Freak Or Unique: Motoring Innovations

[overrun]

They are quite good on dark country lanes or mountain passes (France has a few of both). Only the main driving lights swivel I think, the outer are standard dipped.

Very similar to my Mondeo. The dipped beam is fixed and the 'adaptive headlights' give the impression that they turn with the steering a and sweep across the road, when infact they are an additional headlight bulb, mounted in the inner corner of the headlight.

 

Very simple, but amazingly effective.

By far my favourite feature on the car and much better than previous cars I have driven, which illuminate a fog light.

[richardmorris]

I always liked the way the dashboards were illuminated on citroens with the ignition not the lights. 

 

What makes me smile every single time I get in the merc. is the seatbelt butler. Have any other cars adopted this? I also like the button that drops the rear headrests by vacuum. However I would be a lot more impressed if it brought them back up again.

 

On the subject of over-thought answers to little problems - how about the electrically adjustable armrest in the exclusive XMs?

 

And another thing....

Revolving cylindrical speedo and tachometer in the earlier CXs. Fantastically easy to read and far too tempting to see the largest numbers you could get in both windows

 

The CX introduced the PRN modules for lights, wipers etc at fingertip that were carried into the Visa and series 1 BX and then dropped for the ubiquitous stalks. I thought that my series 1 CX was great for being able to simultaneously flash the lights with the left fingers and blow the horn with the right.

 

The display in the GSA that looked like a circuit board and linked the warning lights to the location.

 

And, the backwards rev counter in my X1/9  - my aim is to get it cross-eyed.

 

The large head up display in the Citroen C4 was fun, but dropped apparently because all the other drivers could see what speed you were doing.

[Richard]

I've got a 14 plate Focus as a company car.

A dull car with no innovative features what so ever that you can see but it's the uber green version that has free road tax, the lowest income tax penalty and is currently averaging 64.3 mpg.

Must be some magic in there somewhere.

 

It's got Active Grille Shutters, that's exactly the sort of gimmick that belongs in this thread.

[DSdriver]

I've usually found them superb on fast French roads, where bends are quite different from ours. I'd say it's debateable whether in the South East of England they were ever anything more than a gimmick. In addition, DS dipped-beam headlamps would alter their vertical plane angle according to the squat angle of the car (on more powerful ones), so that when the nose rose under acceleration, the beam aim remained where it should. The whole system was beautifully simple and effective, using piano wire and pulleys.

 

Not only were they for for and aft dipping but also used to dip the highside light caused by body roll on cornering, thus reducing the glare to oncoming vehicles. This of course would be utterly useless on modern cars because they don't have any passenger comfort suspension.

 

Another bizarre thing on the DS is that when you brake hard the noses rises rather than dipping like a normal car. I think this was so that if there was a front on collision the engine would be pushed under the floor pan instead of into the passenger compartment and so that rear seat passengers (no rear seatbelts in those days) would be thrown against the heavily bolstered front seat back rather than nutting the driver.

 

The spare wheel was placed in front of the engine under the bonnet as part of the impact absorption as well.

 

The boot lid hinges are designed so that there is no obstruction to the rear window when the boot lid is up. Unfortunately Citroen didn't carry this through to the bonnet which because of its length has a tendency to flip open if it is not secured properly. This is why you will see knowledgeable  DS drivers pressing down on the bonnet on both sides to check that it is shut properly before driving off.

 

Steering geometry was such that the car could steer straight even with a high speed blowout. They did this by moving the front discs onto the driveshafts instead of in the hub.

 

All this in a car first sold in 1965ish when other cars were as dangerous as fuck.

[Junkman]

My experience of Citroën suspension is that it's far more reliable, practical and comfortable than conventional steel suspension - unless on a PSA car, where considerable cheapness was added in both materials and design. Even then, the benefits are superb - a good Xantia makes a 406 feel bouncy when pressing on.

 

I'd suggest it's the finest motoring innovation ever.

I had no idea it is possible to disagree to such an extent.

 

Today I'm not even sure if there is any really superb engineering, in the mainstream market. Everything has a hugely powerful blown dizzle with inter-stellar gearing, to mask the drone of the inline 4, which goes well with MacPh strut suspension and rubber everywhere, to mask the inherent cheapness.

I had no idea it is possible to agree to such an extent.

[Timewaster]

I always liked the way the dashboards were illuminated on citroens with the ignition not the lights.

I hate that.

Driving in town, it is too easy to think you have your lights on when you haven't. Yes there is a little green warning light, but at a glance they appear to be on.

[Sigmund Fraud]

All this in a car first sold in 1955ish when other cars were as dangerous as fuck.

 

[Hendry]

It's got Active Grille Shutters, that's exactly the sort of gimmick that belongs in this thread.

So these actually exist then?

 

We have a load of Focus rental cars at work and one 63plate 1.6 TDCI Zetec one kept flashing up an ignition fault warning message, coupled with the battery light staying on whilst driving and the start/stop on/off button on the dash didn't do anything when pressed, car went to Ford who couldn't figure out the issue and were liaising with the factory who told them to order a grille shutter and we couldn't figure out if we'd misheard them and if not WTF it was.

[Junkman]

All this in a car first sold in 1965ish when other cars were as dangerous as fuck.

 

Fucks weren't dangerous back then, so the cars were alright.

[Jim Bergerac]

Surprised no one's mentioned the SAAB night panel yet where you can turn off all the interior lights apart from the dials. I quite liked it but wouldn't go as far as to say it was anything other than a gimmick.

[richardmorris]

Surprised no one's mentioned the SAAB night panel yet where you can turn off all the interior lights apart from the dials. I quite liked it but wouldn't go as far as to say it was anything other than a gimmick.

 

 

Citroen do this now since my C5 - my Parent's C4 coupe and the current C3 do  - it is a bit of a gimmick to be honest and I never used it in my C5.

[twosmoke300]

I always thought it was a gimmick til I did a long a road run at night in terrible conditions.

[forddeliveryboy]

Not only were they for for and aft dipping but also used to dip the highside light caused by body roll on cornering, thus reducing the glare to oncoming vehicles. This of course would be utterly useless on modern cars because they don't have any passenger comfort suspension.

 

Another bizarre thing on the DS is that when you brake hard the noses rises rather than dipping like a normal car. I think this was so that if there was a front on collision the engine would be pushed under the floor pan instead of into the passenger compartment and so that rear seat passengers (no rear seatbelts in those days) would be thrown against the heavily bolstered front seat back rather than nutting the driver.

 

The spare wheel was placed in front of the engine under the bonnet as part of the impact absorption as well.

 

Steering geometry was such that the car could steer straight even with a high speed blowout. They did this by moving the front discs onto the driveshafts instead of in the hub.

 

I'd forgotten about the lights being adjusted to compensate for roll.

 

There are so many safety-related innovations on old Citroëns - it would take a whole page, followed by another page-full of scepticism from those who never experienced/didn't get the subtleties of these cars. The braking abilities (exception: Junkman) and control over the brakes (such as the ease with which you can bring the front tyres to the point of slowing, without skidding - and hold them there) as well as the positioning of the brake pedal (no lifting your leg from foot-to-the-floor to transfer onto brake) must rate as a huge safety aspect.

 

Bending the top of the steering column round to form the steering wheel to form the unique 'single spoke' was another form of unusual safety-thinking for the 50s. The DIRAVI steering of the CX and SM sends these cars into a dimension beyond planet Citroën - gob-smackingly good on long, fast journeys.

[Wilko220]

Surprised no one's mentioned the SAAB night panel yet where you can turn off all the interior lights apart from the dials. I quite liked it but wouldn't go as far as to say it was anything other than a gimmick.

It's cos they're like planes and that, obviously...

[myglaren]

Citroen do this now since my C5 - my Parent's C4 coupe and the current C3 do  - it is a bit of a gimmick to be honest and I never used it in my C5.

I'd had mine for two years before I discovered it.

Used it a couple of times 'because it was there' but very rarely even think of it.

[DSdriver]

Just making sure you were paying attention

[RoadworkUK]

In 2000, the first time I ever drove a Rover 800 Fastback, the way the rear screen wiper would automatically do a swipe if the front wipers were on gave me a hard-on right then and there.

 

When I first drove a Sterling and found that the symbols on the column stalks were fibre-optic illuminated I literally jizzed all over the dashboard.

 

Why don't all cars have this?

[Noel Tidybeard]

in a similar vein there was a mod you could do on a montego estate/maestro where putting car in reverse would switch rear wiper from the intermittent wipe to a constant wipe

montego had light up stalks first

[Noel Tidybeard]

It's got Active Grille Shutters, that's exactly the sort of gimmick that belongs in this thread.

ahh a modern invention as used by rolls royce circa 1909

[Noel Tidybeard]

the Thermostart cold start device similar to on in vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNhC-svEjUg

[Richard]

That's a theme running through this thread, nearly every "innovation" that has featured heavily in a car's marketing has been done before.

 

In 2000, the first time I ever drove a Rover 800 Fastback, the way the rear screen wiper would automatically do a swipe if the front wipers were on gave me a hard-on right then and there.

I remember Rover making a big thing of this but I'm fairly sure the Mk3 Granada got there first.

[Stroller133]

Saab moved the key to the centre near gear lever as they claim people injure knees on keys/ignition barrels during collisions

They were (according to interweb, so probably false) the first to use pollen filters?

Also first or at least pioneers in the use of turbos on petrol engines.

[dangerousdave]

_{the panel lights coming on with the ignition late 90,s audi a4s were the same my mate had one and when I drove it I was always forgetting to put the headlights on as I thought they were on}

 

_{I remember on the high spec frogeye scorpios the passenger door mirror automatically moved down when you put it in reverse so you could see the pavement}

 

_{one feature I liked on all 80,s Austin rover cars and range rovers of same period was the adjustable intermittent wipers thought it was a great idea}

[PiperCub]

If they don't last or get taken up by the car makers then realistically they can't be of that much benefit (beyond the 'Hey, wow' factor for anoraks and gadget nuts). A good example of this was the variety of fuel saving inventions that I recall from the late 70's and the 80's, all promising loads more mpg & usually more power/better running, where are they now? If they were as good as they claim, surely at least one maker would have taken them up? On the other hand though, it's always nice to see that people are still inventing things!

[PiperCub]

One thing springs to mind that was/is good - the heated front screen, only had one, in my XR2i, slagged it off initally, another stupid pointless piece of crap cluttering up modern cars isn't it - until I used it, thought it was great. Don't know if they still fit them or not, maybe 'cos everything has A/C these days it's not needed?? (Plus the cost if the screen needs replacing?).

[Richard]

They do still fit them, the outgoing Transit has one as standard. It would be great if it wasn't broken.

[mat_the_cat]

I find heated screens very handy, living in damp Wales. The Disco has one (I think quite a rare option) as at the time LR were owned by Ford. Not cheap though, as I had to pay to replace it out of my own pocket - but I didn't even consider going back to standard so I guess that says how useful it is!

 

Another non-gimmick IMO is the variable speed wiper on VAG cars. No idea whether it's still the case, but it used to be that the intermittent interval was set by flicking, the wipers on, waiting X seconds and then turning them on properly. Almost infinitely variable, without an extra fiddly control. I've actually fitted the same set-up to the van and the BX as neither had variable intervals previously; again, handy in Wales!

[forddeliveryboy]

Didn't P6s have variable intermittent wipers? Wonder if this was the first.

[dugong]

I'd forgotten about the lights being adjusted to compensate for roll.

 

There are so many safety-related innovations on old Citroëns - it would take a whole page, followed by another page-full of scepticism from those who never experienced/didn't get the subtleties of these cars. The braking abilities (exception: Junkman) and control over the brakes (such as the ease with which you can bring the front tyres to the point of slowing, without skidding - and hold them there) as well as the positioning of the brake pedal (no lifting your leg from foot-to-the-floor to transfer onto brake) must rate as a huge safety aspect.

 

Bending the top of the steering column round to form the steering wheel to form the unique 'single spoke' was another form of unusual safety-thinking for the 50s. The DIRAVI steering of the CX and SM sends these cars into a dimension beyond planet Citroën - gob-smackingly good on long, fast journeys.

 

 

Until the ring main leaks badly enough to lose your brakes. And your steering.

And the suspension. At speed. Junkman isn't picking his objections out of his arse, you know.

Also, transverse ridges. Why can't the incredibly wonderful, not-at-all pointlessly complicated suspension sort that out?

 

Every HP Citroen I've driven hard on back roads turns into a flobbery mess when you push it. Nice for trundling around though. You could always learn to cadence brake.

 

PS: Family's owned two Xantias, several CXs and a GS. Father in law bought a BX but it was so riddled with faults he sent it back and got one of those cheap 405s which performed faultlessly until it was written off ten years later.

 

Lovely theory - less than reliable execution.

 

 

[Junkman]

Didn't P6s have variable intermittent wipers? Wonder if this was the first.

 

Intermittent wipers are attributed to Robert Kearns, who invented them in 1964 and had them patented.

They made their first appearance on 1969 US cars, which triggered a now famous lawsuit for

patent infringement.

Hollywood picked up on it with the 2008 film "Flash Of Genius", so it must be true.

 

The P6 got intermittent wipers from 1970 onwards, but they are of a pneumatic design, to avoid

having to pay royalties to Kearns, whose design was based on a solid state electronic principle.