Scroll through any dealership lot today and it is all touchscreens, driver assists, and slick LED lighting, but a whole generation of car features has quietly disappeared in the rearview mirror. Some were genuinely useful, some were ridiculous, and a few were banned outright. Together they tell the story of how driving went from analog and hands-on to digital and automated, and why some people still miss the quirks that gave older cars so much personality.
1) Built-in Ashtrays and Lighters
Built-in ashtrays and cigarette lighters used to be standard equipment, tucked into dashboards and rear doors so every passenger had a place to tap ash. They were so common that many owners now forget how much of a car’s interior design was shaped around smoking. As safety and health rules tightened, those fixtures started to vanish, and some classic setups are now cited among banned interior features that no longer meet modern expectations.
The disappearance of ashtrays changed more than just where people put their cigarettes. It freed up space for storage cubbies, cupholders, and charging ports, reflecting a shift from smoking culture to device culture. For restorers and collectors, intact ashtray assemblies have become a small but telling detail of period-correct interiors, while for new-car buyers, the idea of a factory ashtray often feels as dated as a carburetor.
2) Bench Front Seats
Bench front seats once stretched from door to door, letting three people ride across the front like a living room sofa. Large sedans and pickups leaned on this layout to maximize passenger space, and as one overview of old car features we miss notes, families loved being able to squeeze everyone into one row on road trips. The design also made sliding across to exit on the curb side effortless, especially in tight city parking.
Modern safety rules and the rise of big center consoles pushed the bench seat aside. Separate buckets make it easier to integrate airbags, seat-mounted electronics, and storage, but they also formalize the cabin into “driver” and “passenger” zones. For enthusiasts, the loss of the front bench is about more than nostalgia, it marks the end of a more social, less compartmentalized way of riding together.
3) Manual Window Cranks
Manual window cranks, the little handles everyone used to spin in circles, were once the only way to get fresh air. They show up in lists of hilarious classic car features because younger drivers barely recognize them, yet they were simple, cheap, and almost impossible to “brick” with an electrical fault. If the mechanism wore out, a basic repair usually brought it back to life.
Power windows eventually became standard, and with them came convenience, one-touch operation, and child locks. The trade-off is more wiring, more weight, and more things that can fail expensively. For off-roaders and budget buyers, the old crank had real advantages, especially in harsh climates where electronics suffer, but the market’s expectation of push-button everything has made the humble handle a museum piece.
4) Fender-Mounted Side Mirrors
Fender-mounted side mirrors sat out on the front wings instead of the doors, giving drivers a wide, almost cinematic view of traffic. They are a textbook example in guides that unpack obscure car features explained, because many people have seen them on vintage imports without realizing why they were placed so far forward. The idea was to reduce blind spots and keep the mirror out of the driver’s direct line of sight.
As crash standards and aerodynamics improved, mirrors migrated to the doors, where they could be better integrated with side-impact structures and power adjustments. Today’s designs also have to accommodate turn-signal repeaters and cameras, something the old fender location could not easily support. Collectors still prize original fender mirrors for their style, but for daily driving, the modern door-mounted setup is safer and more practical.
5) Running Boards
Running boards, those long steps running along the rocker panels, were once essential for climbing into tall sedans and early trucks. They doubled as a social space in old photos, where people perched on the side of the car, and they are regularly cited among car features that no longer exist in new vehicles. As bodies got lower and doors grew larger, the need for a permanent side step faded.
Modern SUVs sometimes use retractable steps, but those are a high-tech echo of the original running board rather than a direct continuation. The old fixed boards also created aerodynamic drag and collected road grime, which did not help fuel economy or corrosion resistance. Their disappearance shows how styling, practicality, and efficiency can collide, with nostalgia on one side and wind-tunnel data on the other.
6) Starter Buttons on the Dashboard
Starter buttons on the dashboard sound modern, but early versions were separate from the key, a quirky holdover from the days when engines were cranked by hand. Lists of Hilarious Classic Car Features You Probably Don, Even Remember point out how odd it feels now to turn a key for power, then jab a second button to spin the starter. It was a two-step ritual that made starting the car feel like firing up machinery.
Today’s push-button systems are integrated with keyless entry and immobilizers, so the driver just taps once and the electronics handle the rest. That evolution highlights how convenience tech has absorbed older mechanical quirks, smoothing them into a single gesture. The original dash-mounted starter button, with its clunky click and occasional misfire, has become a charming relic of a more hands-on driving era.
7) Carburetor Choke Knobs
Carburetor choke knobs, usually a small pull handle on the dash, let drivers manually enrich the fuel mixture for cold starts. They are a classic example in explanations of car features you will probably never see again, because modern engines handle the same job automatically. On frosty mornings, drivers would pull the choke, crank the engine, then gradually push it back in as the idle smoothed out.
Electronic fuel injection and engine control units made that whole dance obsolete, improving emissions and drivability. While some enthusiasts miss the sense of mechanical control, the old system could flood the engine or foul plugs if used badly. The disappearance of the choke knob shows how emissions rules and reliability demands pushed manufacturers away from driver-adjusted hardware toward software-managed precision.
8) AM/FM Radio Knobs Without Digital Displays
Analog AM/FM radio knobs, with a sliding needle across a printed dial, used to be the centerpiece of every dashboard. Tuning meant twisting a physical knob until the station came in clearly, a far cry from the touchscreen interfaces that now dominate. As one look at new car tech that no longer feels futuristic notes, infotainment has shifted from simple broadcast radio to Bluetooth, apps, and navigation baked into the same screen.
That change has practical upsides, like integrated maps and hands-free calling, but it also adds layers of menus between the driver and basic controls. The old analog setup could be operated by feel, with eyes staying on the road, while modern systems sometimes demand more visual attention. For drivers who grew up with the tactile click of preset buttons, the loss of those chunky knobs is one more sign of how digital the cabin has become.
9) Spare Tire Mounted Externally
Externally mounted spare tires, hanging off the rear or bolted to the side, were once a common sight on sedans and early SUVs. They made tire changes straightforward, and some classic models turned the spare into a styling cue. As safety and design priorities shifted, many of these setups were swept into lists of features you had no idea existed in older vehicles, because newer drivers rarely encounter them outside of vintage shows.
Today, most spares are hidden under the cargo floor or replaced entirely by repair kits to save weight and space. That move cleans up the exterior and improves crash performance, but it also means more hassle when a tire fails on the roadside. The vanishing external spare reflects a broader trend toward sleek silhouettes, even when it complicates real-world practicality.
10) Non-Power Adjustable Steering Columns
Non-power adjustable steering columns, or even completely fixed ones, used to be the norm, leaving drivers to adapt their posture to the car. Height and reach were often an afterthought, and long trips could be tiring if the wheel sat at an awkward angle. Modern buying guides that list tech features you need in your next car now treat power tilt and telescoping columns as must-haves for comfort and safety.
As steering wheels gained airbags, audio controls, and driver-assist buttons, the ability to fine-tune their position became more important. Power adjustment lets multiple drivers share a car without compromise, and memory settings tie wheel position to seat and mirror presets. The old fixed column, once accepted as normal, now feels like a reminder of how little ergonomic choice drivers used to have.
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