Who knows what car features today’s teenagers will find nostalgic when they reminisce about their very first cars? Perhaps they’ll miss when vehicles weren’t so “smart” and didn’t drive themselves. Or maybe they’ll miss when driving actually meant wheels on the road.
Nobody knows how drastically automobiles will change in the future. But we do know how much they’ve changed since their invention and even in the past 30 years. Here are 10 car features that no longer exist in new vehicles.
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Download Now!Audible turn signals
Does it seem like more and more people are driving for miles with their turn signals on, apparently planning on making a left turn that never materializes? There’s a reason for that. Many modern cars are phasing out audible turn signals. While those noisy little clicks might seem annoying after a while, that’s exactly what made them useful – they reminded you to switch off your turn signals.
Keys
On most higher-end cars, stamped metal keys are becoming a thing of the past. Instead, start/stop ignitions and electronic key fobs have become the new norm. Vehicle doors automatically unlock when the registered key fob is nearby, and once inside, you simply push the button to start. That’s a big change from the turn-key ignitions most of us are used to. Car manufacturers like Mazda and Ford have even created apps to remotely start and unlock your car using a smartphone app!
Simple controls
Texting and driving is extremely dangerous, and a complicated control system could be just as distracting. In a 2015 AAA study, results showed that mental distractions could last up to 27 seconds after using voice commands on select in-car systems. With many new cars using touch-screen controls, things could get even trickier. AAA suggests putting climate controls, radio stations, GPS and other settings in place prior to driving.
Spacious trunks
We’ve come a long way from massive hulks of solid Detroit steel we used to call cars. Now models are sleeker and more aerodynamic than ever. But that also means less room. Many of today’s car owners don’t know the meaning of a spacious trunk. And unless you’re buying a minivan, you can expect to pack some of those weekly groceries in your back seat.
Spare tires
Here’s a car feature that many of us miss. Some cars don’t come with full-size spare tires anymore because trunks are getting smaller. Other car manufacturers are trying to reduce vehicle weight. No matter what the cause, buying a new car with a full-size spare is a rare occurrence these days. In fact, spare tires have been replaced by tire inflator kits on 29 million vehicles in the last 10 model years. But if you’re lucky enough to get one, today’s tiny doughnut tires are only designed to be used for short distances and under 50 mph. Even with run flat tires, buying a new tire or getting a patch becomes pretty urgent.
Ashtrays
Equipped with electric lighters and ashtrays inside the dashboard, old cars were a smoker’s heaven. Those in-car ashtrays were even great for non-smokers as the ultimate coin compartment. However, most car manufacturers have shied away from ashtrays and opted to install more tech-focused car features, like phone charger ports.
Radio antennas
If you remember when cars had ashtrays, then you probably remember when cars used to sport whip antennas. Were they unsightly? Kind of. But most people used those long radio antennas as a chance to give their cars a little spunk. Back in the day, you could spot countless raccoon tails, smiley face balls and other neat trinkets on top of those wiry menaces. Now most cars have much shorter fixed antennas.
Vent windows
Vent or “wing” windows are another one of those car features staple to older cars. The small triangular windows were found on both the driver and passenger sides and could be rotated inward to get some fresh air. On days that weren’t too hot, you could skip opening the main window and still get some ventilation going without messing up your hair. So, what happened to all the vent windows? Two words: air conditioning.
Hand-cranked windows
Today’s teenagers probably don’t know what a hand-cranked window is. But yes, at one point in time, people had to manually roll their windows up and down. This car feature is almost impossible to find nowadays and that’s probably because most people don’t miss them. In fact, new car owners can rejoice in the power of the window lock. No children will play with the back windows on our watch!
Bench seats
Before seat belts were included in cars, bench seats allowed three people to fit comfortably in the front of most vehicles. You could even fit a fourth passenger if they were small enough. Today’s kids will never know the feeling of squeezing up front with mom, dad and their siblings, but modern cars are definitely much safer!
Can you think of some other car features that no longer exist in new vehicles? Tell us in the comments!
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I like driving stick shift. Every car I owned since 1973 was bought new with 4 or 5 or 6 speeds and a clutch pedal. The paddle shifters foisted on me with my 2018 are a joke as they don’t offer the same crisp control of speed and don’t hold my speed in check as well on a long downhill run. Wheel covers and hub caps are largely replaced now with alloy wheels. You hit a pothole or curb with them and it’s an expensive fix. Interior controls and glaring, distracting central screens are too complicated now and hard or impossible to find by touch anymore. Clicking turn signals are practical – why remove them?
I remember the floor switch for high beams.
CD players: Now gone from RAV4 & CRVs. Portable players? Any suggestions?
Does anyone remember the push button transmissions. My Mom’s 1964 Chrysler/Plymouth station wagon had push button transmission with a rear facing third row seat! When I learned to drive in the early 70s the rear window was stuck down, and the heater no longer worked. It was strange to finally drive with a transmission shift lever on the driving column.
Clutches! The standard transmission is no longer the standard! I learned to drive on a standard, most kids have never driven anything but an automatic and wouldn’t even know how ????!
I miss a front bench seat. I still would like my wife/girlfriend sitting next to me instead of on the other side of the car. I’m 73 and still like the next-to-me feeling.
Forgot… Radios were not standard (If I remember correctly)… an AM radio was the cheapest option. I always added an aftermarket cassette player & speakers.
I remember pickup mirrors that looked like they were on a tripod, with three bolts on the door. Turn the mirror around and rotate the mirror arm outward so it became a wide towing mirror. Another type I remember was bolted to the top of the door and a second bolt to the door under the window. Let’s not forget SUV used to just be a 4×4. Vinyl seats were always sticky but easy to clean (could readily find seat covers that were cloth, though). Air conditioning was an expensive option. New cars used to have options selected individually, not as option packages. To turn on 4WD, you had to stop to lock the hubs on the front tires first (and gas mileage tanked if you drove with them engaged). There was never a question if a ’73 pickup would last 15 years or longer. New cars had to be ordered rather than picking from a in stock lot. That’s most of what I remember (driving at 16 in ’82)
As a 75 yr old person, I miss all the things that have been mentioned as well. However what I really appreciate in newer vehicles are the safety items in newer cars such as: anti-lock brakes, air bags, full safety belts, rear tail lights incorporating faster working LED bulbs (rear center mounted LED brake light notwithstanding), side marker lights, impact absorbing steering columns as well as better engineered car bodies to meet certain crash criteria, high intensity headlights to light up the road more at night, and finally engines that run much cleaner and don’t need high octane gasoline for the most part, just to name a few.
I’m 66 years old and now drive an automatic, but I still watch my tach to see how the engine is performing. Maybe that’s a result of driving a stick shift for so many years.
WHY DON’T THE WARNING LIGHTS THAT COME ON LIKE— CHANGE OIL SOON — GO OFF AFTER YOU CHANGE IT, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THREW A WHOLE ROUTINE TO GET IT TURNED OFF ?????
It’s really not hard to do if you know what you are doing. Plus if you have your oil changed at a good mechanic, they will reset it for you.
I’m as nostalgic as the next person; owned 65 documented vehicles. And I miss a lot of the old features. However, disc brakes, fuel injection, air bags, radial tires, and intermittent wipers are great improvements. And since I just sold my ‘64 Impala SS, I no longer have my much appreciated floor dimmer button.
Thank you for the very interesting Article. I am writing my Bachelor Thesis on the Analysis od Condensators inside A/C in Autos 🙂
I wanted to kindly ask for your permition in using one of the pictures of the article in my presantation, with credit of course!
Thank you and have a nice day!
Sincerely yours,
Jessie
In 1953 my parents had a Mercury Monteray with push button start, My uncle had a Desoto with push button transmission. Today my new Lincoln has these new features, big deal.
Remember when the high beam switch was on the left side floor board and activated by pressing your left foot on the switch button?
I have a 1977 Mercedes with the following: real steel bumpers with shock absorbers front and rear that wrap around the body; push button AM/FM radio; external whip radio antenna; cigarette lighter; spacious trunk; full-size spare tire; pained hubcaps to match the body color; slim whitewall tires; no tachometer; large steering wheel diameter; round headlights; distinctive hood ornament; lots of airspace under the hood; all heavy steel body; manually operated crank windows; manual sliding sunroof; top speed of 86 mph; 0 to 60 in 25 seconds; lots of legroom front and rear; external chrome trim accents; a non-computerized distinctive classic body shape; external air vent manual control; built in first-aid kit; vacuum-operated door locks; no computer chips; low frequency of repair and easy to do same; replacement parts still available; dependability; over 250,00 kilometers and more to come.
Don’t know if anyone said this but how about hubcaps. Most cars today have the fancy rims.
I’ve seen many hubcaps along roadways, that have come off of a vehicle, and where the driver had no idea that he or she has lost a hubcap, and actually have seen a few places where losing hubcaps, maybe due to a bump in the road, where maybe the land owner had hung the lost hubcaps on a nearby fence.
What’s wrong with fancy rims (besides replacement expense). Hub caps just fall off and can be a real hazard if in the middle of the road, espically on the highway at highway speeds.
Rear Windows that go down all the way
I want a return to manually set heating and cooling. The thermostat based systems never get it right. I want to manually set the temperature and speed of the air that comes out, not let a computer decide those parameters for me.
Yes, we all see old car features through a rosy lens. But how about new cars that can cruise at 80 mph without wandering all over the lane, fuel injection that starts instantly and stays in tune, disc brakes that don’t pull to one side, radial tires that last 60-80 thousand miles, alloy wheels that don’t rust, electric rack and pinion that has no slack in it so you hardly have to move the wheel to stay in your lane, etc. How about a turn signal that clicks softly at first but gets louder after a while?
You said a mouth full, David. Good for you … and all drivers.