Car accessories have come a long way. While we’ve grown accustomed to roof racks, wireless chargers, and heated steering wheels, automakers have always had a flair for the unusual. Let’s take a spin through the most curious car features ever offered. Some practical, some peculiar, and all proof that customization has always been part of the ride.
Throwback Quirks: When Vinyl and Cigarettes Were In-Vehicle Essentials
The ‘50s and ‘60s were peak creativity in car accessories and maybe peak chaos too.
Record Players in Cars:Chrysler once offered an in-car record player for 45rpms. Yes, while driving. Yes, they skipped.
Cigarette Dispensers:Not just lighters, dispensers. Bringing the charm of a dive bar along for the ride.
Exterior Sun Visors:These big bolted-on visors added flair and some serious shade.
These vintage gimmicks helped lay the groundwork for today’s driver comfort features, and personalization trends.
Toyota Van’s Built-In Mini Fridge/Freezer (1980s–1990s)
Fast-forward to family vans, Toyota offered a compact fridge/freezer, perfect for road trip snacks or cold drinks at soccer practice. This was a feature definitely ahead of its time. Practical, luxurious, and great for parents who wanted to feel just a little bit fancy while handing out juice boxes.
Honda CR-V’s Hidden Picnic Table (1997–2006)
An SUV with its own picnic table? Could something this practical actually exist? Early Honda CR-Vs came with a removable table tucked under the cargo floor. Whether you were camping, tailgating, or just stopping to enjoy a coffee in the mountains, it was the kind of feature you never knew you needed until you had it. Cool twist: The 2026 Honda Passport is bringing the concept back with a modernized cargo table. What’s old is new again.
Volvo S80’s Heartbeat Sensor (2000s)
This one took a spin on how the average person would view a “safety feature”. Volvo’s S80 included a heartbeat sensor that could detect if someone was inside the car. A security feature meant to spot intruders or a way to know if a child or pet were accidentally left behind. A little eerie, very innovative, and a precursor to today’s vehicle safety alerts and occupant detection systems.
Rolls-Royce’s Pop-Out Umbrellas (Ongoing)
This might be the most elegantly practical feature on the list. Rolls-Royce stashes umbrellas in the door panels, complete with drying chambers to keep them fresh and mold free. Because if you’re going to step out of a $500K car, you shouldn’t get rained on like the rest of us…apparently.
Bentley Bentayga’s Falconry Kit (Luxury meets niche)
And then there’s Bentley, taking it way over the top. Their Bentayga SUV once offered a bespoke falconry kit. Yes, falconry. As in hunting with birds of prey. This one’s for the 1% of the 1%. Bentley once offered an optional falconry package that included custom leather wraps, in-car perches, GPS tracking compartments, and a glove box just for the falconer’s glove. For the uninitiated: falconry is the ancient sport of hunting with trained birds of prey, typically falcons or hawks. It's steeped in tradition and prestige and now, apparently, can be done from the comfort of a luxury SUV. It’s elegant, historical, and… wildly impractical for your average grocery run.
From Then to Now: The Legacy of Weird Accessories
What do record players, picnic tables, and falconry kits have in common? They show us that auto design has never been just about utility, it’s about experience. These quirky, sometimes lavish features paved the way for today’s vehicle personalization trends. And while we’re not putting turntables in Toyotas (yet), the desire to make vehicles your own is stronger than ever. Tools like Accessible Accessories make it easy to add those personal touches…just maybe with fewer birds involved.
