There are a lot of classic car features that today’s owners have never even seen, let alone used. Hand window cranks, radio antennas, foot-activated light switches, and more have graced automobiles in the past. That’s not mentioning the changes to stereo systems and even the interior materials of seats that have evolved well. A few features are still missed, while others just became outdated by technology.

Yet looking back, a lot of old car features were...well, pretty weird. Some may have been just too ahead of their time, while others were far too different to get behind in any era. It’s remarkable that some of these features were built and put into cars and many were even used for years. Here are ten of the more ridiculous features classic cars once used, and maybe for the best modern drivers have never had to handle them.

10 Wrist Twist Swivel System

Even back in the 1960s, car manufacturers were doing things to stand out. Chevrolet created this unique new wheel that would lock the driver’s wrists into unique holders with levers to utilize for functions like shifting gears.

It was never put into serious use because of the drawbacks of the driver’s hands being unable to move and the levers too confusing to utilize. Perhaps “reinventing the wheel” shouldn’t be taken too literally.

9 Swivel Seats

This may have sounded good on paper, but it definitely didn't work out in practice. The idea was simple: a swivel seat that allowed the driver to swing in place rather than climb out of the car. Some models had it for the passenger sides to turn around and allow them to converse with folks in the rear.

Aside from the rather obvious safety issues these seats would pose in case of an accident, the problem was the seat not locking properly when driving, which was a distraction, not to mention it wasn’t “one size fits all.” Stationary seats are pretty much the best way to go.

8 Water Balloon Bumpers

This one sounds like something straight out of a cartoon. In the 1960s, John Rich was assigned to come up with new safety features for city cars. His idea was giant balloons filled with water that would give a little more bounce in case of a bump.

As crazy as it sounds, it actually worked for a while and was popular for taxicabs in New York and San Francisco. What ended it was that replacing these bumpers ran about $1100, which was a steep price for the time.

Related: 5 Classic Car Features We'd Pay To Have In Modern Cars (& 5 We're Glad Are Gone)

7 Swing-A-Way Steering Wheel

Since cars were created, it’s been logical that the steering wheel should always be fit in place for the best use. In 1961, Ford bucked the trend with a wheel that could be moved right out of the way to allow drivers easier use. It could even allow the passenger to drive by leaning forward a bit.

To have this rather than just adjusting the seats seemed off, and there was the issue if the wheel unexpectedly unlocked while driving. That no one has replicated it since shows fitting the wheel in place is usually for the best.

6 Vinyl Roofs

It’s a sad fact that car manufacturers have a habit of cutting costs and compromising quality too often. This trend extended in the 1960s and ‘70s as cars, usually convertibles, avoided regular tops for vinyl coverings. They could be a hassle to get on and off, not to mention suffering in harsher weather.

They were too prone to damage and easy to tear. While they have their defenders and are still in mild use today, the idea of using a plastic covering instead of a real roof seems foolish for a modern car owner.

5 Iter Avto

Long before GPS came around, Iter Avto was the first attempt at a GPS to allow drivers to know where they're going. Created in 1930, it used an old-school series of maps scrolling through a meter with stenographs marking where you’d be.

Since there was no such thing as satellites back then, any changes due to an accident or unexpected weather would render the entire thing moot. It also meant having to constantly check the scrolling map, which was a distraction. The Great Depression and Italy’s politics of the time ruined it, but it showed how the early attempts at GPS were rough.

Related: 5 Car Design Features We Wish They'd Bring Back (5 We Hope Will Disappear Soon)

4 Glovebox Mini-Bar

Nothing sums up the “style” of 1950s luxury cars like this. The 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham boasted a full-scale mini-bar in its glovebox. It wasn't just a bottle but several exquisite glasses, a tray, a small ice tray, and even magnets to keep the coasters stationary.

It proves how DUIs weren’t a major concern back then. Just try having this in the front if you get pulled over today. Amazingly, a few Jaguar models today revived this feature in spite of how hard it’ll be to mix drinks when you’re on the road.

3 The Ice Maker

Among Toyota’s biggest flops, the Van died a quick death in 1984. Aside from a lame name, it also had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder barely able to get 90 hp. To try and win folks over, Toyota thought it’d be a great idea to give this van an ice maker. Yes, a full-on ice maker in a van that could barely handle a long drive well.

To little surprise, this did nothing to entice customers and the Van was quickly put on the ice itself.

Related: We'd Buy These Cheap Classic Cars Just For Their Interiors

2 Bolt-in Bed Seats

In 1964, in an ill-fated attempt to help the ailing U.S. auto industry—a 25% “chicken tax,”—was levied on foreign-made cars. Some companies simply moved their plants to the U.S., but Subaru was among those who couldn’t afford to do so. Instead, they found a loophole by installing fixed seats in the backs of pickups so they could be sold as “passenger cars.”

These seats barely had any protection aside from what amounted to a ski rack, and while they can be seen now and then today, it shows what happens when a company tries to skate by regulations.

1 The Lightning Rod Shifter

Some shifters can be amazingly cool. This…was not. This Hurst invention was intended to help to shift by utilizing three levers, one for different gears and functions. The issue was obvious in that it was too easy for a driver to grab the wrong lever and suddenly shift the car into "park" rather than higher gears.

It also looked unattractive and too obtrusive and caused too many issues with the car computers (already low-key at the time) handling three levers doing what one easily could. While it has fans, it proves that sometimes, less is more when it comes to car features.