Adam, this is one of my favorite videos - and that is saying a lot since I like everything I watch of yours. I too miss so much of what you feature here, especially the chrome, bench seats, gauges, VENT WINDOWS (!), nice door interiors, carpets, and hidden wipers. All of these items sort of hail back to a time when cars had real, individual personalities - something that seems to be lacking in today's automobiles. I get so frustrated with how generic vehicles are today. As a side note, I am like you in that I really love the Mercury of the 1970s. Thanks for all of your videos that are jammed-packed with beautiful cars and nice info/trivia. Keep them coming!
Cornering lights are probably my favorite feature on this list as they were so helpful in lighting up those dark corners when turning. I had them on many of my cars back in the 70's and 80's and I definitely miss them. They really should make a comeback!
You can still get them on high level RAM trucks! Chrysler/Stellantis also offers them on some Jeep models. The same goes for auto headlamp dimming and rain sensing wipers.
@@Vaino_HottiI think a lot of new cars have both dynamic headlights and cornering lights that only come in at low speed. I currently have 3 modern cars w cornering lights - bmw, polestar and Chrysler.
My 2018 Buick Regal TourX has cornering lights. I have always had a “cornering light fetish”. The first car my family owned that had cornering lights was a 1977 Ford Granada Ghia. When the hazards were activated, both cornering lights illuminated. I notice many of Adam’s cars have them. 👍👍
We mostly have black...not grey. But there are a lot of examples of car with some colour in the interior to make some contrast, like that blue line on Dacia's dashboard or the fake red stitchibg on Citröens
In Europe/Germany we even haven't the choice between black and grey anymore. Todays interior-color-choices are very inspired by Henry Ford's color-policy for the Model T... I love black for cars. But please, only for the underbody!
The '71 through '78 Eldorado cornering lamps were huge. They were mounted high on the fender, and they really put out a lot of light. Back in the 70s I never thought a car was really loaded unless it had cornering lamps.
Luxurious CLOTH seating! Somehow OEMs got the public believing that leather (cold & hard in winter / clammy & hot in summer) is superior to quality velour & cloth. Until people start sleeping on leather sheets, I'll get my comfort from textiles.
Another great list, Adam. As a generic statement, I just miss the variety of trims and options a new car buyer used to have. It was so enjoyable to go through a brochure and order a car that was truly “customized” from the get-go. I was looking at an online copy of the 1960 Buick brochure the other day and just the sheer number of exterior and interior colors and fabrics to choose from was mind blowing, to say nothing of the engine and transmission choices.
My uncle had a 2 tone 56 Desoto, Pink and white. There were literally about 280 color options with the 2 tones you could order from the factory. You could not get all colors, like a 2 tone pink and orange, but the choices were numerous. There were at least 20 something different colors. Go through a parking lot today and 90% of the cars are black, white or some 50 shades of gray; so boring.
Greetings from Brazil i very much like your videos , i miss , soft suspentions, 15 inches wheels today cars have to be sport focused only , design looks all the same , column shift a love , bench seats yes l am an old school and l am proud of that. Thanks Adam for the great job you did in this kind of video , keep it up the good job.
Hi Adam. Your videos are really enjoyable. I have such fond memories of riding my bike to the car dealershipsin my small Canadian town during the late 60's as a kid. It was always so exciting to see the new models being delivered and marvel at the innovative features they had, like side marker lights, hidden windshield wipers, and headlights. Those features were the talk of the town back then and it's amazing to think about how much things have changed since then in terms of tecnology.
I loved those amazing cornering lights on those old Cadillacs! My grandfather had a 73 Fleetwood Brougham and when driving out in the country and going to turn into their gravel driveway out in the middle of nowhere they were amazing!
The one you haven't mentioned is fender mounted turn signal indicators. Not only did they look cool, but the odds of drivers leaving their blinkers on was near zero.
Your comment reminded me of my uncle's Fury's that he had in the seventies... Loved the fender mounted turn signals... Great memories of my terrific aunt & uncle!
Pet peeve #4 with the deletion of the front vent window, the channel for the main front door windows was removed and the result is on many vehicles the front window will rattle on bumpy roads when it is partially opened. The solution to the rattle would be to put a fixed triangular shaped corner glass in the front door, so a vertical window channel could be fitted.
Hi Adam, thank you very much for your another great video! One more useful feature to mention - on some old (classic, if you will) cars, windshield wipers moved on pedestal when not in use, creating some clearance between wiper blade and windshield. Some makes did that for rear wiper on SUVs till recent times. Great feature, preventing an accumulation of dust and sand on blades and by that prolonging the life of rubber blade as well as extending scratch free appearance of the windshield.
I loved these videos. They brought a really different but neat/very true list of features that make classics so endearing. Unfortunately, I feel like many people today just don't care for cars like they used to. They're just an object that gets them from A to B. I feel like back then, people had more of an affinity for their cats because they were hard to get. Now it's so easy to get a loan or sign a lease for practically whatever one could want, and used cars (until recently) were incredibly inexpensive. It's now a common sight to see driveways with two, three and even four cars. A lot of people don't care or hardly even notice much about their vehicles. It makes me sad.
Adam, you hit the nail on the head with this video. I agree 100% with everything you said here. I really don't think that the car companies care what the customer wants anymore.
How about sitting down with a salesman and ordering a car; and he would ask you 'do you want this option' And your fantasy answer would be 'I want it fully loaded'
Adam, I desperately miss the abundant headroom and comfortably raised seat height of the sedans and wagons of yesteryear. Today's sedans ( there are no wagons) are so low slung that you have to drop into them and climb out. Once inside, you will soon discover people over 6 feet were unaccounted for in the design process. RUclips objects to the word 'varity' when I try to type it. 😁
ooops, Great Variety. I would move hidden wipers higher on the list of wants. I like that clear hood-to-windshield look and it would improve aero Cd as well, I reckon. I am 100% with you on gauges and center console geegaws. The advent of the "infotainment" panel was a turning point. For the worse in my view. Obviously, going digital is way cost effective and the center display of back up camera view is pretty handy. However, too many people seem to want to use the back up camera exclusively and forget the cardinal rule of good driving, Keep you eyes moving and your head on a swivel.
My older sis had a 67 GTO, it had a Reverb switch for the AM/FM radio, sounded good when I was 13. I saw the Reverb on a few other 65-72 Pontiacs, but only Pontiacs.
If I may add, I also long for upright hood ornaments along with longer hoods that made for such an imposing view from the driver's perspective and which in a way helped one keep the car well centered in traffic lanes.
I agree, and a hood ornament makes the driver feel like they're driving something special, because usually they are. When Mercedes deleted the hood ornament several years back, people were really disturbed by that. And they received notice from many loyal buyers to bring back the hood ornament, and they did. Then a few years later Mercedes deleted them again but offered an alternative front-end option that included the hood ornament. It was called the Luxury Package. The Mercedes with the giant star in the front grill is the base version, and the Luxury Package changed it to a more traditional horizontal grill with slats and a hood ornament above.
A great list! I had to comment on a couple of them: #9 Cornering lights. My 2017 Buick LaCrosse has them but they're built into the headlight assemblies. I didn't even know it had them until I drove the car at night. In the old days they came on with the turn signal switch, but nowadays they're also triggered by turning the wheel, and only at certain vehicle speeds. #10 Hidden wipers. I'm glad you mentioned the Corvette with its moving panel. I thought that was the ultimate in wiper hiding.
One thing I really miss is good visibility when making a left for right turn "mostly a left turn" The A pillars are so large at the base and then the oversized mirror also blocks your view when turning. A few times while making a left there were people in the sidewalk that I didn't see till I was a little too close for comfort (never hit anyone) NOTE: This is about my truck so the mirrors are real big and the A-Pillar base is Real huge.
THIS! And much higher beltlines mandated by side impact requirements. When your 'safety cage' obstructs the view to the point you can't see your surroundings something has gone wrong...
I have a local yield intersection, where the road from the right is coming up a hill, and at the normal stopping place, the passenger mirror completely blocks both lanes. I have to stop sooner or farther on to see if any cars are coming.
I daily drive a 1965 car (well I'm a truck driver but when I'm home that's the car I use), if I have to use a modern car I feel discomfort in how I can't see sh*t around me, it feels so nice and open in my car and while parking or on intersections I can just look around me
Hey Adam, great list!!! I really do miss cornering lights, I've owned several cars with them & found them useful. I agree about the carpet & door panels. The carpet in my 18 Continental is cheap looking, nothing like the plush carpet in my 75 Mark lV & my door panels are mostly cheap looking plastic with a little bit of wood. Hidden wipers were nice too!!! 👍👍🎄
My 74 TR 6 had Winton wool carpet. A disaster on a leaky convertable. Jute backing. The car always smelled like mildew. Promotes rust of floor pan. But looked good when new.
I'm 6'4" and 325 lbs, good God I miss my big, comfortable 70s cruisers! I had a '77 Chrysler Newport that drove on a cloud, and a big 77 Plymouth Fury Squad with a 440 cop engine. The "egg" shaped cars can't hold a candle to the 70s beauties we used to drive... Sigh...
One thing the vent windows did well was eliminate blasting air from hitting the rear seat passengers. I hated riding in the back seat of cars without a/c and without vent windows.
No one mentions it, but I really liked the headlight dimmer as a floor switch, at least in Fords. 1.) My foot reflexes are faster. 2.) If I'm in the middle of a turn my hand isn't near the lever on the steering column. 3. That was my cymbals when I was jamming to a song on the radio.
Very good, Adam. I liked hidden wipers and especially the articulating version. However, while they did keep falling snow off of them when parked, during operation they also packed the hidden compartment with a lot of snow and ice. The compartment would develop so much snow build-up that when the wipers were parked, there would be enough pressure on them to bend the blades. As well, over time this would result in a loosening up of the wiper transmission components.
I was one of the people who mentioned bench seats in the last video, and I think you mentioned comfortable seats in the last video, which I completely agreed with. This was another great list.
Decent AM radios. My two ‘69s have incredible radio reception compared to my modern car with a top line audio system. Modern isn’t always better. Great videos, Adam! Please keep them coming.
3:32 Totally right. My 1987 Lincoln Mark VII has a thick black carpet, that after 36 years of use, is still deep black, thick and plush. While my 2006 Pontiac Vibe's carpet turned crusty, hardened, and flat. Also, I want to add, hood hinges used to last forever. Today every hood and tailgate has stupid shocks that get worn and have to be replaced.
Thank you, Adam, for another thoroughly enjoyable car video! Regarding the biggest cornering lights made, I would think the '65 Cadillacs (very large one that was then shrunk in '66) and the 74 Cadillacs ( which had a double one) I really miss cornering lights! They were very helpful safety feature when driving at night and rounded corners. I was also surprised that European car companies like Mercedes or Volvo, which always bragged on their safety, never had them.
I absolutely love cornering lights the first time in my memory of a car with one was a 76 Thunderbird that my great aunt gave my dad. I don't remember if my grandfather's 77 DeVille had Corning lights but it probably did.
I miss all the fine detailed emblems and brand symbols all over the car including the hood ornament. Even fake wood carvings on the door panels and very beautiful hardware such as the surrounding trim piece around the C-pillar inside map lamps. I also miss how easy it is to see out of the older cars. You can literally see how to back up and park the car due to the low belt line and trunk. Of course the biggest thing that I miss is the ultra plush cloth seats like found in the Cadillac Talisman and the early 80's Buicks. I also miss the diesel engine options on most every car like you could get from the late 70's to the mid 80's. Great video!!
I may be alone in this, but I miss the variety of small cars and small trucks available during the downsizing era of the 1970s and '80s, especially the subcompact hatchbacks that had surprising cargo capacity compared to today's small cars. I also miss the kind of interior space maximization you talk about in the early eighties X-cars. That was a great feature of all smaller cars of the late 70s and 80s. Today, as you note, bulky consoles intrude, sharply raked rooflines cut in, etc.
Completely agree about the gauge clusters of cars from my youth. I particularly remember the drum speedometer in my dad's 67 Riviera, I thought that was so advanced! And then he had a 74 Grand Am with the tach and speedo on the outsides, and 4 mechanical gauges in the center of the dash, all surrounded by real wood trim. I remember thinking that they could stop working on dashboard designs after that one, because it was perfect! A pet peeve I have about current dashboards is the "just drop an iPad there" approach where the infotainment screen is mounted on the surface, not incorporated into the dash itself. I'm old school - I want that navigation screen to be part of the dashboard, not stuck on top of it like a prototype or a science project.
I have a '76 Coupe DeVille so I can still enjoy most of the great features you mentioned. Thickly padded door panels and carpet, scratch resistant chrome bumpers, and ooooh, that wonderful TH400 transmission. Just to name a few. My daily driver is a last generation Grand Marquis. Acres of plastic!
My 2000 Park Avenue had Cornering Lights. They were not near as massive as the ones of yesteryear but they did throw out some decent light when turning.
My dad thought his 1968 LeMans was so cool with the hidden wippers. He showed them to everyone. Cadillacs had huge cornering lights. Door panels improved in the mid sixties. By the mid 70's they were padded and had a lot of details. I miss whitewalls. The last car I had with them was my 2006 DTS. The instrumemt panel in my truck is so plain and shared with many other vehicles. In fact, my Camaro has the same guage cluster. Cost sharing! Vent windows are cool too. They did away with them when cars started coming with AC. I hate the multi-speed automatics. They make the driving experience terrible. Don't get me started on engine choices. GM doesn't offer a 6 cylinder in the Silverado. The only engine they offer that doesn't use preminum fuel is the small V8. Another great video Adam!
Wow! Great video! So glad I discovered this channel! Let the binge watch commence! What’s the green car at the 6:35 mark? Lastly, how many cars do you have Adam? Thank you! Amazing work!
Yes I miss nice carpets! My mother drove an '85 Fifth Avenue, and the carpet was so plush... you just wanted to be barefoot in that car (and those velvet overstuffed seats were awesome, too)! Even my '72 Plymouth Gold Duster had nicer carpeting that my current 2020 Challenger Scat Pack! Your "rat fur" analogy for today's carpets is spot on!!
Never realized how great vent windows are until I got my '66 T-Bird. You get nearly as much air as you do with the big windows down but without all the noise and wind.
Thanx for the list Adam!!! I watch your vids daily!! Always interesting!! You cover the the specific details I like,this list is a perfect example,!!! Keep up the great work!!!
Yeah chrome gave a car that extra something even the low end vehicles had some type of chrome on it and it's the same thing with these new boomboxes no chrome
What is the first car pictured in the video. Really neat looking. I really dislike computer interface screens for display and operating the climate and stereo controls. Bring back buttons!
Couldn't agree more with the transmission theme. I owned a Lexus a few years ago with an automatic transmission so soft and buttery that you couldn't notice the gear changes even if you tried. Later in life i owned a car with one of these dreadful double clutch auto boxes, which was everything but pleasant. I think we've lost something in the way.
I think the penny pinchers were the reason for the demise of most of these. The vent windows were a great feature, they kept the side windows free of fog way before there were side window defrosters or before AC was commonplace.
The C4 Corvette had cornering lamps front and rear, the rears were supplementary back up lamps. I owned a couple of C4 Corvettes and really like the additional illumination when reversing.
Hi, Adam. I have one of those first cars with hidden wipers, a 1967 Pontiac Bonneville station wagon, in the same Montreux Blue shade as the hardtop sedan you have illustrated here. Speaking of paint shades, I really miss the variety of colors you had in the old days! I'd say black, white, gray and silver probably make up at least 90 percent of the vehicles on the road today! And what I miss even more is the wider variety of good old American brands: Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Mercury, AMC, etc., etc. At least the spinning off of Ram and the addition of Tesla have compensated somewhat since then. Oh, yes, I also miss the good old family station wagon. It's the most family-oriented of all cars and in my opinion, there was no better way to travel across America! According to Wikipedia, the last vehicles to have an old-fashioned mechanical odometer were the 2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis. Every vehicle built since has a digital odometer, which I don't mind a bit (and is probably much less likely to fail and stop working), but I think it was more fun to watch those numbers turn over when you attained a significant milestone. The industry was wise to add an extra digit with more vehicles being driven well beyond 100K miles, but I've heard those early digital odometers stop counting on the off chance you make it to a million miles. And frankly, I agree about those huge center consoles. I don't know why the automakers have such a fascination with them. I look at them and think the driver and front passenger must both feel totally isolated! Anyway, thank you so much for this nostalgic look back at all the features we all remember so fondly!
I agree with you. It's always good knowing someone else feels the same, and especially when it comes down to common sense, that's what most of what you wrote is about.
My BMW X3 has cornering lights and partially hidden wipers. Unfortunately the cornering lights only come on when the wheel is turned and you’re well into the corner. I do miss carpeting on the lower door panel. Even my 75 Cordoba had great carpeting. The ZF 8 speed automatic can shift very smooth, especially with a torquey V8. Engine/power train choices are limited due to time and cost of emission certification.
1 feature I truely miss is ROOM ! Being 6'6", there are very few cars I'm comfortable in. The best cars I had with room in them was my 73 Ford LTD and my 73 Didge Polara.. I now drive a Crown Vic, which is OK, but can't match those 2 cars for comfort & room
On the flip side are features that are gone and should stay gone. I'm thinking about the headlight dimmer foot switch, really more of a "button" on the floor to the left of the brake and accelerator pedals. Having it on the turn signal stalk makes it much more readily at hand and allows a quick flash of the brights in the daytime.
I agree about the floor mounted dimmer switch. I liked the position they used to mount them in but in states that get snow like my state (Pennsylvania) they didn't last very long since they were always covered in a snow/ salt mixture and always corroded or shorted out. On some cars I had to cut them from the cars since the screws were always heavily rusted and drill new mounting holes in the floor pan. On some cars I even had to make new panels to even be able to mount a new dimmer. Good riddance to them!!!
The 67 Bonnie is my favorite GM car of yesteryear! That front end styling is mesmerizing to me. Plus the coke bottle quarters, it's just sexiness on wheels.
LOL When #2 appeared, my first thought of an unintrusive transmission was a slender shift lever mounted on the steering column rather than something the size of the handle of a golf club sticking out of the middle of the dash of a minivan or SUV!
Almost everything on this list was killed by the "Bean Counters." Think how much they saved on each car by dropping the vent windows, for example. The Torque Flight, C-6 and Turbo 350/400 some of the best automatics ever, even the Power Glide. Thanks to Adam for another great watch.....
@@jetsons101 I know all that. But with fuel crises in the early 60s and 2 in the 70s, drivers really needed 4 speeds, not 2 or even 3, but THAT'S where the bean counters failed us.
@@rogersmith7396 What ever happened to keep it simple. A few years ago we had a very base Chevy Aveo, no lie, it was one the best cars we had, it was like the Energizer Bunny - - - it just kept going and going and going.......
Gone are the days when the term “Full Power” was used in a newspaper ad to describe a used car in the classifieds. This term meant that the car had many available options like power windows, power locks, tilt wheel and cruise control.
That abbreviation was used because the damn newspapers charged 15 cents a word, and if you went over 3 "lines", it was another upcharge of $5.00...(back when $5.00 was MONEY)
I love top gear, but it has brainwashed people into thinking these old land yachts were terrible cars… totally missing the point on why they were made. i used to think that way too until hoovie and you really showed their purpose!
Absolutely agree 100% with the vent windows, mechanical gauges, and better carpet (and headliners as many modern cars have such terribly cheap feeling and looking headliners) Cornering lights were a nice tough as well. Last vehicle I had that actually had those was a 1993 Mercury Sable (the cornering lights were cleverly hidden in the side marker light/turn signal housing) One thing I would absolutely include to this is climate control systems that didn’t automatically turn on the air conditioning for some functions. Sure if my windshield is foggy the A/C being on does help a little, but I definitely do not need it on when trying to melt snow and ice off of the outside. Just wasting fuel and adding wear and tear to the A/C system having it turn on when I don’t want it to. Wasn’t really a big fan of the hidden wipers to be honest, especially when they would stay up awkwardly on the windshield when in delay settings. Plus it made them more difficult to change/clean any debris off of them mainly in the fall. They do look nice when hidden away but I don’t miss the hidden feature at all lol Also, can we please stop taking buttons with tactile feel away replacing them with touch screens that have zero tactile feel. I absolutely hate that trend as well lol Really love these videos!
I had a 1976 Cordoba and you had a choice of 7 engines; 318, 360 and 400 cubic inches with 2 or 4 barrel carbs and a high output 400 4 barrel, which was different than the regular 400 4 barrel.
I agree on the hidden wipers as they enhanced the aesthetics of a well designed automobile back in the day. And I do like mechanical gauges. With close to 100% installation of air conditioning as standard equipment and far fewer smokers, I do not miss vent windows. Never was a fan of bench seats or chrome trim. And my BMW ZF 8 speed shifts far smoother than any of the older transmissions. It is silky smooth.
I would add side marker lights that would flash out of phase when the parking and headlamps were on or flashed in phase when the parking and headlamps were on. This was used mostly on GM cars through the 70s into the 90s....Ford used it on the first and second gen Taurus and Sable and Honda used it on their products from the early 80s to 90s. I think Chrysler used it on the M body and some of the K based cars. I know my Dodge Dakota has it as well. I'll have to do a video of it. I think this has been replaced with turn signal repeater lamps mounted on the leading surfaces of door mirrors or on front fenders.
Great video. As I get older, I really appreciate how luxurious and smooth riding the cars from the 1960-1975 era were to drive. The corner lighting is something that I am surprised went away. It was very convenient with a long hood extending way out front. On my Dad's 1965 Fleetwood Cadillac and eventually my 1973 Monte Carlo. In high school after I got my license in October of 1974 as a Junior in High School. I rode the School Bus until then. Girls were definitely not impressed by that. I could use the 65 Caddy or the 66 289 Mustang Convertible my Dad had. Depending on how I thought the date would go. And the weather. My "experience" with girls was zero...get it? Until I finally had a date with a very cute "experienced" girl while driving the Caddy in December of 1974. Damn, I miss that car.
Very well stated Adam. You and others miss and have come to appreciate so many things we no longer see. I prefer digital gauges. I cannot stand analog gauges. If I wanted needles and dials I would get a watch. You hit the mark on everything you said. You said it well too. Thank you again.
A sign of your age with those gauges. Plus, with digitals you have to read them just like my Casio digital watch. With needle gauges you don't have to, as with an analog watch.
@@loveisall5520 One cool thing with needle gauges is that you can clock the gauges in the bezel, so that the needles all point straight up when running in normal operating conditions, so that you don't have to actually 'read' them. I liked the digital gauges thirty years ago and thought they were cool, but anymore I prefer the 'steam' gauges. (I had no idea they were going obsolete...)
@@loveisall5520 I am not saying my age, but I do not think it is a sign of my age. I just am not a fan of them and I grew up with analog gauges. I am not a fan of the set up in cars like Teslas either.
@@judgegixxer I have seen the reconfigurable clusters. Those are fine. Cadillac has those where you can switch from a digital to analog look. They are not the only ones either.
The deep carpet felt good on bare feet in the summer. But it always fell to me to vacuum out the interior after a trip to the beach, at which point that carpet became my sworn enemy. I was only 13, though, and my reward was getting to drive the car to the end of the street and back. One hopes the statute of limitations has run out on that crime.
Flat screen gauges and controls require drivers to take their attention from the road whereas actual three dimensional controls can be accessed via muscle memory and touch. While I'm sure most of us RCC&AH fans are not big on government oversight, this gee-whiz / iPad / glass cockpit trend is a real safety issue which should be looked at by legislators.
Cornering lights are something that you would think would be mandatory since they make turning safer. Vent windows are something I really miss. Plush carpet and cloth seats are so much better than leather seats and floor mats
I can certainly agree with your comments about transmissions. My wife's Hyundai Santa Fe has an 8-speed that, when on anything other than absolutely flat roads, gear-hunts with abandon. On a recent trip on 2 scenic byways in Arkansas and Oklahoma, I don't think it ever stayed in the same gear for more than 30 seconds. Compared to the CVT in my now-former Subaru Forester, it's frustrating at the very least. The Subaru's CVT is the model of smoothness, varying engine speed only slightly to deliver whatever torque is needed at the particular moment. I far prefer it's characteristics to these multi-speed wonders.
Other have mentioned and I must also. That is the great number of color choices available inside and out! With sometimes as many as three different shades of a color! Not to mention the outside body colors and top colors.
Although there is something to be said for road feel, I really miss the super easy recirculating-ball power steering of the 70's, like on the big Fords. Owned many of them and just loved the "pinky power steering" of these cars!
Really, the door trim panels on my '86 Mustang look really much nicer than the '87 Mustang even. Nice vinyl and carpet with some neat chrome trim on it. The biggest problem with modern carpets, is they seem to really want to hold onto dirt like a magnet.
@@robertdryburgh1457 I always thought the term door cards as the British term. On very early cars, it was probably an accurate term. I've never heard the term from an American, until recently. Probably picked up from Top Gear.
Adam, this is one of my favorite videos - and that is saying a lot since I like everything I watch of yours. I too miss so much of what you feature here, especially the chrome, bench seats, gauges, VENT WINDOWS (!), nice door interiors, carpets, and hidden wipers. All of these items sort of hail back to a time when cars had real, individual personalities - something that seems to be lacking in today's automobiles. I get so frustrated with how generic vehicles are today. As a side note, I am like you in that I really love the Mercury of the 1970s. Thanks for all of your videos that are jammed-packed with beautiful cars and nice info/trivia. Keep them coming!
Cornering lights are probably my favorite feature on this list as they were so helpful in lighting up those dark corners when turning. I had them on many of my cars back in the 70's and 80's and I definitely miss them. They really should make a comeback!
Some of the late '70s to early '80s Cadillacs appeared to use a sixth headlight in the cornering lamp position!
You can still get them on high level RAM trucks! Chrysler/Stellantis also offers them on some Jeep models. The same goes for auto headlamp dimming and rain sensing wipers.
Many new german cars have cornering lights, other makes too. Though nowadays it's often just moving headlights / dynamic beams.
@@Vaino_HottiI think a lot of new cars have both dynamic headlights and cornering lights that only come in at low speed. I currently have 3 modern cars w cornering lights - bmw, polestar and Chrysler.
My 2018 Buick Regal TourX has cornering lights. I have always had a “cornering light fetish”. The first car my family owned that had cornering lights was a 1977 Ford Granada Ghia. When the hazards were activated, both cornering lights illuminated. I notice many of Adam’s cars have them. 👍👍
Contrasting and color-matched interiors. with a wide selection of said colors. The thousand shades of gray we have today, is just so depressing.
Agreed! So boring and uninspiring.
I concur.
We mostly have black...not grey.
But there are a lot of examples of car with some colour in the interior to make some contrast, like that blue line on Dacia's dashboard or the fake red stitchibg on Citröens
@@TheAllMightyGodofCod any color scheme helps. 👍
In Europe/Germany we even haven't the choice between black and grey anymore. Todays interior-color-choices are very inspired by Henry Ford's color-policy for the Model T...
I love black for cars. But please, only for the underbody!
The '71 through '78 Eldorado cornering lamps were huge. They were mounted high on the fender, and they really put out a lot of light. Back in the 70s I never thought a car was really loaded unless it had cornering lamps.
Luxurious CLOTH seating!
Somehow OEMs got the public believing that leather (cold & hard in winter / clammy & hot in summer) is superior to quality velour & cloth.
Until people start sleeping on leather sheets, I'll get my comfort from textiles.
Mercedes used to claim leather was terrible in cars and pushed their artificial MB Tex. Leather looks good when new and shitty when old.
Reminds me of moms white leather Cadillac after the basset hound got through with it. Do it yourself black leather.
Another great list, Adam. As a generic statement, I just miss the variety of trims and options a new car buyer used to have. It was so enjoyable to go through a brochure and order a car that was truly “customized” from the get-go. I was looking at an online copy of the 1960 Buick brochure the other day and just the sheer number of exterior and interior colors and fabrics to choose from was mind blowing, to say nothing of the engine and transmission choices.
My uncle had a 2 tone 56 Desoto, Pink and white. There were literally about 280 color options with the 2 tones you could order from the factory. You could not get all colors, like a 2 tone pink and orange, but the choices were numerous. There were at least 20 something different colors. Go through a parking lot today and 90% of the cars are black, white or some 50 shades of gray; so boring.
Greetings from Brazil i very much like your videos , i miss , soft suspentions, 15 inches wheels today cars have to be sport focused only , design looks all the same , column shift a love , bench seats yes l am an old school and l am proud of that. Thanks Adam for the great job you did in this kind of video , keep it up the good job.
Hi Adam. Your videos are really enjoyable. I have such fond memories of riding my bike to the car dealershipsin my small Canadian town during the late 60's as a kid. It was always so exciting to see the new models being delivered and marvel at the innovative features they had, like side marker lights, hidden windshield wipers, and headlights. Those features were the talk of the town back then and it's amazing to think about how much things have changed since then in terms of tecnology.
I loved those amazing cornering lights on those old Cadillacs! My grandfather had a 73 Fleetwood Brougham and when driving out in the country and going to turn into their gravel driveway out in the middle of nowhere they were amazing!
The one you haven't mentioned is fender mounted turn signal indicators. Not only did they look cool, but the odds of drivers leaving their blinkers on was near zero.
Your comment reminded me of my uncle's Fury's that he had in the seventies... Loved the fender mounted turn signals... Great memories of my terrific aunt & uncle!
They could often be seen by drivers beside you too.
Pet peeve #4 with the deletion of the front vent window, the channel for the main front door windows was removed and the result is on many vehicles the front window will rattle on bumpy roads when it is partially opened. The solution to the rattle would be to put a fixed triangular shaped corner glass in the front door, so a vertical window channel could be fitted.
I miss the big car ride, we didn't care about body roll, but yes I completely agree with your top 10 list.
Hi Adam, thank you very much for your another great video! One more useful feature to mention - on some old (classic, if you will) cars, windshield wipers moved on pedestal when not in use, creating some clearance between wiper blade and windshield. Some makes did that for rear wiper on SUVs till recent times. Great feature, preventing an accumulation of dust and sand on blades and by that prolonging the life of rubber blade as well as extending scratch free appearance of the windshield.
I loved these videos. They brought a really different but neat/very true list of features that make classics so endearing. Unfortunately, I feel like many people today just don't care for cars like they used to. They're just an object that gets them from A to B. I feel like back then, people had more of an affinity for their cats because they were hard to get. Now it's so easy to get a loan or sign a lease for practically whatever one could want, and used cars (until recently) were incredibly inexpensive. It's now a common sight to see driveways with two, three and even four cars. A lot of people don't care or hardly even notice much about their vehicles. It makes me sad.
Adam, you hit the nail on the head with this video. I agree 100% with everything you said here. I really don't think that the car companies care what the customer wants anymore.
How about sitting down with a salesman and ordering a car; and he would ask you 'do you want this option' And your fantasy answer would be 'I want it fully loaded'
Adam, I desperately miss the abundant headroom and comfortably raised seat height of the sedans and wagons of yesteryear. Today's sedans ( there are no wagons) are so low slung that you have to drop into them and climb out. Once inside, you will soon discover people over 6 feet were unaccounted for in the design process. RUclips objects to the word 'varity' when I try to type it. 😁
ooops, Great Variety.
I would move hidden wipers higher on the list of wants. I like that clear hood-to-windshield look and it would improve aero Cd as well, I reckon.
I am 100% with you on gauges and center console geegaws. The advent of the "infotainment" panel was a turning point. For the worse in my view. Obviously, going digital is way cost effective and the center display of back up camera view is pretty handy. However, too many people seem to want to use the back up camera exclusively and forget the cardinal rule of good driving, Keep you eyes moving and your head on a swivel.
They would freeze solid in the winter. Also shut off internal air flow.
Also extend life of wiper blades being hidden from the sun and heat of summer.
Back up camera is not a government requirement in US
My older sis had a 67 GTO, it had a Reverb switch for the AM/FM radio, sounded good when I was 13. I saw the Reverb on a few other 65-72 Pontiacs, but only Pontiacs.
If I may add, I also long for upright hood ornaments along with longer hoods that made for such an imposing view from the driver's perspective and which in a way helped one keep the car well centered in traffic lanes.
I agree, and a hood ornament makes the driver feel like they're driving something special, because usually they are. When Mercedes deleted the hood ornament several years back, people were really disturbed by that. And they received notice from many loyal buyers to bring back the hood ornament, and they did. Then a few years later Mercedes deleted them again but offered an alternative front-end option that included the hood ornament. It was called the Luxury Package. The Mercedes with the giant star in the front grill is the base version, and the Luxury Package changed it to a more traditional horizontal grill with slats and a hood ornament above.
Playing American truck sim, the hood ornament really helps keep the vehicle centered in the lane.
A great list! I had to comment on a couple of them:
#9 Cornering lights. My 2017 Buick LaCrosse has them but they're built into the headlight assemblies. I didn't even know it had them until I drove the car at night. In the old days they came on with the turn signal switch, but nowadays they're also triggered by turning the wheel, and only at certain vehicle speeds.
#10 Hidden wipers. I'm glad you mentioned the Corvette with its moving panel. I thought that was the ultimate in wiper hiding.
One thing I really miss is good visibility when making a left for right turn "mostly a left turn" The A pillars are so large at the base and then the oversized mirror also blocks your view when turning. A few times while making a left there were people in the sidewalk that I didn't see till I was a little too close for comfort (never hit anyone)
NOTE: This is about my truck so the mirrors are real big and the A-Pillar base is Real huge.
THIS! And much higher beltlines mandated by side impact requirements.
When your 'safety cage' obstructs the view to the point you can't see your surroundings something has gone wrong...
I have a local yield intersection, where the road from the right is coming up a hill, and at the normal stopping place, the passenger mirror completely blocks both lanes. I have to stop sooner or farther on to see if any cars are coming.
@@jimurrata6785 Totally agree! A vehicle that you can barely see out of is anything but safe!
I daily drive a 1965 car (well I'm a truck driver but when I'm home that's the car I use), if I have to use a modern car I feel discomfort in how I can't see sh*t around me, it feels so nice and open in my car and while parking or on intersections I can just look around me
Hey Adam, great list!!! I really do miss cornering lights, I've owned several cars with them & found them useful. I agree about the carpet & door panels. The carpet in my 18 Continental is cheap looking, nothing like the plush carpet in my 75 Mark lV & my door panels are mostly cheap looking plastic with a little bit of wood. Hidden wipers were nice too!!! 👍👍🎄
My 74 TR 6 had Winton wool carpet. A disaster on a leaky convertable. Jute backing. The car always smelled like mildew. Promotes rust of floor pan. But looked good when new.
@@rogersmith7396 So very British! LOL
I'm 6'4" and 325 lbs, good God I miss my big, comfortable 70s cruisers! I had a '77 Chrysler Newport that drove on a cloud, and a big 77 Plymouth Fury Squad with a 440 cop engine. The "egg" shaped cars can't hold a candle to the 70s beauties we used to drive... Sigh...
Great list Adam, If you really want to see large corning lights check out the 1965 Cadillacs.
Vent windows, also called no drafts, were also quite useful and could really up your choices of fresh air flow.
One thing the vent windows did well was eliminate blasting air from hitting the rear seat passengers. I hated riding in the back seat of cars without a/c and without vent windows.
@@discerningmind As a kid, I remember that too, sitting in the back all the time.
Mouse fur - LOL
Vent Windows - The world is my ashtray.
Clear windshields for those who didn't smoke😎
I agree with all of your points, especially the chrome.
No one mentions it, but I really liked the headlight dimmer as a floor switch, at least in Fords.
1.) My foot reflexes are faster.
2.) If I'm in the middle of a turn my hand isn't near the lever on the steering column.
3. That was my cymbals when I was jamming to a song on the radio.
Very good, Adam.
I liked hidden wipers and especially the articulating version. However, while they did keep falling snow off of them when parked, during operation they also packed the hidden compartment with a lot of snow and ice. The compartment would develop so much snow build-up that when the wipers were parked, there would be enough pressure on them to bend the blades. As well, over time this would result in a loosening up of the wiper transmission components.
That cover pic is absolutely amazing
I was one of the people who mentioned bench seats in the last video, and I think you mentioned comfortable seats in the last video, which I completely agreed with. This was another great list.
Another superb video as usual. The carpet in my ‘80 mark VI is so plush I usually drive it barefooted in the warmer months.
Adam you just keep hinting the nail on da head with these videos....👌
Decent AM radios. My two ‘69s have incredible radio reception compared to my modern car with a top line audio system. Modern isn’t always better. Great videos, Adam! Please keep them coming.
What I really about old cars is the huge variety of V8 engines you get from each brand you get.
As a 58 year old, I remember all of these features either in cars I’ve worked on or ridden in. You’re making me feel old😂.
3:32 Totally right. My 1987 Lincoln Mark VII has a thick black carpet, that after 36 years of use, is still deep black, thick and plush. While my 2006 Pontiac Vibe's carpet turned crusty, hardened, and flat.
Also, I want to add, hood hinges used to last forever. Today every hood and tailgate has stupid shocks that get worn and have to be replaced.
Interesting. And I agree, I miss all of those things. 😀
Thank you, Adam, for another thoroughly enjoyable car video!
Regarding the biggest cornering lights made, I would think the '65 Cadillacs (very large one that was then shrunk in '66) and the 74 Cadillacs ( which had a double one) I really miss cornering lights! They were very helpful safety feature when driving at night and rounded corners. I was also surprised that European car companies like Mercedes or Volvo, which always bragged on their safety, never had them.
Bench seats...yes! 👍
They were good for getting cozy with the girlfriend.
Hidden wipers were a great visual improvement.
But they still got packed with ice and snow and being hidden, there were much harder to clean.
That's why I hated them.
I give you an A+ for your thesis as these 10 really speak to me ! 😄
I absolutely love cornering lights the first time in my memory of a car with one was a 76 Thunderbird that my great aunt gave my dad.
I don't remember if my grandfather's 77 DeVille had Corning lights but it probably did.
I miss all the fine detailed emblems and brand symbols all over the car including the hood ornament. Even fake wood carvings on the door panels and very beautiful hardware such as the surrounding trim piece around the C-pillar inside map lamps.
I also miss how easy it is to see out of the older cars. You can literally see how to back up and park the car due to the low belt line and trunk.
Of course the biggest thing that I miss is the ultra plush cloth seats like found in the Cadillac Talisman and the early 80's Buicks.
I also miss the diesel engine options on most every car like you could get from the late 70's to the mid 80's.
Great video!!
I may be alone in this, but I miss the variety of small cars and small trucks available during the downsizing era of the 1970s and '80s, especially the subcompact hatchbacks that had surprising cargo capacity compared to today's small cars. I also miss the kind of interior space maximization you talk about in the early eighties X-cars. That was a great feature of all smaller cars of the late 70s and 80s. Today, as you note, bulky consoles intrude, sharply raked rooflines cut in, etc.
Bench seats, wider cars. 6 people in a 2 row vehicle!
Completely agree about the gauge clusters of cars from my youth. I particularly remember the drum speedometer in my dad's 67 Riviera, I thought that was so advanced! And then he had a 74 Grand Am with the tach and speedo on the outsides, and 4 mechanical gauges in the center of the dash, all surrounded by real wood trim. I remember thinking that they could stop working on dashboard designs after that one, because it was perfect!
A pet peeve I have about current dashboards is the "just drop an iPad there" approach where the infotainment screen is mounted on the surface, not incorporated into the dash itself. I'm old school - I want that navigation screen to be part of the dashboard, not stuck on top of it like a prototype or a science project.
I’m actually surprised that the recent trend of oversized “tablets” stuck to the dashboard pass safety requirements.
The only newer vehicles that have a decent guage cluster would be pickup trucks, GM in particular.
100% agreed. That tacky feature has actually swayed me from buying certain cars
@@shaylernoah1178 Yes, it has eliminated cars from my list potential purchases as well.
I love analog gauges. It’s fun watching the needle go up and down I don’t know it is for me lol
I have a '76 Coupe DeVille so I can still enjoy most of the great features you mentioned. Thickly padded door panels and carpet, scratch resistant chrome bumpers, and ooooh, that wonderful TH400 transmission. Just to name a few. My daily driver is a last generation Grand Marquis. Acres of plastic!
My 2000 Park Avenue had Cornering Lights.
They were not near as massive as the ones of yesteryear but they did throw out some decent light when turning.
That’s so so true regarding the transmissions. The endless pursuit of fuel economy has wrecked the smooth shifters. It’s such a shame.
My dad thought his 1968 LeMans was so cool with the hidden wippers. He showed them to everyone. Cadillacs had huge cornering lights. Door panels improved in the mid sixties. By the mid 70's they were padded and had a lot of details. I miss whitewalls. The last car I had with them was my 2006 DTS. The instrumemt panel in my truck is so plain and shared with many other vehicles. In fact, my Camaro has the same guage cluster. Cost sharing! Vent windows are cool too. They did away with them when cars started coming with AC. I hate the multi-speed automatics. They make the driving experience terrible. Don't get me started on engine choices. GM doesn't offer a 6 cylinder in the Silverado. The only engine they offer that doesn't use preminum fuel is the small V8. Another great video Adam!
Wow! Great video! So glad I discovered this channel! Let the binge watch commence! What’s the green car at the 6:35 mark? Lastly, how many cars do you have Adam? Thank you! Amazing work!
Yes I miss nice carpets! My mother drove an '85 Fifth Avenue, and the carpet was so plush... you just wanted to be barefoot in that car (and those velvet overstuffed seats were awesome, too)! Even my '72 Plymouth Gold Duster had nicer carpeting that my current 2020 Challenger Scat Pack! Your "rat fur" analogy for today's carpets is spot on!!
Very informative from a mechanics point of view. A longer video would really teach kids about yesteryear
Great 👍 show Adam ! These bean counters today have really screwed the consumers today .
Never realized how great vent windows are until I got my '66 T-Bird. You get nearly as much air as you do with the big windows down but without all the noise and wind.
I always liked the turn signal monitors on top of the fenders that my 1971 Plymouth Scamp had.
Thanx for the list Adam!!!
I watch your vids daily!! Always interesting!! You cover the the specific details I like,this list is a perfect example,!!! Keep up the great work!!!
I miss the chrome bumpers too. Everything today is painted plastic and if you bump them, it will leave a mark.
Adam, I really MISS the PILLOW ride of these old cars
Yeah chrome gave a car that extra something even the low end vehicles had some type of chrome on it and it's the same thing with these new boomboxes no chrome
What is the first car pictured in the video. Really neat looking. I really dislike computer interface screens for display and operating the climate and stereo controls. Bring back buttons!
Couldn't agree more with the transmission theme. I owned a Lexus a few years ago with an automatic transmission so soft and buttery that you couldn't notice the gear changes even if you tried. Later in life i owned a car with one of these dreadful double clutch auto boxes, which was everything but pleasant. I think we've lost something in the way.
I think the penny pinchers were the reason for the demise of most of these. The vent windows were a great feature, they kept the side windows free of fog way before there were side window defrosters or before AC was commonplace.
They were QUALITY! "vehicles" today have NOT A TRACE!
My 1957 Lincoln Premier had power vent windows!..I miss those vent windows, they seemed practical.
The C4 Corvette had cornering lamps front and rear, the rears were supplementary back up lamps. I owned a couple of C4 Corvettes and really like the additional illumination when reversing.
Hi, Adam. I have one of those first cars with hidden wipers, a 1967 Pontiac Bonneville station wagon, in the same Montreux Blue shade as the hardtop sedan you have illustrated here. Speaking of paint shades, I really miss the variety of colors you had in the old days! I'd say black, white, gray and silver probably make up at least 90 percent of the vehicles on the road today! And what I miss even more is the wider variety of good old American brands: Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Mercury, AMC, etc., etc. At least the spinning off of Ram and the addition of Tesla have compensated somewhat since then. Oh, yes, I also miss the good old family station wagon. It's the most family-oriented of all cars and in my opinion, there was no better way to travel across America!
According to Wikipedia, the last vehicles to have an old-fashioned mechanical odometer were the 2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis. Every vehicle built since has a digital odometer, which I don't mind a bit (and is probably much less likely to fail and stop working), but I think it was more fun to watch those numbers turn over when you attained a significant milestone. The industry was wise to add an extra digit with more vehicles being driven well beyond 100K miles, but I've heard those early digital odometers stop counting on the off chance you make it to a million miles.
And frankly, I agree about those huge center consoles. I don't know why the automakers have such a fascination with them. I look at them and think the driver and front passenger must both feel totally isolated!
Anyway, thank you so much for this nostalgic look back at all the features we all remember so fondly!
I agree with you. It's always good knowing someone else feels the same, and especially when it comes down to common sense, that's what most of what you wrote is about.
My BMW X3 has cornering lights and partially hidden wipers. Unfortunately the cornering lights only come on when the wheel is turned and you’re well into the corner. I do miss carpeting on the lower door panel. Even my 75 Cordoba had great carpeting. The ZF 8 speed automatic can shift very smooth, especially with a torquey V8. Engine/power train choices are limited due to time and cost of emission certification.
1 feature I truely miss is ROOM ! Being 6'6", there are very few cars I'm comfortable in. The best cars I had with room in them was my 73 Ford LTD and my 73 Didge Polara.. I now drive a Crown Vic, which is OK, but can't match those 2 cars for comfort & room
On the flip side are features that are gone and should stay gone. I'm thinking about the headlight dimmer foot switch, really more of a "button" on the floor to the left of the brake and accelerator pedals. Having it on the turn signal stalk makes it much more readily at hand and allows a quick flash of the brights in the daytime.
I agree about the floor mounted dimmer switch. I liked the position they used to mount them in but in states that get snow like my state (Pennsylvania) they didn't last very long since they were always covered in a snow/ salt mixture and always corroded or shorted out. On some cars I had to cut them from the cars since the screws were always heavily rusted and drill new mounting holes in the floor pan. On some cars I even had to make new panels to even be able to mount a new dimmer. Good riddance to them!!!
The 67 Bonnie is my favorite GM car of yesteryear! That front end styling is mesmerizing to me. Plus the coke bottle quarters, it's just sexiness on wheels.
Enjoyed your video.
"MOUSE FUR"!!
LMAO!!
Adam, I love Your own euphemisms that you use, especially the distasteful or them that leave wanting!
My 93 corvette had cornering lights. Still miss that feature
I found it more astonishing how they gave the body of that Bonneville the needed rigidity although it lacks a real B-pillar... 😳
Funny thing about vent windows is how excited manufacturers and car reviewers were to get rid of them.
LOL When #2 appeared, my first thought of an unintrusive transmission was a slender shift lever mounted on the steering column rather than something the size of the handle of a golf club sticking out of the middle of the dash of a minivan or SUV!
Almost everything on this list was killed by the "Bean Counters." Think how much they saved on each car by dropping the vent windows, for example. The Torque Flight, C-6 and Turbo 350/400 some of the best automatics ever, even the Power Glide. Thanks to Adam for another great watch.....
Um, I'm pretty sure the bean counters didn't kill the 2 speed....
@@jamesengland7461 Power Glides were great, they were light and simple and great for drag racing, not the cast iron ones that is.
@@jetsons101 I know all that. But with fuel crises in the early 60s and 2 in the 70s, drivers really needed 4 speeds, not 2 or even 3, but THAT'S where the bean counters failed us.
A modern 9 speed automatic will cost many times what the old 3 speeds did. The computer crap bounces the price up too.
@@rogersmith7396 What ever happened to keep it simple. A few years ago we had a very base Chevy Aveo, no lie, it was one the best cars we had, it was like the Energizer Bunny - - - it just kept going and going and going.......
I think three words describe why most of these have gone: Safety, CAFE, cost.
Gone are the days when the term “Full Power” was used in a newspaper ad to describe a used car in the classifieds. This term meant that the car had many available options like power windows, power locks, tilt wheel and cruise control.
That abbreviation was used because the damn newspapers charged 15 cents a word, and if you went over 3 "lines", it was another upcharge of $5.00...(back when $5.00 was MONEY)
I love top gear, but it has brainwashed people into thinking these old land yachts were terrible cars… totally missing the point on why they were made. i used to think that way too until hoovie and you really showed their purpose!
Yes. These were never meant as handlers. Their mission was comfort, pure and simple.
Absolutely agree 100% with the vent windows, mechanical gauges, and better carpet (and headliners as many modern cars have such terribly cheap feeling and looking headliners)
Cornering lights were a nice tough as well. Last vehicle I had that actually had those was a 1993 Mercury Sable (the cornering lights were cleverly hidden in the side marker light/turn signal housing)
One thing I would absolutely include to this is climate control systems that didn’t automatically turn on the air conditioning for some functions. Sure if my windshield is foggy the A/C being on does help a little, but I definitely do not need it on when trying to melt snow and ice off of the outside. Just wasting fuel and adding wear and tear to the A/C system having it turn on when I don’t want it to.
Wasn’t really a big fan of the hidden wipers to be honest, especially when they would stay up awkwardly on the windshield when in delay settings. Plus it made them more difficult to change/clean any debris off of them mainly in the fall. They do look nice when hidden away but I don’t miss the hidden feature at all lol
Also, can we please stop taking buttons with tactile feel away replacing them with touch screens that have zero tactile feel. I absolutely hate that trend as well lol
Really love these videos!
I had a 1976 Cordoba and you had a choice of 7 engines; 318, 360 and 400 cubic inches with 2 or 4 barrel carbs and a high output 400 4 barrel, which was different than the regular 400 4 barrel.
I miss the vent windows that many Chrysler products had back in the 60s-70s.
My 2005 Lincoln Town Car has seven of those 10 features.
I agree on the hidden wipers as they enhanced the aesthetics of a well designed automobile back in the day. And I do like mechanical gauges. With close to 100% installation of air conditioning as standard equipment and far fewer smokers, I do not miss vent windows. Never was a fan of bench seats or chrome trim. And my BMW ZF 8 speed shifts far smoother than any of the older transmissions. It is silky smooth.
I would add side marker lights that would flash out of phase when the parking and headlamps were on or flashed in phase when the parking and headlamps were on. This was used mostly on GM cars through the 70s into the 90s....Ford used it on the first and second gen Taurus and Sable and Honda used it on their products from the early 80s to 90s. I think Chrysler used it on the M body and some of the K based cars. I know my Dodge Dakota has it as well. I'll have to do a video of it.
I think this has been replaced with turn signal repeater lamps mounted on the leading surfaces of door mirrors or on front fenders.
Great video. As I get older, I really appreciate how luxurious and smooth riding the cars from the 1960-1975 era were to drive. The corner lighting is something that I am surprised went away.
It was very convenient with a long hood extending way out front. On my Dad's 1965 Fleetwood Cadillac and eventually my 1973 Monte Carlo.
In high school after I got my license in October of 1974 as a Junior in High School. I rode the School Bus until then. Girls were definitely not impressed by that. I could use the 65 Caddy or the 66 289 Mustang Convertible my Dad had. Depending on how I thought the date would go. And the weather. My "experience" with girls was zero...get it? Until I finally had a date with a very cute "experienced" girl while driving the Caddy in December of 1974. Damn, I miss that car.
Great list
This time of year. The old cast iron V8's put out serious heat with the fans on low.
Very well stated Adam. You and others miss and have come to appreciate so many things we no longer see. I prefer digital gauges. I cannot stand analog gauges. If I wanted needles and dials I would get a watch. You hit the mark on everything you said. You said it well too. Thank you again.
A sign of your age with those gauges. Plus, with digitals you have to read them just like my Casio digital watch. With needle gauges you don't have to, as with an analog watch.
So when you see a digital representation of an analog gauge on a flat screen what happens to you? lol
@@loveisall5520 One cool thing with needle gauges is that you can clock the gauges in the bezel, so that the needles all point straight up when running in normal operating conditions, so that you don't have to actually 'read' them.
I liked the digital gauges thirty years ago and thought they were cool, but anymore I prefer the 'steam' gauges. (I had no idea they were going obsolete...)
@@loveisall5520 I am not saying my age, but I do not think it is a sign of my age. I just am not a fan of them and I grew up with analog gauges. I am not a fan of the set up in cars like Teslas either.
@@judgegixxer I have seen the reconfigurable clusters. Those are fine. Cadillac has those where you can switch from a digital to analog look. They are not the only ones either.
One thing I miss is separate controls for the HVAC. I hate scrolling through a menu to adjust the vents and airflow.
Exactly.
The deep carpet felt good on bare feet in the summer. But it always fell to me to vacuum out the interior after a trip to the beach, at which point that carpet became my sworn enemy. I was only 13, though, and my reward was getting to drive the car to the end of the street and back. One hopes the statute of limitations has run out on that crime.
Flat screen gauges and controls require drivers to take their attention from the road whereas actual three dimensional controls can be accessed via muscle memory and touch. While I'm sure most of us RCC&AH fans are not big on government oversight, this gee-whiz / iPad / glass cockpit trend is a real safety issue which should be looked at by legislators.
I had a 77 LTD. The shifts were pretty smooth. Just a little bit of a feel. That was a good highway car. Fort Bragg NC to Indianapolis.
Cornering lights are something that you would think would be mandatory since they make turning safer.
Vent windows are something I really miss.
Plush carpet and cloth seats are so much better than leather seats and floor mats
RE: Great carpeting. My 1974 Lincoln Mark IV had the deepest carpeting INCLUDING the trunk and spare tire cover!
I can certainly agree with your comments about transmissions. My wife's Hyundai Santa Fe has an 8-speed that, when on anything other than absolutely flat roads, gear-hunts with abandon. On a recent trip on 2 scenic byways in Arkansas and Oklahoma, I don't think it ever stayed in the same gear for more than 30 seconds. Compared to the CVT in my now-former Subaru Forester, it's frustrating at the very least. The Subaru's CVT is the model of smoothness, varying engine speed only slightly to deliver whatever torque is needed at the particular moment. I far prefer it's characteristics to these multi-speed wonders.
Other have mentioned and I must also. That is the great number of color choices available inside and out! With sometimes as many as three different shades of a color! Not to mention the outside body colors and top colors.
Although there is something to be said for road feel, I really miss the super easy recirculating-ball power steering of the 70's, like on the big Fords. Owned many of them and just loved the "pinky power steering" of these cars!
Really, the door trim panels on my '86 Mustang look really much nicer than the '87 Mustang even. Nice vinyl and carpet with some neat chrome trim on it. The biggest problem with modern carpets, is they seem to really want to hold onto dirt like a magnet.
I must have missed it. When did they start calling trim panels door cards? Door card seems to go along with the plastic sameness.
@@robertdryburgh1457 I always thought the term door cards as the British term. On very early cars, it was probably an accurate term. I've never heard the term from an American, until recently. Probably picked up from Top Gear.
@@michaelv3340 Thanks. That seems likely.
Love cornering lights