6 Obsolete Car Features - Vol.255
As technology marches on many of the features that came as standard with older generations of vehicle are fast becoming obsolete and making way for new features that better suit the modern age. With that in mind, we thought we would have a little bit of fun and list just a few of the features that modern cars tend to do without.
Cigarette lighters
As more research has gone into smoking and something of a stigma has been attached to it, car manufacturers have responded by removing the cigarette lighters and ashtrays that used to be standard issue in many vehicles.
Generally speaking they have been replaced by features that allow the driver to channel some more modern technology, such as USB ports and 12-volt sockets, which is arguably a better use for that valuable dashboard space. It is still possible to find some cars that contain ashtrays and lighters, but it often has to be done by special request or as an optional extra.
Cassette decks
The humble cassette was on its last legs when CDs were first introduced, with many car owners rushing to have the latest technology installed in their vehicles. However they still maintained some semblance of usefulness as people could record mix-tapes for playing in the car whenever they wanted.
However, with the advent of technology that allowed people to burn their own CDs the tape deck became less relevant. Once MP3 players started to gain popularity they became completely obsolete and no modern vehicle will have a cassette deck as standard anymore.
Non-retractable antennas
Older antenna technology was somewhat problematic when it was more prevalent, with most cars featuring antennae that could not be retracted and instead stuck out from the car like a sore thumb at all times.
This became a problem for weaker antennae, which could be broken fairly easily and thus ruin any chance that the driver had of listening to the radio. We would hazard a bet that many an older driver will be able to recall driving through a car wash only to find that a certain piece of the vehicle would be missing when they emerged. These days modern cars tend to have a retractable antenna or a mini-antenna, which has alleviated the problem.
Digital speedometers
This is simply a case of the technology catching up to the concept. In the early days of digital speedometers the small screens used we often victim to glare from sunlight that would make it impossible for the driver to gauge the speed they are going using the digital display alone.
For a while manufacturers either moved back to the more traditional dial meters or implemented a combination of the two. However, as technology has moved forward, LCD screens have become increasingly popular and don't suffer from the sun glare issues of their digital ancestors.
Oil pressure gauges
Many an older driver, especially those who know a thing or two about cars, will lament the slow passing of the oil pressure gauge. In most modern vehicles it has been replaced by a simple warning light that flashes incessantly at the driver when the oil needs to be replaced.
Rumor has it that the issue with such gauges was that inexperienced motorists could be made to panic move movements made by the gauge, necessitating a move towards a simpler system that was more universal, though somewhat reviled by purists.
Car Phones
For a while the car phone was a sign that you had really made it. Vehicles that included them were often top of the line and sellers bragged about the feature often in an effort to shift more cars off the lot.
As we reached the modern age the death knell was sounded for the car phone thanks to the creation of convenient cell phones. Once cell phones became more widely available there was simply no use for car phones anymore and they were phased out.