Video-game-style digital screens, boxy dash components, lit-up numerical readouts, and that rewarding clicky switch are a variety of what made for the terrific automotive insides of the ’70s and ’80s. Piloting one of these aged beauties is akin to entering into a time capsule a world of brash layout choices embodied in every dial, toggle and also button. From that one-of-a-kind smell to those distinct ally different consistencies of vinyl, plastic and also timber ornamentation, dashboards from these decades summon a particular nostalgic aura for also those who are not well-acquainted with this automobile period.

During that era, however, automotive interior designers did not face the same limitations to their imaginations as they have to deal with today. Dashboards of the day had to deal with a wide variety of equipment that has long all but vanished from most of today’s cars namely, a key ignition and a lighter/ashtray but also had not as yet become choked by oversized displays or too many airbags, etc. The additional design leeway gave engineers license to come up with a variety of unusual switchgear, radical layouts, dazzling instrument dials, futuristic warning lights, and dramatic dash configurations.

On the other hand, the futuristically opulent control stations some bearing an uncanny resemblance to a science fiction cockpit were on the radical side, to put it mildly. Inspired by everything from the interiors of aircraft to a typical, cutting-edge piece of the era of home electronics, the designs of these dashboards were filled with the adventurous, utopian feeling of early automotive development. Most of them are easily recognizable, so good has their interior design really turned out to be.

1. Alfa Romeo Montreal

It was not just stunning to look at though, as this Alfa Romeo’s interior complemented the exterior styling’s flamboyant attitude. The interior, from its neatly laid out dashboard to its perfectly shaped centre console made for a stylish cockpit that catered more for the driver. The steep centre console with short gearchange imparted a particularly sporty feel and the well-placed control surfaces were both functional and attractive.

Dashboard Highlights:

• Raised centre console design
• Short sporty gear shifter
• Six centrally placed rocker switches
• Twin circular instrument pods
• Elegant wood-rimmed steering wheel

The twin round binnacles of instruments that supported the dash were replete with dials and, while giving a balanced and symmetrical look, they did not impair clear vision when being driven. Adding further emphasis was a single row of six rocker switches down the centre that gave the dashboard an individual flavour, reflecting the purpose-built cockpit layout in which the car had been cast. No wasted space and clutter but simply a neat well-ordered approach.

2. Aston Martin Lagonda

Innovation ahead of its time for its time, the Aston Martin Lagonda introduced to us electronic features that few cars of the era had on offer. It made use of cutting-edge technology for its driver’s display screen giving the car a futuristic dashboard which few of the time can match the concept. This car had forsaken’ classic analogue indicators and has decided on adopting the use of an electronic display and a touchscreen that made it one of the craziest cabins equipped into any luxury salon on four wheels back then. Though Aston Martin encountered a series of issues in regards to electronics, they came forth with a couple of system upgrades for Lagonda throughout the course of its production but one can’t look over their contribution in regards to design the modern digital dashboard and the touchscreen technology that was eventually adopted by the later cars in the market in no doubt thanks to Aston Martin Lagonda a legendary dashboard of its time.

Innovative Interior Features:

• Advanced digital dashboard display
• Touch-sensitive control interface
• Switchable speed measurement units
• Night driving display mode
• Futuristic cabin technology approach

One of the dashboard’s standout innovations allowed drivers to switch between miles per hour and kilometres per hour using touch controls on the digital display. It also featured an “essentials services only” mode that reduced distractions by displaying only the time, speed, and fuel level during night driving. These features reflected Aston Martin’s determination to redefine how drivers interacted with vehicle technology.

3. Isuzu Piazza

If one side of Isuzu Piazza seemed pretty normal, the driver’s side was a different creature altogether. This car also introduced a unique approach of designing the dashboards by positioning almost every vital lever within reach of the steering wheel, thereby making driving experience more focused towards the driver’s angle as opposed to most common dashboard layout of the 80’s.

Driver-Focused Dashboard Design:

• Steering wheel control pods
• Easily accessible major controls
• Integrated heating system controls
• Convenient wiper operation layout
• Distinctive futuristic cockpit design

The massive control pods which mounted each side of the wheel contained the windscreen wipers plus heating/ventilation systems. With access the majority controls situated nearer to the driver there is little or no leaning across a dashboard-length dash to adapt them with no one needing to fumble around like. This quite strange setup revealed the time’s fondness just for original dashboard configuration then as soon as more or less things within driver ergonomics.

4. Lancia Trevi

Even if the Lancia Trevi wasn’t hailed as the pin-up of automotive design, at least one of its features made sure word of mouth travelled far. Lancia commissioned an architect instead of following convention to craft an unusual dashboard, referred to by many as “the Swiss cheese dashboard”. This radical design not only made it a talking point of many an argument of whether or not car interior should look so wacky, but also demonstrated the marque’s penchant for being just that bit different.

Unique Dashboard Highlights:

• Architect-designed dashboard layout
• Distinctive “Swiss cheese” styling
• Recessed control panel openings
• Bold unconventional interior concept
• Strong architectural design influence

Instead of putting up digital screens, there were various embedded indentations and slanted slots all over the dash. These sculptural grooves added texture and depth to the dash surface, and even displayed the controls differently. The dashboard has been modified to become a unique architectural element in the car’s interior.

5. Citroën BX Digit

When styling isn’t a consideration, it could have made quite an unusual centre dashboard console already, but the special-run Digit model threw designer’s gloves completely off and ushered in space-age dashboard technology. The new digit dash (new in ’85) put digital dials in a place of pride, with just the two simple displays, and nothing else cluttering things. Driver focused, very 80s.

Advanced Digital Features:

• Digital instrument cluster display
• Integrated onboard computer system
• Driver-focused dashboard layout
• Electronic warning display screens
• Futuristic 1980s interior styling

Centre on the dashboard was the digital graphic display which showed you all the important information in a contemporary and uncluttered way. Warning displays as well as displays of open doors are shown on small displays at the edge to integrate the system neatly, even there it was clearly to identify its high technology built-in beside the removable cassette system.

6. Subaru XT

Subaru Showed how an original interior was also possible Subaru pulled off the most creative interior for the decade with their 1980s XT model. Instead of taking on a standard dashboard, Subaru designed a futuristic cockpit that had all important buttons conveniently nearby the driver. The XT and its triangular body design was futuristic and as science fiction-y a sports coupe as you could get.

Driver-Centred Interior Features:

• Wing-shaped steering control pods
• Digital instrument display panel
• Futuristic three-spoke steering wheel
• Easily accessible major controls
• Distinctive science-fiction cockpit styling

Instead of having a scatter of switches throughout the dash, Subaru placed the dual wing-shaped control pods right behind the wheel. This means that a driver never had to move their hands much further from the controls to turn on the headlights or operate major functions. While the majority of the dashboard relied on low-cost plastic surfaces, the innovative switchgear, the digital dashboard and the general layout lent the interior a futuristic character for the day. Everything had been laid out in a manner that would provide a degree of ease and comfort that complemented the XT’s technological persona.

7. Buick Reatta

Buick was presciently on top of the trends influencing interior design in the 80s specifically the rise of home electronics in making the Reatta and incorporating this digital future into a sports coupe’s cockpit. If it seemed commonplace then to have TVs, personal computers, and even arcade consoles in every home, Buick tried its best to make those concepts applicable for an interior and you knew you were in something new just by walking into the car.

Futuristic Dashboard Features:

• Digital CRT touchscreen display
• Interactive vehicle control menus
• Television-inspired display technology
• Advanced electronic dashboard interface
• Customisable interior colour combinations

This technology is in plain to view; the driver had at their disposal a cathode ray tube (CRT) touchscreen which was much like a television screen for those of this age. Buick’s driver had a digital display instead of switches, in this case the vehicle could have been commanded through menus. The early and ahead vision of what cars would become, long before the automotive sector.

8. Cadillac Allanté

This ultra luxurious grand tourer had American ingenuity at its core, but that was then styled with elegant sweeping curves by the legendary Pininfarina design house which was based in Italy. The effect of that particular fusion resulted in a dashboard that could also match luxury with digital innovation. Complimenting this and adding to the bespoke feel of the cabin was the one-of-a-kind compass styled digital speedometer and tacho. These and the big, two spoke steering wheel create a sense of premium futuristic appeal, and the dashboard is one of the most enduring of any high end late 80s cars.

Luxury Interior Highlights:

• Premium Italian-inspired cabin styling
• Digital driver information centre
• Electronic climate control system
• Distinctive digital instrument display
• Elegant two-spoke steering wheel

Right there, in the middle, is a full-on, vertical-load cassette deck and built right next to it is the information screen and the digital climate control. Digital readouts filled digital surroundings where there were neat rows of clearly marked buttons and they almost did the dashboard. And it worked at least enough. Controls were exactly where drivers should, want and possibly did reach for without ruining the aesthetic.

9. Audi Quattro

The Audi Quattro gave proof that it was not about silly styling and fancy controls to have a striking dashboard. The racy exteriors of the Audi also carried over into the cockpit design but what stood out were the neat, tidy and absolutely efficient cabin interiors of this German beast, for a car in which as many design parameters have been paid attention to as to get simplicity and efficiency of operation for any driver, without having gone in for trends.

Driver-Focused Design Elements:

• Clean digital instrument display
• Functional dashboard layout
• Additional performance information gauges
• Driver-oriented control placement
• Simple yet elegant styling

From 1984, a cool digital panel updated the main binnacle without cluttering up the cabin. Every button, dial and knob found itself with a practical position on the switchgear ensuring the eye wasn’t taken away from the drive itself. The understated tone of design added to the Quattro’s character as an object that valued performance and efficiency over anything else.

10. Rover SD1

The Rover SD1 bookmarked the end of the family with one of its timeliest fascia designs. Inevitable there was some sort of weird gauge ‘pod’ stuck out on the front panel of the thing; it’s six of them sat as ‘in- your- face- nothing to it’ as you can get! This combined with what must have looked like very tactile dash-board ‘push-Ons’ down by the driver’s side door certainly wasn’t’ t the usual ‘ Smiths/ Jaeger’ ‘ look for dashboard; however; that may not have actually hindered this a lot as you can see.

Distinctive Dashboard Features:

• Prominent instrument pod design
• Six clearly arranged gauges
• Convenient driver-side controls
• Central passenger air vent
• Practical dual-drive compatibility

Further into the rest of the cabin and the SD1 also adopted this progressive methodology with an air vent at the very front of the cabin in the centre of the dashboard, aimed at the passenger and an additional, dedicated gear shifter plaque just off of the vents on the centre consoles so that at glance drivers can be reminded of their particular gear selection whether automatic or manual.