Dashboards Past

If you want to see how much cars have changed, look no further than the dash, or as Oobject chooses to call them “Classic Car User Interfaces”.

Sure, pretty much everything has improved on autos in the past 5 decades; run of the mill tires today could count as race tires from 1958. But the car’s dash is so noticeably different to the eye that it’s hard not to point out.

Look at that lovely, simply dash in the picture above, from a Porsche Speedster. Do you see much concern for safety? I sure don’t, hell, I only count 4 knobs or switches to begin with. It’s amazing to me to look at old cars through modern eyes and think something like, “Boy, smashing my head into those 26 chromed knobs on that Caddy’s radio sure would hurt,” but that thought never seemed to cross the minds of auto designers back then.

That “padded” leather dash on the Speedster is there for looks, and a notional thought of safety at best.

The other cars featured, things like 1958 Corvettes and 1957 Citroen DSs and 1947 Fords are just as stunning. Lots of Gothic details and chrome and a wide variety of Bakelite knobs, but safety? Nah, not even the ‘67 Volvo is that impressive in “Won’t Scalp You” department.

A lot of car guys pine for the days of old, and at times I am one of them. I think keeping things simple is always a good mantra to have in mind, but not when it comes to keeping my blood on the inside of my body. Think of how much safer a 2008 car is versus a 1998 car. Read on almost any car site about what readers and drivers think about modern safety features on cars. More than once I’ve read people giving sage advice against buying a car “as old and unsafe as one built in 1996.”

I wonder what peoples take would be if a new car were to come out with interiors like these.

Source: Oobject

Filed Under: Car Design