These Are Your Favorite Dashboards

Your car is trying to communicate with you, even though it can't use human speech. Woe to the driver who ignores the squeal of a timing belt or the illumination of a dashboard light for too long (unless you own a German car, then those are just for traditional decoration). But the dashboard isn't just a place where spending a full paycheck on your car starts. It's also a chance for car designers to show their stuff in a place you look dozens, if not hundreds of times every time you drive. 

For normal people, looking at the dashboard happens so often it just becomes background noise. But you, Jalopnik reader, are not normal people. I asked you all earlier this week about your favorite dashboards, and you delivered. Weird, esoteric cars, classic Corvettes, and the coolest Subaru ever constructed all made the cut. Scroll through to see what dashes your fellow Jalopniks find beautiful. 

I'm going a little off the path for why I love the dash of the early Vibes and Matrices, but the "optitron" gauges on the higher trim levels were excellent to read in any lighting and especially at night, where the red didn't hurt your night vision, which was a thing for me for a time with young babies in the back making the 11+ hour drives through the night while they slept to get to family halfway across the country.

It's hyper-specific, but there is something to be said about a dashboard that is crisp and easy to read and use, and is mindful of making it easier on the driver to actually drive.

From potbellyjoe

1958-1962 Corvette. What I love is

The body work runs between the seats into the center hump and then you have the dash flow out of the center tunnel. The Cove for the passenger side instead of a glove box. Giant speedometer that surrounds a tach in the center.

It's VERY 50s and VERY cool, and still very functional.

From hoser68

Quirky 80s futuristic dash and steering wheel. I give you, the Subaru XT

From Sennamp4

I've always liked the 1986 Cavalier Z24 Hatchback's digital dash. It was something cool on a relatively cheap Chevy Cavalier 40 years ago.

Of course, when it stopped working, which was sometimes often, you'd have to replace the ribbon cable, but that was also very 1986.

From Anonymous Person

In 1994 the 4th gen Honda prelude dash looked straight out of Star Trek the next generation to me. I liked it.

From Sean W

I always loved the simple and clear dashboard on my old Datsun 240Z.

From BuddyS

FD RX-7 was a great design.

NB Miata was a good update too.

From Silverlining

Personally, I'm a fan of the mid-1990s Corvette ZR1. There's something special about that mix of physical and digital gauges— the interior itself, to me, looks more like the cockpit of a Star Trek spaceship, while still remaining functional and easy to understand.

From Jay Morgan

I had a couple of 80s era BMWs- 320i and 325es and those were true cockpits. Orange instrument lighting and angled towards the driver.

From Sugar Shack

Even though Vector only made a handful of cars, it's dash was the ultimate expression of the late 80's, KITT-car era, pseudo-cockpit design ethos. Were you driving a car? Flying a plane? A secret undercover operative? Who knows!

From DynamicPresence