Digital displays won't kill analogue car dashboard dials, they'll live on as the height of luxury

My colleagues and I have spent plenty of time discussing the phasing out of combustion cars and manual gearboxes, but there’s another feature that’s also quietly but surely disappearing: traditional dashboard dials.

With so much technology being crammed into today’s cars, it’s only natural that big screens are now the preferred choice for displaying so much data. However, I believe that the demise of the dial is a much sadder affair than some of us may realise.

When I borrowed Auto Express’s long-term Mazda CX-30 a while back, I found it to be a perfect example of dials and screens working in perfect harmony and looking lovely in the process. However, more features mean more investment, and brands are never keen on unnecessary spending, so Mazda’s incoming generation of cars – the new CX-5 being a prime example – have been sent down the screen-only route, like so many before them.

This is a shame, because there have been some beautifully designed dashboards over the decades, and they often play a key role in defining a car’s character. It’s clear that I’m not the only one who feels this way, either, as some of Volkswagen’s screens can now display a replica of the dashboard cluster from a Mk1 Golf. 

There’s one fairly recent arrival that’s completely bucked the screen-obsessed trend, though, and that’s the Bugatti Tourbillon. I’m certainly not about to compare this multi-million pound car to a Mazda or VW, but it got me thinking… could analogue dials become the next luxury must-have?

When smartwatches first arrived on the market, millions of people flocked to buy them for the sheer convenience that they offered. They were a revolutionary product at the time, and are still worn by plenty today. However, I sincerely doubt that many wearers would opt for an Apple Watch over a Rolex if given the choice.

It’s because of this that there appears to be a similar situation gradually developing in the automotive world. For those buying a top-end car, surely an expertly crafted gauge that will always look exquisite is far more appealing than a mere screen that’ll appear outdated in just a few years? After all, this is the approach that Bugatti has taken with the Tourbillon.

It’s very unlikely that we’ll be seeing analogue gauges in affordable cars for much longer, though, so please take this moment to fully appreciate the long and faithful service that’s been provided by the finest creations from Jaeger, Smiths, VDO and many more.

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