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We may scoff at these car features today, but they were all the rage when they first debuted.
Cars have experienced revolutionary transformations over the years, with features pushing the boundaries of engineering and art. Today, cars come with sophisticated features like automatic high-beam headlights, rear automatic braking, surround-view cameras, night vision, semi-automated driving systems, and a plethora of driving modes.
But even when technology wasn’t this advanced, automakers were unrelenting in packing their vehicles with luxurious features that were available at the time. However, with the invention of new features, older ones will slowly fade away and become obsolete with time. The following car features may no longer exist today, but they were game changers for the industry back in the day.
Related: 10 Car Features That Are Worthless... But Everybody Wants Them
Cassette tapes in cars were the order of the day back in the 1970s. The Golfs, Vauxhalls, Datsun Laurels, and many more cars of that era all came with a cassette player as a standard feature. But many Gen-Z drivers today don’t even know what a cassette player looks like in a car.
Compact cassettes were introduced in 1962 and became a global phenomenon shortly after. However, by the late 1980s, they were slowly fading away with CD players taking their place. The 2010 Lexus SC430 convertible was the last production car to come with a cassette player.
CB or Citizens' Band radio was common with truck drivers and radio enthusiasts in the 70s’. This short-distance, two-way radio communication system offers 40 channels to drivers within an 11-meter distance. CB radio usually comes in handy when road-tripping or off-roading through remote areas.
The CB radio craze stretched into the 1980s, as it became a cultural phenomenon, influencing music and movies. However, with the rise of mobile phones and the internet, CB radios lost their appeal and users have now completely abandoned them.
Back in the 1960s, getting a car with a T-Top meant that you could enjoy the open-air fun of a convertible while maintaining the structural rigidity of your vehicle. While many automotive historians credit General Motors for the invention of the T-Top, it was actually the handiwork of automotive designer Gordon Buehrig.
The 1948 Tasco prototype is actually the first vehicle to come with a T-Top and then later we see its re-emergence on the 1968 Corvette. However, T-Tops became very popular with the second-generation Pontiac Firebird. T-Tops went into extinction with the fourth-generation Chevy Camaro and Firebird in 2002.
Related: 20 T-Top Cars No One Should Ever Buy
When it comes to split windows, the iconic 1963 Chevrolet Corvette first comes to mind, but this type of window layout has been in existence since the 1930s. We first see split windows on the 1934 Chrysler Airflow and the 1935 Turret Top by General Motors.
Other iconic applications of split windows include the 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe, Volkswagen “Zwitter” Beetle, 1967 – 1971 De Tomaso Mangusta, 1948 – 1952 Porsche 356, and more recently the 2005 – 2011 Morgan AeroMax. Due to the rarity of these cars, they now fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at auctions.
At some point, vent windows were standard on almost every four-door car. They are the small triangular-shaped window you see on cars like the 1933 Pontiac Economy Eight, Buick Encore, Mitsubishi Endeavor, Fiat Grande Punto, and the 8th-generation Honda Civic sedan.
Also, almost every General Motors car from 1930-1940 came with vent windows. You can open a vent window to about a 45-degree angle and get some fresh air into your vehicle. Since most cars now have air conditioning, it was only a matter of time before vent windows became obsolete.
The invention of rotary engines by Felix Wankel was revolutionary in the automotive industry, as they didn’t need a piston, connecting rods, and camshafts to function. Since rotary engines have lesser moving parts, they move smoothly in a circular motion.
Also, rotary engines tend to be high-revving with higher output since they don’t have reciprocating force. For example, the Mazda RX-8 revved at an astonishing 9,000rpm, producing up to 232 hp. The 2011 RX-8 is the last production car to come with a Wankel engine, as manufacturers couldn’t meet up with emissions regulations anymore.
Related: This Car Company Makes The Best Rotary Engines
Vinyl roofs were not just a necessity, but also a symbol of luxury when they were introduced as far back as the 1920s. Vinyl roofs would make people think you are driving a convertible, but you prefer the top to stay put. They come in different styles: full, canopy, halo, and landau.
Vinyl roofs were very common in America, especially during the 1970s. Cars that make vinyl roofs look like a proper styling statement include the 1975-1981 Vauxhall Cavalier, 1973-1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint, 1968-1970 Dodge Charger, and 1977-1984 Cadillac Coupe De Ville.
You will hardly find cars with fender mirrors today, even in Japan, where they used to be very popular. Automakers install fender mirrors to help to remove C-pillar blind spots and allow you to focus on the road instead of looking at door-mounted mirrors to get a view of what’s happening at the flanks and rear of your vehicle.
Since fender mirrors don’t protrude from the side of the vehicle, you will find them pretty useful when driving around narrow roads. Some cars that pulled off fender mirrors well include the first-generation Nissan Silvia, Jaguar XK120, Honda S600, and S800, as well as the Mazda RX-7 and Cosmo.
Front bench seats were once standard features in American vehicles, but today they are no more. But there are speculations that they could make a comeback in electric or autonomous cars. Front bench seats offer room for an additional passenger, making them a great choice for those big on practicality.
Vehicles like the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, 1969 El Camino SS, 1973 Chevrolet C/K, 1972 Cadillac Deville, and 1971 Ford LTD Country Squire Wagon were some of the coolest marques to offer a front bench seat. However, safety regulations requiring the installation of automatic seatbelts and airbags made front bench seats an unviable idea.
The 1935 Cord 810 is the first vehicle to come with pop-up headlights or hidden headlamps. But it wasn’t until three years later that power-hidden headlamps were introduced in the Buick Y-Job. Pop-up headlights allow automakers to achieve the height requirements for headlight height.
Pop-up headlights improved the aerodynamics and styling of iconic cars like the Mazda Miata, Chevrolet Corvette, Ferrari 308, Porsche 944, and Lamborghini Miura. However, due to restrictions on protuberances from car bodies, pop-up headlights were last seen on the 2004 Lotus Esprit and C5 Corvette.
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Peter Akpejeluh is a content writer with years of experience in the automotive industry. His love for cars makes crafting colorful stories around them quite effortless. When Peter is not developing automotive content, you can find him taking one of his favorite cars for a spin.