Just like in the fashion industry, automotive styles come and go. Some of the vehicle accessories that were all the rage 30 or 40 years ago aren’t really a “thing” anymore.
I recently got ahold of an accessories brochure for 1984 Honda models. My favorite item was the rear window louver set. The brochure said, “The rear window louver offers increased privacy and protection from sunlight. It also helps lower interior temperatures and preserves the interior trim. Designed not to interfere with the rear window wiper.”
Below you’ll find a list of some of the accessories mentioned in the brochure, as well as others that I came up with. Some are truck-specific, like those plastic bug deflectors that people used to put on the leading edge of their pickup hoods.
It’s important to note that some things that are generally “standard equipment” today were once dealer-installed options. Air conditioning was one example, at least when it came to third-generation Honda Civics.
- Air conditioning
- Battery warmer
- Bug deflector
- Bumper guards
- CB radio
- Center console
- Door edge guards
- Engine block heater
- Fender well trim
- Fog lights
- Luggage rack
- Mud flaps – Remember the ones with Yosemite Sam?
- Nose mask (or “bra”)
- Passenger-side mirror
- Pinstripe
- Radio
- Roof or ski rack
- Steel wheel trim rings
- Sunroof visor
- Window louvers
What were some accessories that you just had to have back in the day? Or better yet, which now-defunct accessories do you think should make a comeback?
Here are a few more snaps from the 1984 Honda pamphlet to get your brainstorming session started.
