Elio Gauge Cluster - Lord Elgin? - Other Options?

[nthawk68]

I have yet to buy a vehicle because of it's dash nor have I not bought a vehicle because of it's dash....
Some one on the facebook stated that he wanted a "normal" dash......who wants to be normal?

A revolutionary car deserves a revolutionary interior, so we might as well go for the unusual in the dash.... I am a dial guage kind of guy, but will remain rigidly flexible with the dash. Agree a dash will not be a deal breaker, and the dash will just be 1 more conversation starter whenever I have stopped for a pee break, I am estimating 2 pee breaks for each fillup.

 

[RKing]

But it looks like it's STARING back at me! Sorry, don't have ant pics of odd clusters, really don't recall any that were memorable except the 72 Gran Prix. It was clean ,unclutered and functional. Elegance on display.

 

[zelio]

I've read with quite a bit of amusement on this forum and on the EMOA Facebook page about the Lord Elgin dash. For a historical perspective, and for the sake of discussion, (and outing myself as having a soft spot for some obscure footnotes in automotive history), I'll post a few pictures of noteworthy gauge clusters known for their different point of view on displaying information to the driver.

View attachment 3780
Citroën SM

View attachment 3781
Citroën BX

View attachment 3782 View attachment 3783
Olds Toronado

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Volvo 122

The Citroens and the Olds had a rotating drum that displayed the speed or RPMs. The BX also had an LED ribbon tachometer. The Volvo had a red ribbon that stretched across the dash - the faster you went, the more red you'd see. Remember, Drive Safely. Note the VDO logo in the lower left of the Volvo's cluster - for those lamenting the lack of a classic German cluster in their Elio, this was anything but. All of these cars have become cult classics in their own right, in spite of, or because of, their gauge clusters - depending on your point of view.

I guess where I'm going is this: The Elio won't be the first vehicle on the market with a cluster that's not a circle and needle. Nor will it be the last. It won't be the weirdest either. I give Elio a lot of credit for at least trying to get a bit of style in a sub $7k car. If it has some meaning for Paul, I can get behind that. It's his car company after all.

I know there are as many cluster designs as there are vehicles that have been produced. Please post the strangest or least traditional that you know of so that we all can appreciate them.

I like your approach although I do admit most of those are hard to read. It does, however, make me wish I had some oddball dash to share. LOL :-) Z

 

[Puna bob]

As long as all the important information is available I will get used to whatever format they deliver it in.
I don't even mind dummy lights, I'm not one to concentrate on my oil pressure while on a scenic drive so
the flash of a dummy light gets my attention pretty well.

 

[RKing]

I think what bothers me is that every thing, and I mean everything else is just so well thought out! That thing is hidieous, WHY GO THERE ? No other manufacturer offers any options for a dash display, but then they have lots of other "not so hot" issues. It seems we have come to expect more than is reasonable from Elio. I like some things, and know when I like them. I dislike a few things and know that as well. A tremendous amount of "things" fall into the "oh well" catagory, hopefully lord elgin finds his way there

 

[Kronos]

I really like your approach as well. Many great points Citroen has quite the history with oddball car features. Really it is a good thing, but they've since kinda lost that.

I can't think of anything more quirky than the ones you had in your post, so I'll just show a couple fairly radical designs the Aston Martin Lagonda had that I think is notable off the top of my head

 

[goofyone]

@interloper07 thanks for the interesting twist on the Lord Elgin discussion.

I remember when I was young my dad had a 1980 Chevrolet Malibu with a square guage cluster. Not really that quirky however it shows a completely different style to round gauges we are most used to today and this style was actually very common especially in GM cars of the 70's and well into the 80's.

The 1972 Chevy Nova SS we are restoring right now has a similar dash to the Malibu above

We also had a 1984 Corvette for a while. I referred to this as the 'space shuttle' dash and according to my dad at best it was very distracting, especially at night, and it was just about useless in bright sunlight as the display washed out.

In comparison to those very common gauge clusters of the past the Elio gauge cluster is beginning to look somewhat more conventional to me especially when considered in terms of how it will look when installed in the vehicle.
[Broken External Image]

 

[ross]

I've only bought one Brand New car in my life, but I have many friends who have, and can't recall any one offering a choice between analog or digital or any thing else when it came to the dash. You took what they had. I'm thinking, as long as I'm going to be driving something completely different than every other car on the road, and I suspect that for at least the first few months a lot of the people I encounter with my E-car are going to want to sit in it. It might as well have a dashboard that reflects its uniqueness. As long as it tells me how fast it's going, how fast the engine is turning, how much gas I have left, and gives me an idea about engine coolant temperature, and oil pressure, I'm good. I was originally a 'no' vote, but I've changed my mind, If Paul thinks it looks good on HIS dream car, that's good enough for me. Remember folks, unless any of us have reserved more than one E-car, the maximum anyone has gambled is a grand, with no guarantee we'll ever get anything other than a bumper sticker and a T shirt.
I personally don't care if the gas cap is mounted on the roof, or the dash is modeled after an Egyptian sundial, I just want my E-car.
Remember, right now, this is Paul's baby, once it goes it's full gestation period and we take 'delivery' they become our babies and we can do with them as we want, until then I'm going to leave it in Paul's capable hands and just hang out with you nice people here in "The Waiting Room."

 

[Rickb]

That looks like a dash of the past in a vehicle of the future or a pick up truck dash in an aerodynamic trike. It would have been interesting to listen to the conversation between the designers and the engineers regarding the dash and the interior design.

It seems the exterior styling evolved from the P2, 3, and 4, the interior not so much.

 

[Jeff Bowlsby]

What do people know about the dash gauge cluster specifics?

Who knows if this dash is exactly identical to what will be in production or only a family resemblance a similar unit from the same mfr.?

I have notated a photo of the dash with a few unmarked items - can you fill in the blanks?

There seem to be two brake indicator lights - ABS? Parking/Emergency? Traction control? Or is one of those an alternator light?

What is that far left item - it looks like a key/door/window icon?

A big concern I have about the gauge cluster is the large area of silver color on gauge faces - they would be better if black to not cause glare with the small numbers - the silver makes the gauges hard to read. Surely black paint cannot be too expensive.

So I see two moving gauges and a bunch of on/off indicator lights. The tach probably gets a simple signal from the coil...there is a coil right? The speedo is usually mechanical or electrical - either way, I am sure there are analog substitutes for anyone so inclined. Seems like an easy redesign for the aftermarket.

I wonder if there is a trip odometer? Dash clock? Water temp? Alternator light? Parking light indicator? Emergency flashers could be the turnsignal indicators flashing together.