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Help answer this question below.
Yes, we called them 'wind wings' and they were great .. along with windows that rolled up and down and always worked, unlike the ones today.
Yes, and I was employed by an auto importer when they were disappearing. We all thought it a bad decision but the design rational was sound.
1. The vent window was expensive to make.
2. The frequency of air and water leaks around the seal was high.
3. This was the thief's favorite means of entry. Very often the vent was not fully locked. No one liked to push that little button to unlock the lever.
4. Flow through ventilation with A/C had become so common that vent windows were seldom used.
Oh yes - they had a little crank on the inside of the door. That was retro air conditioning.
Yes....didn't remember about that until you mentioned it.
Yes; and there are certainly times and places for them still - though they rarely exist now ... like so many other 'lost' articles of the past that still have potential and worthwhile use today.
In our country, in the early 1970's, the [so-called] "cultural revolution" tossed out ALL our previous school text books they could find - that is, the "education dept's" of that revolution did. They just simply turfed them out of their archives, etc., and said they were starting anew to make a new world ...
Well, THIS is it!!
Improved ... ???
Fortunately, as I tutor maths and English and my father was a teacher [though his orientation was this same revolutionary thing], when he died, I found the odd language text from the 1950's.
Elsewhere, I miraculously chanced upon 2 old 'Arithmetic" [mathematics - they even changed its name!] texts from the 1940's ... well, I use them in teaching my students - very useful.
Yes I do remember those classic beauties.
Yes, I am and now I am depressed!!!
Yes, I do. They're called vent windows. One of the last, if not THE last car to have them was the 1989 Lincoln Town Car. On that car, they are power-operated.
We called them wind wings. My first car had them. Very handy to let in wind without messing up your "do". Also handy for break-ins too.
Yes and they let in just the right amount of air.
Yep. We called them wing windows, and as a gas station attendant, I was able to help a cusomer who had locked herself out of her VW bus using my Swiss Knife's fish scaler to open the wing. She was grateful, but worried that I could do it so easily. lol
yup.. we even had an austin with little flippers that lit up and flipped out to the side to indicate we were turning.....
Ah yes, the wing-window.
Been in many a vehicle with those.
My dear, sweet ol' granny from my mother's side had a Barracuda with 'em.
It wasn't the model style that most people remember best, but it was a fun classic style none the less.
I'm pretty sure it predated any true "hatchback" model of any car, but it had a very unique hatchback style rear window, and with the rear seat folded down it was pretty fun to "ride in the trunk".
You sure as HELL couldn't get away with letting kids ride that way in THIS day and age, but then again there were far fewer RETARDS on the roads in those days, and NOT a damn one of 'em had a cellphone or knew what the hell "texting" was.
It looked like THIS...

Many older cars had the triangular windbreak. window to keep the wind from hitting the front passengers
20 years ago, my brother still owned a classic with those windows.
yep , and they were a bitch to close too .
My husband has a 1996 ford truck for work that has the wing windows.
Window vents... Yep. I remember them well. Sometimes I miss them.
Yes, and those windows had some benefits. Someone told me not long ago that some Jeeps still have those kind of windows.
I remember when seatbelt were not only not mandatory but hadn't been invented yet. And my first nephew (Born 1971) didn't have a car seat but was carried in a little car bed.
Yeppers...we called them wing windows.
I loved them and I too wish they'd bring them back.
Yes.
My 1988 Bronco has them. They are great for diverting fresh air into the car. Taking them out the design was not an improvement. They are great for quick de-fogging as well.
What lovely nostalgia! I miss them too.
very handy - yes i do
Damn I'm getting old,, sure do. Great little mini AC's.
Yes, I am. *whimper*
Oh yes. I've owned a number of cars which had those little windows. I use to love to turn them all the way back in the Summer and get one hell of a breeze goin! : D
Yes. They shouldn't have stoped making vehicles with those.
Yes I love them.Today all you get is alot of noise and wind.
Ahh, yes. I do remember my parents/grandparents having cars with those little windows.
Oh yes ... didn't we call them "wings". I'm plenty old enough to remember!! lol
I've always known them as "draft windows" not many cars had a/c then [ although it was an option on many models] and smolking was rampant, these windows let air in/out without having to roll the big window down
sadly enough i am!!
Yes! I loved my old Fairmont! Wish I could find another one.
my 63 volks has them and I use it everytime I get in the car, even in the winter to increase the hot air flow from the heaters, would like to get the quarter windows in the back that open with a chrome lever ivory knob; cars these days all look identical, rolling jellybean, with the same options as the next brand, and cheaply made
sure do. I still own one (62 M-B 190d). I also remember my father had an Oldsmobile station wagon with the extra windshield on top, think they called it the Vista Cruiser.
i remember them and im only in my 30s
I really hate to admit it but yes, I am that old. LOL. I actually liked those little windows, they were good for getting a bit of fresh air, with out having to freeze your total ass off, or blow your hair all over your face.
Sure.
I had those in my clunker van that I just traded in.
Yes, those were cool!
Yes I am.
I had them on my 1980 Ford Fiesta.
Nice feature, horrible car.
Yep.
YES! Not sure why they did away with them... They worked quite nicely!
yes.and when a seatbelt was my dad's arm too.
Yes, they a called Vents, I still have a car with them in it and its nice to drive a car with them and be able to have the window down and not get so much wind in you ear. Those great old days. back then is when cars were fun.
I had a mustang
yes and I always got yelled at by my father for playing with it,, Husband still has one on his el camino
Yeah, you could crank them most of the way around and force the wind to blow in on you while going down the road.
Yep! My first car had that.
How would you feel if you saw a VW Beetle with an Autobot symbol, then when you looked inside a dude dressed as Duke was banging a chick
by Have A Nice Day on September 15th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Looking for gas tank size for 1981 El Camino SS VIN# 1GCCW80J7BD472923
by linda325 on September 3rd, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Some Chargers 1968 seem not to have lights? why is that , or where do they have them?
by Tom D on August 20th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
How rare is a 1972 Cadillac Coupe de Ville with El Deora package?
by Vickie_R on October 30th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
I'm looking for a die cast model of a 1939 Ford Coupe (my dad's first car) Seem to find every year but that one. Any ideas?
by mhansen1665 on November 1st, 2010
| 1 person likes this
You're reading Are you old enough to remember cars with the little triangular window at the front end of the front-seat windows that actually opened?
Comments
They were the worst possible things for them to take off of the cars. You could crack them open a little bit, and they pulled out cigarette smoke and your buddy's gaseous emissions. You could crank them all the way open and they scooped in fresh air. (we called them 260 air conditioning... two wing windows - 60 mph).
by Nitroduck on April 13th, 2009
260 air conditioning ~ love it! There were so many things that were great about old cars, not least of which was leg room!
by Dracool on April 13th, 2009
Yes... And vinyl (better yet - naugahyde) front bench seats. Every car seems to have a console blocking you from your date these days.
by Nitroduck on April 13th, 2009
If you can remember wind wings and you're still dating .. kudos!!!!
by Dracool on April 13th, 2009
DRAC - You have mail.
by Friendo on April 13th, 2009
Gracias mi amigo ~ received.
by Dracool on April 13th, 2009