older times, there was this button left of the pedal brake to switch on the dimmer. The automobile manufacturers decided on it as it was a distraction on the steering column, and they decided to place itin to the floor of the car. Quite an idea!
Capacious trunks
The 1961 Buick Special had 25.5 cubic feet, Chrysler Newport had 33 cubic feet, and DeSoto had 32.8 cubic feet of massive trunk space. This was large enough to fit in an old TV set with the blown picture tube, spare tire, and a month of grocery.
Vent Window
Wing windows were hugely popular in the pre-air conditioning automobile era. Even in today’s air-conditioned cars, these seem relevant. On the days when it’s not hot, the vent window allows air to circulate effectively without blowing you off and messing the hair.
Horn rings
Before these, drivers had to remove the hand from the steering wheel and then press the centre horn. Horn rings were introduced so that both the hands could remain on the wheel and a finger or thumb can be stretched to press the ring to blow the horn. Isn’t it still relevant?
Control Knobs
Tiny buttons and touch screens can be distracting and dangerous while driving. Those good old solid big knobs that could either be pulled, pushed or twisted would make it much easier to keep an eye on the road. Don’t you think so?
