There are so many old car features that are now obsolete that Gen Z would never expect

A love for cars may be universal across different generations, but some things about old cars would leave Gen Z baffled.

For those keeping score, Gen Z is the term applied to those born between the late 1990’s and the early 2010’s.

So essentially, they are the youngest generation that are legally allowed to own and drive a car.

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A time before airbags

Seeing as how cars have been around since the 1880’s, there’s bound to be a few features that would confuse the current generation.

After all, cars have been through a lot of changes over the decades.

To name a big one – airbags haven’t always been a thing, and before that, seatbelts.

It seems unthinkable now, but it definitely wasn’t back then.

In fact, it was only from 1998 onwards that cars sold in the USA were required to have airbags for both front seats.

Car makers like Ford and General Motors had been installing air bags as early as the 1970’s, but the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act made them mandatory.

Given that airbags have been credited with reducing the risk of death in a head-on collision by 30 percent, it’s no wonder that the current generation would be horrified by the lack of airbags in older cars.

The driver’s cockpit has also seen a lot of change over the years.

In the early 1980’s, many cars came with their own in-car phone, for drivers to ring in whilst on the move.

Whilst this would have been very convenient at the time, it’s now obsolete thanks to mobile phones.

Not that you should be using your mobile phone whilst you are driving, of course.

Seriously, it can wait.

Ashtrays, cigarette lighters and CD players – all unfamiliar to Gen Z

All older models had ashtrays in the car, which could stink up the car if not cleaned regularly.

The ashtray’s spot in the car is now taken up by USB ports, where modern drivers charge their phones.

Given that smoking in the US has declined from 45 percent in the 1950’s to 12 percent today, it’s no wonder that ashtrays have gone out of fashion.

Similarly, cigarette lighters are all but extinct in modern cars now.

Given how more people are opting to vape over smoke cigarettes, it’s no wonder that you’d be hard pressed to find these in newer models.

Instead, mobile charging points are all the rage.

Even when it comes to music, our habits have changed over the years.

Most cars now give you the option to skip and choose songs at your leisure, thanks to the invention of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Gone are the days of CD players and being limited to one album at a time.

The days of cassette players are a distant memory, too.

You can go from Eminem to Taylor Swift with a few taps on a screen – no more fumbling around in the glove compartment for a CD/tape case.

No more old school sound systems, like the one that the Beastie Boys fitted into their Cadillac.

Is Spotify quite as cool? We’re not so sure.

Maybe Generation Z is missing out.