From silly screens to piano black plastic to segmented LEDs, this is the tech that tells you what time it was
- Over the years, cars have changed in just about every way imaginable.
- Some tech has aged cars faster than most design or material choices.
- Now it’s your turn to tell us what makes a car feel dated the fastest.
There are few things more humbling than looking at old photos of yourself and wondering what exactly was going through your head. The hair, the clothes, the questionable life choices, they all seem baffling in hindsight.
Cars go through the same awkward glow-down over time. What once felt sharp and modern slowly turns into a dated reminder of another era. Maybe it’s the worn trim, a dashboard full of buttons, or just the way the whole thing feels less like transportation and more like a rolling artifact. Which brings us to today’s question: what makes a car feel old?
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For some of us, the answer lies almost entirely in material choices. Think faux wood trim, cloth upholstery with patterns pulled from a rich guy’s winter coat, rich Corinthian leather, or dashboards heavily cracked with age. Of course, more than half a century ago, some automakers even used real wood as exterior paneling.
Those days are gone, but some bits of automotive design date cars just as much. For example, infotainment systems are relatively robust these days, but a decade ago they weren’t exactly refined or flawless. Most were diminutive even years after Tesla introduced what we’d all come to recognize today as normal-sized.
Design Details That Give It Away
It’s not just interior tech or materials that matter either. Remember segmented LED lights? How about faux projector beams? Don’t forget the silver-backed Toyota Altezza-style tail lights so many brands employed. At the time, these were state-of-the-art. Now, they very clearly date the cars that they inhabit.
We could even discuss how wheel design has changed over the years. Narrow spokes, chrome-plated alloys, or anything smaller than 17 inches can all tip off a car’s age. Same goes for certain badge designs – automakers have quietly refreshed logos over the years, making older models stand out in parking lots like your dad wearing a 2004 Bluetooth headset.
So now we’re turning it over to you: what feature or design element do you think ages a car the most? Let us know in the comments. Bonus points if it’s something you loved back in the day… and now cringe at.
