Drivers are only just realizing VW Beetles come with a hidden feature inside - where to look to find yours

DRIVERS are just now realizing that an iconic car model has a hidden feature that could brighten your daily commute.

Various models of the Volkswagen Beetle feature a vase holder, there to contain a small bunch of flowers in a vase by your dashboard.

2

2

The feature was first introduced in the 1950s by the German manufacturer to offer drivers more customization inside their cabins.

Originally vases, or 'Blumenvasen' were supplied as clip-ons that were produced by high-end porcelain manufacturers.

For those who didn't wish to brighten up their space with a fake or real flower, the spot could also be used to hold pens or other essentials.

The feature was a nod to cars that were first built in the 1800s with a similar holder, according to Timmons Volkswagen.

read more motors stories

Back then, drivers used flowers as air fresheners to distract from the overwhelming smell of oil or stinky passengers.

While the rebrand was a nice idea, it fell out of style in the late 1970s, and the manufacturer decided to remove it once in the 1990s and again for good in 2011.

“Though we’re sad that the little flower vase is no longer available for the Beetle, it doesn’t mean that the iconic model doesn’t still retain elements of its past," wrote a dealership in Santa Monica when it was discontinued.

"Though the flower vase made way, extra storage has been made available with the Kaferfach glovebox, another nod to the past."

Most read in Motors

It also might be interesting for drivers to know that old cars also had a fold-out feature that prevented pedestrians from being hit.

The lever-activated invention was known as The Car Catcher and was meant to be used during transit.

Pulling this lever resulted in a vehicle’s front bumper deploying a fold-out scooper that swept up the endangered pedestrian so they could avoid getting run over, Futility Closet reports.

A video filmed in 1939 and posted on YouTube in 2014 demonstrated the invention, which two Sheffield, England engineers created, British Pathé reports.

This video’s speaker said that the scooper could be fitted to bumpers or take their place.

This compact configuration was made possible by the product’s fold-out design.

The demonstration clip showed a pedestrian getting eaten up by the scooper instead of being run over. 

The video’s narrator said: “When the scoop is open, a jaywalker simply can’t get run over.

“And sometimes that’s more than he deserves.”

Read More on The US Sun

Another driver has pointed out that one useful car feature actually has a second use that can keep your takeout food warm.

And there's also a little-known feature that you should always check on to make sure your car will last as long as possible.