History Heterodox Gauges

Here's another sourcebook-type thread of ideas and inspirations. Weird gauges; the weirdest will probably be speedometers, but who knows? Vertical drums, horizontal drums, fixed needles, perpendicular needles, transparent-disc needles, ribbons, helical-pointer drums. What have you got?

 

I'll start. Vertical helical-pointer drum speedometer on a Mercedes-Benz "Fintail", 1959-on:


Early Saab speedometers worked on the same principle, but horizontal:


This is what the rotating drum looks like:


BMC ADO16 speedometers used a flexible ribbon, I believe:



If this could come out of the rather utilitarian orientation of the European motor industry, I'm sure the far more flamboyant American industry will have more. Let's see some.

 

66-69 Lincoln’s used this style it spun and lengthened almost like a thermometer
Started out white and at 65 or so went red!
I loved that car n all it’s little gimmicks and “luxury items”

 

Around 1960 Oldsmobile had them.
I had a couple '62s that would show a horizontal line that would go green to about 35 then orange to about 65 then red till it buried at 120..

 

The vertical is cool, like a thermometer

 

This should be a fun thread, whatever heterodox means. I hate it when Ned uses those big words.

Not much to add, except I noticed my recently acquired '56 Vette has an odometer in the tach. I asked ScottyT what the heck, 'cause the speedo already has one. He says it counts up the revs. Hmm, still don't quite get that.

 

Love my '51 Ford lighted circle needle..

 

What are the little lights indicating?

 

""What are the little lights indicating?""

All the usual stuff; headlites, high beam, park lights, acc, turn signal and some odd stuff, trans filter oil pump, line loc [in the shadow of the tach], fuel pump, reverse, oil filter [Oberg by pass] and I think one [at least] hasn't been assigned yet over the last 52 years. May be carb secondary opening candidate.

 

1959 Buick:


1961 Oldsmobile:




Here's an Olds drum:

 

My -41 De Soto.

 

My-48 Dodge

 

The action was conventional enough, but the 1947-8 Nash speedometer had the numerals printed on the lens:

 

Many early speedometers used drums or discs behind fixed pointers, e.g. this '20s Packard:


As, of course did the familiar '28-'29 Model A:


Changed to a conical drum for '30-'31:

 

Love that '20s Packard panel,
everything you need to know right there.

 

The 59 Buick is almost hard to comprehend. Definitely has a lot going on there.

 

Don't forget the 1957& 1958 Mercury's . It was 2 spools that wound the colored tape as speed increased.

 

Hour meter??

 

Was that an actual ribbon or tape or a drum?

 

'56-'58 Studebaker sedans had drum type speedometers, '56-'57 sedans also had color changing drum type indicators for the fuel level, amperage, coolant temperature and oil pressure. Sorry no pictures...

 

56 Studebaker

 

Here is a 60 Buick mirror speedometer I repaired. Hey it could be considered the first heads up display.

 

Love it!