Factors affecting the purchase of a car can vary from person to person. One driver may not care about how the car or its particular model looks. They want something convenient, affordable and able to get where they want. Another driver can be more interested in vehicle’s fuel efficiency and how it drives the road. One car owner wants that looks amazingly luxurious and can be well demonstrated, while another may agree to a cheap Junker. Location is another factor, as people living in cities will have different needs than people living in more remote areas. This is not to mention whether you are driving a sports car, SUV or jeep because each has its aspects and factors that should be considered.

 

Features of the car are always considered as a critical factor when buying. It is easy to forget how things that are today taken for granted (stereo systems, proper ventilation, and even seat belts) were once considered “extra features.” With the development of cars, there are also functions that increase their viability for owners. This means that many features of the car have appeared over the years, which owners may find ridiculous. A few short touches that did not last long and were amazing were ever considered. Others are still in use today, but can still be seen as a path from above and completely ridiculous. Adding special features, popularized by numerous car shows, only adds fun. Here are the 25 most bizarre features of the car, over which many today laugh easily to show that not every “special accessory” is suitable for car lovers.

 

25. WATER BALLOON BUMPERS

 

There is also an expected method of trial and error in the design of car functions. Back in the 1960s, the technology to miss collisions did not exist, and the wings and bumpers were also not created. John Rich came with what he called "hydraulic bumpers" for a taxi. These were, in fact, balloons that poured water upon explosion. Sounds incredibly stupid, but surprisingly, it was used by taxis in New York, Portland and San Francisco. Statistics showed that accidents and repair costs decreased when using bumpers. Unfortunately, the value of their creation was considered too large for mass production. Repair of one set will cost $ 1,100, which was then a very high price. It may not have been amazing, but it was better than one might have supposed.

 

24. HORSE HEAD

 

In 20th century, cars were "horse carts." They also did not need to be taken into account. Uriah Smith was a famous preacher who also presented himself as an engineer.

 

23. HEADLIGHT HAIR

 

Maybe this is the popularity of Pixar's Cars. Perhaps this is some return to the animated series of the 1960s. But many car owners are trying to make their cars look like real living things. The natural part was to add eyelashes to the headlights so that they look like real eyes. Several drivers also put a considerable moustache or beard on the bumper and rim so that they look like mouths. There are even cases when people decorate their lights to look like real eyes. It helps them to stand out pretty well, but it seems pretty ridiculous. Cars as living beings are a slightly creepy idea and attempt to achieve this say too much about their owners.

 

22. MINI BAR IN GLOVE

 

The problems with this supplement should be pretty obvious. It's one thing to drink a light drink in the bar, wait a bit, and then go home. Another idea is to have a mini-bar right in the glove compartment. This was created in 1957 for the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. It even had a smart touch of magnets in glasses to keep them motionless. This is almost forgiven, given that the attitude to such indulgences in the 50s was very different. However, the modern company Jaguar offers its mini-bar in the glovebox. Just try to protect it when the cops stop you. This setup belongs to a limousine, not a driver's seat.

 

21. ROOF TENT

 

This is a recent craze for some truck owners that looks a little weird. Sometimes it may make sense if the driver has been on the road for a while and wanted to go to sleep. In this case, setting up a tent at the back of the stretcher truck is logical. However, many jeeps and trucks come with huge tents that fit on the roof of a car. They can vary in size from a simple shelter for one person to a considerable space, to support which requires a whole platform. Some (for example, Tepui models) can even cover half of the car itself. This may be a boon for tourists, but to make your truck part of the entire installation a bit redundant.

 

20. FRONT PILLOWS

 

Airbags were one of the most significant safety features ever created. Infinite lives were saved thanks to inflatable pillows protecting drivers and passengers during collisions. Currently, they are standard enough for all cars to demonstrate a vital step to prevent road tragedies. Volvo is now developing the idea of pedestrian airbags. The idea is that if a vehicle hits a pedestrian, a special pad comes out of the exterior windows so that the person cannot fly over the car and soften the blow. He is still in the working stage because some collisions lead to the fact that the pedestrian flies away from the vehicle, and not on it. This makes the car easy to shoot down a balloon at the wrong moment and make things worse.

 

 

19. REAR Jumps

 

Some jump seats may make sense. An excellent example is the rear seat SUV, in which more space for children. Having the same function in a standard sports car also does not work. But the Audi A8 offers a backseat for jumping, which turns the car into the space of a small limousine. This may make sense if you are a passenger and want to stretch out. It looks like an extraordinary and somewhat confusing addition. Again, jump seats are good for an SUV or a family car, but throwing them into the sports version also does not work.

 

18. LIGHTED TIRES

 

It is easy to believe that lighting the bottom of the car is a modern approach. In the films “Fast and Furious,” cars with a variety of unusual lighting systems in the chassis and rims were shown. But, like many ideas, it is much older than it seems. Back in the 1960s, Goodyear was proud of the concept of backlit tires. They were made of translucent synthetic rubber and light bulbs inside the tires. It made any car stand out on the road and easily noticeable at night. The idea was quickly discontinued due to safety concerns associated with the lights next to the engine. But given the popularity of car lighting, perhaps this is a concept that is ready to return.

 

17. "GENTLEMAN FUNCTION"

 

This may seem elitist, but it is also difficult to talk about it in a family setting. The BMW iDrive controller allows the driver to adjust the passenger seat without getting up. This gives them instant legroom at any time. Manufacturers claim that this is a good way for the driver to instantly open a position for someone who sits behind the passenger seat when a passenger refuses. The name makes it sound a little more sinister than it is, although the effects are pretty obvious. Perhaps another name will make this accessory more convenient for female drivers.

 

16. SWIVEL SEATS

 

On the one hand, you can understand that Chevrolet was going with this design. it can be a bit of a headache when you pull yourself into a car and get out of it, mostly in bad weather. The swivel seat is a smart move. All you have to do is turn, and you can lower your legs and go straight. The problem is that the place would be too comfortable to get out of control while driving, which can be a problem. It did not last too long with passengers complaining that it was too much trouble. This is a good case of what sounds like a smart addition that turns into a mess.

 

15. OPENOMETER

 

European cars tend to have features that Americans may find ... eccentric. In 2010, Mini-Cooper was praised as the best car model, which was often ridiculed due to its small size. What they finished was even more ridiculous. First, the top can be lowered only when the car is moving at a speed of fewer than 20 miles per hour. But this exceeds the meter, which tells the driver how many times the upper part has gone down. Yes, the Mini thought it was worth spending a few extra grand assemblies of this device in case the driver loses information about how much time they have been outdoors. Deciding to add it to, say, a few horsepower’s - this is the reason why it is so easy to mock the Mini.

 

14. SPEED CHIM

 

There have been several versions of it with many years. Nissan created the first in 1989. The idea is simple, but useful since a unique sound signal is triggered if you break 55 miles an hour. This should be a slowdown warning, which is reasonable. Worst of all, the chime kept going even after the speed dropped and became incredibly annoying. Recently, Toyota AE86 offered its chiming clock, which is very popular in Japan because it is associated with the favourite Initial D race. Considering that the bell accelerates to a speed of 64 miles per hour, this greatly aggravates American drivers. Nothing can make a long trip worse than an annoying beep that does not shut up.

 

13. TRANSMISSION HANDLE

 

Let's be honest: many of the functions of the car have nothing to do with the real goal, but look cool. The Jaguar XL gearshift knob is one of them. Instead of the standard gearshift lever, when the car starts, this little knob pops out of the dashboard. Then you turn it to fix the disk you need before you hit the throttle. In practice, this may not be easy, because the knob is shifted back when the drive is locked and does not work if the battery is low. It is also a transition from moving the stick to finding the right pen setting and then pressing the control button. Although it offers a unique design, it is not a must-have accessory.

 

12. HONDA SHOWER

 

The attractiveness of jeeps lies in the fact that they can deliver them to dirty and dirty places. They are also popular with beach lovers so that you will have riders or even children covered in sand and rare algae. Honda was the first to put forward a soul concept, although their initial attempt was not so good. It was a water jug with a hose and a 12-volt battery (which, of course, was dangerous for water). It also did not give any real privacy for washing the whole body, so it was just right for washing the feet and sometimes a dirty hood. The fact that the water was always cold did not help. SUVs offer a solar shower, which is slightly better but still lacks privacy. Often it seems that it is easier to go to take a shower someplace than to drag this device on the hood constantly.

 

11. SPEED KEY

When you buy a top-class sports car, you expect to be able to access all of its speeds at once. However, Bugatti decides to do something a little different. Chiron bragged, having a top speed of 261 miles per hour. But drivers soon discovered that the maximum rate was 236 miles per hour. If they wanted to limit the speed ultimately, they would have to unlock them. How to put the key in the slot to reach this limit. Moreover, the car was designed to prevent drivers from driving as fast as a car computer considered the road unsafe for these speeds. This is an excellent safety feature, but it also baffles the possibility of depriving drivers of the opportunity to drive their car.

 

10. WRIST-TWIST STEERING SYSTEM

 

The "reinvent the wheel" line exists as much as in the automotive industry. Leave this Chevrolet to take this statement. The company boasted a new steering system in 1965. Instead, special locks wrapped around the wrists with hand buttons and sensors that the driver could twist. The idea was to leave more legroom, and in special promotional films they praised how “it makes driving easier for women.” Such a somewhat backward approach could have contributed to the fact that the public had never adopted this concept. There were also problems in real life trials and how it was too far from the departure from the wheel. Only a few prototypes were made, as it is difficult to bypass the standard steering wheel.

 

9. WORKING

Several cars had designs of small tables that could unfold on the passenger side of the vehicle. It's all good if the other person wants to work or read. It’s another thing to offer not only the passenger but also the driver a full-fledged work station. Bentley currently offers Mulsanne models with reclining seats in car seats. They contain a keyboard, iPad and 12-inch screens. Other have a special version that can be used by the driver in case you want to check the Internet while cruising the highway. It takes the “on the go” approach to the extreme.

 

8. UMBRELLA DOORS

 

Getting more Britons than that is hard. Owners of Rolls-Royces in England know that with such stylish cars in the sadly lousy weather conditions of Britain is often tricky. Since umbrellas in England are practically a fashion accessory, it should not be a shock that Rolls decided to combine them. Their latest version boast not one, but two umbrellas, built right into the doors, which can appear at any time. These are not standard umbrellas, as each cost at least $ 750 each. This demonstrates how the British love to put a little more class in their cars.

 

7. LIGHTNING

 

Car lovers still find it hard to accept that Oldsmobile is missing. For years, the manufacturer was one of the most popular and influential brands in the United States, and almost all of its models were considered necessary. It was assumed that 1983 Hurst Lightning Rod would proudly lead the company into a new decade. Instead, it was a significant loss due to the ridiculously complicated shift with three gears. Too many drivers find variations much more difficult than they need to make a trip a dirty business. Oldsmobile produced only a limited number of such cars, as even drivers accustomed to modern complex mechanics would have had difficulty working with this shift.

 

6. BIG BED

 

In 1964, Johnson advanced the so-called "chicken tax". It was not just a bird, but a 25 per cent tariff for various international goods, especially for foreign-made cars. It was a clear attempt by the United States to promote domestic cars on international brands. Some companies struck back by building factories in the US, but Subaru could not afford it. Thus, they put several seats in a cargo bed and gave him away as a “passenger car”. Although it was a smart way to avoid fares, it put passengers at risk. The fact that the only “protection” was reduced to the ski stand did not help. You still see them that demonstrate how “Chicken Duty” actually harmed car manufacturers more than helped them.

 

5. BUILT-IN LP PLAYER

 

Listening to music in cars is must for drivers. From cassette players to CDs and iPods, there were beautiful ways to hear some tunes on the go. In 1956, taking rock and roll, Chrysler decided to consolidate this trend by offering an integrated LP player. This is historically one of the first of its kind, but the limitations were obvious. LPs tend to miss hits and, given that both the roads and the cars at that time were not so smooth, this meant a lot of distorted recordings. There was also the fact that it produced only CBS entries due to rights issues. This did not last long, since it took the appearance of 8-tracks and cassettes for albums in cars, to succeed.

 

4. HEAT SENSOR

 

The main advantage of modern technology is that it is much easier for the driver to call for help. Either through a phone call or an application in a problematic situation, the driver can call for help even on the longest of the highways. It seems that Volvo believes that there is another severe danger that requires serious protection. A personal car communicator came with the S80 sedan and offered a groundbreaking idea of anxiety if someone came too close. That makes sense, but Volvo also had a sensor function to alert the driver if someone was hiding in the backseat. If the intruder were so close to detect, it would be a little late to warn what kind of hit the target of this device.

 

3. THE MACHINE THAT MAKES ICE

 

One of the biggest failures in Toyota history was “The Van”. This big car, which appeared in 1984, was more like a means of transport for a television super-team than a family walk. The design was bulky, and the engine have 90 horsepower. Why was Toyota convinced that it would be a hit? Because there was an ice generator. Yes, the company believed that the built-in ice maker compensated for incredibly slow speeds and the engine installed under the passenger compartment. They finally replaced it with "Previous" in 1990 to show that one little addition does not justify the fact that the other wagons were terrible.

 

2. FLAVORING

 

Air fresheners are always a great accessory for a car. In a few dollars, a driver can buy a small air freshener to get the smell out of his car. Some car companies offer something more upscale. Mercedes-Benz presents first fresheners in their cars that spray what makes up the unique perfume for the vehicle from the glove box. They come in different flavours, and the company pushes on some “male” themes, such as Fireside, Sports, and Downtown Moods. It can help the car feel sweeter, but it seems much more expensive than just buying an air freshener at a gas station.

 

1. SELF-BLOCKING SAFETY BELTS

 

This is a demonstration of how forgetful and lazy some drivers may be. Wearing a seat belt should be a natural action for any driver. However, Few accidents prove how easy it is for people to forget it. In 1986, the Department of Transportation informed car manufacturers that they needed cars with airbags or better quality seat belts. Several manufacturers chose a special self-locking seat belt that automatically closed around them when the door closed. Soon, complaints grew about how difficult it was to adjust these belts, and it was an expensive touch. Also, they turned out to be too easy to break down and even damage the car. Thus, car companies opted for airbags, which made it a brief safety hobby.