TEN LOST MOTORING SIGHTS

Or when did you last see a car with a starting handle bracket?

The Bench Front Seat

Often (although not always) in conjunction with the steering column gear change and with an almost complete lack of lateral support. In the pre-seat belt era, a central armrest was essential to anchor the driver and passengers. By 1972 the entry-level version of the new Vauxhall Victor FE was already unusual in having a front bench seat as standard, especially as it was only available with a floor lever. And, looking back, the days of a parent carrying two or even three children in the front of their Hillman Minx Series II will not be missed.

Blanking the Grille in Winter

Covering the grille of a flat-twin Citroën was once an essential part of the winter almanac as recently as the 1980s. Some older readers will also recall seeing Austin A60 Cambridges and the like adorned with kitchen foil or a large piece of cardboard. The reason was to reduce engine wear and ensure the driver would have to use the choke less. An alternative was to fit an aftermarket radiator blind, a term that now appears as dated as ‘Teddy Boy’ or ‘Dansette’.

Front Quarter Lights

A highly efficient form of ventilation, and also of demisting, especially if your car lacked an effective - or even any - heater. They were also a safety hazard as well as a potential security problem. The facelifted Ford Cortina Mk. I of 1964 with its ‘Aeroflow’ inlets and outlets really marked the beginning of the end for the humble quarterlight, and a decade later, any model so equipped tended to be an older design.

In-Car Cassette Players

Apparently, the 2011-model Ford Crown Victoria was the last new car available with a cassette player, by which time they already seemed a relic. The Philips Type RN582 appeared in 1968, only two years after the introduction of the eight-track cartridge. For a long time, cassette players were highly expensive accessories, with the first examples costing a vast 38 guineas – far more than the average weekly wage. Nine years later, when Autocar tested sound systems, they highly rated the Pioneer KP8300 for £211, a sum that could have bought you an elderly but MOTed small car. Today, an entire generation is unfamiliar with the fine art of winding Now That’s What I Call Music 3 with a biro, thanks to a malfunctioning spool.

Sliding Windows.

As found on the Renault 4 as late as 1994. In the UK, the 195x Standard Eight used sliding panes as one of Canley’s many ways of reducing its price, but they are principally associated with the first two incarnations of the Mini. Few owners could forget the joys of a) the windows freezing shut in January and February and b) trapping so much moisture that moss would often grow inside the doors. They also offered limited ventilation, and by 1965 BMC-Australian versions used drop glass, followed by the Riley Elf/Wolseley Hornet Mk. III in 1966 and the Mini Mk. III saloons of 1969. However, the Vans and Pick-Ups retained sliding glass until their demise in 1982.

Starting Handle

It is quite bizarre to consider that as recently as the 1960s, the sight of a motorist hand cranking their Austin Cambridge or Singer Vogue (often accompanied by muttered oaths) was far from unfamiliar. Back in 1950, the fact that the new Jaguar Mk. VII and Ford Zephyr-Six lacked a starting handle was quite a talking point at the Earls Court Motor Show. Nearly 21 years later, the demise of the Morris Minor 1000 and Morris Oxford Series VI/Wolseley 16/60 essentially marked its passing on a mainstream British saloon; the Land-Rover occupied a different market sector. However, some French vehicles retained provision for a starting handle well into the 1970s – indeed, the Citroën 2CV could be hand cranked until the end of production in 1990.

Steering Column Gear Change

Ever present on British four-door cars during the 1950s but rare by the early 1970s. The Fords Cortina Mk. II and Zephyr/Zodiac Mk. IV and Vauxhalls Cresta PC and Victor FD represented the last generations of UK-built saloons available with a steering column change. By contrast, the Renault 16 featured this set-up until the end of production in 1980. Some drivers regret their demise, but others have few fond memories of wrestling with the lever in their attempts to engage third gear.

Tail Fins

In terms of the UK motor industry, the pioneer was the Ford Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac Mk. II of 1956, followed by the Vauxhall F-Type Victor and PA Cresta in 1957. The debut of the Wolseley 15/60 ‘Farina’ at the end of 1958 arguably marked the fin’s acceptance in polite suburbia. However, unlike most US models, British cars tended to retain the same bodywork for many years. As a result, the Zephyr/Zodiac Mk. III sported canted tailfins in 1966, while in 1967, the last Humber Sceptre Mk. IIs and Sunbeam Rapier Series V still featured styling from the Billy Fury era.

Trafficators

Sixty years ago, the demise of the Austin A35 Countryman marked the end of the semaphore indicator on new British cars. A decade earlier, a magistrate’s court declared flashing indicators illegal, but the years between 1952 and 1962 marked a significant change. Export sales to the USA were a major impetus for an alternative form of signalling. Buick pioneered the direction indicator as we know it as early as 1938, and in the 1950s, they were a necessary fitting for an American-market vehicle. By 1956 domestic Morris and Wolseley products remained loyal to the traditional set-up, but several marques were already using flashing signals. It should also be noted that few drivers mourned the trafficator’s passing, as they were prone to sticking or occasionally falling off.

Vinyl Roof

As featured on the Riley RM saloons but the Vauxhall Viscount in 1966 really established a vinyl-clad top as an essential aspect of British executive motoring. Its heyday was probably during the early 1970s with the Ford Granada GXL, the Rover 3500 P6B, and the Triumph Dolomite Sprint, to name but a few fine vehicles. However, the fact that the 1977 Granada Ghia Mk. II did not feature such decoration as a sign of the changing times. By the 1980s, except for the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur, a vinyl roof was as passé as wearing a ‘Lord Brett Sinclair’-style brown nylon blazer in your local shopping precinct.