CARS have radically changed over the years thanks to the progress of modern technology. Gadgets and features that once were viewed as the height of fashion or cutting-edge innovations have nowadays gone the way of the dinosaurs. Even built-in CD players seem destined to be discarded in the dustbin of history as streaming services like Spotify take over.
But classic retro stylings and gadgets still hold an appeal – how many of these seven features do you remember and would you want to bring any of them back? Before electric windows, you had to wind up or down your window by hand – and giving your arm a mini-workout at the same time. If you got caught in a sudden downpour, you’d frantically wind-up the window as fast as possible before you got drenched. Power windows though were first introduced way back in 1941 when they came with the Packard 180, with the car using a hydro-electric system to operated them.
The tech had actually been invented during World War 2 to help lower or raise army vehicle roofs. However it was only really during the 1970s, 80s and 90s did the feature really catch on with General Motors, Ford and Cadillac all adding the feature to their models. Nowadays, the driver can operate all the windows by pressing just one button, bring the window up or down, as desired.
But anyone wanting to opt for manual operation, some vehicles still have a crank-handle window. In the US the Jeep Wrangler base trim comes with manual windows, while in the UK the Dacia Sa.
