Six car accessories I miss.

By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse

As we move full throttle into a new age of motoring where cars are electric, keyless and digital it’s worth taking a moment to remember some of the special car features from a bygone era that have disappeared.

Here’s my top six and I’m sure you have your own favourites. Why not share yours by leaving a comment with this story?

Trunk racks

Remember the rear-mounted chrome luggage racks that helped make many holiday break that bit special. The boot rack gave you extra storage but also gave your car a distinctively classic look. They first appeared in the US in the 1900s when cars were made with little interior storage and became a common feature in the sixties. These were fitted to British classics like the MGB, TR6 and Austin- Healey.

Dashboard switches

For me physical buttons, knobs and switches to press and touch is all part of the joy of driving. It adds to that feeling of control. Today’s move to touchscreens (plus ‘voice command’) might ‘fit’ with today’s lifestyle but give me a button to set the air con or work the CD anytime.

Vinyl roofs

In the seventies the vinyl roof was an aspirational addition to any car, not least it gave the appearance of a convertible to a fixed roof.

Growing up, I remember seeing black, brown and beige vinyl on cars like the Mk1 Cortina, Opel Mantra and even the Hillman Avenger. Unfortunately, the move to more aerodynamic car design put paid to this feature. I guess it didn’t help that the vinyl trim was often liable to crack, bubble or fade!

Where’s my spare wheel?

Tyre issues will never go away, especially as the condition of some road surfaces worsen. So why do car manufacturers replace the spare wheel with a can of goo? A repair kit, provided with new cars today, will only help get your vehicle a short distance down the road.

Car radios

An iPod might be a modern accessory for a road trip away, but it’s hard to beat the charm of an early car radio set into the dashboard. To find out more about the joys of old classic audio systems see my Blogs on Agenta Audio (9^th and 16^th February).

Car brochures and manuals

Old car brochures are wonderful marketing guides to any car and sadly, such detail is now largely only available in digital format. I want to know the ins and outs of my motor, if only to fix a fault or source parts.

I’ll come clean I don’t drive a modern car. I have a 20-year-old Rover that is a pleasure to start up by key every morning and doesn’t need an onboard computer to tell me it’s raining. Yes, give me simple and basic motoring experience any day of the week.