Weird/unique driver aids and conveniences

[leafsprung]

The thread just gone about crap engines got me reminiscing about a couple of old Vauxhall Brava (Isuzu) pickups I had as work veehickuls in the late 90's. One was a face lift version but the other was an older heap with a beautifully japanese Caramac coloured interior and a 'driver convenience' I'd not seen before or since.

 

Picture this; you're a hard working Japanese painter and decorator wedged in an epic Tokyo traffic jam in the height of summer (26^oC/79^oF average temperatures for August btw). Your nut sack has adopted the consistency of soggy chamois leather and has adhered to your thigh with in a limpet-like manner. Clearly what you need is a cooling blast of air. Thankfully Isuzu have thought of this scenario and provided you with your own 'crotch vent' beneath the steering column. A quick flick of the hand and you have a cooling* blast of exhaust fumes and low level ozone right up your sweat soaked knackers.   

 

What other unique driver aids or conveniences have you encountered but not seen anywhere else? I fully expect Japanese stuff to excel at this.

[Ohdearme]

Probably not unique on Japanese cars but my import Prelude had a button to lower the electric aerial to half mast to still get some signal whilst giving you clearance to park in your garage, no losing the final few seconds of The Archers, etc.

[sutty2006]

My Disco 3 has a “crotch” vent. Great one landrover, you took your time!

 

It also has a convenient hook in the glovebox lid to hand your takeaway from, to prevent hot curry sauce falling over mid flight. Epic.

[Datsuncog]

Also going down the Jap route, but my mid-80s Datsun Sunny B11 Coupés had nifty cable-operated rear-window adjustors on the centre console, a bit like something you'd find on an aircraft throttle - you slid them forward and back to increase or decrease the ventilation. Because they were right in the middle of the car, back-seat passengers could also reach them.

 

 

I just loved it; never saw it on any other car.

 

[Guest Conan]

The thread just gone about crap engines got me reminiscing about a couple of old Vauxhall Brava (Isuzu) pickups I had as work veehickuls in the late 90's. One was a face lift version but the other was an older heap with a beautifully japanese Caramac coloured interior and a 'driver convenience' I'd not seen before or since.

 

Picture this; you're a hard working Japanese painter and decorator wedged in an epic Tokyo traffic jam in the height of summer (26^oC/79^oF average temperatures for August btw). Your nut sack has adopted the consistency of soggy chamois leather and has adhered to your thigh with in a limpet-like manner. Clearly what you need is a cooling blast of air. Thankfully Isuzu have thought of this scenario and provided you with your own 'crotch vent' beneath the steering column. A quick flick of the hand and you have a cooling* blast of exhaust fumes and low level ozone right up your sweat soaked knackers.   

 

What other unique driver aids or conveniences have you encountered but not seen anywhere else? I fully expect Japanese stuff to excel at this.

 

My Corolla also has this.

 

Also going down the Jap route, but my mid-80s Datsun Sunny B11 Coupés had nifty cable-operated rear-window adjustors on the centre console, a bit like something you'd find on an aircraft throttle - you slid them forward and back to increase or decrease the ventilation. Because they were right in the middle of the car, back-seat passengers could also reach them.

 

Sunny 10 circled.jpg

 

I just loved it; never saw it on any other car.

 

Sunny 06.jpg

 

The cable always snapped on these. It's brilliant to use though.

 

I remember my W124 having a cover for the pit of doom between the front seats and centre console. I often wondered why it's not a common thing.

[Datsuncog]

The cable always snapped on these. It's brilliant to use though.

 

Weirdly, the cables were working fine on both of mine! Maybe they got very little use in cold rainy Northern Ireland...

 

Though the blue one kinda had bigger problems...

 

[Junkman]

Horch 930S

 

 

 

 

 

So what, you ask. What's the weird or unusual convenience, you ask.

 

Well, look at this:

 

 

Also note usefulness because Unbritishness.

[cort1977]

70s GM full size cars have the crotch vents.  Mine has vinyl seats as well to balance the sweatiness.

[somewhatfoolish]

As well as a full alphabet soup of ATTESA and other things my Nissan Stagea had a 'Lady Parker', which was an electric aerial installed in the extremity of the nearside corner of the front bumper, which when extended allowed the position of that corner of the car to be seen by drivers of short stature and/or restricted spatial awareness. It did not work, it made sad grinding noises the first time I pressed the button then fell forever silent.

[PhilA]

Our works Chevy Astro van had a crotch vent.

 

The traffic light viewer lens on my Pontiac is an interesting one to stop you from craning your neck to see traffic lights- that's a very American thing as most lights here are overhead on poles or strung up on a wire.

 

Also the speed of the wipers are infinitely variable in speed from barely moving to frenzied.

 

Phil

[DSdriver]

Toyota Crown Estate, did it have a fridge in the back and was it big enough for a full size bottle of champagne*

*Japanese sparkling wines might be available

[DSdriver]

Fiat 1500 had a manual throttle, same as the choke lever. Presumably so you could get out and walk alongside?

[DSdriver]

Citroen DS has three different ride heights adjusted by a lever just inside the drivers door.

This one I am sure about

[Rocket88]

As well as a full alphabet soup of ATTESA and other things my Nissan Stagea had a 'Lady Parker', which was an electric aerial installed in the extremity of the nearside corner of the front bumper, which when extended allowed the position of that corner of the car to be seen by drivers of short stature and/or restricted spatial awareness. It did not work, it made sad grinding noises the first time I pressed the button then fell forever silent.

 

AKA kerb feelers......

[Rocket88]

Lot of forties/fifties British stuff had this........

[Bren]

Rover SD1 came with a foot spa as standard.

[somewhatfoolish]

14480048481_908e727130_b.jpg

Lot of forties/fifties British stuff had this........

apols for cros posting.

 

[eddyramrod]

Huggy, being a 1973 Cadillac, has a strange thing: an inclinometer in the stalk of the driver's door mirror.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Also going down the Jap route, but my mid-80s Datsun Sunny B11 Coupés had nifty cable-operated rear-window adjustors on the centre console, a bit like something you'd find on an aircraft throttle - you slid them forward and back to increase or decrease the ventilation. Because they were right in the middle of the car, back-seat passengers could also reach them.

 

Sunny 10 circled.jpg

 

I just loved it; never saw it on any other car.

 

Sunny 06.jpg

 

nissan sunny estate had one on drivers side boot

[cros]

I've lost count of the number of times I've needed to wind the rear windscreen down on a car and couldn't. Actually it was once, in my Taunus 17m estate when I would have liked it open due to the passenger's excessive flatulence. Unfortunately the Ford's winder is located on the drop down tailgate, and thus out of reach on the move. Not so on the blobular Atlantic, where the crank is handily placed above the front windscreen.

[rainagain]

My OH’s old Hyundai Tucson had an area at the bottom of the windscreen that was electrically hearted. It was a great idea, when you had it turned on it stopped the wiper blades freezing when the weather was really cold, which meant they always swept the screen nicely.

[Zelandeth]

Also going down the Jap route, but my mid-80s Datsun Sunny B11 Coupés had nifty cable-operated rear-window adjustors on the centre console, a bit like something you'd find on an aircraft throttle - you slid them forward and back to increase or decrease the ventilation. Because they were right in the middle of the car, back-seat passengers could also reach them.

 

Sunny 10 circled.jpg

 

I just loved it; never saw it on any other car.

 

Sunny 06.jpg

Cherry of the same era had this as well. I very much remember that it seemed the coolest thing ever to me as a child - that and the overwhelming orangeness of every bit of text in the car.

[pandamonium]

My 1994 Mercedes E220 had flip down rear headrests to help seeing out the rear window when parking. Unfortunately you had to manually put them back up again. 

[bramz7]

That dreaded XM I had had a passenger side mirror that would tilt when put into reverse. Useful I guess.

[Squire_Dawson]

Something so simple yet so rare I really value is illumination of the ignition keyswitch when I open the door.

 

The Japanese generally copy American practice including features/gimmicks, except the ones they alone think of which nobody else wants.

[Tamworthbay]

My 1994 Mercedes E220 had flip down rear headrests to help seeing out the rear window when parking. Unfortunately you had to manually put them back up again.

 

I had one with those, one flick of the switch and they were gone. But to be fair the rear view was still crap with them down.

[timolloyd]

Seat belt butlers, particularly the ones that move around the door frame in 90s American chod, always fascinated me

[anonymous user]

In the days of proper coach built cars all sorts of things would be fitted at the whim of the person commissioning the build. OK much of it for the comfort and convenience of the person in the back seat, but did include things like the driver instruction panel where by flicking the appropriate switch in the rear would light up the, "slow down", or "go faster", "turn left", "turn right, or "stop" illuminated panel in view of the driver. You also had speaking tubes to shout your instructions to the driver. Nubar Gulbenkian always had an extra speedometer fitted in the rear of his cars so that he could advise his driver to slow down, or speed up. Before electric windows you often had the quick lift window mechanism on the driver's door window, where less than half a turn of the lever would fully raise/lower the window. Oh and the fling the rear door open lever on Japanese taxis.

[Vince70]

I think the little mini sun visor above the rear view mirror on VAG stuff is a great idea and used it numerous times and especially miss it now I’ve gone all Bmw.

 

Well I say Bmw as my compact is fitted with a Ford Ka mirror as I couldn’t find a mirror pad strong enough to hold the heavy old Bmw mirror on and was getting annoyed after a day or two of it falling off again.

[RoadworkUK]

Early V6 Rover 800s had column stalks whose symbols were illuminated by fibre optics.

 

Inevitably, one of the first features to disappear as it was de-contented to hell and back over the years.