5 Awkward Car Safety feature

Car manufacturers all know the importance of safety.

It is undoubtedly one of, if not the single most important considerations that must be made when manufacturing a new vehicle. But what happens when we are so heavily engrossed in the process of producing an amazing vehicle, that we (momentarily) forget about the safety of our customers? Here are 5 car safety features that just look like awkward afterthoughts:

1) Mitsubishi Mirage

Awkwardly protruding out of the back like it was fixed-on with Pritt Stick, the Mitsubishi
Mirage’s rear camera really does look like it was conjured up by an intern the week before its
release. There’s no arguing that the camera is a brilliant addition when it comes to ensuring
safe parking, we just wish it looked a bit cleaner.

2) Lamborghini Diablo

The Lamborghini Diablo is a gorgeous car. With its sleek silhouette boasting that
quintessential ‘sports car’ look, ask any kid to draw a fast car, and 9/10 times you’re getting a
Diablo. But in the mid-90s, it did have one feature that was far from gorgeous. The
passenger-side airbag. Following changes to car safety laws at a time when Lamborghini was
tight on funds, the company devised a makeshift solution that was a far cry from the stylish
design language we so commonly associate with the Italian automakers. Fortunately, it wasn’t
long before a much cleaner alternative was manufactured. Thank God for that!

3) Plymouth Prowler

The Prowler had several interesting design choices. The exposed front wheels. The sharp
front end. The aluminium body. But the most striking feature is those front bumpers. They
look like the final piece of a ‘build your own’ segment in a racing game. The epitome of an
afterthought. The Prowler has a fascinating back story and was unsurprisingly born from a
concept vehicle designed in the 90s. Maybe some things are better left as concepts.

4) Lamborghini Countach

Lamborghini again, although this feature probably isn’t as criminal as some of the others on
this list. Bumper height regulations in the States meant certain Countach models had to b
fitted with a bumper on the front of the car. While it looks like an afterthought, we’re sure
many find the Countach’s front bumper quite cool.

5) Ferrari California

Finally, the 2009 Ferrari California is another car hamstrung by regulations. In the US, a
vehicle’s brake lights must sit on a fixed piece of bodywork. This piece of regulation resulted
in Ferrari ultimately having to place faint halogen brake lights on either side of the black strip
at the bottom of the car. Alongside the vertical LED strip, these functioned as brake lights,
whilst the circular rear lights that one would expect to function as brake lights served no real
purpose