Extinct Car Features Only Boomers Remember

Long before backup cameras and sensor beeps, there were curb feelers—thin, wiry rods attached near a car’s wheel well. Introduced in the early 1900s, they emitted a high-pitched screech when brushing against the curb, alerting drivers they were close to scraping their whitewalls.

They became especially popular in the postwar boom, when chrome trim and perfect parking were a point of pride. Although they eventually faded from mainstream use, curb feelers made a quirky comeback in the 1980s and 1990s, not out of necessity, but out of nostalgia. On lowriders and classic cars, they signaled style as much as caution.