When we think of modern car features, technology and electronics often come to mind, but some of the strangest car features were something else entirely.
It seems like today’s cars have more equipment than ever before. They come with features galore, and most add a little something extra that you want to enjoy during your time behind the wheel. Getting to this point hasn’t been a smooth road, and some automakers have provided some of the strangest car features over the years, giving us things that you would never expect to find in modern vehicles.
Record Player
Chrysler experimented with a highway-rated hi-fi record player, fitting this feature into cars in 1956. Until that time, the sounds you could hear through the speakers only came from the radio, but the addition of a record player doesn’t seem like a good idea. These record players worked well in high-end models, but poor suspension systems in lower-tier vehicles caused the records to skip, which meant they wouldn’t work well. This Highway Hi-Fi system could only pay for the 7-inch records, which meant drivers had to repurchase their albums; this sound familiar.
Ice Maker
If you want to enjoy a drink on the road, why not enjoy that drink with a bit of ice in it. Adding an ice maker to a Toyota van seemed like a no-brainer, but it quickly became one of the strangest car features that many people didn’t realize was in their vehicles. The device worked pretty well, using air conditioning lines to cool the water in the ice trays. Still, it was not a feature that caught on or was of much use to many drivers.
Jump Seats
We often refer to the small seats in an extended-cab pickup truck as jump seats. Subaru did something a bit different with these seats in the Brat. They added a pair of small seats to the truck bed. These seats were welded-in, rear facing, and took up space in the cargo area. They seemed to be extremely unsafe, but at the time, some passengers would sit in the bed of a truck without a second thought. These bed-mounted jump seats might have caught on, but never did.
Espresso Machine
What’s more Italian than espresso? It seems only fitting that Fiat offered an optional espresso coffee machine in the 2013 500L model. This machine came from Italy’s Lavazza coffee company and was integrated into the passenger’s dashboard. There were accessories for the coffee, including spoons and sugar holders. This machine was only designed to work when the vehicle was turned off, but it never caught on, and one of the strangest car features ever offered was soon discontinued from the Fiat 500L lineup. Too bad, drives who get a little too tired on the road could use a shot or two of espresso now and then.
Drink Tumblers
Long before drinking and driving was taboo, automakers would add things to luxury cars that were meant to appeal to a high-end crowd. The 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was only produced in 304 models for that final year of production, but it could be had with a set of six stainless steel drinking glasses that were held down by magnets. This gave passengers a great way to enjoy a drink while on the road, as long as the driver didn’t partake.
Tent
The ugliest American car ever made is the Pontiac Aztek, but it could be had with a redeeming feature that also hits the list as one of the strangest car features. The Aztek could be had with a tent that turns the SUV into a camper. This mean you could camp anywhere with a tent that attached to the wheel well and roof rails while also having a few stakes in the ground like a normal tent. The tent option also came with an inflatable bed that fit in the cargo and tent area.
Custom Falconry Set
Leave it to Bentley to think of the few people in the world who enjoy the sport of Falconry. The Bentley Bentayga can be had with a custom Falconry set that makes it easy to take your bird of prey out to a great location to let them soar majestically around a valley. The setup gives you a cork-fabric-trimmed flight station and refreshment case to offer the posh details desired.
These are only a few of the strangest car features that have been offered by automakers over the years. Some are meant to make the cars stand out, while others could be useful in some situations. Which one is your favorite?
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