You Might Remember These from Childhood Rides—Here’s What They Did
A sheriff’s car cruises through the countryside in a black-and-white still from a vintage TV show. Attentive viewers might notice something strange sticking up from the front fender. A little upright rod with a ring on top. That little gizmo? It’s a corner marker, a brilliant piece of old-school automotive design. It helped drivers retain their sense of place before backup cameras and parking sensors were even a twinkle.
They seem strange today, but they had a reasoned and useful role in the “good old days.”
But, What in the World Are Corner Markers?
A corner marker was a small guide rod, generally with a ball or circle on the top for design purposes, mounted to the front corners of a
vehicle’s fenders. They also provided drivers with a visual cue of where the corners of their cars ended.
It was really useful in boats such as large body sedans or the police cars with a long bonnet with little forward visibility. Cars back then didn’t have contouring hood designs nor recessed headlights that showed you where on earth your car ended. These humble rods extended a hair past the rear axle, just enough so that the driver could see them when behind the wheel, and they made tight parking and slender maneuvers easier.
Where You’ve Seen Them Before
The above image is probably an episode of The Andy Griffith Show, a program that became synonymous with 1960s Mayberry charm. In it, you can see the sheriff’s car (a Ford Galaxie or such variety) with the marker circled. These decals were particularly popular on government fleet vehicles, such as police cars, fire chief vehicles, and military staff cars.
They weren’t on every car, but they were a popular accessory or a factory option through the ’50s, ’60s and even into the ’70s. Later decades saw older Land Cruisers and Toyota Crowns using similar devices among Japanese imports as well.
Still Here, Shaped Anew
If you believe that edge markers are something of the past, think again. They are still used in modern off-roaders — such as the 2023 Ford Bronco. These new style markers are most often referred to as trail sights or trail markers. And rather than metal rods, they are typically plastic pieces that have been stamp-molded into the hood. Often styled to complement the vehicle’s rugged appearance. Their purpose, however, has not changed. Purpose is to assist drivers in bulging the corners of their vehicle, particularly when doing so on challenging off-road terrain.
In fact, the modern Bronco lines up quite nicely with its forebears by reviving this old-school feature. Demonstrating that some straightforward concepts never really go out of style.
Why the Corner Markers Went Away
However by the 1980s and ’90s, car designs more and more catered to the driver’s well-being. Lower hoods, improved visibility out the rear windows and sleeker body shapes in general allowed edges of a car to be better judged. And, with the coming of back-up cameras, parking sensors and, now, even 360-degree camera systems, we became convinced that we didn’t need physical guide markers.
Fashions in taste also evolved. Once corner markers were operative, they were experienced as clunky or out of date. Manufacturers began focusing on clean, unstressed exteriors. These guideposts soon disappeared from most of the cars we buy, with one exception: the cars that weren’t designed for the masses, like off-road vehicles.
A Small Feature with Big Nostalgia
While most drivers today are accustomed to sensors and screens, there is something inherently likable about corner markers. They symbolize a more innocent era, when technology in cars was less advanced, and drivers had to depend more on line-of-sight and judgment than digital guidance.
For others, catching a sight of a corner marker on an old show car or a police cruiser reminds them of what it was like to be a kid, sitting in the passenger seat, as Dad carefully inched the family wagon into A tight parking spot. For others, it’s a relic of a time when form followed function in the most direct sense.
