Some say the only constant is change. Okay, the existence of gravity as a force might be up there, but there’s a certain truth to that idiom. Haircuts, music, cars … they all change from decade to decade, and I’d like to clear off the table and bring out the crystal ball for a second. Today, we’re asking you for your pick of a feature common in new cars today that could seem outmoded three decades from now. It’s a big ask, but you’re a clever lot, so I’m sure you’ll have some interesting answers.
Flip the calendar back 30 years and you’ll land on 1996. That doesn’t seem terribly far in the past, but cars have changed a whole lot since then. We’ve gone from halogen headlights to LEDs, fixed steering columns in cheap cars to ones that at least tilt, optional radios at the bottom end of the market to infotainment. You can’t even play CDs in most cars anymore, yet having a CD changer in 1996 meant that you had it going on.
Perhaps the humble cigarette lighter is the most omnipresent antiquated feature in ’90s cars. From a Toyota Tercel to a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, sparking one up was a common enough way of passing the time that just about every car had either an optional or standard fingerprint-remover in the dashboard or center console. Between advancements in technology and changing health trends, far fewer cars now come with ways for passengers to accidentally singe the upholstery. You’re lucky if a smoker’s pack is a dealer-installed option, and some cars simply don’t have traditional 12-volt power points anymore.
Is there a true modern equivalent to this? It’s hard to say for sure, mostly because time travel hasn’t been invented yet. However, if I were to hazard a guess, the presence of hexavalent chrome plating is a strong contender. Unsurprisingly, the traditional chroming process isn’t particularly nice to things like lungs, so it’s unsurprisingly the target of recent regulations. Europe is already phasing out hexavalent chromium, and since we live in a largely global car market and chrome already seems to be out of style, it’s likely the sort of chrome we’re used to will become a rare sight.
That’s just a guess though, and I’m far from the only person capable of making a bold prediction. So, what car feature do you reckon is going to feel so antiquated in 2056? As ever, let us know in the comments below.
Top graphic image: Ram
Piano black anything. If it is scratched after 5 minutes of driving, then how the hell is it going to make it 30 years?
Fuel gauges, even the be-screened ones?
The oil pressure gauge and ammeter have disappeared. The clock is now a digital travesty. The engine temp gauge is also on its way out.
Sad times ahead for those who enjoy measuring auto wellness by needle position.
In the year 2055, if man is still alive, will incandescent bulbs survive?
I’m thinking probably not, custom led panel all the things, and when they fail it will cost hundreds of dollars instead of $10 at Autozone.
Door handles, apparently.
(I do not welcome this but I anticipate it happening)
I’m gonna mention one nobody has mentioned yet… I predict Diesel Exhaust Fluid and tanks. Diesel is already getting killed off due to emissions. In 30 years, the specific quirks related to diesel are gonna look weird.
*in passenger cars. Diesel in the commercial world isn’t going anywhere for at least 30-40 years
With the way the tech is developing, I predict that even in that segment, BEVs will take over and be the dominant powertrain 30 years from now.
Commercial world being the no-BS world, the second the tipping point is reached – diesel will remain but a distant memory and post-hipster bait just the way film photography did.
I was there when people were screaming on forums that real professionals will never, EVER, use a digital camera because they are professionals. Then CaNikon popped a couple of bodies that were good enough for magazine prints and we are where we are.
Manual transmissions, for sure. For a lot of drivers, that’s already an old-timey feature.
Combustion engines, flammable liquid fuels, multi-speed transmissions.
Well, I think you’re really onto something with that “multi-speed-transmissions” point
Privacy?
Un-hackability?
Sidewall. Everything will look like an Amish buggy blowing through red lights and stop signs at triple digit speeds.
USB, USB-C