Top 11 Actual Aftermarket Mods That Never Quite Caught On

For all of their promise, some vehicular enhancements just weren’t cut out to stand the test of time – from those that overpromise and under-deliver to those that just leave us scratching our heads. Here’s a rundown of some ACTUAL automotive aftermarket mods that, for better or worse, came and went the way of the Gremlin (or should).

The ‘Chrome Dome’ bald guy hitch ball cover
The singing bass dashboard compass
The air intake vortex-creation device
Rear window venetian blinds
A tune-up in a can
The ‘lifetime’ spark plug
Open exhaust/muffler bypass kit
The ‘Wolf Whistle’ auxiliary horn
‘Flare-o-Flame’ flaming exhaust tailpipe tips
Squad-car-style spotlights

Aftermarket Mods Number One

As a creative agency, we’re all about innovation…always mining for insights about human nature that we can use to craft smarter, harder-hitting ad campaigns and marketing programs. So we can certainly appreciate the thought and creativity that went into some of the above modifications. That said, we also know when to call a spade a spade – and some of these refinements were clearly an attempt to make a quick buck and never going to be more than fads in passing. Today more than ever, a good marketing partner needs to be in tune with market trends…and trained to spot the difference between a smash hit and a flash in the pan.