Like moths to a flame, car people are naturally drawn to an elegantly sketched and pressed body line, or the smells and sounds of an internal combustion engine, but it’s the dashboard that bewitches them on a daily basis. Just about any old car dashboard looks better than a new one, but there are some that stand out above the rest. In no particular order, my favorites follow.
The lead picture shows a Bullet ‘Bird’s interior, and it’s probably my favorite of the ’60s. The brushed aluminum (or a suitable substitute) trim flows elegantly into the still-present console. T-Bird interiors may have peaked with the ’64 model, but this dashboard is my favorite.
It would, however, take an obstinate debater to disagree with the assertion that the Cord 810/812’s glorious engine-turned dash did not make for a suitable cockpit. It’s simple and elegant, and like a fighter plane, there are as many gauges as an operator needs.
I’ll wrap up my “big-three” with a car with the “Forward Look,” the 1957 Imperial. This dashboard is not an obvious standout, but I find the massive gauges enchanting. They’re like large-print books, wildly oversized in person, which is just right for a ’57 Imperial.
What dashboard lights you up?
It’s hard to beat the ’64-’66 T-Bird for “Space Age” style.
I’ll agree with you on the “Flair ‘Bird” but I vastly prefer it with the aluminum accents rather than the fake wood along the console:
I agree. I’ve never been a fan of wood accents, faux or otherwise.
The dash on my 1965 Thunderbird Landau. A little more bling than the pic above as mine has the added A/C system vents. The woodgrain and a glimpse of that wonderful DISC BRAKE pedal, In fact all the pedals are chrome trimmed. And the steering wheel slides to the side for easy entry/exit. Wonderful chrome everywhere!
I like these dashes, I like dashes with “a lot going on” in them.
The ’64”66 T-Bird dash is best at night when everything lights up green/blue except the “Thermometer” speedo that is lit with white light to show off the growing red line as the car goes faster. The Flight theme extends to the switches/controls for the wipers/washers, power antenna, air vents and map light. The gauges are et in Gyroscope-like pods that are Black on sliver in the day and light up green at night.
Those mid 60s Thunderbird dashes were great. My all time favorites are the 61, and 62 Chryslers. That dome that lit up with the irry elecrophoesnt blue color technology was great. An idea way before it’s time. And you are absolutely right, the dashes and the styling from the 50s, 60s, and 70s was so much better than the boring used bar of soap SUVs of today. They all look alike. Horrible
Flight Plan Cleared – Proceed to Thunderbird.
Those gauges look like a row of water bubble compasses like Dad screwed to the dash pad in the early ’60s.
When I bought my ’66 convertible, the dash trim was a black camera case finish. The “wood” was limited to the Landau model. Unfortunately, the chrome on my dash was seriously pitted. I found a beautiful ’66 Landau in a junk yard and bought the entire dash for $50.00 so I upgraded to the “wood” on the dash/console. I figured that the convertible should have had the top of the line trim.
I’ve got to agree Steamboatr, that is one very cool IP/dash.
Thinking about this, the TBirds (almost any of them from 1958-66) have some of the great dashes. However, it is interesting how few other great dashboards are in Ford cars through the years. GM and Chrysler seem to have been the dashboard kings through the decades. Not that Fords have been bad, but just more subdued than the others.
Definitely agree with you on those generations of Thunderbirds, ruined only by their insistence of using a column shifter with buckets and a console. That has always quietly driven me nuts.
The Private World of Thunderbird !
The 65-66 Tbird Has got it going on! So glad to be among a group of people who agree with me on how great it is to drive a thunderbird at night.
that’s a sweei dash and cockpit , the curved tufted back eat complimen he dash shape as well.
as a kid, i imagined we’d be living like the jetson if mom drove one of these. if only.
Hmmm the Tbird hasn’t been out for a few days. I’m headed to the garage to take it for a little night “flight” right now.
The 1963 Riviera, natch (would look better with its original steering wheel though…)
That’s certainly right up there; it doesn’t hurt that it surrounded by the best looking sheetmetal of the ’60s!
I like the original steering wheel, but this is nice, too.
Forgive me for going to a super low production car, but my new favorite car, the Ghia L6.4 had a pretty incredible dashboard!
Well I am moving it up to the 70’s. Growing up with my Mom’s 1972 Toronado, I always thought the wraparound cockpit design was really a cool design plus it was accented along with the steering wheel in a satin gold finish, unlike most cars of the era that had woodgrain.
Nice, I like these too, a little detail thats cool about this vintage Toronado, the pedals are color coded to the carpet color, something I’ve never seen on any other car, it was unique withing GM as far as I know.
See the matching red ones in the picture below, I think they only did this for a few years.
Cool fact, Carmine! I never knew that about the pedals on the Toro. A funny thing I will never forget – I was a little kid when my Mom drove her ’72 Toro, and I remember seeing the brochure for it and IIRC the Toro in it was green. It had the tilt/telescopic steering wheel like the wheel in your pic. My Mom’s didn’t have it, we had the standard Oldsmobile wheel exactly like the one in my photo. Well I asked my Mom why our car didn’t have the same steering wheel as the car in the brochure and she didn’t know. When I showed her the picture in the brochure I distinctly remember her saying “That steering wheel is ugly – I like ours better!” LOL! Funny what we can remember from our childhood, huh?
I had a similar experience, my grandparents bought an 82 Regal Limited and I remember having the 1982 Buick brochure from the dealer, and the car in the Regal Limited photo had the seldom seen on the Regal cornering lamps, and wondering why their car didn’t have them, thinking we were ripped off, then I was on a mission to see another Regal on the street with cornering lamps, finally I got to see one and I realized that they weren’t common on ANY Regals.
It was always intriguing to me the way cars were equipped so differently from car to car back in the day. I distinctly remember the day we ordered our 1979 Riviera – which replaced the 1972 Toronado. My brother-in-law was the salesperson and he went through a little guidebook that had all the options in it. He asked my father which options he wanted one by one. When we got to the rear seat reading/courtesy lights I put up a big stink that I wanted them. I remember my Dad saying, ok, we’ll get them for you. I loved that option and often noticed that a lot of other Rivieras did not have them.
My Dad also ordered 4 wheel disc brakes. I remember seeing on the window sticker that it was a $222 dollar option. I’ll bet it was a rare option, too. My Mom wasn’t too picky but she insisted on leather interior, a power moonroof and a low fuel indicator light. (Why that $18 low fuel light option wasn’t standard on a luxury car still baffles me!)
I always thought it was cool that our new Riviera had the previous year Cadillac steering wheel, too. Buick only used that wheel for 2 years in the Riv, and then in the third year it was only available if you got the tilt/telescopic option.
That’s pretty cool, Carmine. Considering the pedals were typically black rubber unless it was a premium model that added some chrome trim, I find that a very neat custom touch.
I’ll agree wholeheartedly about the wraparound, cockpit design. Specifically, that of the 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix, which debuted in the fall of 1969. I remember looking at them in the showroom in late September or early October. I do like the cockpit style dash layout, especially that of the then new, personal-sized (downsized) Grand Prix. I found the car to be very striking, both inside and out.
As for the late 70’s it is has to be the Buick Riviera. Love that design!
It’s is nice, but I always felt there was a little too much wood going on. The full size Buick’s dashes of that era were my favourite, silver guages and that big silver clock to balance them out. An earlier CC pic:
That 1979-1985 Riviera dash is sort of like a wall of wood, I like it though…… but for full size Buicks, I’ve always had a thing for the 1971-1974 wrap around dash.
My grandmother had a 1971 Buick LeSabre two door hardtop. I was too young to drive at the time, but I remember it had a wraparound dashboard.
Other than the steering wheel that looks like my Dad’s 78 Estate Wagon…Loved the chrome bezels, especially the massive “quartz” clock above the glove compartment…All the warning lights were in a nice neat row in the center atop the dashboard….good pick
Those Buick dashes always looked like the 67/68 Cougar XR7 dashes to me, they even have the clock mounted in the same spot!
What I really find cool about this Riviera dashboard is that it had lights above each dash vent that created a beautiful, elegant effect at night. Ironically, our ’72 Toronado had the same type of lights where the A/C and radio controls were.
Of cars I’ve owned, I’d have to say that for it’s era, the BMW 633csi dashboard with the driver-oriented dash, multifunction computer, round guages, and three-spoke wheel with concave thumb-rest horn buttons is the best…
Good choice, but I’ve always been partial towards its older brother’s dashboard (The E9).
While I certainly don’t disagree with Matt about the 633csi, I do think I like the E-9’s dashboard better.
I wonder why 1937-38 was such a peak point for dashboards? Tremendous innovations and high style, and then it all just disappeared. Vanished.
Cord and Packard were beautiful in a flat aircraft-ish way. Lincoln Zephyr had a unique center console, never seen before or since. Olds had a shape that didn’t come back until 1950, plus side-mounted controls that didn’t return until the ’80s!
I suspect it was a brief confluence of technology, money, and shift in intent. By the late ’30s, the economy was picking up again, there had been some innovations in early plastic technology (Bakelite, Tenite, and the like), and there was a recognition that the market for high-end cars had shifted to owner-driven rather than chauffeured cars. So, you had some really neat interpretations of the ’30s Art Moderne aesthetic for a couple of years. It didn’t last probably mostly because there was soon the shift toward wartime production, followed by a decade or so of materials shortages and restrictions. By the time all that was over, the Art Moderne style was considered old hat, so while there were some elaborate and fancy dashboards in the ’50s and ’60s, they weren’t the same kind of thing.
Plus there was a retreat from new material after this- the plastics didn’t hold up well, cracking and discolouring quickly in the harsh conditions.
Wow, so many greats. The Avanti. The electroluminescent ones from the Chryslers of the early 60s, and even that gorgeous unit from the 1946-49 Chryslers. But I have always had a thing for the simple but elegant look of the 1963 Chrysler.
Yeah I have to say this one is pretty awesome!
I do like this one, simple and elegant as you say. Round gauges are the most readable, and I love the push buttons for the transmission!
+1 Beautiful dash.
My fave is the amoeba-like cluster and plain flanks of the ’62 Plymouth B-Bodies, especially in Sport Fury trim.
Robert, what I really like is that there was more color for the interior than we’ve seen in many, many years. With most of the dash, the inner door panel, and parts of the seat red, I definitely like that interior.
JPC, thank you for posting that picture. What a clean, uncluttered, functional design. With the push-button TorqueFlite automatic transmission. My first car, used of course, was a 1963 Chrysler Three Hundred two-door, back with a blue vinyl interior. I also agree with you on the Avanti as one of the most sporty and functional dash and instrument panels for it’s time. And, I’m certainly in agreement with many who point out that certain years of the Thunderbird were truly outstanding. And, another I’ve always liked was that of the 1963 Riviera.
I probably will think of others, but the ’63 Pontiac Grand Prix is one of my faves:
+1 on this. In fact I like all of the Pontiac intrument panels from ca 1960-67; these are the ones with the big horizontal speedometer with (usually) small round gauges for fuel, etc. Nearly all cars today have essentially the same intrument panel, big round dials for the speedo & tach, with smaller dials for everything else. They might be easier to read now but I miss the individuality of years past.
The above T-Bird dash is among my very favorites.
I really like this:
From the very rare Thunderbird F-100 model!
Thanks! I should never post before I’ve had a cup (or two) of coffee.
The 3-D “globe” dash on the 1960 Chrysler 300F
Absolutely one of the all time greats – I’ve seen one in daylight, but never at night with the electroluminescence in full effect – must be astounding.
Found this via Google.
Must be stunning in full dark.
That was the Chrysler Astrodome electroluminescent:
https://www.google.com/search?q=chrysler+astrodome&es_sm=119&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=sQJ0VNC1KMuuyATG74DICw&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1600&bih=865&dpr=0.9
I especially like the dash of the 1965 New Yorker:
http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/31398660-770-0@2X.jpg?rev=1
http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/31398661-770-0@2X.jpg?rev=1
Those instruments were 40 years ahead of their time in effect if not in means. As today, they glowed, and as today, that included the pointers. My 1963 Imperial service manual describes the dials running off a transformer that converts the 12 volt DC current to 200 volts AC! It mentions that you could be “startled” if you touched a lead, but “it will not harm you due to the low wattage”.
Yes, that’s the one that leaps to mind. I love circles in car design and you can’t beat the concentric circles in the globe. That speedometer goes on for miles.
Though I just adore that T-Bird dash as well.
Both dashes actually do anticipate today’s pervasive consoles, and the Chrysler’s steering wheel is slightly flattened at the bottom, just like my 2010 Prius’ wheel.
+1
Yes, this is my absolute favorite too! I think they called it the Astrodome dash with electroluminescent lighting. It also appeared on the ’61& ’62 Chrysler Newports, New Yorkers, and 300s.
I’m also in agreement that the 1960 Chrysler 300-F had a great one. The 1960 300-F is my favorite body style of the Letter Cars. About 1975, I acquired a running condition, fairly decent, 1961 Chrysler 300-G which has a similar instrument cluster. Drove it only a few times in the couple years I owned it and sold it to someone who could afford to give it a full restoration. The purchaser was from out-of-state and I’ve never seen the car again. But, I did attend several Chrysler 300 Club meets with my almost still like-new 1964 300-K.
And we cannot forget the 1979 Grand Prix SJ with the silver applique. Awesome design!
These were good looking, you could get full gauges and a tach in all those holes and they could be combined with a leather interior on the Grand Prix too, I think Pontiac had the best intermediate console on the downsized cars.
Our neighbor had a white 1980 Grand Prix SJ equiped like that. It was white with a white top and maroon leather interior. It was really loaded too – it had the full gauges with tachometer, a power sunroof and the snowflake wheels – I loved that car! Their son flipped it over and almost got killed in that car. I felt bad for their son AND the Grand Prix!
True Carmine, I think Pontiac paid the most attention to detail with their dash and console design. By far the most attractive IMO of the intermediates. Anyone else agree?
That’s more like a cockpit control panel than a dashboard, and that’s not a bad thing at all.
The only car I ever bought new (custom ordered, too) was a 1980 Pontiac Phoenix which had the same black holes cut into the aluminum appliqué with way too many torx head screws, some of which might have been “simulated”. I had decided on a 2-door X-car, and pored over the sales catalogs for weeks deciding on a brand. Since they were all the same underneath, I could base my choice solely on looks without judging myself a shallow fellow. The Pontiac’s dash put it over the top.
I forgot the Phoenix used that similar design to the Grand Prix/LeMans. I car pooled in high school in a white Phoenix hatchback with red vinyl interior. I remember that dash vividly!
Barko, I totally agree with you and to this day I cannot yet understand why the Phoenix was the least popular of the X-cars. That dash was my favorite of all, and also the louvered tail lamps.
I remember thinking the early 80s pontiac lemans dashboard was really cool when I was a kid!
I agree. Even if it’s only simulated woodgrain, as opposed to the real thing, I definitely like it far better than cheap black plastic.
At least post-1960s, the Lincoln Mark VIII always comes to mind:
Oh wow, it looks like a Taurus mated with a BMW!
Of the cars I’ve owned it is the best.
I liked my ’91 Alfa 164’s too, tho many panned it, but I dig Pinin…
By far the best in anything I’ve owned. My interior was that same color, though I didn’t have the partial wood rim on the steering wheel and shifter handle (not sure if those are factory). Loved the sweeping lines of it, and the feeling that the whole interior was wrapped around the driver and passanger. With the doors closed, the dash flowed almost seamlessly into the door panels. Very nice and very harmonious with the exterior.
I agree Brendan, that that was really pretty cool for it’s day. I still like that style.
Blig central. 56 Packard. Pointing out that the contrast on the gages was so low that they were nearly illegible would just be buzzkill.
Yes, that Packard dash is impressive! In person, it almost overwhelms you with it’s size.
Amost the polar opposite of the 1956 Studebaker, that possessed one of the most underwhelming dashboards of all time, and certainly for its era.
Amost the polar opposite of the 1956 Studebaker,
As you know, I grew up with a 56 Studie. Looked kind of odd to me too, but at least you couldn’t complain that the speedo was too far out of the driver’s line of sight. The 53-54 panel must have drawn howls with the speedo and the pod with the other instruments mounted so low, with switches above them. The 55 dash looked a lot better, would have looked even better of the instrument cluster was mounted in a larger panel.
Outside of the Hawk, Studie’s best panel work was wasted on the 57 Packardbaker, wasted because noone looked.
Agreed on the 57 Packardbaker dash. That was the nicest dash out of Studebaker since the late 40s Commanders and until maybe the Avanti or GT Hawk.
I continue to maintain that this car (perhaps with a slight fin-ectomy) might have sold in tolerable numbers as the 1959 President. Smaller was in, as Romney’s AMC was proving.
I continue to maintain that this car (perhaps with a slight fin-ectomy)
Those bolt on fins kind of work for me. Nice on the Hawk. Particularly nice on the 58 Packardbaker.
Those Packardbaker fins look like they were lifted right off the 57-58 Dodge
I haven always liked the ’56 and ’57 Stude sedans. The styling was more attuned to 4 doors than the original ’53, and suffered by unfairly by comparison for lack of a carnal component. Those 4-cornered sedans have always been on my radar, but that dash is just so nothing. Ironically, it is also unforgettable, the Wally Cox (Under Dog’s Voice) of dashes. My Dad’s first collector car was a ’27 Hudson with that same type of rotating drum speedo. There is something inherently unsatisfying about the concept. Something in it feels like screwing the house onto the light bulb. They were always kind of jumpy, like a video without image stabilization, and too simple: they only showed current speed. Not enough numbers to look at, and so much less effective at conceptualizing acceleration. (Photo from Hemmings blog site)
Those speedometers look like they’d make you seasick!
I agree. Up close, the surface is stamped metal beautifully incased in chrome trim. Looks as though it would last forever.
My first car was a ’55 Packard Patrician. I had lusted after them from age 5 and when I finally got one in college I would sit in it in the evening of that first summer together and stare at that dashboard like a photo of the girl I left back home.
I always liked the 1968-1982 Corvette dash, particularly the early ones, I like the airplane/space capsule feel of the interior, the center stack of gauges, like an airplane, the wiper controls on the “glare shield” and the huge speedometer and tach buried deep down in the dash, plus the ventilation/air conditioning thumbwheel controls, very fighter jet like, a small space with a lot going on in it. No wonder the astronauts liked Corvettes so much.
I also really like the 1958-1962 Corvette dash, I like the big sweeping speedometer over all the other gauges, it always looked so right to me, plus the big indentation with “CORVETTE” with the grab bar on the passenger side.
Very stylish indeed, especially in a color like this turquoise!
I agree, those early Vette dashes were gorgeous. I loved them up through the 67 models, less so after (as with most other cars).
The ’59 Impala has one of a similar theme. We had a ’59 Chevy and the dash was the cleanest styling feature of the car. I love the individual hooded instrument pods. The symmetry of the basic dash layout of both the Corvette and big Chevy back then allowed right hand drive export models to be easily assembled.
The 2005-2012 Acura RL also is one of my favorites.
I agree with you again, Brendan. I find that done pretty much just right.
An absolute stunning dashboard in person.
Guess I’m a sucker for Corvette dashes, because the first 3 that popped into my mind were just that, this one I will probably get grief for, I really like the 1984-1989 Corvette digital dash, after 12 years of the the previous Corvette, the new 1984 digital Corvette dash was like Knight Rider, Tron and Blade Runner all rolled into one festival of awesomeness.
Really the dash is kind of flat and a little plain, but the Ginza district light show makes it all better.
My favorite digital dash is from the 80’s Subaru XT. Spaceship, meet car:
I remember that “Pole Position” digital display on the Subaru XT. Funky gauges, funky dash, funky upholstery and a funky steering wheel, its almost as if Subaru had hired someone French to design this interior.
I went to school with a guy who had one of these. Everything about it was weird; I remember looking under the hood and being baffled by just about everything. I think the spare tire was even under there.
Probably was. A buddy in college had an late 80’s Subaru GL Wagon (aka Loyale) and the compact spare sat on top of the engine. I guess, being a boxer of relatively small displacement, it was flat enough that the packaging worked!
Lincoln Mark VIII has pretty nice interior, if the color is right.
And there were so many color choices, just before things started to go monochrome. I particularly liked the green interior, though it was only available on a couple of color choices and not for the whole production run.
I think it would lose something in black, as the darker top tone of the dashboard brings a nice contrast.
I love the light blue interior used in the 93, they’re very uncommon too
There was a burst of color on some of these premium coupe and sedans in the 90’s, I remember a similar green-blue interior available on the G-body Riviera and Auroras.
strangely, that color is surprisingly common on Aurora with similar exterior color. I saw quite some models like that in dealer’s lots.
It looks like China Blue to me, very similar to Chameleon blue I happened to have as my first one ( only 200 were made in 1995. and a Dodge Ram rear ended my car, I got a dark green one which were far more common with probably 10k still on the road ) but I think there are even less china blue Mark VIII on the street these days.
to emphasize the high-tech styling, wood trim wasnt used in 93 and most 94, but I think the colored material is vulnerable to scratches unlike later wood trims. in later runs, varieties of interior color were quite reduced.
There are a few for me. I’ll split them into categories:
My favorite truck/SUV dashboard is the Chevrolet Square Body. It’s very ergonomic, the gauges are easy to read, and everything is within easy reach.
My favorite American car dashboard is the 1995-1999 Riviera. Far and away the best design of them all!
My favorite import setup is the 2001 Audi A6 (And similar years).
Everything’s in reach, full instrumentation, and a tilt/telescopic steering wheel to boot.
More gauges are better!
That generation A6 did have a very nice interior. Nothing fancy or swoopy, but well laid out, well put together, and everything looked and felt premium. Audi has always had a talent for interior design.
There were even three interior “decor” options…Ambience, Ambition, and…what was the third?
Attraction.
I have the same color interior on my 2001 A6 Avant. It’s a nice setup. You can use the gear shift with your arm on the console, the two stalks for controls are simple, and there’s full instrumentation that’s easy to read.
The A8 was even nicer with the retractable screen in the middle, but I prefer the A6. There’s less to go wrong.
———————-
Somebody converted their interior to be two tone dark blue and white. It’s gorgeous!
Sadly, the factory blue interior…. wasn’t.
Have to give them credit for trying with the blue, it’s just *too* blue. Perhaps a black steering wheel and some black/dark gray accents might have toned it down a notch?
I’ll post that two tone blue pic if I can find it.
If I had unlimited money, I’d have a custom interior done on one of these- two tone read and light tan.
Red interiors make everything better.
I was just thinking of this interior as I was reading the comments and came upon yours. It’s nothing unique or original, but it was so purposeful and classic, and yes as noted below, just like the older Mercedes 114, 116 and 123, and all the better for it.
I had three cars with this interior – a dark red/black two tone (’98 A6), all black (’01 A6) and gray/black two tone (’04 allroad). Each one was beautifully made – every surface, every switch. It truly felt premium, similar to cars costing much, much more. I loved how you could get various colors in the “atmospheres”, although the choices diminished as the years went on. I think the blue was better than as pictured below, but perhaps not as dark as it should have been. There was also a green leather in ’98, although I assume they sold almost none.
My favorite interior of all the cars I’ve ever had.
I found a picture! This is the two tone blue and white Audi interior.
I think it’s gorgeous!
Here’s a link to a car with it:
http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/622655334/overview/#
Okay, that blue with the white seats does look very nice. I like it!
Also agree with you on red interiors. I was parked next to a recent BMW 3-series last night; black with red leather seats. Very striking. Can’t go wrong with that color combo!
The Audi is generically-german nice, but doesn’t seem to add anything to a 1975 w114 Mercedes dash…
Ooops forgot the photo
I’d say the gauges are better. I’ve worked with combination gauges- they just don’t do the job for me. The gauges are either too small, or you have to magnify everything, and then you get this:
I think I’ll pass on the Wayne Lifeguard interior. 😉
I love old-school Audi panels.. red lights for reduced glare..
Missing image..
Missing image..
GRRRR. I hate you wordpress
I like those Audi interiors too. I believe the 1996 Audi A4 started that look.
Looks exactly like my past 2000 A6 2.8 with the melange metallic interior. Beautiful.
I like this dash, though for my preference, I could do without the dealer installed wood kit, they were cleaner and more elegant without it. The Rivieras platform mate, the Oldsmobile Aurora also had a very attractive dash for the era.
I prefer the plain one too.
I have a project 1996 Riviera I need to pick up. I sat in it once, and it’s the only car that could make my heart skip a beat.
The Auroras were nice, but the 1995 Riviera needs to be listed as one of the nicest pieces of art throughout time.
It’s a gorgeous car!
I’ve long thought of buying a ’95-’99 Riv as a daily driver, but I can’t stand the idea of subjecting it to the salt; after all, they’re pushing 20 years old!
Separated at birth (90-96 Infiniti Q45)
And, yes, I did like the dash on the Q45, too.
Yes, Carmine, I was a fan of the Aurora: both the interior (the dash) and the exterior.
Very nice. Is that wood trim or piano black? I remember that generation was criticized for its plain dash when introduced, so it must be from later in the model run when they added more trim?
Looks like piano black, the first 1995 Rivieras didn’t have any wood, then in 1996 they added a wood surround to the hvac/radio controls, and around the console. The car in the picture is a 1995, indicated by the small radio and CD player down on the console, in 1996 and up, the radio had the CD and Cassette integrated in one unit.
For some Riviera customers, the additional wood wasn’t enough, the results were these aftermarket stick on wood slabs that covered the entire dash.
This was a piano finish kit. It’s on a 1995. I have a couple of pictures of the inside of my project Riviera. In the second one, you can see the edge of the wood trim.
It’s much more restrained than the aftermarket kits. I think that little bit of wood helps. No matter how you look at it, though- the Riviera is a goregeous car!
If you squint in the lower left hand corner, you can see the wood trim.
This is a 1996 Supercharged version. I believe they used the wood until the end?
Yeah, but that steering wheel…good grief, was it an eyesore. Ruined an otherwise excellent (for its time) design.
The Buick steering wheel isn’t the prettiest, but it’s comfortable and easy to use.
They were designing cars for people with blue hair. You want functionality.
For some reason, I’ve always liked Buicks. I need to check for balding!
Were used to not noticing that there is an airbag in the steering wheel today, but that took a lot of time to accomplish, this steering wheel has a much smaller airbag than the previous generation. I don’t think its a bad looking steering wheel either.
Look at a 1994-1996 F150 steering wheel. The airbag is downright huge!
Of course, Ford thought it would work well for Aston Martin, too!
Guys, no offense but compared to their contemporary peers, GM’s had the ugliest airbag steering wheels. It’s as if they had been designed as “generic airbag wheel F, suitable for Astro/Safari and miscelaneous sedan applications”. The Riviera right there and its sister Buicks are notable examples.
I actually like the Buick steering wheels.
But, GM using a “Parts Bin” approach‽ They would never do that!
The Mercedes “Sad Clown” wheel looks much worse to me, as does the Saturn Ion “Pancake” wheel. These are both much newer cars than the 1990s Buicks, and they still look worse to me.
My only gripe about the Buick wheel is that it has a really, really sensitive horn pad. I’ve hit the horn at least 50 times by accident.
Style-wise, though, I like the wheel.
You know, don’t recall ever seeing the interior of a 1995-99 Riviera. I’ll agree to say that is certainly one of the best of the modern era.
My uncle served 32 years at Ford’s Dearborn Styling Studio in interior design.
I can attest that the hairs on his back of his neck would stand up and his cheeks would flush when ever I mentioned the ‘Dashboard’.
Then he would calm down and whisper “Instrument panel.”
I always thought the instrument panel was just the section in front of the driver that contained the instruments.
One of my favorites that haven’t been mentioned yet: 86-92 Firebird/Trans Am (picture from Google Image Search)
Now then you mention the Firebird/Trans-Am. I remember the time when I watched K.I.T.T. dashboard in “Knight Rider”. 🙂
I remember Knight Rider when it was airing. While I liked the car, I didn’t care for the dashboard, with all the digital readouts. Everything else I thought was perfect.
It took like 5 years after Knight Rider debut for Pontiac to offer a digital dash in the Firebird, which I thought would have been a no-brainer considering the publicity that Knight Rider gave the Firebird.
You can clearly see some KITT influence in the optional factory digital cluster.
One of my favorites that hasn’t been mentioned yet: 86-92 Firebird/Trans Am (picture from Google Image Search)
My favorites:
1950s:
The ’57-’58 Ford Skyliner (and presumably Galaxie) dashes, rainbow shaped speedo, curved gear selector, chromey but not overly busy like the ’60-’61.
I am also rather partial to the ’59 Buick Electra dash, which combines horizontal speedo and classic round gauges in an appealing manner.
1960s:
The 1967 Imperial dash. I do not think a more tasteful combination of fake wood, chrome, etc. has ever been done.
Runner up: The ’63-’64 Cadillac Dash for being the classic Caddy dash from my favorite Cadillac ever. It has more of a 50s feel to it, though.
1970s (pre-downsizing):
The ’75-’77 Lincoln Continental dash with the ribbon speedometer. I see it as the most elegant rendering of the high Brougham era dashes, though not as nice as the ’67 Imperial.
A close second: the ’76 Oldsmobile 98 dash. To me it’s the toniest looking dash of the GM biggies, well ahead of the Electra and DeVille Fleetwood.
1970s/early 80s: Post downsizing
A letdown from days past. I give the nod to the circular silver-toned gauges on the Buick Electra and LeSabre, with a nod to the knockoffs on the Panther Grand Marquis as runners up.
1980s:
Jaguar XJ6.
Mercedes 300E
Tip of the hat: M-Body Chryslers. The other ones I like are all carryovers from the 70s.
1990s +
Some will call me narrow-minded/a fogey, but it all looks the same to me once everybody went to digital speedos (for a while, anyway) and Fisher-Price interiors starting around 1990-94. I understand that the plastics in an S-class and an XTS are better quality than the plastics in a CLS and a Cobalt. But the disappearance of color coding, wide swaths of real or fake wood, chrome, horizontal speedometers, silver-toning, big dash clocks, etc. has taken a lot of my interest away, as have distracting and annoying touch screens.
You can call me a fogey, I prefer to say I have good taste. So I have no favorites now because it just looks like another plastic, computer-y appliance to me regardless of the brand.
** ’66 Imperial dash. I misremembered, and I think it was real and not fake wood, right? Though, I like ’67 almost as much.
Yes, the 66 Imperial still used real wood. I think the 67 had real wood inlays on the dash too, but for 68 it was fake wood.
It was real wood through ’67, and in ’68 they used bronze trim. Fake from ’69 to the bitter end.
I think the big three were very smart. They went the fake wood route on their lower-price models, and when no one cried foul, moved up-market. And no one cried foul because plastic and simulated were still seen as signs of progress.
1957 Olds
1959 Olds – Favorite!
1960-62 Chrysler
1963-64 Impala
1965-66 Chrysler
Nice choices, everyone! I’d have to add a vote for the Flair Bird dash as well (my photo of a ’66 shown).
I’ve always loved the “Flair Bird” version of the Thunderbird.
Also, no one’s mentioned the ’59-’60 Impala — love the round gauges in era when strip or fan speedometers largely ruled! (Photo is a Google image.)
Agree – this was one of the nicest ever in a “low priced” car.
Wow the Impala is cool! Needs a tach, but I guess most auto’s didn’t get them for a long time!
Actually, Chevrolet started offering an optional tach on the full size cars starting in 1961, Pontiac started offering one around that time too. There were tachometers in domestic cars in the 50’s, besides Corvettes and 2 seat Thunderbirds, but they were few and far between, the Lincoln Mark II had one, so did the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, there was an optional tachomter in the Edsel too, believe it or not.
The Studebaker President had one too, in ’55.
Studebaker always did seem serious about gauges, they usually had Stewart-Warner gauges in their cars too.
And what a nice Impala that is – optioned with air conditioning, autronic eye, Turboglide and Cruise Control….
Call me a Functionalist, but the showroom appeal of novelty & style wear off over time; the best for me is the one that conveys maximum information to the driver clearly & with minimum distraction from the road. An instrument panel that’s “all business” & no flash is always in good taste.
To address the question, I suppose the older Benzes would fit this description, though Brit sports cars with Smith gauges were good when they clustered the gauges close to driver Line-of-Sight.
Yes I agree on older Benzes, and it’s my argument that the Mercedes layout of the 70s and early 80s became the template for all luxury sedans until the bangle era 7 series (e65) with its iDrive, and mini-transmission lever, and huge console and hooded screen (none of which I like).
My favourite is still the Triumph TR4. Not sure if it’s cheating that a lot of these originally had a white painted metal dash, then got aftermarket wood ones.
I think we’re all ignoring the Triumph because it feels like english dashboards would require an entirely different thread! I mean how does one even start to compare this…
That is truly beautiful – somewhat reminiscent of a 1930’s-40’s console radio with its large round face gauges and curves.
Mine is the 1988 Buick Reatta dash. That digital gauge cluster and the touch screen CRT unit in the dash for vital engine info and radio control. It made you feel like you had a TV or video monitor in your car. I think that dash was also in the same era Buick Riviera also.
The GCC dash came out in the Riviera first, it predates the Reatta by 2 years, though the Riviera had a less sporty but funkier steering wheel. The Buicks had the GCC(Graphic Control Center) standard from 1986 to 1989, when Buick dropped it and Oldsmobile picked up the Mark II version of the GCC, now called the VIC(Visual Information Center) by Oldsmobile and it was now in color!
Love the arcade forward wedge design…the chrome basket handle shifter was great!
Had to search online for this pic – but I would vote for the 1967 Buick Wildcat dash. Right before the padded safety reg design ruined it in ’68 :-p
1956 DeSoto Fireflight.
That baby really looks nice!
My all-time favorite dash has to be the 1968 Ford Torino with those 4 large tunnels. Simply beautiful to me, even if it is a Ford!
2nd place must be the 1969 Grand Prix with the cockpit-type dash where everything is angled toward the driver.
3rd place? Anything that flows from the front and wraps around into the doors, like the T-Birds.
I love severe functionality: E30 (mid-80’s – early 90’s) BMW 3 Series. Wonderful sight lines, ergonomically great, an absolute absence of bling. I don’t think any car will touch the interior of the ’90 325is I had.
Not beautiful per se, but functional and attractive (I’m a minimalist kind of guy). 1986 SVO Mustang:
I agree. I’ve always preferred functional purpose over looks.
There is no way to not like a big fat Formula wheel, funky tach and some engine turned gauges, plus the view of that shaker out there in the middle of the hood.
Trans Am!
+1 Can’t believe the rest of us forgot this one.
I have to agree that that was a very good one.
I’ve always liked the dash used on the ’68 to ’72 Cutlass; the way the three gauges are frenched into the instrument panel is nicely done.
The ’73 to ’76 Cutlass also had a nice dash that carried on with the same theme. Supposedly the otherwise identical ’77 had a different, more squared-off instrument panel only for that model year, simply because the Cutlass was so popular at the time that the mold used for the earlier model years wore out!
same basic shape, but the tooling for the vents wore out so they went to the rectangular ones from the Chevelle line, or at least they look like the ones in my 77 Chevelle.
60-62 Chrysler “Astra-dome”
60 Imperial
61-63 Bullet-birds
63 Chrysler Ghia Turbine
65-66 Chrysler
– New Yorker with red dash, red top pad and woodgrain insert
– 65 300 with metallic beige dash, black top pad and brushed silver insert
65-66 Monaco/Polara (US built)
We should do a follow-up QOTD that is which taillights are your favorite. 🙂
Of those the T-Bird definitely wins. I love it’s aircraft style and center console. It just needs a shifter in that console.
Since some of y’all have mentioned the Mark VIII, I might also suggest the Mark III’s dash with Cartier clock and gigantic dials:
Which was basically the Thundebird dash (and steering wheel), but with the guages squared off:
that’s incredible! it works so well.amazing.
One other very cool dash was the Saab 900 in all it’s forms. Especially cool with the turbo boost gauge, but even without, it sat very high compared to european cars of the time, had a subtle wrap to the driver, and had the radio controls right next to the steering wheel up high on the dash to aid keeping your eyes on the road. And of course the dashboard and steering column were missing on item included on all other cars of the time to my knowledge, the ignition, which sat between the seats.
The dash of a Scania truck also has that wrap to the driver. And of course there’s the same griffin on the steering wheel.
Maybe not the whole dashboard, but the radio in the ’46 Chrysler T&C left an indelible impression.
Wow that is cool!!
It certainly would leave an indelible impression on anyone who came in contact with it in a frontal collision!
Oh, yes.
That era when radios dominated dashes speaks to me even though I grew up in the one with miniaturized faces and civil defense icons in two spots on the dial. It was like bringing the huge console from your living room out into your car. The bigger the speaker, the bigger the sound in those days. The last example, the table fan sized bullseye in the dash of early ’50s Pontiacs, a Buddha with a clock in its tummy, kind of lost the mojo when compared to that Chrysler, lacking the visual punch benefit of all the latter’s jeweled buttonry.
For clean functionality it’s hard to beat the original Avanti dash. Raymond Loewy should have charged a licensing fee for each Camaro that came off the line circa 1970.
The 1991 Nissan Figaro. Like the Figaro itself, maybe a little too cute, but they took the retro theme all the way; if it just had the dash from a March or whatever, it would have been a terrible letdown.
I also quite like the 1949 Cadillac, which is well-planned and makes a nice bridge between the Art Moderne themes of the ’30s and ’40s and the ’50s aesthetic. (The ’48 Cadillac is interesting and some people prefer it — it’s more striking visually, but perhaps less functional.)
As a functional design, I like the E36 BMW 3-Series — not lavish in terms of material or design flair, but crisp and functional. For that matter, I like a lot of upper-series Honda dashboards from the late ’80s and early ’90s, which also have near-faultless ergonomics and big, clean, purposeful-looking instruments. The jukebox layouts have more showroom appeal, but driving a jukebox has its downsides.
I’m partial to the simple/elegant BMW approach. The horizontal lines make the interior feel more spacious and the simplicity projects a bit of a zen quality.
At the opposite end of the scale would be most Ford dashes over the last few years – they seem unnecessarily busy to me, and make a small interior feel even smaller.
But it’s hard not to love 50’s & 60’s excess as well.
If I had the money I would buy one for the gear stick alone.
Wow. What on earth is that??
Spyker.
Oh yes! I love the interior on the Spykers!
This Fiat Moretti Sportiva is about perfect for me.
I’m rather fond of the 1967-68 Plymouth Fury dashboards with the electroluminscent lighting. Mr. Sulu would feel right at home with all of the switches and gauges.
I like the 1970-76 Dodge Dart dashboards. 🙂
I’m pretty sure that the Fury does not have an EL dash. I think that the 66-67 Charger was the last Mopar with EL dash lighting.
I second BOC. Just backlit with standard bulbs. An attractive dash, but I preferred the 65-66 version.
The 67-68 Fury gauges are not back lit. I may have used the EL term incorrectly, but I assure you as the owner of a ’68 Fury VIP, they’re not backlit.
Think they were floodlit from the front with UV light. With EL markings on the gauges and needles. But that’s just memories.
Do like these Plymouth dashes – nice mix of prominent gauges and a simple bar.
Forgot that. I was going off my old 66. Had not ridden in a 67-68 since high school in the 70s.
Wow…that’s almost enough reason to buy a ’67/’68 Fury right there…that has to be a cool effect.
agreed. The Charger was the last of the EL. This Fury was the beginning of ChryCo’s ‘floodlight’ era.
Don’t some modern Chryslers have EL gauges or the clock at least?
Or is it a lighting that looks like it…
Maybe EL is the wrong term, but neither my old ’67 or my current ’68 Fury VIP have back lit gauges. The whole dash is at the very least flood lit. You can see it in the photo I posted.
Call me a contrarian but I really like the purposeful nature of an early Porsche 911. The central tachometer the left hand ignition switch for faster Le Mans starts send a message of this is a serious tool. For that matter a Series II Land Rover or original Mini’s spartan central gauges also convey an aura of stuff to get the job done rather than decorative tinsel.
Tinsel is fun to look at, especially late 50s-early 60s Chrysler products but I really appreciate Bauhaus style functionality.
I hate centrally mounted instrument clusters. I learned this when I rented a Saturn Ion once.
The only center mounted cluster that I kind of liked was the one from the GM EV1, the whole interior had this 90’s interpretation of the year 2010 that was cool.
Woah, I don’t think I had ever seen the interior of those like that.
That is really good looking specially for the experiment it was.
If electric cars looked that cool inside, I might hate them less lol.
I like the abundance of buttons mainly. And the shifter looks like a fighter jet’s yoke.
The EV1’s were mainly keyless, the keypad on the bottom right hand side of the console was for entering a code and then pressing “run” and the car would “start”.
Agreed! I think the 911 with the 5 gauge pods and center tach is classic. Timeless and the center tach is usually copied by sporty cars (350z, 370z, BRZ, FRS, etc.)
Another favorite of mine, and I’m not sure how I forgot this to start out–the Facel Vega HK500. The leather…the wood…the gorgeous design of it all. And a dash full of gauges so you always know exactly what’s going on. I could spend all day in one of these, just gazing at the switchgear, the stitching, all of it.
*Fun fact–that’s actually not wood–the dash is metal with a woodgrain paint finish. Still looks amazing, and a lot more convincing than dinoc!
Yeah I believe the Spyker owes a bit of its look to the big Facel. Funny how incongruous the deep dish wheel looks I behind it.
seriously? so many posts and no one mentioned the Lancia Trevi? I am disappointed! 🙂
Egad!
I think the stylists for that one were on magic mushrooms. . .
Or, as some kind of design studio exercise, had had all of their pens and pencils replaced with pushpins.
I suspect that most of us on this side of the pond had never seen it. Or at least I never had. It certainly is out-of-the-ordinary.
Another favorite of mine, 1968 AMX:
Awesome comments. Although the Astrodome Chrysler dash has been mentioned before, I have seen it at night and it was out of this world. The ’68 Imperial dash with its cabinet doors and bronze inlays (not fake wood) is also a standout for me- especially the way it wraps into the door armrests on each side. So that you don’t think I’m mopar obsessed, I think the 1973 Grand Prix dash, with real African Crossfire Mahogany was a standout in the 1970’s.
But you guys are excellent curators. There is not an ugly dash in this post!
… ok, the Lancia Trevi might be a bit off, but I really dig the Innocenti Mini Cooper’s dash. Gauges wherever you look!
61 New Yorker
and the 73 GP
Hell yea!
That was exactly the dash on my 1975 Grand Prix SJ, except mine had the optional tachometer which replaced the big clock on the left gage, and the clock (a much smaller and rectangular version) was relocated to the blank space seen on this photo to the right of the steering wheel and underneath the radio and A/C controls.
It’s too bad my GP was so beat up when I bought it in 1987 (for $500 bucks). It would have been a keeper as it was a very loaded car for its time and segment – power everything, black cloth bucket seats with center console and shifter, tilt wheel, rally wheels, and blood red exterior with a black vinyl top. Even in its then-forlorn state, it was still a looker.
I must admit when I’m checking Autoblog for the latest releases, it’s always the interior photos that I want to see, especially the dashboard. A lot of modern dashboards aren’t terribly nice though, being too flat, too symmetrical looking, too bland, too lost below a too-high cowl and too-shallow windows. So many of the classic dashboards shown above are so characterful by comparison. The ’60s Thunderbirds are a personal favourite.
Although I love many of the dashboards shown, I haven’t experienced them personally, so my votes go to cars I’ve actually been in. I have a favourite dashboard for each decade.
* The 1960s: 1969-72 XW/XY Ford Falcon GT with its centre section of cascading matching dials for the heating and radio etc.
* The 70s: 1973-76 XB Falcon GT for its wraparound shape; honourable mention goes to the Volvo 200 series for its modern shape.
* 1980s: the 1984-88 XF Ford Fairmont Ghia for its overall look – imposing yet nicely detailed design. Honourable mention goes to the Ford Sierra for having the best-placed airvents ever.
* 1990s: the 1988-93 C33 Nissan Laurel for its clean shapes, lovely gauge font, tasteful wood applique and suede trim.
* 2000s: the facelift gen1 Mazda 6 for the great balance of matte and gloss finish and the fantasticly easy-to-use centre stack.
* 2010s: the Jaguar XJ by a country mile.
My favourite overall is definitely the current Jag XJ – the dashboard is simply magnificent in every detail (although the virtual instruments could look a tad more real):
Okay–for a current production car, that’s a real standout. Bravo Jaguar!
XW GT:
XB GT:
LOVE that XB GT dash!
So do I. It’s wraparound without being claustrophobic.
XF Ghia:
C33 (albeit with aftermarket steering wheel):
And facelift gen1 Mazda6 (yes it looks quite monotone and oppressive in the pic, but mine felt very stylish and inviting, I loved driving it):
Yeah, Scott, I really like that current Jag interior!
The E Type Jaguar, and the `61 to 66 T Birds. Honorable mention-`59 Imperial and `62 Chrysler 300.
Citroen CX GTi
It looks like something that would feature in the next version of Battlestar Galactica.
Yes, my airline-pilot father was impressed when he saw mine – though it was the later series which had regular instruments combined with the pod switches.
The ergonomics were great – you could reach all the major switches without letting go of the steering wheel.
Can we do “Worst Dashboards” some time?
I think the Lancia one needs to be on there!
Hey, that’s easy. The 2009 Toyota Yaris. Just terrible.
I raise you one 1998 Fiat Multipla.
I don’t know — I agree that the center vent stack is kind of gruesome and I’m not too fond of central instrument clusters (this is far less obnoxious than most, but would give me neck strain on a long drive), but it’s mostly pretty sensible and in keeping with the Multipla’s mission. Also, it’s a rare modern(ish) vehicle without an intrusive center console! (And three-abreast seating front and back.)
The Rover James was much easier to drive.
Mine blew up, sadly.
It’s functional though, tons of storage including two “extra” compartments. With the next generation they put the gauges in front of the driver but got rid of all the storage except for the “normal” glovebox.
Apparently Toyota still can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
Gets my vote for the worst dashboard hands down!
Yaris gets my vote for worst dash too!
I like the dash on the Dodge Marida.
I do agree with you. I did own a well-kept, used 1980 Mirada and I liked pretty much everything about it. It was smooth, comfortable, and I had no problems with it. There’s times I’ve regretted trading it in on the smaller, more economical and fun-to-drive 1986 Shelby Charger (which was also a great car).
2006 Civic.
165 responses and no Citroens? How is this possible!
Look about five comments up, sir…
Man, this topic to a car lover is like asking a parent which kid is their favorite lol.
I have too many favorites. Most of the aforementioned are awesome.
I specially like late 50s to early 60s Mopars, with the electroluminescent instruments and the really space age design and square steering wheels.
60s Jaguars are nice too, specially the toggle switches.
Citroen has some interesting ones too, with the single spoke steering wheels and radio placement.
The Porsche 911 is another favorite, with the 5 gauge pods and the tach front and center. Very clear and purposeful.
And of course the Art Deco dashboards of the 30s and 40s are amazing. They usually have some really nice intricate details that show the care that went into their design.
Unfortunately, modern cars have lame dashboards. It’s all about who has the biggest and most screens and least buttons, so you waste 5 min on menus just trying to turn down the AC.
Tesla is the biggest culprit, with a screen bigger than most computers. Most other European brands are doing the same.
Gauges is another thing. Ford only has a tach on many of their new cars, which I don’t like. Cadillac has CUE and Mercedes has digital on the S-Class too. And while they emulate gauges, what’s wrong with just having physical gauges and then a screen in between or aside, like Porsche and others do?
I love gauges. To me, they are like jewelry on the car.
Spykers have some beautiful ones and Pagani does too.
My favorite modern instrument panel is the Porsche Panamera, with 80+ buttons. Feels like a fighter jet made for James Bond. “Don’t press Sport Mode +. It activates the thrusters.”
I hope buttons make a comeback. Ford claims they are trying to phase buttons back in after complaints and Audi has a whole department devoted to the tactile feedback of their buttons (I really like their instrument panels too), so there’s hope.
Lincoln Continental, 1970-77
I do have to admit that even though the favorite dashboards I shared all include a center console, I wish that not all cars had them. My 1979 Honda Accord, 1981 Buick Skylark and 1988 Saab 900 each had no center console and I think it gave them a larger feel as a result. Ever since my 1993 Toyota Corolla it’s been 100% full console cars.
The dash I look at every day, 2004 Jag XK8. The dash is 90% of why I bought this car.
+1
Jaguars have always had nice dashboards.
Gotta love the three center gauges.
Figuring out how to get the picture to post
I really, really like the flamboyance of the early 1960s Thunderbirds. In a different way, I admire the quiet elegance and restraint of the 1956 Continental Mark II:
Nice, a dashboard that stands out, literally. Like in some current Peugeot models. The 308:
And the 208:
It looks like the whole cluster can be locked down into the dash. When you want to see it you push down on it and it pops up like an ash tray!
One more try with a smaller picture.
Looks VERY nice, Dave.
Most of my Top 10 come from the 60s…
* Any 60s T-Bird
* 60-62 Chrysler — that dome!
* Jaguar E-Type — those toggle switches!
* Mercedes W112 — especially the later 280SE 3.5 Coupes and Convertibles
* 63 Buick Riviera — almost as good as the outside
* Porsche 911 — lasted from 63-98, the record holder!
* 67-68 Cougar XR7 — E-Type meets Mustang
* BMW 2500/2800/Bavaria — started the BMW look
* Mercedes W116 — started the modern Mercedes look
* Porsche 928 — started the wrap-around look; pairs especially well with the Pasha seat cloth
Boy there are some great ones here. Hard to pick one over the other. One common thread is that they all seem to be prior to 1975 or so.
In addition to great dashes, interiors pre 1975 came in many choices of available upholstery, trim levels and unique touches. Some that come to mind are pedal trim, rim blow steering wheels, thermometer type speedometers, chrome window frames, sail panel lights, lighters in the armrests, foot operated radios, autronic eye headlight dimmers, swivel seats, tissue dispensers and more. Don’t believe any of these items are available today.
For more modern ones I have always liked the Z8, probably because it was inspired by something from the 50s.
Both Pontiacs…..
#1 is the 1959 Pontiac….loved the three pods and the chrome
#2 is the 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix…..loved the three pods and the wraparound.
the 1959 pix didn’t show up in my previous entry…..
This ’59 Pontiac dash (a favorite) may have borrowed some from the 1953 Cadillac LeMans show car dash, below.
…I say that because the 1958 Pontiac dashboard (below) most certainly copied the ‘Cadillac LeMans show car.
Definite resemblance. Both very nice too.
I have always loved the interior and simple, functional, elegant instrument panel 😉 of the 1989 Cadillac Fleetwood (Coupe):
http://hostthenpost.org/uploads/c659f727cef4d997e7f62ee120f516a2.jpg
http://hostthenpost.org/uploads/c1e85de98e52f730ae46da5eb8d785db.jpg
I liked this dash, It was modern with enough old school Cadillac touches to make it interesting.
The wrap around section around the steering column reminds me a little of the 1971-1973 Cadillac dash and the 2-tier design was sort of a take off on the Cadillac dashes from 1974-1976 and from 1977 and up, that had all the warning lights on the top level, along with the fuel gauge and clock. I like the “Information Center” too.
Interesting about this vintage Cadillac is that they have no “gas gauge” in the cluster, all the fuel info is in the “Fuel Data Center” on the left side of the dash, which is also part of the cars OBD system, and it has hidden tricks, like it can be used as a secondary digital speedometer.
That was my Dad’s exact dash and interior color from his 1990 Coupe deVille. The only difference was that he had the huge hideous steering wheel with the airbag. Other than that it was a beautiful interior. People often commented on how nice that car rode and how comfortable it was. As his last car, that Caddy made Dad proud. He loved the acceleration and comfort plus he said it was pretty decent on gas, too. Memories!
Carmine, this made me remember something about rare options that I had totally forgotten about….Remember what we were discussing about rare options like the cornering lamps on the Regal? Well, Dad’s Coupe deVille was a spring edition, special ordered by someone and then cancelled. Dad spotted it in the showroom and knew it was the one. It had the extremely rare heated Insta-clear windshield. I can’t tell you how many of those cars I looked in and never saw another one with that option. I know he had to have that windshied replaced and they had to ship one in from the factory – replacement cost was well over $1000.00!! The guy at the Caddy dealership’s service department even said, wow I’ve never seen one with that option before!
1970 Datsun 240Z
GREAT SUBJECT.
I’ll follow the theme set by the inclusion of the Cord’s dash by highlighting some art deco dashboards.
Here’s the ’37 Imperial -with the picture was higher resolution because the detail of the gauges within a gauge pod is beautifully understated.
This art deco dash was designed by Helen Dryer (who worked doing Vogue covers in the 30s and who Studebaker hired around the time they brought in Raymond Lowey). Helen was famous enough that Studebaker ads actually mentioned her name as designer of the interior.
This is a ’37 Studebaker
By 1939, Cadillac’s take on art deco was more restrained.
This pic is hi-res and shows the symmetry of the single-width, single-band across the dashboard -divided in the center by the radio speaker.
The 1939 Lincoln Zephyr used a theme now seen in Mini Coopers: a giant center-mounted housing with multiple gauges. But the Lincoln’s gauge sat at the top of a binnacle, aping the look of a grandfather’s clock.
Lastly a clean design from Dodge in 1948
I do like the 1956 Plymouth’s dashboards (CHROME LETTERING?! Get outta here!), but for me the best looking dash is the 1969 Ford Torino. Not the Gran Torino (little difference as there is), but the basic Torino. The dash looks like the motor cylinders have broken through the firewall with pride, the straight lines of the door and console stop right at the perfect angles, and everything has bevelling on it to make it seem like it’s thicker than it really is. When you’re cruising at night in a straight line the interior lights shine on the back of the steering wheel, giving it a ghostly glow which is reflected in the bevelling of the dash. It looks like the car has a soul! http://coloradoguy.com/1969-ford-gran-torino-gt/interior.jpg
And what kid who grew up in a certain time with motorhead genes didn’t lust after one of these?
We used to make our own out of cardboard (sans steering wheel). At school (indoor recess in bad weather), I drew them on the blackboard.
I had that very same dashboard. Prior to that, I had this ….
I had a Playmobile. My parent’s were forced to get me one for Christmas, just to get me to shut up. I liked it, but it seemed cooler in the TV commercials.
The T-bird dashes are all very nice. Glad to see the Chrysler 300, Newport and New Yorker dashes up there from the early 60’s. When I saw them back in the days, as a young boy, I was mesmerized by them. There is one other Mopar dash and that was in the 1966-67 Dodge Charger. Far more interesting than the other two pony car competitors of Mustang and Camaro.
Yes, and the Charger, at least in 1966, was rather unique in having four bucket seats with a full-length console running from front to rear, fold-down rear seats for lots of extra cargo space, and the full-width taillights with sequential turn signals. And, the availability of the 426 Hemi.
I agree with you about the 61 and 62 Chrysler instrument cluster. When I was a young boy I had 2 uncles who each owned one. I loved riding in them at night to this day I still dream of them. In the dreams that blue electroluminescent color is so vivid I wish I had one. So cool.
Electroluminescent instrument view
What no edit on the previous post above?
What kind of car was that?
My other favorite, the original Citroen DS:
That’s fantastic!! So clean, yet curvaceous rather than stark.
Having had a couple of ’58s back in the day I do also like this one:
Let’s go a bit farther back, to a ’53 Hudson Hornet. Wear your sunglasses….
Dad had a hornet in the mid ’70s. Speaking of EL, those hornets had phosphorescent numerals that glowed after the lights were shut off like a Timex watch.
Notables =
Grand Prix 69-72 and 73-77…. 78 on up G body as well
Chevrolet/ GMC Truck 67-72 and 73-87
Firebird 70-81 and 85-89
Camaro / Firebird 67-68
240Z
300ZX 1990
Accord 98-02
Bonneville 77-81
Porsche 928
I have five contenders:
The Fuselage Plymouth Furys from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s were wonderfully unique in form with a nice wraparound-style binnacle which contained all the instruments and pertinent switch-gear, including the radio and HIVAC controls. It was all neatly laid out on a matte black surface which was flood lit with blue/green illumination. The switch-gear was well-done and looked as though milled from solid aluminium ingots (but weren’t).
Then there was Rover’s P5, Britain’s default ministerial conveyance for nearly 20 years. Designed in the late 1950’s, the binnacle dashboard was ahead of its time.
I love the door-to-door deep black channel “concept” first seen with the Buick Regal of the late 1980’s. This was a classic American approach to dashboard design: elegant, clean-lined and clutter-free and was very fitting for the car. Both Honda and Toyota dabbled with the style for their early 1990’s Prelude and the 2003 Avalon models.
All of the above I believe were “conceptually” excellent designs that were ultimately let down by their execution. Mercedes-Benz during the 1980’s schooled the industry when it came to dashboards. Take any 1980’s M-B model and you have the best-designed and executed dashboards. In my opinion, they collectively represent a high-water mark in dashboard design to date. The W123 dashboard is perhaps the most iconic of M-B dashboards from that era.
’60 Lincoln…a long time favorite for that “captain of industry” feeling.
My die for dash was my Humber Sceptre Mk I’s interior. Rootes were a bit sloppy putting their cars together, but at least they went down in flames looking great.
Plenty of dials back in ’64 to put a jag to shame. Pity I spent most of my ownership under the car. Photo copyright © not mine.
I like that dashboard
Panhard 24 BT specifically because the thermometer on the glove box door records the temp INSIDE the box. Presumably so you could monitor the temp of your wine bottles.
Here is that Panhard dash. Glove box is deep.
Could not agree more with you !
Indeed one of the best dashes ever
The large Jaeger gauges
man oh man I sure miss my BT24
How could I forget? One of the ergonomically best dashboards from one of my favorite all time cars – The 1990 Honda Accord. Nothing like the low cowl for visibility, and the shelf on top allowed for you to place your cell phone, gloves etc. up there. Find a car that you can do that with today!!
What country got an Accord with an optional whorehouse red wrinkly leather interior?
LMAO! That was the best picture I could find to show the low dash and shelf on it – I have no idea what country that one is from!
Well the red-interiored Accord has the ‘Honda of America’ badge on the steering wheel that our Accord wagons wore. It’s likely a coupe as there’s a noticeable absence of rear power-window buttons on the door. Given that it’s LHD with a km/h speedo, I’m gonna hazard a guess it’s a Canadian model. I like it, very striking!
Yes, not only do I like it, I’d love to find a decent one that looks just like that. Yeah, baby! I am very partial to the red interiors that people like to label as “whorehouse red.” Really hoping that all-red interiors make a comeback.
Wow. I was about to chime in that I owned a ’91 Accord and that the dash was extraordinarily functional–but certainly not in red leather!
Porsche 356. Classic.
High on the list was that perfect mix back then of a Great British concept called Mini Cooper, but executed into near perfection by their Italian assembly partner called Innocenti : the Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300
The Mercedes dash from the 60’s is quite elegant in it simplicity. I really liked it in the 65 220SE sedan that I had.
I like the vertical position of the speedometer and gauges. 🙂
That is…very unusual. But I like it!
I agree. Not many cars that I’ve seen have this type of speedometer. Most are either circular, or horizontal. I like the horizontal kind. 🙂
The current FIAT 500 dash is very unique. I like the combo tach and speedometer.
I realize it would take some getting used to, but who cares how fast you’re going in a FIAT!!
Ciao!!
I like simple
…and I like old world craftsmanship
I’ve always liked Mopar cars’ dashboards. Its gauges are functional, while also being attractive.
I havent seen this honorable mention 66’ charger EL instrument panel is gorgeous.