Items NEVER on the options list

[Ozzie Osmond]

Prompted by the other thread about options I was left wondering what items are either STANDARD or NOT AVAILABLE depending on which model of car you buy.

Many years ago ABS used to be an expensive option on a handful of executive cars. Then it became standard on them and has trickled down so that almost every car on the market has ABS fitted as standard.

So are there ANY cars left where ABS is an optional extra?

And are there other items treated similarly? Well, for starters I guess there's no manual gearbox option on Ferrari 458.

[carlove]

I think ABS has to be on every new car by law.
IIRC you can't have manual gearbox on the Mercedes CLS

[manek]

Radio. Heater.

Wasn't that long ago (1960s) that these were all optional extras.

[MacW]

carlove said:

IIRC you can't have Manuel gearbox on the Mercedes CLS

Only the Spanish ones.

[andy400]

MacW said:

carlove said:

IIRC you can't have Manuel gearbox on the Mercedes CLS

Only the Spanish ones.

[andy400]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Well, for starters I guess there's no manual gearbox option on Ferrari 458.

I don't think you can have a manual gearbox on any Ferrari these days?

[carlove]

andy400 said:

MacW said:

carlove said:

IIRC you can't have Manuel gearbox on the Mercedes CLS

Only the Spanish ones.

Sorry, I was on the iphone and for some reason it decided to change the spelling.

[mnkiboy]

manek said:

Radio.
Wasn't that long ago (1960s) that these were all optional extras.

Or in BMW's case, the 1990's.

[soda]

I recall one of my earlier cars having only a drivers side door mirror, apparently the passenger one was optional.

[Pannywagon]

Seatbelts in the rear.

[manek]

soda said:

I recall one of my earlier cars having only a drivers side door mirror, apparently the passenger one was optional.

I remember buying a wing mirror for my first Mini (1963 model, 551 YOO, red and black two-tone yeah!) since it didn't have one, and fitting it myself, No fear of drilling through the mild steel wing to introduce yet more places the thing could start rusting...

[Valentin]

IIRC the rev counter is still an optional extra on a smart.

[Spiritual_Beggar]

Aston Martin are by far the biggest culprits in this department!!!!



Last time I checked I couldn't see any of the following;

Ejector seat
Bulletproof glass
Oil slick
Rockets in the grill
etc.

[Mroad]

andy400 said:

I don't think you can have a manual gearbox on any Ferrari these days?

California has optional manual box instead of DCT.

[killsta]

I think there's a few marques where indicators are still on the options list.

[MacW]

Spiritual_Beggar said:

Aston Martin are by far the biggest culprits in this department!!!!



Last time I checked I couldn't see any of the following;

Ejector seat
Bulletproof glass
Oil slick
Rockets in the grill
etc.

And you want to see the look on their face if you ask them for a cloaking system on a Vanquish!

[mxspyder]

carlove said:

I think ABS has to be on every new car by law.

Somebody had better call Caterham, Westfield, Gumpert and Noble

[RenesisEvo]

mxspyder said:

carlove said:

I think ABS has to be on every new car by law.

Somebody had better call Caterham, Westfield, Gumpert and Noble

Nope - they're low volume manufacturers, different rules apply.

[aka_kerrly]

mxspyder said:

carlove said:

I think ABS has to be on every new car by law.

Somebody had better call Caterham, Westfield, Gumpert and Noble

Those cars have SVA and are not considered mass market vehicles so they don't have to have ABS.

[Tyre Smoke]

Seatbelts - cost option on Mk2 Cortina, further cost option was inertia reel seatbelts.

Curry hook, why are they never fitted as either standard or an option?