Fender Mounted Mirrors

[earthtechy]

Saw this 49 Champion with fender mounted mirrors.

Anyone ever see this before?

Thanks.

[TWChamp]

Not only do they look bad, but they are totally out of place and will do little if any good.

The closer they are to the driver, the wider the field of view.

[57pack]

Nice looking Champion, except for the mirrors.
Had a 1960 MGA with the Lucas mirrors mounted on fender top just aft of headlamps. Weren't of much use but looked nice.

[BRUCESTUDE]

I had a '57 President with fender mounted mirrors, totally worthless!

[sals54]

I've always loved the fender mounted mirrors. I had them on my MGBs and my Sunbeams. We are moving the mirrors on the Avanti out to the fenders as well. They'll be out to the fender wells. The 70s Japanese cars always look fabulous with their fender mounted mirrors. Very Koooool

[Hallabutt]

I totally agree that fender mounted mirrors are all but useless on today's drivers, but there was a time and a place when they were necessary. In bygone days when our cars did double duty as travel trailer tow vehicles it was necessary to get the mirrors far enough away so you could see around the trailer, especially when backing up. This was a time when people owned only one vehicle and it was usually a car. This was long before pickup trucks with extended side mirrors became the tow vehicle of choice.

I embrace the fact that "Humphry," my original 1960 wagon has them, not because they are very useable, which they aren't, but because they are part of the car's unique history. The mirror placement has often become an interesting topic of conversation at car events, which invariably leads to the car's history. An interesting sidebar to the original fender mounted mirror placement, is that in order to do the placement correctly it necessitated that the radio aerial had to be moved to the left rear fender. I find the whole process to be a really cool part of the history of the car, and of general automotive history as well.

[8E45E]

The mirror placement has often become an interesting topic of conversation at car events, which invariably leads to the car's history.

I mentioned in another post not long ago, my aunt had a rearview mirror mounted on her car at her local garage sometime back in the 1960's. The garage owner/mechanic asked her to sit behind the wheel while he placed it in several different locations on the door and fender and asked her which spot was most optimum personally to see behind before he drilled any holes to mount it; not any car or mirror manufacturer's template.

I have to admit, that car above does not look good at all with those mirrors on it.

Craig

[52-fan]

Fender mounted mirrors on American cars look strange. On the smaller European cars they look sporty. JMHO

[acolds]

Not sure when installed or by who but fender mounted on my one owner Clipper Since removed and replaced with door mount as I prefer that location for looks alone

[rockinhawk]

Kinda hard to see in this shot, but it has fender mount mirrows. I think they complement the fender lights.

[StudeRich]

They are way more common on 1960's Cars than a 1949, I have never seen that done that early.

My '66 Cruiser had a Pair of those Fender Mounted Aftermarket Mirrors, they are gone now, a Door Mount is a Big improvement for usage.

Maybe the Trend was started by Raymond Loewy on his personal Avanti, he was the King of Do-Dads.