EXTINCT Car Features we MISS from our CHILDHOOD

Hey guys it's Marshall again. And today I decided we should all revisit how cars have changed from back when we were passenger babies instead of the ones at the helm. Let me know in the comment section which one of these old car features sparked a memory for you!

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the days of yesteryear more often!

[sylvisterling]

The two features I miss the most are FINS (loved those babies!) and WIND WINGS! Those little triangular sections of window glass that could be swiveled inward to direct airflow over the interior.

[pcno]

I miss vent windows, column shifters, split bench seats (with no center console) and air conditioners with crotch cooling vents (politely called "lap coolers" ) to keep the seat from getting to hot and clammy.

[davidmitchell]

I miss drinking five or six high balls and putting the old lady and kids in the car without seatbelts and lighting up a half a pack of pall malls and heading down to the Howard Johnson's for supper. Them was the days when women were women and us fellas was glad of it.

[Uajd-hbqs]

What I really can’t stand about modern cars is how they don’t have engine information gauges like oil temperature and pressure. A lot don’t have an engine temperature gauge now. I know it can be considered redundant due to more reliable engine but I still think it’s valuable information especially when owning a car for a long period. You might notice after a few days the oil pressure might be getting lower with each start or maybe the engine temp might be creeping that little bit higher after a drive. Little changes like that can indicate the start of a world of issues that you can sort out before they become a big problem. Engine gauges should be brought back.

[TOMRN]

Lived in Japan from 1972 to 1973. We had a Toyota Crown and Nissan Cedric with fender mirrors. Another feature they had was a cooler in the trunk that ran off the a/ c. Large enough for a six pack of soda and a few sandwiches.

[mhj]

I prefer "manual" window cranks; damned electric ones cost a fortune to fix. They usually go out in the winter with the window in the down position.

[AdmiralBison]

There's only one feature I truly miss about cars from childhood.


Having my parents deal with all the driving, maintenance, repairing and costs of a car.

[paulparoma]

What I miss the most is the bench front seat and the column-mounted shifter. And the smooth ride the Great American Car was famous for. Also, the variety of interior colors available through the '90s.

[Cammi_Rosalie]

Buttons. Switches. Knobs. A friggin shifter. A Clutch. Real controls.

That's what I miss. A car where the occupant of the drivers seat actually operates the functions of the car.

- Also... Cars made by automotive companies. NOT marketing firms and bean-counters.
- Wing windows and manual air vents.
- Manual seats.
- Dome lights that freaking go OFF when the doors close! "Is there a door open, or is the dome light waiting to slowly fade off? Better go check all the doors!"
- Turn signals that DO NOT go "CLICK! CLACK! CLICK! CLACK!" pointlessly loud. (or worse, signals that have asinine tones, chimes or artificial click-clacks played through the speakers)
- A LACK of phones. I miss drivers who drive the car. Not ride in the drivers seat, while twittering. (Phoning and driving should carry the same penalty as DUI. Social media mobile apps should all be removed and social media platforms should ONLY be accessible via a desktop computer browser.)
- Cars with angles and lines. Not just another blob of a bean shape. (we're getting there again, Slowly.)

[ivanleterror]

Thought I'd add 2 more. My 50 Ford had vacuum operated wipers. When you accelerated they would slow down. Backing off the gas would speed them up. Same as the vacuum gauges some cars had that was referred to as an 'economizer gauge'. The other was an electric heater. Had a coil that heated up like a bathroom heater with a small fan behind it to push the heat out. The control knob would light up with a weak light in it when power was used. Other older cars sometimes had the knobs for other items.

[AmazedStoner]

Cigarette lighters and ash trays are the features I miss the most. Honestly seen a work truck last year that didn’t even have a 12 volt outlet.

[jerryfacts]

I remember the car phones from during the 1960s and to the time the portable mobile phones came out. Very expensive, and had all the electronics in the trunk of the vehicle. I remember most of the items mentioned in this video. I have to admit that I am old.

[daviddavid]

I recently drove a classic. It was a horrid rattletrap but I was instantly reminded of how awesome those vent windows were.

[dougbrowning]

Hand cranked cars still had ignition switches. What they lacked was starter buttons. Old cars also had manual choke and spark advance, a must for manual starting. Setting the spark fully up delays it until after top dead centre and prevents the handle from spinning back and breaking your wrist. Once successfully started, you can advance the spark and open the choke to the point where the engine runs smoothly.

[JohnGavagan-vior]

Crank vent windows, Vacuum door & trunk locks, Chock knob, Swivel seats, reverb speaker, floor air vents, dash air vents with no AC, push button gear selector, concealed fuel fillers, huge trunk space, side marker lamps, tilt & telescopic steering column, comfort feature on seatbelt retractors, luggage shade, automatic seatbelts, roof racks, air ride.

[anilbaksh]

Hood Ornaments were the best. It made each car so unique. Some of the old ones are super collectable today.

[appliedengineering]

@5:44 in the video. There was a very good reason the rear hinged doors went away. They were incredibly dangerous. Earning the name "Suicide Door". If you ever tried to open one of these doors while the vehicle was traveling down the road. It would catch the wind and swing open violently, sucking you right out of the car and on to the road. A lot of children were killed because of these things.

[robertadams]

Maybe it's me but most of these were gone by the time I started driving in 1972. I can't imagine too many people "missing" these things that are still alive. won't even give a thumbs up for it.

[SDav]

The Opel Meriva made from 2009 to 2016 still had rear hinged doors. It was in the minivan segment. It made it easy for parents to put a child seat in and take their kids out. My friend's parents still have theirs. It's really cool. It turns heads when you open the back doors. Lol.

[Colorado_Native]

The fender mirrors were very handy. I lived in Japan for eight years and some of the roads were quite narrow with a benjo ditch alongside. If someone was walking up behind you, you could see them sooner and not run into them, or put them in the ditch with, well, poop in it.
Also, GM had horn 'button' integrated into the actual steering wheel. They were very troublesome. I think airbags in the steering wheel hub was a big reason for the buttons, or built into the airbag cover.