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Some of the Weirdest Car Features and Accessories Ever Made

By on February 28, 2015

There’s creative, and then there’s weird, as we can see with the car features, gadgets, and accessories that have been invented all these years.

Auto makers and auto accessories designers have pushed the envelope to give us something new and exciting, something we would look forward to trying and having. Thinking out of the box, they’ve come up with the most amazing features and accessories that have changed the way cars are made and used. But not all things that come out of their bright minds always work. Some strange car features and accessories have come along, too. And here are some of the most unusual stuff that we’ve seen through time.

Illuminated tires

illuminated tiresSource: Auto Mechanic Schools

Sometime in the early 1960s, Goodyear made tires that light up, in different colors. It was a brilliant, out-of-the-box idea, something that could go down in history as one of the finest tire inventions of all time. But then, having light bulbs set up inside the wheel rim, you can only imagine what could go wrong. Combining inflatable tires with breakable glass isn’t a great idea at all.

Swing-Away Steering Wheel 

swing away steeringSource: Yahoo! Autos Canada

The designer perhaps imagined the Swing-Away Steering Wheel that debuted in the 1961 Ford Thunderbird to be a revolutionary car feature. After all, the wheel can be moved about 10.5 inches to the right. This swinging steering wheel is supposed to help the driver get in and out of the car more easily. But alas, this supposed-to-be rad car feature didn’t get quite the fanfare it was probably aiming for. Not too many people saw the practicality behind a swinging steering wheel.

Wrist-Twist steering control

You just have to watch the demo on this Mercury Park Lane convertible to see why Ford’s experimental Wrist-Twist steering control didn’t become a thing. Just think about safety, coordination, and comfort in the steering control! Still, props to the lady in the video who made it seem so easy.

180-degree swivel on the passenger side

rotating seatsSource: Reddit

Picture perfect. This makes it looks like the rotating seat in the 1961 Buick Flamingo should be a natural thing. But in reality, it’s just plain weird. So, is this lady supposed to entertain the passengers at the back or perhaps watch over her kids? Wouldn’t this be quite uncomfortable and dangerous while the vehicle is moving?

Shag Dash Topper

shag dash topperSource: The Car Connection

Why is there a toupee sitting on top of the dash? Nobody knows for sure. We can’t say whether we should be petting this strange thing or if this is supposed to be a fancy, fuzzy ornament of sort. All we know is that this odd car feature is part of the Interior Designer kit for the Nissan Cube.

Car stache

car stache

Alright, we get it. The car is so manly that it can grow some facial hair. This is not ridiculous at all. It adds to the car’s macho appeal.

Car lashes

eye lashesSource: ExhaustVideos.com

With car lashes, cars can flirt with their headlights. Like they can bat their eye lashes and catch the eyes of the passersby.

Bumper nuts

bumper nutsSource: COMPLEX

Like the driver needs more proof that he actually has a pair and should put this on display for kids and everybody else to see.

Any more weird car features, gadgets, or accessories that you think should be in the list? Feel free to add to this list in your comments. 

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