The instrument cluster is a critical piece of equipment in every roadgoing vehicle, and a lot of the time you’ll find it full of basic dials or just an uninspired screen. But it doesn’t have to be that way. An instrument cluster and the speedometer within it can be works of mechanical art. What’s the most beautiful speedometer of all time?
The internet was abuzz yesterday with news about the Bugatti Tourbillon and its hilarious 1,775 horsepower. Admittedly, I wasn’t feeling Bugatti fever like everyone else. At first glance, the Tourbillon just seemed like any other Bugatti. That was until I took a look at the interior. The magnificent trim and the weird steering wheel drew me in at first. Then I saw the instrument cluster.
Did Bugatti need to make a cluster that looks like a fine mechanical watch? Of course not, but golly, I cannot stop looking at this thing in the topshot. I want it on my motorcycles and in my Smart Fortwos. This Autopian Asks is also inspired by a similar question being asked over at Opposite-Lock. I highly recommend joining Oppo if you like great car forums!
This question is hard for me to answer. On one hand, I’m a sucker for the digital gauges of the 1980s. There are lots of them out there, but I’ll highlight the cluster from the 1984 Chevrolet Corvette C4 above. A futuristic wedge needs a futuristic cluster to go with it.
But I wouldn’t call that cluster beautiful. Don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a brief moment. Another favorite cluster of mine is the one I installed in my 2012 Smart Fortwo. Yes, ragefaces are so old and out-of-date, but they were still a thing when I made the backing. How fast am I going? Obama!
The answer to most beautiful is a toss-up for me. The first-generation Dodge Charger has quite possibly my favorite instrument cluster of all time. Okay, take a look at these things. They’re sitting in these futuristic, space-age pods:
That’s cool all by itself, but these are electroluminescent gauges, so they have a fantastic pop when they light up I’m not much of a Charger woman, but I’d buy one just for that fantastic interior.
Second to that, I love the look of the instrument clusters and dashboards from pre-World War II cars. Just check out the cluster from a 1939 Packard Twelve:
Alright, enough of what I like. Tell me what are the most beautiful instrument clusters of all time. Do you like ’em digital or old-school analog?
My favorite speedometer was probably used in multiple early 80s Ford products. The numbers stopped at 85MPH because of a law at the time. The hash marks kept going.
I don’t know if it qualifies as aesthetically beautiful, but early 80s Subaru gauges were the first ones that made me think, “Now that’s how gauges should be done.” Two equal-sized, circular main gauges with clear markings and amber backlighting (including the needles).
Remember that during this time, a lot of mainstream cars didn’t even have tachometers, or else they were part of an upgrade package. And then the lighting in most gauges was either a dated green or plain white. Subaru gauges were so modern and functional, that for a few years they made most other mainstream cars’ instruments look dated.
By the time my mother bought a new GL wagon in 1987, Subaru had switched to smaller hemispherical gauges with white backlighting. To me it was both less functional and much less attractive than the gauge cluster that it replaced.
Someone else mentioned 1980s BMW gauges, and while they were indeed extremely functional, they leaned just a bit too far away from aesthetics for my taste. They did have nice, clear markings, but at night the instruments were front-lit with red bulbs. Great for night vision, but it sort of created a wall of red that looked a little oppressive to me.
I’m hella biased, but the three gauge cluster from the VW Type 3 is my favorite.
Seconded, and my ’67 squreback agrees.
I like the MG TF with its octagonal instrumentation.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mgtf+octagon+speedometer+&t=iphone&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fimages.hagerty.com%2Fvehicle%2Fweb%2F4561_8.jpg
i also like the green tinted gauges on early Porsche 911s and the Speedo & tach on Pagoda SLs and other Mercedes Benz cars of that vintage.
Any speedometer in an older car with colored metal dashboard looks ok.
I’ve always like the Altezza / IS300 dash. Very much in the spirit of chronographs.
https://i.redd.it/v669nzlfvtl51.jpg
wow, that’s significantly different than what it looks like in my 2002 USDM model
That was groundbreaking.
80’s GM with the needle that sweeps across the dashboard for like a mile, only to achieve 85mph. ALL of them as a group.
80’s GM with the needle that sweeps across the dashboard for like a mile, only to achieve 85mph. ALL of them as a group.
The Chrysler LHS. Chrome ringed with an elegant font, and the entire face was backlit with the soft green light.
2C3HC56GXXH506151-1626297918137196.jpg (1062×795) (autohelperbot.com)
Full Dash
44295 (720×433) (allpar.com)
The Chrysler LHS. Chrome ringed with an elegant font, and the entire face was backlit with the soft green light.
2C3HC56GXXH506151-1626297918137196.jpg (1062×795) (autohelperbot.com)
Full Dash
44295 (720×433) (allpar.com)
Spyker C8!! i’d post a pic but i don’t think you can do that yet.
Spyker C8!! i’d post a pic but i don’t think you can do that yet.
Let’s not forget the electroluminescent 1960-62 Chrysler ‘Astrodome’ instrument panel.
Let’s not forget the electroluminescent 1960-62 Chrysler ‘Astrodome’ instrument panel.
Pre-996 Porsche 911.
It (and the entire gauge suite – they’re all separate pods) exemplifies a wonderful Teutonic focus on function over everything else.
The stark white unstylized numbers on the matte black field with an orange-red pointer all just screams “sportscar” in the mind of anyone born in the latter half of the 20th century.
If truth is beauty, the simple purposefulness of it speaks for itself.
Pre-996 Porsche 911.
It (and the entire gauge suite – they’re all separate pods) exemplifies a wonderful Teutonic focus on function over everything else.
The stark white unstylized numbers on the matte black field with an orange-red pointer all just screams “sportscar” in the mind of anyone born in the latter half of the 20th century.
If truth is beauty, the simple purposefulness of it speaks for itself.
Mid 60s Volvo P1800 (already mentioned)
Series 1 Jag E-type
64/65 Mustang, non rally pac, horizontal speedometer
Mid 60s Volvo P1800 (already mentioned)
Series 1 Jag E-type
64/65 Mustang, non rally pac, horizontal speedometer
Hmm, upon further thought, the most beautiful speedometer is an accurate and fully working speedometer.
(Yes, I have driven far too many vehicles with temperamental or outright non-functioning speedometers, no need to ask, ha.)
Hmm, upon further thought, the most beautiful speedometer is an accurate and fully working speedometer.
(Yes, I have driven far too many vehicles with temperamental or outright non-functioning speedometers, no need to ask, ha.)
The most beautiful speedometer is the one in your first car.
I agree, but my ’86 Plymouth Voyager with a manual transmission and no tachometer was not exactly the pinnacle of design 😀
The most beautiful speedometer is the one in your first car.
Just curious, is there a reason no one has posted an image of the cluster they like? Not allowed? Seems like it would be super convenient if folks could just post the image right in the comments.
Just my 2 cents. I’ll shut up now 🙂
Most people have been getting around it by using the hyperlink button.
For example
Just curious, is there a reason no one has posted an image of the cluster they like? Not allowed? Seems like it would be super convenient if folks could just post the image right in the comments.
Just my 2 cents. I’ll shut up now 🙂
I love the Jaeger gauges and dash layout in the Bugatti Type 57. I also really like the simplicity of the gauges Mercedes-Benz used in the 300SL and many of their other cars from the 50s to the 70s. Interestingly this new Bugatti uses a very similar typeface to the one Mercedes used — I think some variant of DIN 1451.
I love the Jaeger gauges and dash layout in the Bugatti Type 57. I also really like the simplicity of the gauges Mercedes-Benz used in the 300SL and many of their other cars from the 50s to the 70s. Interestingly this new Bugatti uses a very similar typeface to the one Mercedes used — I think some variant of DIN 1451.