Cars of the past by had some pretty cool features – some that were downright dangerous. But, there is something about the simplicity of some of these features that make them much more appealing than todays tech heavy rides. While we are pretty darn happy about the lack of ashtrays, we kind of miss the sounds of a cassette player and the wind in our hair in a T-top, well for those of us that still have hair of course.
Below are some of the features that car manufacturers left behind. Whether for safety – or appearances, these are features our kids will never get to enjoy.
Ashtrays
There was nothing better than being stuck in a car for hours on end with mom and dad puffing away in the front seat. Smoking cigarettes was the thing to do and car manufacturers catered to it with ashtrays. The ashtrays could be located in various places like the front console, backseats, doors – or all of those locations. While some manufacturers today do still have an ashtray as an option, most do not include them by default.
Car Lighter
How will the adults light their cigarettes in the car you ask? Well, with a cigarette lighter that was in the car. They would push in the lighter to get it to heat up, pull it out and push the end into the cigarette. Then joy, the smoking would begin. For kids, it was a fun toy that we would place on our fingers when it was hot just to see how it would look as a burn. Fun times.
Automatic Seatbelts
Seatbelts have been in cars since for many years, but they were usually manually operated. For a period of time we had what were called automatic seatbelts. You would open the car door and the strap would slide forward to let you get in. Once you closed the door, the strap would slide backwards and lock you in. This was implemented when automakers were required to have an active restraint system and airbags were too expensive. When airbags became the required safety feature – automatic seatbelts went the way of the dinosaur.
T-Top Cars
T-tops were a cool car feature that we really wish were still around. Nothing was better than removing those roof panels to feel the sun on your face and the wind in your hair when driving down the highway. The first U.S. production car with T-tops was the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette coupe and 2002 was the last time they were seen.
Carburetors
OK, so not something kids can “see” but if they ever look at an old car they may question why it looks so different. Carburetors were replaced by fuel injection back in the mid 1990s. It is believed the 1994 Isuzu Pickup was the last vehicle sold with it in the United States.
Vent Windows
Sometimes also called quarter glass, these windows would sit on the side of the car at the front or back of the front window. They would be on a hinge, and the triangular-shaped window would open to allow ventilation or to flick those cigarette butts out.
Full Size Spare Tires
Some manufacturers do not give any kind of spare tire anymore. Some SUVs and trucks might have a full-size tire, but most cars will come with a donut. Others may have run flat tires or provide an inflation kit. But back in the day we would be lugging around a big old tire in the trunk. Some cars would have them in creative places too like engines, sidewalls, and more.
Cassette Player
After dealing with gigantic eight-track tapes, cassette tapes were a welcome change. Due to their smaller size and ability to make custom playlists, cassette players became the audio option of choice in cars. Most 1980s teens can remember sitting at the boombox with a cassette tape copying music from the radio.
Vinyl Roof
Vinyl roofs, popular in the 1960s and 1970s, were made to emulate the look of a convertible on fixed-roof cars. Some manufacturers, like Chrysler, even produced floral and paisley-patterned roofs called “Mod Tops.” As car manufacturers began creating more sleek car designs, the use of vinyl began to decline. It is still possible to add a vinyl roof as an aftermarket customization.
Foot Switch High Beam
In older cars, near the driver’s left foot, there would be a switch the driver could step on to turn on a car’s high beams. Some prefer this, noting that the left foot rarely does anything while driving, but the driver’s hands are busy. Others say the risk of the switch getting dirty from boots and things makes it a bad idea. A hand switch would later activate the high beams.
Actual Keys
Kids today may not realize that at one time, we opened our cars with a key. The key would lock and unlock the doors and trunk, and drivers would use it to start the vehicle.
Velour Seats
Velour seats were a popular design trend that took cars by storm in the 1970s and 1980s. They screamed upscale and luxury but could not handle wear and tear. They often faded and were hard to clean. And we won’t mention the sweat from sitting in them on long road trips in the summer.
Opera Windows
Coupes in the 1970s and 80s sometimes had a small window on the latter part of the roof. These tiny round openings were called opera windows. The original use was to help minimize blind spots, but thankfully, visibility in cars is much better these days.
Bench Seats
Before bucket seats and consoles, front seats in cars featured one long seat called a bench seat. Column-mounted shifters and cheaper production costs made them popular options for car manufacturers. The last reported American car with a bench seat was the Chevrolet Impala, and they stopped production of them in 2014.
Pop-up Headlights
From sports cars to family sedans, pop-up headlights were a popular feature many car enthusiasts still miss. The last car to offer pop-up headlights was the Chevy Corvette C5 in 2004. Unfortunately, European regulations made producing cars with this feature more difficult and expensive.
Manual Door Mirrors
Before electronics came onto the scene, we had to adjust our side view mirrors manually. Parents across the country would ask the kids to roll down the passenger window and move the mirror up, down, left, right, back up, and then back down. This would go on for minutes until the mirror was positioned just right. We miss those days.
Manual Steering
Car buffs often miss manual steering and the feeling of the car responding to every input. There was just something satisfying about muscling that wheel through a tight turn and feeling the tires grip the road. Today, drive-by-wire and lane-keeping systems make driving less fun – but it is safer.
Manual Handbrakes
Handbrakes were the unsung heroes of automotive fun! Being able to yank that bad boy up and execute a perfect handbrake turn was heaven for a teenage boy. Sliding that rear end around a corner with a cheeky little drift was the best feeling. Nowadays, with electronic parking brakes, it’s just different. You can’t get that same split-second release and weight transfer for some delightful oversteer shenanigans. While some cars do still offer them, they are on a continuing decline.
So, would you want to see any of these make a comeback?