10 Crazy Car Inventions That Never Made It

The automotive industry has always been innovative, pushing the boundaries of design and technology. There have been some fantastic successes over the years, including Satellite Navigation Systems, Self-Parking Cars, and now even Self-Driving Cars. However, for every life-enhancing invention, there is also a graveyard of failed zany ideas.

This post details some of the ambitious, foolish and downright insane automotive inventions which have been attempted over the years (that never made it).

10. An external ‘Dog Sack’ to transport your canine friends around.

Ever get worried about dog hairs on your back seat or in the boot compartment? Don’t have room for a pet and passengers? This ‘dog sack’ was an attempt to create a solution to these minor niggles. Just strap it onto the side of your car, pop in your pooch and hope nobody tries to overtake you too closely!

9.  A single glove to remember which side of the road to drive on.

This invention came to light via the much-loved BBC TV programme ‘Dragons Den’. The inventor thought it’d be a great idea to have something to remind drivers which side of the road to drive on when in a foreign country. A noble cause indeed, but wearing a single glove on your right hand is not the solution! If you’re prepared enough to buy a glove to help you remember to drive on the right, you’re probably the sort of person who’d remember anyway.

8. The steering wheel tray for eating on the go.

Ever get sick of McDonald’s drive-thru? Why not have a full steak dinner on the go with this portable tray, which turns your steering wheel into a mini-table?

Besides the obvious safety concerns of such an accessory, you’d need to be driving in a straight line for it to work. A single turn of the wheel would send your food and drink flying! Joking aside, it’s likely made for eating while parked, but let’s face it, you’re going to scarf down your drive-thru straight from the bag – you’re on the go, after all. Pulling out your steering wheel tray, carefully unpacking your food, then daintily nibbling at it isn’t going to happen!

7. The in-car record player.

These days, when the radio isn’t playing the songs you want, you switch to your mobile, connect it via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and away you go. However, it wasn’t always that way. In the not-so-distant past, we used to use CDs. Preceded by the humble cassette.

But the inventor of this piece of in-car tech was determined to bring your personal music choice to cars long before the cassette. Bear witness to the in-car record player! It’s an ambitious invention, given the slightest vibration would send the needle jumping!

However, with the resurgence in vinyl, maybe there’s a hipster inventor out there who fancies taking up the mantle and making this daft-as-a-brush in-car media player a reality!

6. A pedestrian collision detection system.

Now, we all know that when you have a habit of crashing into things, it’s important that you know if you hit a pedestrian or not. I mean, that’s all that matters, right? Fox? Wall? Street light? No problem! Just drive on regardless. But hit an old lady! Well, you better get the confirmed by technology!

Well,  the person who registered a patent for this ‘pedestrian collision detection system’ seemed to think only people mattered in a collision. Hmm. I think we can see why manufacturers didn’t flock to this peculiar invention!

5. The in-car microwave oven.

Have you ever endured a long motorway journey while drooling over the thought of a baked potato on the go? If so, then you’re the target customer for the in-car microwave. Several designs have been made for this concept cooker, using the 12V outlet and even a version built into the vehicle itself.

No matter how you power it though, the in-car microwave seems destined to remain a blast from the past idea. But wait! Combine it with the steering wheel tray you’ve got yourself a solution. All you need now is an in-car grater for your cheese and you’re good to go!

4. An exhaust-based hamburger fryer.

As if the in-car microwave wasn’t bizarre enough, this company decided to invent a gadget that uses the heat generated from exhaust fumes to cook burgers. They claim that the cooking compartment is completely separated from the main pipe, ensuring your hamburger is safe from those noxious exhaust fumes.

It’s probably safer to pull into a service station for a McDonalds. But if you’re in the back of Beyond and you’re hankering for a tasty car-fried burger, then this is the invention for you. And once cooked you can eat your burger off your steering wheel tray. Ta-da!

3. The toilet car seat.

Speaking of service stations, we all occasionally need to pull in for a toilet break on long-distance journeys. Or maybe you’ve just polished off your car-fried burger, and your stomach regrets the decision. Either way, the inventor of the toilet car set must have had very few manners and didn’t mind filling the car with foul odours. Of course, that’s the least of the problems with this crazy idea. Let’s not even think about the toilet paper situation. Then again, we already have something to sit your toilet paper on…

2. The nuclear-powered car.

Nuclear power is an unrivalled energy source. It’s also extremely dangerous if not stored deep inside a reactor or underground. The thought of a car mechanic changing your oil and accidentally causing a nuclear meltdown gives us ‘Chernobyl’ vibes. A 5-year warranty and a half-life of 10,000 years!

Of course, we’re looking at an invention from America’s famous ‘Nuclear Age’, an era in which Ford created its prototype nuclear vehicle. Dubbed “Nucleon,” the name was as dubious as the idea itself.

1. The flying car.

Undoubtedly, the holy grail of automotive innovation is the flying car. Dreamed of by many and tried by few, it is still to become a realistic form of transport for the public consumer. There have been some attempts, but all have eventually been scrapped. Perhaps one day we will be flying to work, but at the moment,t it’s still a dream.