In a reader’s response to our question “What is Your Favorite Model Car That General Motors Produced”, she mentioned it was the 1967/1968 Pontiac Firebird, and added that she missed wind wings. That got us thinking…we really like the wind wings in our older cars and wish we had them in the newer models. For those of you who didn’t grow up driving in cars that came equipped with this marvelous piece of standard equipment, you probably don’t understand why we think a re-introduction might be a great idea.
On a warm afternoon, you can turn those wind wings in about 180 degrees and get a wonderful blast of fresh air while traveling down the roadway. Producing that same velocity of air coming at you by rolling the windows down will turn light weight objects in the car into projectiles that will eventually escape out and onto the highway. Also, the ladies will appreciate the breeze without turning a good hair day into a bad one.
We can’t count the times that a wind wing has saved us from calling roadside assistance to get our keys out of a locked car. A piece of wire and a steady hand was all you needed to flip up the wind wing latch and gain access to the door handle. And even if you couldn’t open the wind wing, you could break it and still pay less for a replacement than a locksmith.
Most car makers did away with wind wings in the 1970’s, but your muscle machines started a bit sooner. Corvette’s and Camaro’s final production with wing wings was 1967 and Mustangs, GTO’s and the Cutlass 442 did away with them by 1969. The only way you could get transportation that had wind wings was to buy a Ford F150 truck…that is until 1998.
So we say, let’s bring back the humble wind wing – the little window that does so much.
Two nations separated by a common language.
With the meniont of Pontiac Firebird and wind wings I thought the article was going to be about fins etc which I thought were a hangover from the 1950s and maybe the early 60s. I trawled the depths of my memory for images of a Firebird and couldn’t remember any fins. Then I went on to read the full article.
It turn out that wind wings are ‘Quarter lights’ in the Queen’s English.
I’m with Terry and was thinking if the same thing. Similar terminolgy in Australia “quarter windows”. I remember the 1950s Holdens (an Australian GM) quarter windows and the pop up air scoop in front of the windscreen with a gauze filter to keep out the bugs, who needed air conditioning
Amen! Bring them back, this would be a blessing.
Wind wings, also known as the quarter glass, an elegent way to deflect the oncoming wind into the cabin. With this the drag effiecency will go out of the window or should I say the quarter glass.
It’s interesting that the windwing is called the “quarter glass” in England/Australia. I discovered long ago that “windwing” is owned by Angelenos. I started asking people what they call the “little triangular window” on driver’s and front passenger’s side of the cars. Surprisingly, they do not have a special name in many parts of the U.S. (and, yes, I asked folks who were old enough to remember them!); in Canada (at least, the Toronto area), they’re called “downdrafts.”
Yes the white steering wheel was an option for the factory on the MK2 Jaguar
Good post Tony and Michele. This is another good post by you. The Mustangs is really awesome car and it’s one of my favorite cars. Thanks for this post. carinsuranceclassic.co.uk
OK, I respectfully disagree. What car does not have AC these days? Also, these things really take a lot of sleekness away from the style of any car (why do you think they went away first on the Corvettes and Camaros?
Last but not least, you really have to be kidding about wanting them back because “it is easier to break into your car”.