Obsolete Car Features From The Past 

Older cars had so much character!

The “rich corrinthian leather” motto is burned into my brain from the many commercials I watched during my formative years. Man Ricardo made that leather sound seductive.

I miss the 60’s and 70’s. Send me back please.

You left out one very important feature. There was a time when you could tell the make and model of a car from a distance. Now they all look alike 😢

To me, these were the good old days. Cars had their own personalities.

The bench seat was great for lover's lane.

It was long ago and it was far away and it was so much better than it is today......

My brother, you completely nailed this video. I'm dang near 60 and feel like this is a "way back" moment!!

I LOVE the older cars.

You forgot to mention that those small ashtrays would also have spent chewing gum and chewing gum wrappers in them!!

Just one more reason I miss these old vehicles. Gen Z will never appreciate the nostalgia that we do!! Good memories you shared! Thanks!!

Lincolns back in the day had not just landau roofs but opera windows in the back and analog clocks (good ones!) on the dash. Loved em ❤

Oh, dear R.R., don't even get me started. I'm glad I'm as old as I am. I need off of this planet. ❤

I loved the little triangle vent windows!

I miss driving a stick shift. Our parents did not allow us to get our license until we knew how to drive a stick shift. Back then they said you never know if you may be stuck somewhere and need to drive a stick shift for some reason. We can all drive a stick shift and I am grateful.

The vent windows were great for smokers when it was raining

Dad's 1978 Impala wagon sure was fun. He let me drive it to pick up the lawnmower at Grandma's house, one mile away.

As a teenager in the 1970's, I worked as a gas station attendant. With car designs rapidly changing, it was sometimes confusing (and embarrassing) locating the gas cap. On older cars, it was usually under the license plate. Then it moved to the side of the car, toward the back. Some sports cars had them up front, next to the hood. We routinely washed the windshield and checked the oil level too. Anymore, aside from NJ and OR, there aren't many places that will even pump it for you!

The saddest part is that new cars can't be repaired by average people with basic tools. That's progress I guess...

1:22 the automatic seatbelts were mandated by law. As I understand it, a federal law came into being which required all new cars sold to have either an airbag in the steering wheel, or automatic seatbelts. The latter was a cheaper and faster solution for car makers, hence why almost every new car back then had them. More premium or luxury cars like Mercedes and Volvo opted to install the airbag in most of their models, so you wouldn't find the motorized seatbelts in those. Eventually those seatbelts got phased out in the 90s when a driver's airbag became mandatory for all new cars

I remember our truck had a "choke" pull handle on the dash. It was basically a mechanical wire that pulled a butterfly valve closed on the carburetor when starting a cold engine. The carburetor itself is also a relic today.

Still remember my dad had a company car which was the 1973 Mercury Marquis Station Wagon with woody sides..loaded and awesome. About 6 months into it, my dad’s boss suddenly decided that he needed the station wagon after all for all his cabin trips and exchanged with my dad…and we ended up with his dark blue 1973 Lincoln Continental with a black vinyl roof and 4 huge doors. It was totally presidential looking and it was also the car that I learned to drive on. Nudging that masterpiece down the highway..gently floating was a feeling hard to describe…but great to remember.

I miss the floor vents you could open and close with your foot

The set of keys which included the one marked 'GAS' evokes the '70s EMBARGO days.

I miss my old trucks and cars. It was a better time 😢😮

10:10 A friend of my mother had a Chrysler Cordoba like this. Beautiful car and it rode really nice.

Velour DOES NOT make you sweat - vinyl and leather do.

So glad I grew up when most of the cars had all these features. Still love having my 5spd.

One of the coolest options I had was a 75 Thunderbird (same as the Lincoln Mark IV) and it had an electric vent window that went down before the main side window went down !

Contrary to what you said, seating is definitely NOT more comfortable today. That can only be said by someone who never drove cross country in a couch like wonderful seat of many 50s, 60s cars as compared to todays over hard seats in even expensive cars.

The triangle air vent window was brillant.

Thanx for stirring fond memories! PS: Bring hood ornaments back! 👍👍👍

I wish we still had vent windows.

My 1978 Trans Am had a factory Delco radio with CB and it worked great. My T-Tops never leak because I kept the seal lubricated with silicone grease along with all of the seals on my doors and trunk. Vinyl tops were fine if you used the right protectant on them. It's all about doing the proper maintenance. Most today are too lazy to even wax and polish their cars, which protects your clear coat. Be smart put the radio face plate in the glove box and lock it so they think it's missing.

Roll up and down windows, I love and miss you so much. ❤

I now have a 69 442 4 on the floor convertible with 2 keys, a high beam light switch on the floor, and ash trays & cigarette lighter.

I miss those little vent windows. I think my Dad had a Nash (1950) that even had them in the back seat.

vent windows are more commonly known as smoking windows, the thing I really miss are floor vents. Floor vents provided exellent cooling air flow

When I saw that mid 1960's T-Bird, I thought for sure the legendary swing away steering wheel found in 1960's T-Birds would make an appearance in this list.

I despised the automatic seat belts.

Thank you Recollection Road for a great look into our automotive past. I learned to drive on a '64 Rambler American with a three on the tree. I remember mom telling me that if I knew how to drive a stick that I could drive anything.

I love this channel, especially when it has older cars in it. My uncle worked at a local AM rock station back in the mid 60’s to the early 70’s. He was in the marketing department, giving away tickets to concerts, meeting winners and musicians, etc. The company car he drove was a 67 Chevy- I believe it was a Chevelle - station wagon with a 396, 4 speed Muncie “ rock crusher “ trans with a posi rearend. He said it was rated at 375hp, but was way underrated. I was a little kid back then and he took me for a ride. All I remember was the tires screeching during gear shifts and it was FAST! Moving along to 1979, me and a buddy worked in a restaurant and sometimes we had to go to Safeway to pick up some specialty food for a party that night. My buddy drove his mom’s 1975 Pontiac Parisian station wagon. Here’s the difference between it and the 67. The Pontiac was loaded, weighed more than a tank but it had a 455 under the hood. For all you car guys and girls get out the Kleenex because you’re going to cry. The 455 had a whopping 145hp. It couldn’t get out of its own way. Less than a few years is all it took to turn cars into laughing stocks. This vid is great because it shows what used to be, and what no longer exists. Thanks for showing what used to be.

I love older cars.

eating lunch in a co-workers parked car in 1980 I said to him, "See that rear window in the '60 Mercury in front of us? The large center section of 3 glass pieces rolls down for air to flow though the car". A FoMoCo thing

I loved the front bench. But when someone short drives. It can be hurtful to the taller passengers....lol

We have a 2002 Mustang... CD player still works! :)

I used to sit on a seat cushion with springs in it to allow air to circulate on my back during the summer months preventing my back from sweating.

I certainly miss the simplicity of older cars.

A problem with pop up headlights is that if the motor breaks, then it will get stuck in the open or close position

I didn't realize cars don't have ashtrays anymore, but I've been driving the same car for a while, lol.

95% of Electric Cars are still on the road. The other 5% made it back home. I ride a Harley Davidson Sportster and it still runs great even though it's a 1997 model.

My first car, a ‘72 Ford Grand Torino, had a foot switch for brights. That was so convenient to have.

Our 55' Olds 88 2 door H/T had the wide whitewalls...classic 50s styling.

My dad’s truck from the 90’s has vent windows. Still runs great too!

The antenna wiring was later placed inside the front windshield.

I miss bench seats. Very much! Luxuriously comfortable.

Our first car our family got with power windows was a a 62' Old Ninety Eight..

Cars seating is absolutely NOT more comfortable today…

Still miss the high beam button on the floor. Since my new truck still has a radio antenna, the power antenna would be nice to have again as well.

I loved our way back seats in station wagons, really good memories.

I really enjoyed watching this video. It took me back to my youth and some of the first cars I had. "THANKS"😅

Thanks for the memories! I remember the Chevrolet Celebrity my Mom had and the valor seats and I'd always get shocked getting out of the car. I also remember the ashtrays in the doors. Loved the station wagon because, my Mom would put both seats down when we'd be heading to OKC to the hospital. Wish we could go back to the good old days just for a little while!

Some gm cars have the antenna embedded in the windshield

Beautiful memories,thank you!💯😮👍✌️❤️!

American cars no longer come with cornering lamps. They really made turning on dark streets easier.

3:40 Its a 65' Thunderbird. 64-66 T-Birds some of the prettiest cars ever made.

Remember the car radio antenna that was embedded in the windshield?

Boy I'm old miss those days

Continental Mark IV with opera windows. 8 MPG. Such boat to drive, but smooth!

Pop up head lights were fire. 🔥

Old cars sure did survive fender benders better.

I had some sweet two tone Eddie Bauer leather seats and a dolby sound system in my new Yorker.

Easier times. Much better times.

I miss those bench seats! So comfortable since they were convex and fit the curve of a human back instead of a turtle. Also, no having your head thrust forward at all times. I guess modern car seats and recliners keep chiropractors in business!!

I used the small vent windows to gasp for air as my mother drove around smoking with the windows up. She didn’t like to feel cold 😂

At the 5:38 mark, you can see side panel vents. You could open them up while driving or parked and it would allow air in without car theft concerns. Fake wood paneling, we had and bought a new 1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Stationwagon Blue. The same year and model in That 70s Show used. I used Liquid Gold lemon furniture oil on the wood paneling vinyl. It never cracked until my parents moved to AZ and I was in the USAF and could not maintain the car anymore. Cigarette lighters are great for driving around lighting firecrackers. I had a 3 on the tree on my 1968 Chevy Impala.

Oh ! Boy !!! I'm FAMILIAR with all those items you described !... You JUST told me that i am 'OLD' now, lol !😇

Give me a bench seat, column shift, and 8 cylinders any day.

I miss my '73 Nova.Simple machinery.

We had a 79 T-Bird with the flip up headlight covers. Loved that car!!

I miss horn rings.

even the spare Donut tires is starting to fade away

I miss the floor dimmer switch

I forgot about many of these old features Cars don’t have anymore such as the Manuel Door locks & rolling the window up. Radios in Cars blow my mind! All of the Cars we drove in the 80’s & 90’s feel like to me being on a “Horse & Buggy “compared to cars today. I do miss my 1985 “Horse & Buggy “ CRX! Those & the old Z Cars were bad ass!!!!!

Older cars had many great charms,BUT if i had to have an accident NOW,i would rather have that horror happen in my 2021 car! At least i would have a better chance of surviving,!

Loved pop up headlights!!

I miss bench seats and vent windows. My 2001 Trans Am had T tops and I liked them, wish they'd bring them back.

My 86 cutlas with t-tops was a sweet ride and a babe magnet.

There are so many things about the new cars that I despise. First the computers and big screens that run everything. When (note I didn't say "if") they fail, you are in for thousands of dollars to replace them. Next, the car keys. Having a remote control is handy, but at what cost? My daughter wanted an extra key for her 2023 vehicle. Almost 500 bucks to get it and have it programmed. Without going into a lot of details, even my mechanic says older cars are much better in many ways, including being much easier to maintain and repair. Give me an old Crown Vic or Mercury Marquis, I'll be happily driving it long after these newer cars have "bit the dust."

Thing's we no longer see in cars. (1) Three on the tree. (2) Kraco 8 Track AM-FM😮 (3) Seats that pivot 20°. What i miss the most is fitting half dozen of my friends in to Pontiac Grand Safari station wagon to enter the drive in and pay for four.

Those velour seats were super comfortable.

in paramedic school when learning about traffic accident injuries, i remember being told that one of the reasons the key ignition was moved from the lower dash to the steering column is because at impact in an accident, the driver would sustain terrible knee puncture injuries from being shifted forward and the driver's knee coming into contact with the key.

i remember the trend in the 80s of kids breaking ofgf hood ornaments to wear on necklaces (especially cadillac)

Thank you very much for this video,,,❤❤👍👌❤❤👍👌❤❤

Car ornaments were popular with thieves, too. Some of them were very easy to take off. I used to have them as part of my key sets.

I’m surprised that I am alive today. I never wore my seat belts during the 1980’s until the law was passed.

Most common car feature that has changes is the bench front seats. Nowadays, all captain chairs in the front. I can also remember when fastened seat belts were not required. In addition, cars were much larger than now. Now a 5'5 high person can tower over most of the cars. Mainly cars back then had character that is missing today.

A little known fun fact, is that US Army jeeps used an extra floor light dimmer switch, as a starter switch for the jeep. Mounted beneath the clutch pedal. the clutch had to be depressed all the way to the floor, then you could tap the switch with your toe, preventing starting while in gear, making the jeep "soldier proof." As an Army motor sergeant, I would get mobbed by unlicensed drivers, begging to borrow a jeep. Instead of refusing or arguing, I would just shrug and say, "If you can start it, you can have it." Then followed 15-20 minutes of switch flipping, button pushing, that would push guys to the brink, before admitting defeat. Comedy gold.

Vent windows allow you to prevent the windshield from fogging up on rainy days without opening the windows.

It's that time again y'all