Quit or miss: 5 phased out and retro car features
WORDS BY ANTONINA JOSON
Tech advancements come and go but memories stay forever! Cars, on the other hand, have changed so much since its invention, shapeshifting and accelerating faster than we can keep track. For nostalgia’ s sake, we’ re looking back at some features that were phased out, but were they for better or for worse? You decide!
01 Manual crank windows
Once upon a time, windows weren’ t opened and closed by the push of a button— they were hand-cranked! For those who missed it, car windows used to be operated by something called a“ window winder.” This window winder was essentially a crank handle that raised or lowered a car window depending on the direction it was turned.
Though it’ s been years since a new model has featured the window winder, there are still existing cars that feature this mechanical device. For example, the 2008 Audi RS4 Europe variant was still equipped with the hand crank.
By 2008, vehicle manufacturers eliminated the window winder completely.
In its place rose the power windows. All they need is the push of a button to open and close, and at a much faster speed compared to the window winder. At the time of its inclusion in mass-produced vehicles, however, concerns were raised when children were fatally suffocated by sticking their heads out of these windows. Thus, manufacturers added a child lock feature on the driver’ s window panel for rear passenger mirrors.
The humble window winder: hand-cranked, no batteries required.
QUIT Power windows, for sure— all you need is a button.
MISS I miss the feeling of winding it up and down.
28 ISSUE 61 OCTOBER 2026 / WWW. AFMA. ORG. AU