Old, goes the saying, is gold! This adage holds true for the automotive industry as well. The automobile industry has been constantly evolving over time which has spelled an end to old car features. Here, we shed light on some remarkable features in old cars that we miss and are unlikely to find in modern-day vehicles.
Wing Windows
Air conditioners are now ubiquitous in automobiles. However, prior to the proliferation of air conditioners in automobiles, wing windows (also known as quarter light or quarter glass) were located in the front door as a side window or on each side of the car in front of the vehicle’s rear window.
These windows played an instrumental role in ventilation inside the vehicle by directing the outside air onto the passengers inside the vehicle. In addition to this, wing windows provided sufficient ventilation for drivers and passengers who smoke inside the car without them having to open the other car windows in cold weather.
Cars That Used Wing Windows
- Suzuki SX4 sedan
- 8th-generation Honda Civic sedan
- 1933 Pontiac Economy Eight
Cornering Lamps
To signal to the other vehicles in which direction they are about to turn, drivers use indicators. In classic cars, whenever drivers turned the indicator signal on, cars had corner lights in the front which shone light on the street they were about to turn into. These lamps were immensely helpful as they illuminated the area where the vehicle’s main beam headlights were unable to shine light upon.
That said, as these lamps lit up even during the daytime when drivers turned on the indicators, this feature was thought as pointless by many. Thus, these cornering lamps slipped from the radar of automobile designers and gradually fell out of design.
Cars That Used Cornering Lamps
- 1994 Nissan Maxima
- 2011 BMW 335i
- 2014 Volkswagen CC
- 2007 Buick Lucerne
Front Bench Seats
No discussion about old car features can ever be complete if front bench seats are not mentioned. Unlike present-day cars that feature bucket seats and a center console, old cars used to have bench seats. Instead of two or three frames for an entire front seat as is the case with bucket seats, bench seats are akin to a couch.
They had one long continuous frame thereby providing more seating width to each passenger and were enough to accommodate 2 passengers as well as the driver. Not only were they cheap to manufacture, they were comparatively more comfy and also the go-to option when going to a drive-in cinema or a date before being vanished.
Cars That Used Front Bench Seats
- Nissan Titan XD
- Toyota Tundra
- GMC Sierra
- Chevrolet Silverado
Whitewall Tyres
Those with a newfound interest in the automotive industry may only be familiar with cars having black tyres. However, during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, cars had whitewall tyres.
Once automakers observed that adding carbon (black in color) enhanced sturdiness of the tyres, they only added it to the part of the tyre that comes into contact with the road because of carbon’s high cost. However, as the price of carbon plummeted, designers added it to the whole tyre which spelled an end to whitewall tyres.
Cars That Used Whitewall Tyres
- 2011 Lincoln Town
- Rolls-Royce Phantom VII
- Continental Mark II
Chrome Bumpers
A majority of today’s generation would think about Google Chrome when they hear the word ‘chrome’. However, for longtime automobile enthusiasts, it brings back the memories of chrome bumpers i.e. car’s bumpers plated with chromium. As you may know if you are well-versed with chemistry, plating a surface with chromium improves it’s hardness, durability and corrosion resistance while also making it more lustrous and simpler to clean. On the flip side, hexavalent chromium is an extremely hazardous chemical that can cause air pollution. Therefore, automakers resorted to rubber bumpers from mid 90s and chrome bumpers vanished over time.
Cars That Used Chrome Bumpers
- 1991 Ford LTD
- 1992 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
- 1995 Rolls Royce Corniches
One of the many hobbies of automobile enthusiasts and purists who, despite having the option to purchase modern-day cars with remarkably advanced features, wish to stick to old cars or want the above mentioned features to make a comeback. Luckily for such people based in the United Arab Emirates, the good news is that they can find the listings for used cars for sale in UAE on dubizzle at reasonable prices. For those who wish to relive the age of old cars, there are a number of car museums in UAE like the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum which has a large collection of more than a hundred vintage vehicles.
If you want to keep abreast of all the latest information related to automobiles, stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog.
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