June 23: Great ideas for your car?

Great ideas for your car? Maybe yes, maybe no, I think that it depends on the times. What does that mean? It means that those great ads, we used to see at the back of the comic books, often seemed like a great idea and they seemed to make sense at the time. For instance, one for a full size cardboard tank...."Amaze your friends, scare the neighbours for only $4.99 plus shipping." (glue and imagination were extra). Think that would fly these days? Once we got older, we looked to the ads and articles in such mags as Popular Mechanics or Mechanics Illustrated for those flights of fantasy. So this being a blog on car stuff, lets reminisce.

In these days of every car having a multitude of safety features, it's good to look back at what might have saved us from harm way back when..........

I wonder how many lives were saved by this simple little and probably very ineffective device? And what the heck was a "built-in crash panel" anyway?

Not too long ago, Germany mandated that cars have lower hood lines, so as not to injure pedestrians, when those inevitable person/auto accidents occurred.

But look at what was conceived years ago (many, many years). As the car hits you, the mesh framework below the bumper scoops you up, protecting you from being swept under the car with likely unpleasant results. But with this invention, you are not only saved, but also probably gives you a nice, comfy ride home. Oh, if life were only like that.

But the inevitable does happen, you get hit by a car and the driver doesn't stop.......

.........no problem as the car bumper dispenses an identifying disc, so that the offender can easily be traced. Try that idea today and see how fast the courts gets crowded with civil liberties lawsuits. Interesting idea though.

Find that even multiple cups of coffee don't keep you awake behind the wheel?

Simply slap on this practical and fashionable little device and you no longer have to fear a catastrophic result from an inadvertent snooze. Wonder how many of these little wonders were ever sold? I can just see this on Shark Tank.

Not everything had to be safety related. Maybe you just want your BMW to be a little more distinctive and stand out from the crowd...........

Here's a great idea.........since Lamborghini names all their cars after famous fighting bulls, maybe they should contact this company and buy the rights, so they alone can make their cars "bellow like a bull".

You want practical? Ok, so here is practical........

.........multiple small jets attached to your truck, so that they can be used to power you out of any muddy road situation. Stuck? Well, just ignite those jets and hang on mister, since you are getting out of the slop and doing it in one big hurry.

And just in case you think that all these ideas are from the past, here is the newest one........the toilet car seat. Great for those epic journeys in your Prius or VW diesel, when you only have to stop for fill ups every thousand or so kilometres. Well, someone thought it would be a great idea.

And now to wrap up this blog on ideas that, were great for their times, my favorite and sure to be yours, the dog carrier........

No longer does Fido have to have the window down, while you and your family freeze, simply so that he can catch a breeze and a few bugs. Great for dogs, but probably could be adapted to fit any pet. Cats? Guinea pigs? Iguanas? Wonder why this one didn't take off?

In looking back, I wonder why almost all of these great ideas seem to be from the past? Where are today's innovators? Maybe I should pick up the latest Popular Science (is it still around?) and do some checking.

Until next time......