by Hunter Howard
We know you’ve seen cool, strange and classic cars roll through your bays but have you noticed less of them rolling in with these six things?
- Vent Windows
Vent windows were all the rage in the pre-air conditioning days of vehicle manufacturing. Once the only way to stay cool is now a thing of the past as A/C reigns supreme. Vent windows were simply too costly to add in with the new addition of A/C and were eventually phased out.
- Bench Seats
Gone are the days of sitting next to that special someone in the front seat of your vehicle. Here are the days of storage space in wonderful little things we call center consoles. Although you can still find bench seats in the backseat of many vehicles and the front seat of some pick-up trucks, it seems as if the days of no bench seats are nearly upon us.
- Tailfins
Harley Earl, General Motors design chief in the late 40s, is credited with the public embrace of tailfins. He said he took inspiration from a WWII aircraft. The tailfins were first introduced on the 1948 Cadillac, giving the car a more futuristic look. The tailfins quickly gained popularity and were featured on many cars in the 50s and 60s.
- Suicide Doors
Suicide doors were aptly named because if the rear doors were not shut completely, the doors were likely to catch wind, whip open, and fling its passengers out on to the pavement. Maybe that’s why they’ve become a thing of the past.
- Crank Windows
Kids may not believe you if you tell them windows were once controlled with a crank and that you even had to turn it by hand! With the invention of motorized windows, youngsters will not understand why we say, “Roll up that window.” Joking aside, this feature is still found in some new cars and trucks but is seen less every year.
- CD and Cassette Players
Music. Everyone loves it in one-way or another. Whatever your genre, you probably had a collection of your favorite bands and artists on cassettes or CDs. You might have even had your favorite songs from multiple artists on a mix tape. If you want to reminisce and listen to those old tracks, you might have to buy a special after market system to help you as they’re being replaced with AUX ports and Bluetooth.
All of these features once iconic to the automobile industry are being replaced by new inventions and technology. What will be iconic for the next generation? What will be missed once everything has changed? Who knows! As for the most common thing found in vehicles today, bet you’ll never guess — a French fry!
