spufus

iTrader: (2)

..put the indicator/wiper stalks on opposite sides on UK & imports?

It does my head in.

I have one of each & constantly flash people/wash the screen by mistake.

Is there a sensible reason for this?

Dspeed

All subarus pre 98 I think had jap stlye, I wish they still did. guese at that point they would jus adapt to the individual maekets.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Pretty much all Jap cars are like that (the exception is British built Nissans etc. )


As does old Jags. And Bedford CFs vans and TL trucks.

I suppose it's bit like dictating which side the petrol cap should go on.

spufus

iTrader: (2)

Both my Imprezas are Jap, but you probably knew that

One's an import, one's not.

Still doesn't explain why they are on different sides?

silent running

It's very simple. It's standard on right hand drive cars built and sold in a right hand drive market. Think about it...which side is your gearstick and handbrake on in a right hand drive car? The left. Changing gear, steering, operating the handbrake and the centre console controls is enough to be getting on with, with just the left hand wouldn't you say?

The JDM layout of indicators on the right hand stalk makes absolute sense - you use headlights/sidelights/indicators/flashing a lot more than your windscreen wiper stalk. Plus your fog light switches are on the right hand end of the dash as well.

The real question you should be asking is why do UK Subarus have indicators on the left? That IS silly.

mightyyid

There have been many discussions about this in the past. Look at Australia, for example, and they have drive on the left like the UK but most indicators are on the right.

IIRC, it goes back to the old days in the UK with the classic British Sports Cars, when it was common that indicators were the right stalk so that someone could change gear/release the handbrake at the same time the right fingers were operating the indicator stalk.

So, as silentruninng points out, its the UK that is in the minority.

As for the petrol tanks, these days it's mainly determined by the design of the car and what's easier to get the nozzle to depending on the structure & design of the car rather than for ease of use or aesthetic reasons...

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I forgot. My landy (1969) also has the indicator stalk on the right hand side.

spufus

iTrader: (2)

That is what I asked - why are they different

OhMyGodItsBlue

any euro spec car has indicators on the left to match the rest of europe, even if its jap in origin.

most old british cars used to have them on the left as per current jap cars.

silent running

Don't you mean on the right? Anyway, indicator on the right is more logical in a right hand drive country. Indicator on the left is more logical in a left hand drive country. I'm pretty sure that the only place you don't get the indicator on the logical side is Britain because we are an isolated RHD market in a predominately LHD continent.

OhMyGodItsBlue

yeah i meant we used to have them on the right but due to euro influence are now on the left. i think they're more handy on the right. more instinctive.

SC008Y_MAD

iTrader: (5)

my old justy was like that, the indicator stalk was on the right and the wiper stalk on the left. I had the car at time of doing my test. I hope id dod not show

Darren