We all remember certain styling or functioning devises on our cars: Chrysler's push button automatic transmission, Audi's Tip-tronic, a 1959 Cadillac's fins. So from your perspective, what is the most memorable cool thing in or on your rides. I'll not limit you to MINIs, as we obviously share that passion already.

For me, its the hand crank in the trunk of my MGA, and yes I have used it. It fits through a hole in the front bumper and will start the engine if the battery/starter won't.

 

Well on my former C5 vette- the Heads up display. I really liked it :-) I found people were split about it, either loved it or hated it...

One thing that IS dying, tho, that I liked on previous cars was cornering lights. Don't know why, but it is nice to have the gutter illuminated when navigating around potholed roads... Guess swiveling headlights (a la BMW), tho, will take care of that...

 

My old Mercury Tracer had a storage drawer under the passenger seat. I've missed that little drawer in every car I've owned since then.

Oh yeah and the spark plugs in the VR6 engine of my old Passat were buried deep in. You needed a special tool to pull them off. VW mounted that tool onto the support rod for the hood. Granted, by the time I owned the car and tried to use it, the plastic had dried up and it broke on the first wire, but the idea was neat.

Not very "cool", I know, but that's all I can think of.

 

Its kinda hard to say... my cars individually have several (many?) cool parts
on it that compliment each other so I can't say one thing over the other.

 

The window tint

 

The 5-th gear Overdrive switch on my MGB. Its on wiper stalk, off the steering wheel. People freak when I get into 5th and downshift to pass.

 

Start button on my S2000, oh yeah and the 120hp per liter F20C.

 

Bloo, What year is your MGB? My 1969 MGC has the same placement for o/d. Agreed, it's the coolest thing, other than the crank on my MGA.

 

Same year as your C. 1969. Last year of the chrome grill slats, leather interior, & that butt ugly dash . Took the reflectors off the sides. They seemed kind of wrong. It was my daily driver for a couple of years since I finished the resto in 1999 so its been upgraded for todays driving. Better brakes, more power, cooling efficiency, gearing, etc. I still use it about 2 times a week for my daily commute. They even have a nice supercharger for it now . $3,0000 !!! so it won't be happening anytime soon if it will at all.

 

I drove a Morgan Plus-4 from Colorado to DC back in '67. The best thing was the inflatable rubber bladder that fit between the plywood floorboard and the unpadded leather seat .

Tom

 

W3IWI, you're a braver man than I. Thats a looooong distance in a Morgan . Nifty gadget. Is that a special option on a Morgan or is it included in the "whether to have springs or not" option .

Luis

 

Yeah, I took the reflectors of of my C too, and removed the wing mounted passenger side mirror (put another driver's door mounted mirror on the passenger side). Plus, the dash on the C is a custom leather covered job (still ugly compared to the pre-Abingdon pillow dash, but much better than the vinyl stock ones).

Was driving the A yesterday, while it's a great old-timer, the MCS would literally blow it into the weeds in any form of competition other than the summer dream cruise machine.

 

To name a few

Cobra: the side pipes or roll bar

Austin Healey 3000: overdrive toggle switch or steering wheel center mounted directional signal switch

MCS: double sun roof or decals

M Coupe:illuminated gear shift **** or 245/40-17 rear tires w/ deep dish rims

Peace,
D 8)

 

The inflatable bladder (a.k.a. whoopie cushion) was standard equipment. No spings or padding in the seat. The only thing between you and asphalt is plywood, a rubber bladder and air!

 

Coolest thing in my car( s)?.....the air conditioner

 

MY '84 Volvo 240 DL wagon had a secret compartment under the cargo floor that exactly fit a case of beer. Very handy.

Other than that, I have to give props to the center-mounted speedo in the MINI. It's an obvious choice, but cool nonetheless.

 

On my 1960 Morris 850, probably one of the earliest shipped and sold in the USA, it was the push button starter. Gee, they have that on the Lexus now! My title on the 850 noted FLP (Full List Price) $905. What goes around comes around. I paid $100 for it in 1969!

 

I hate to admit to having owned the vehicle. In fact, I will blame my older brother who I shared it with. But I loved the 3 forward gear stick shift on the floor of our '63 Plymouth Valiant. Shifting into third gave my 16 year old self the chance to "accidently" touch a female leg.

Also, I owned a couple of Saab 96s. I loved the four on the column stick, as well as the free wheeling option, allowing you to coast free of the engine slowing you down. Yes, dangerous but soooo cool.

 

Well, I guess since the forward opening bonnet on my old Spitfire there was precious little cool about ANY car I've driven....'til my MINI. I must admit, I still get a weird kick out of the dimming interior lights on MINIs, but then, I've been accused to my face of being "easily amused."

 

On my 75 TR-6 it's the Red Line Michelins and the chrome wire wheels and on my 04 Chili Red/Black JCW Mini I'm pretty well amazed by the rain sensing windshield wipers:smile:

 

I had a 64 Volvo 122S the speedometer went side ways. A neat little bar like a thermometer.:smile:


Miss that car

 

I like the ability to open the windows and the sunroof using the key fob on my 04 MCS.

 

Never owned one myself but the early Beetles had a reserve fuel lever which actually worked. What I liked about it was how it worked -- you could drive until you ran out of gas, then you would flip the reserve tank lever. What that did was mechanically lower the fuel supply tube in the gas tank so you could draw a little more fuel. So you always knew you had a fairly repeatable quantity of fuel left whenever you ran out and flipped the lever. Of course if you forgot to flip the lever back to the normal position after you filled up, you were in for a surprise down the road!

Very clever idea. But it must have been too expensive to keep using.

 

Wasn't my car, but was in Dusseldorf recently and hopped in a taxi (Mercedes of course) and the taxi meter appeared on the rear view mirror -- way cool!

 

the koolest thing in my kar, is me