These Small Factory Extras Made New Cars Feel Special, and Old Cars More Fun to Spot
Cars are so much more than engines, paint colors, and body shapes. Sometimes the small factory extras are the parts people remember most, especially when an older car still has them in place. A gauge on the hood, a tiny flower vase, or even a built-in vacuum tells us what buyers could get when the car was new and what an automaker thought might make ownership more enjoyable. Some items on this list were options, some came with certain trim levels, and one was made for a single owner with a specific hobby. Here are 20 unusual factory features that still give collectors a reason to look twice at old cars today.
1. 1949 Nash Twin Beds
Some 1949 Nash buyers could set up twin beds inside the car. That gave two people a place to sleep in the sedan instead of looking for a motel, which made sense during the long family drives of the time.
2. 1952 Oldsmobile Autronic Eye
Autronic Eye used a small light sensor near the windshield. It detected oncoming headlights and changed the car’s lights from bright to passing beams, while a floor switch let drivers take over whenever they wanted.
3. 1955 Dodge La Femme
La Femme started with a Dodge Custom Royal Lancer and added special trim, matching accessories, and storage spaces in the front-seat backs. It wasn’t a plain package, and it showed the way carmakers were selling style in the mid-1950s.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA on Wikimedia
4. 1956 Chrysler Highway Hi-Fi
Highway Hi-Fi put a record player in the car before cassettes, CDs, or streaming playlists existed. The under-dash player used special seven-inch records that ran at 16 2/3 rpm, so it was so much more than a home record player moved into the car.
5. 1966 Oldsmobile Comfortron
Comfortron gave 1966 Toronado and Ninety-Eight buyers automatic climate control before that feature was common in everyday cars. People set the temperature, and the system handled the rest, which was a big deal for the time.
GPS 56 from New Zealand on Wikimedia
6. 1966 Pontiac Chrome Tissue Dispenser
Pontiac offered a chrome tissue dispenser for selected 1966 models. It held a standard-size tissue box, swung out when someone needed it, and folded back into place when they didn’t.
7. 1967 Pontiac Firebird Hood-Mounted Tachometer
The 1967 Firebird’s hood-mounted tachometer showed engine speed outside the cabin, right in front of the driver. It gave drivers a clear view of the gauge and added a performance feature you couldn’t miss from outside the car.
Niels de Wit from Lunteren, The Netherlands on Wikimedia
8. 1969 Chevrolet Liquid Tire Chain
Chevrolet’s V75 option put aerosol cans above the rear tires, and drivers could activate them from inside the car. The spray was meant to help with traction on snow or ice, though the system didn’t stay around for long.
9. 1969 Dodge Super-Lite
Selected full-size Dodges could get the Super-Lite, an 85-watt projector lamp built into the grille. It gave drivers a broad, long beam between low and high beams, and the single rectangular lens changed the front of the car in a noticeable way.
10. 1972–73 AMC Javelin Pierre Cardin Interior
For $84.95, Javelin buyers in 1972 and 1973 could order an interior designed by Pierre Cardin. Curved stripes in several colors covered the seats, door panels, and headliner, so the package was easy to recognize as soon as a door opened.
11. 1973 AMC Gremlin Levi’s Trim Package
AMC worked with Levi’s to give the Gremlin a denim-inspired interior. The blue-jean look, labels, and stitching details made the small hatchback more playful, and the cars that still have those pieces are easy to notice.
12. 1978 Dodge Li’l Red Express
The Li’l Red Express gave buyers a pickup with factory performance-truck style. Decorative side panels, gold graphics, and chrome-plated vertical exhaust stacks behind the cab made sure it didn’t look like an ordinary work truck.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA on Wikimedia
13. 1990 Volvo Integrated Booster Cushion
Volvo introduced an integrated booster cushion in 1990 for children ready to use the vehicle’s regular safety belt. It folded down and out from the seat, so it didn’t take up extra room when it wasn’t being used.
Hammerer~commonswiki on Wikimedia
14. 1997 Honda CR-V Picnic Table
Early CR-Vs had a folding picnic table hidden in the cargo floor. The table also worked as the rear cargo-floor panel, so it was ready for lunch, a soccer game, or muddy boots after a day outside.
15. 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle Flower Vase
The 1998 New Beetle had a dashboard flower vase that referred back to the original Beetle. It didn’t add power or luxury, but a flower on the dash suited the car’s friendly design.
16. 2000 Cadillac DeVille Night Vision
Cadillac offered a thermal-imaging Night Vision system on the 2000 DeVille. A camera behind the grille sent an image low onto the windshield, showing temperature differences farther ahead than normal headlights could.
17. 2013 Ford Explorer Inflatable Rear Safety Belts
The 2013 Explorer offered inflatable rear safety belts for the second-row outboard seats as part of a package. In a crash, the belt inflated to spread force across more of a person’s torso than a regular belt.
18. 2014 Honda Odyssey HondaVAC
HondaVAC came standard on the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite and put a built-in vacuum in the rear cargo area. It was developed with Shop-Vac and included a hose, filter, canister bag, and stored attachments, which helped with crumbs under the third-row seat.
19. 2017 Bentley Bentayga Falconry by Mulliner
One Bentayga was made for a falconry enthusiast and included special storage, a removable perch and tether, plus equipment for the bird and handler. It wasn’t a regular personalization package because it was made around one owner’s needs.
20. 2017 Honda Ridgeline Truck-Bed Audio System
Selected 2017 Ridgelines had six audio exciters inside the bed walls. They turned the composite truck bed into a surface that produced sound, so people didn’t need to bring a portable speaker to a tailgate, campsite, or other gathering.
