Dashboard Bites
From robotic car towers to pink paint trends and shouting drivers, the world of cars is full of unexpected twists. In this edition of Dashboard Bites, we round up a handful of strange, surprising, and brilliant car facts from around the world.
WORDS BY ANBY ALCOMENDAS
You Can Order Cars from a Vending Machine
Soda, chips, and candy aren’ t the only things you can buy from a vending machine.
Back in 2015, used-car vendor Carvana opened the world ' s first, fully-automated, coin-operated car vending machine in Nashville, Tennessee. This fivestory glass tower can store up to 20 cars at a time. There’ s a“ welcome center inside the structure as well as an automated delivery system, and three delivery bays.
A year later in 206, Autobahn Motors unveiled a car vending machine in Singapore that dispenses luxury vehicles. Standing 15 stories tall, it houses 60 second-hand supercars like Bentleys, Porsches, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis, and is said to be inspired by Matchbox display cases. It uses an advanced robotic system that dispenses a car within two minutes.
Meanwhile, in 2018, Alibaba and Ford launched the“ Super Test Drive” car vending machine in Guangzhou. This 5-story structure houses up to 42 cars that customers can test drive for up to three days. All you have to do is pick a car you want from their app. At the vending machine, a facial recognition system identifies and confirms the customer, after which, the chosen car gets dispensed, and you can drive it away. It costs about 99 Yuan or $ 20.
Before the Horn, There Was … A Man With a Flag
In the late 1800s, early steam-powered vehicles in Britain were required to have someone walk ahead of them carrying a red flag and sounding a warning. Roads were shared with pedestrians and horses, and the unfamiliar machines needed advance notice.
As petrol-powered cars appeared, drivers used handsqueezed rubber bulb horns that produced a soft, short honk. In 1908, inventor Miller Reese Hutchison introduced the electric Klaxon horn, famous for its unmistakable“ a-oogah” sound. It quickly became standard on early models, including the Ford Model T.
By the 1920s and 30s, growing traffic noise led to the adoption of louder two-tone electric horns, combining frequencies to be heard more clearly. Modern horns are carefully tuned to sharper pitches, designed to cut through insulated cabins and busy roads— a far cry from the days of the red flag.
The World’ s Most Expensive Car Wash
A quick rinse and vacuum? Not quite! While a typical car wash price typically ranges from $ 10- $ 25 for basic self-service or drive-through, $ 30 –$ 85 for professional hand washes, and $ 150- $ 400 +.
But specialists like Miracle Detail from the UK charge up to $ 14,000 for high-end, multi-day services that include microscopic cleaning and specialized wax treatments for luxury vehicles.
44 ISSUE 57 FEBRUARY 2026 / WWW. AFMA. ORG. AU