It was the least desirable item among the mostly undesirable stuff at the auto jumble sale.
In fact, few of those sifting and sorting through the automotive junk recognised the essential function that it once performed. But this rectangular plastic contraption with a black rubber lining was once a vital facility for safe driving.
The black rubber provided the suction for fitting to the rear window allowing rearward vision in wet and misty conditions. Once it was the fastest moving part in auto accessory shops. In the days before heated rear screens, every car needed one.
It's hard to imagine driving now, or even 40 years ago, and relying on such crude guidance. Amazingly, the heated screen had a gradual introduction as a standard fitment and it wasn't offered on cheaper everyday models.
As for the rectangular plastic contraption, it didn't always last that long. Exposure to strong sunlight created a yellowing effect so that other cars and people and objects had a ghostly hue when viewed to the rear.
Proffering the line that motorists have never had it so good, might not be totally acceptable but the fact is that even the most modest saloon is lavishly equipped by the standards of 30 or even 20 years ago. Most of us haven't noticed the process of enhancement and improvement in specification levels.
Not so long ago winding windows were the norm: now they seem abnormal even when the wheels are cheap and cheerful.
Mention of wheels is a reminder that up to the late 1960s, cars here were shod with cross-ply tyres, usually made by Dunlop in Cork and they had a limited life, no more than 15,000 or 16,000 miles. Today"s highly sophisticated radials often quadruple that sort of mileage.
We are all used to five speed gearboxes and increasingly now there are six forward speeds, especially in diesels. In the recent past, what was ordinary and everyday, came with just four forward speeds: fifth was the mark of a performance machine. Some of us of more mature years will, of course, remember only three gears.
Who remembers the column-mounted gearbox? It was very much the style in motoring half a century ago but the last popular car to have it was the Renault 16 which sold in the late 1960s and early '70s. Maybe the location wasn't a bad idea because a huge amount of space was freed. Cars like the Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac which were the Ford line-up in the 1950s, came with enormous bench seats, well able to accommodate three or more bodies in the front. Filling up the front seat was almost prudent, given that a single front seat passenger was prone to slither and slide on the shiny upholstery.
Today 21st century vehicles like the new Honda FR-V and the Fiat Multipla with three abreast front seating are in a strange way, a reminder of times past.
The early invasion of Japanese models in the mid-1970s starkly indicated just how poorly fitted European cars of that time were. Radios, for instance, were a definite luxury. The first Toyota Corolla which arrived here in 1973 had a push-button radio fitted as standard and it allowed for pre-set stations.
Incredibly the radio won over many customers to an otherwise strange and unfamiliar car. The radio's simplicity is still affectionately remembered, given that so many modern audio systems are confusing with minuscule lettering on their controls.
Lots of pages could be filled just detailing how mechanically better the 21st century car is. There has been the demise of the carburettor and the advent of injection technology. Catalytic converters have dramatically reduced pollution. We can stop quicker on a shorter space.
In the mid-1980s, the European Car of the Year jury awarded their accolade to the Ford Scorpio because it offered ABS anti-lock brakes as standard and that was hailed then as a notable safety attribute.Today there are few cars without ABS.
Back to personal comfort, and more and more of us find air conditioning an absolute necessity, more so when there's a sticky heat outside and the traffic is moving slowly. Well over half a century ago, such a luxury would have seemed outrageous. The problem then was keeping warm. Heaters were an extra, around £15.
Many hard-pressed motorists of those days forsook the heater but they usually had to invest in other warm-up aids, the most popular being the car rug. It's a far cry from electrically heated seats which warm the bums of the modern motorist.
In essence, the good old days of motoring weren't really that good. There's still fun and enjoyment in 21st century motoring, even if our road planners aren't in a 21st century groove.
But maybe the most profound reflection from looking back, is that we are still hugely reliant on the internal combustion engine that started the motoring revolution around 120 years ago.