Once upon a time ... the toggle switch
05/19/2024
Nowadays there is a lot of talk about the disadvantages of modern interior technology. Touch-sensitive LCD screens have become the control center in cars. Haptics often fall by the wayside and it is rarely possible to switch functions on or off blindly.
That used to be different. The toggle switch was almost ergonomically perfect. Not only could you feel perfectly whether the switching process had worked, you could also tell from the switch which position it was in.
In the Jaguar S 3.8, for example , you can see at a glance whether the left or right tank is in operation, whether the windshield wipers are on or whether the map light is on. And the clicking sound when you flipped the switch was very melodic and pleasing. All of this reminded me a little of an airplane cockpit, which is not a bad indicator of ergonomics.
However, these switches were probably too expensive to manufacture, which is why they increasingly disappeared from the 1960s onwards. Today, when we drive a car with toggle switches, we look forward to every change of gear ...
