Cars today are technological marvels that contain some truly miraculous innovations. If you were to tell people even 10 years ago that cars would be able to park themselves, direct the driver to where they are going and be equipped with rear view cameras, most people would tell you that you’re crazy. Yet, here we are in 2016 on the cusp of seeing completely automated, driverless cars on North American streets. This is truly impressive. Yet for all the automotive innovations over the years that have advanced cars and made them safer, there have been a staggering number of bizarre vehicle innovations that have failed miserably. Here’s a list of the 10 strangest car innovation failures.
10. Front-Mounted Horse’s Head
It’s fair to say that the automobile did away with the horse-drawn buggy. As more Ford Model T cars dotted roadways a hundred years ago, people became less inclined to hitch their horse up to a buggy and trot into town. Of course, not everyone was an immediate fan of the then-new invention known as the automobile. Many people, notably rural farmers, were scared of cars and the speeds at which they traveled. So, in an effort to appease many people and make them feel more comfortable driving a car, some automotive manufacturers offered to attach an artificial horse’s head to the front of the cars they were selling. One vehicle manufactured out of Michigan in 1899 became known as the “Horsey Horseless Carriage” and featured an artificial horse’s head mounted on the front of the car. The horse’s head was actually hollow and used to hold extra fuel, which turned out to be a hazard in the event of a crash or accident. Fortunately, this innovation went the way of the buggy whip.