5 features of old cars that are so lacking in new ones
Now cars are faster and more economical, but there are parts that you want to return.
1 Normal spare
Not a dokatka, not a repair kit! And here is a normal spare wheel, as before. Especially it is not enough on a long journey.
On the dokatka you can get to the nearest service, of course. And on a normal wheel – where he was going. Without suffering from the fact that automation and stabilization fail, handling is much worse, and the suspension and differential only pray that the radius does not differ much from the rest of the wheels.
2 Hidden (rising) headlights
Designers once thought it was a great idea to hide headlights when not in use. On the sports Mitsubishi 3000GT, they rose and fell, on the Chevrolet Corvette they hid in the hood or fenders, there were also car models with a rotary grille … Be careful, old school will bring!
Not that pop-up headlights are needed now – LEDs are brighter. They were just very expressive.
Alas. Modern safety rules have said a firm “no” to any ledges that a downed pedestrian can be further injured on. And the cars got so smooth.
3 Steel bumpers
The corrugated steel bumpers of 1930s Fords didn't crack from a curb! GAZ-21 from the 1950s did not require a trip to the parts stores after a light “kiss”. Hit – straightened, polished and shines again.
Although automakers experimented with the form constantly. Still, the main task of the bumper is to protect the car from damage. And the engineers solved this problem in different ways: some models were springy, others dampened the blow by crushing, others had stiffeners so as not to even crumple.
Modern bumpers also protect the pedestrian in the event of a collision, so they are not just plastic, but also become increasingly thin.
4 Decorative wheel caps
In custom accessories stores, you can still buy them now (or make them to order). But before it was a whole huge direction – the design of caps. Moreover, the stamped discs looked so miserable that they still wanted to be covered.
In addition to the decorative function, the caps bring quite practical benefits: they protect the discs from rubble and dirt flying from the road and are the first to take a side impact, if anything.
5 Figurine emblems
Again, pedestrian safety. Still, a swift gazelle, a chic jaguar or, for example, an elephant standing on its hind legs on a Bugatti Type 41 Royale can cause serious damage even in a minor collision.
But we can just flip through the photos of oldtimers and remember how cool these emblems looked.