Hagerty Announces Top Ten List of ‘Outrageous Options’
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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., June 25 /PRNewswire/ — It is a common sight these days to see someone speeding down the road with their cell phone glued to their ear. To combat this, California just announced a statewide ban on hand-held cell phone use while driving starting July 1st, following in the legislative footsteps of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Utah and Washington. Furthermore, cities in Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and New Mexico have enacted similar bans.
This has led to an onslaught of drivers utilizing Bluetooth enabled devices to make their phone calls, whether it’s built in to a vehicle or an aftermarket ear piece. Bluetooth devices have truly become a useful and highly coveted automotive accessory.
But not all automotive innovations have basked in the success that is Bluetooth. Hagerty Insurance, the nation’s leading provider of collector car insurance, researched dozens of these unheard of — and often eccentric — inventions to create a list of the Top 10 quirkiest and most “Outrageous Options” ever invented for automobiles.
“We frequently exchange stories with our clients about the most bizarre, oddball and, quite frankly, humorous options that have ever been offered on automobiles,” said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty Insurance. “It was really interesting to see how creative and dedicated car manufacturers were in trying to anticipate the needs of drivers.”
Hagerty polled its clients and staff to create the Top 10 List of “Outrageous Options”:
1. Automatic Lit Cigarette Dispenser — As a “safety” item, this was an aftermarket accessory designed to eliminate the distractions of lighting a cigarette while motoring down the road. This option was unveiled in the late 1940s and in one application was attached to a steering wheel.
2. Highway Hi-Fi (16 2/3 LP Player) — This option was developed in 1955 and was offered as an option on 1956 Chrysler models. The drawback was in the performance of the record player while encountering the smallest of bumps, slamming on the brakes or taking a fast corner!
3. Destroilet — An optional “Destroilet” gas incinerator-type toilet was available for early 1960s Dodge motor homes, which was meant to simplify waste disposal. After use, when the top lid was closed, a small, thick metal lid would also close over the well at the bottom. A jet of burning gas would incinerate the solid waste and vaporize the liquid. A chimney to the outdoors carried the vapors away.
4. Electric Shaver — An electric shaver that was powered by a vehicle’s electrical system was developed by aftermarket automotive suppliers in the 1940s, and was an available factory option for a 1957 Chevrolet.
5. Automotive Swamp Cooler — These were popular from the late 1940s through the 1950s to help cool the interior of cars before air conditioning systems became readily available. Swamp Coolers were available through the aftermarket and attached to one of the car’s windows. The theory was simply to cool by evaporation. There was a reservoir for cool water, a wick to soak it up, and it relied on air movement from traveling down the road to force cooled air into the interior of the vehicle. These are highly collectible now and are commonly seen at vintage car shows.
6. Steam Pressure Cooker — This accessory mounted to the rear bumper to cook food while motoring down the road. It routed exhaust gases through the inner chambers of the cooker to provide the heat to cook the food.
7. Steering Wheel Watch — In 1958 a steering wheel mounted watch for was available on DeSotos.
8. Trafficators — Back in the days before flashing turn signals, a driver would flip a switch on the dash and a lit semaphore arm would swing out of a panel on the appropriate side of the car and signal the driver’s intention to turn.
9. Swivel Seats — These seats, available on a 1959 Chrysler, would automatically swivel out as the door opened to make it easier for the passenger to exit the automobile.
10. Talking car — In the early 1980s, the Chrysler LeBaron literally talked. It would say phrases such as “Your door is ajar,”"All monitored systems functioning,” and if you listened to the command of “Please fasten your seatbelt,” it would promptly reply with “Thank you!” The cars with a taped voice were produced for only three years before Chrysler discovered that consumers didn’t care for a car talking back to them.
Hagerty is the leading insurance provider for collector vehicles and boats in the nation and host to the largest network of collector car owners. Hagerty offers collector car insurance, financing and roadside assistance, as well as a variety of useful information resources. The company works proactively on hobby legislation and supports the Collectors Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preservation of the hobby. For more information, call 800-922-4050 or visit .
Hagerty
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