They don't make 'em like they used to!
13 Retro Car Features We’re Nostalgic For
Published on Dec. 06, 2024
1
/
13
Manual/Wind-up Windows
Winding a window up and down was a chore, especially while driving (and can you imagine doing that today while holding a cellphone — which you shouldn’t be doing while driving!) or having to reach across the seat to “crank up” the window if it starts raining, or stopping to pay at a toll booth? With power windows, pushing a button easily raises or lowers the windows in seconds. As power windows became more popular, manufacturers found it more efficient and cost-effective to make them a standard feature. While this change has been mostly welcomed, we still miss that manual windows allowed us to roll up our windows if the battery was dead, or down to the exact position we wanted. However, power windows offer convenience and comfort.
2
/
13
Manual Door Locks
Before keyless entry or remote power door lock fobs, you had to use a key to open the doors (and trunk). Like manual windows, you had to reach across the seat to physically unlock the passenger doors by pulling up on a knob—or pushing down on the knob to lock the doors.
Like power windows, power door locks became a convenience, allowing you to lock or unlock all the doors with the push of a single button. There is also the safety factor. Locking all the doors at the same time greatly decreases the risk of someone gaining unauthorized access to your car. Today, power door locks are integrated into other theft deterrent systems that provide an additional layer of security against theft.
However, like manual windows, we miss the simplicity and reliability of manual door locks. They were easier to pull open with a clothes hanger if you accidentally locked your keys inside your car, and you could unlock one door at a time if you wished.
3
/
13
Spare Tires
As cars began getting smaller to increase fuel economy, it came to a point where there was simply no room for spare tires. “In less than 20 years, cars went from full-size spare tires to space-saver ‘donuts’ to no spares at all, said Bill Kirkpatrick, ASE and Volkswagen Master Technician, who, over the years, has owned dozens of Volkswagen’s.
Plus, advances in tire construction and materials have dramatically improved tire durability, making flat tires less common than in the past. Eliminating the spare tire and jack assembly also decreases vehicle weight and helps increase fuel efficiency.
Today, many cars are equipped with run-flat tires that can be driven up to 50 miles at zero air pressure. Kirkpatrick said, “One of my cars, which does not have run-flat tires, came equipped with a can of tire sealant and a small air compressor.” Mike Rocchi, former service consultant/service manager, remembers having to do “five-wheel tire swaps” as part of a new car prep. This was when a car came with plain, no-frill wheels and wheel covers, and “[a] customer wanted fancier rally or spoke wheels, we would have to switch out all the tires (including the spare) and wheels from another car.”
No matter if you have a spare or not, you should know how to change a tire—knowing how to change a tire on a car is an essential life skill.
4
/
13
Carburetors
My favorite on this list! I loved and miss working on, rebuilding and modifying carburetors. A carburetor mixes air and fuel in the correct proportion and then delivers it into the engine cylinders, where the fuel vapors are compressed and then ignited by a spark plug inside the combustion chamber. Whether a Holley, Carter or Rochester Quadrajet, one, two, three or four barrels, these things knew how to squeeze every ounce of horsepower out of an Internal combustion engine. But they were as temperamental as any part of a car (the manual choke cable would freeze in winter), constantly needed adjustment, were a major source of smog and were as inefficient as they were cool. Carburetors gave way to super-efficient computer-controlled fuel injection, and manufacturers never looked back.
5
/
13
Vent Windows
Another of my favorites. Many older cars had separate, triangular-shaped windows in the front doors, placed right in front of the front door windows (close to the side mirror). Before air conditioning became a standard feature, on hot days, you could crank open the vent window to direct air onto the driver’s or passenger’s face, even if the other windows were closed. With air conditioning becoming commonplace and manufacturers focusing on aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, vent windows disappeared. I will admit, air rushing across your face made driving lots of fun.
6
/
13
Hood Ornaments
Hood ornaments were once a celebrated feature that echoed the brand and gave cars style and personality. The first hood ornaments were actually designed to be mounted on radiator caps when cars had exposed radiators. Safety concerns due to their size and exposed edges that could inflict serious injuries in an accident with pedestrians caused the demise of the hood ornament. Although some high-end (Rolls-Royce, for example) and exotic vehicles still have hood ornaments, they are mounted to retractable mechanisms that move them behind the grill for safety.
7
/
13
Power Antennas
Designed to help reduce vandalism of someone snapping off your stationary antenna mast or getting ripped off going through a car wash, power antennas were notoriously prone to failing, especially in colder climates where ice and snow caused the retractable cables to freeze. Antennas were necessary to receive signals from terrestrial-based radio stations. Today’s digital broadcasting and celestial satellite radio no longer require a tall antenna mast, and they have been replaced with “shark-fin” antennas or wires embedded into the windshield glass. Both offer improved radio reception and increased aerodynamics.
We do miss the gracefulness of watching a power antenna mast go up and down as if by magic, as well as the clean lines when retracted in the down position.
8
/
13
Front Bench Seats
Back in the day, cars were always advertised as having six-passenger comfort. In reality, the middle of a front bench seat was not only small and cramped, but could lead to accidents. Drivers couldn’t quickly maneuver to avoid an accident because their arms would jam up against the person in the middle seat. With the advent of airbags, it became difficult to place an airbag in the center of the dashboard to protect the middle passenger, and so the front bench seat went the way of the manual window.
But there’s a lot to miss about bench seats. Their ample roominess, nostalgic design, and bench seats made it easier to snuggle with your date at the drive-in movies.
9
/
13
Cassette Players and CD Changers (and 8-Track Players)
It is difficult to believe that such a favorite and necessary car staple has sadly vanished. These not-so-long-ago technologies offered superior sound quality, particularly over AM and FM radio. Cassette players and CD changers have been replaced by newer, more sophisticated technologies. Satellite radio, streaming services, USB, Bluetooth and AirPlay connectivity, make accessing a vast music collection easy without needing any physical media.
10
/
13
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighters
Fewer cars are equipped with cigarette lighters and ashtrays, another staple that had been in cars since the 1920s. We have become more health conscious of the effects of smoking and secondhand smoke. Lighting up isn’t always seen as an accepted activity, particularly in a closed/cooped-up car. The 12-volt cigarette lighter has been converted into a 12-volt power outlet. If you must smoke while driving, most manufacturers offer a “smokers package” that comes with a lighter and an ashtray that fits into a cupholder.
If you are a smoker, ashtrays and cigarette lighters are missed for their convenience, as well as their classic presence, and somehow, it’s not as much fun plugging a phone or other gadget into a USB port as it was the 12-volt cigarette lighter.
11
/
13
Pop-up (Hide-Away) Headlamps and Sealed Beams
When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began relaxing its strict headlamp size and shape restrictions in the 1990s (that had been in place since the 1950s), it allowed engineers more flexibility to redesign car bodies to accommodate new and more powerful headlamp technologies, including LED, Halogen and HID (high-intensity discharge) headlamps.
These new headlamp bulbs are much smaller than traditional sealed headlamp beams. This has permitted vehicle designers to decrease the size and shape of vehicle headlamp capsules. The newer headlamp capsule shapes have helped increase vehicle aerodynamics, as well as greatly improving vehicle aesthetics.
Pop-up, or hide-away headlamps, helped with aerodynamics and fuel mileage during daylight hours, but similar to hood ornaments, headlamps protruding from the front of a car can be hazardous to pedestrians and bicyclists.
12
/
13
Chrome Bumpers
In addition to adding protection in low-speed fender benders, “chrome bumpers” were like jewelry on a car. Shiny chrome bumpers and trim added a touch of style and grace we do not see with newer cars,” said Kirkpatrick. He added, “You could tell the make and model just by looking at the bumpers.” As with most old car features that we miss, safety regulations, including environmental concerns about the hazardous chemicals used in the chroming process, plus reduced weight and better aerodynamics for increased fuel economy, all led to the demise of chrome bumpers.
13
/
13
Curb Feelers
Curb feelers were eclectic steel springs or metal wires mounted to the bottom of a car. They’d emit a scraping noise to alert you that you’re too close to the curb. These protected wheels and tires from getting dinged up or, worse, damaged from bouncing off of a curb.
With the advent of sensors, cameras and even self-parking cars, curb feelers lost their practicality. But they are still a thing with classic car collectors and do add a touch of nostalgia, especially for old-timers like me, who installed many a curb feeler back in the day. We miss their vintage charm and the fact that they were a simple solution that didn’t require sophisticated electronics to function.
Experts
- Mike Rocchi, Director of Technical Training for the Faulkner Automotive Organization (Nov 23, 2024)
- Bill Kirkpatrick, ASE and Volkswagen Master Technician, former shop owner, and dealership service manager and retired a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) certified automotive technology and small engine instructor. (Nov 23, 2024)
Resources
- GM Authority: “Stellantis Confirms ‘Death Of Chrome’ In New Designs” (Jun 2024)
- Hagerty Media: “Two years that changed cars forever: 1974 (bumpers) and ’75 (smog)” (Feb 8, 2021)
- Hemmings: “T-time: A look back at the history of T-tops”
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): “NHTSA to Allow Adaptive Driving Beam Headlights on New Vehicles, Improving Safety for Drivers, Pedestrians, and Cyclists” (Feb 2022)
