Manual door mirrors, also known as manual side view mirrors or wing mirrors, are exterior mirrors that require direct physical manipulation to adjust their angle. They have largely been discontinued as a standard feature on most new vehicles, replaced by power-adjustable options, but are still available for specific aftermarket and replacement applications for older models.

Description

Manual door mirrors are the simplest type of side mirror design. The term generally refers to two main types:

Basic Manual Mirrors: The earliest and most basic design. The driver or passenger must physically roll down the window and use their hand to push the mirror glass into the correct position. These mirrors have no internal wiring or mechanical connections for adjustment from within the cabin.

Manual Remote Mirrors: First popularized in the 1960s, these mirrors can be adjusted from inside the car via a small, non-electric mechanical connection, often a joystick or small lever, that protrudes through the door panel. This allows the driver to adjust the mirror without opening the window.

Both types lack modern features such as electric adjustment, heating, power folding, integrated turn signals, memory recall, or auto-dimming.

Status (Discontinued)

Manual door mirrors are largely considered a discontinued or rare feature in the mass production of new cars and trucks today. The primary reasons include:

Safety Standards: Modern power mirrors often include features like blind spot detection systems and larger fields of view to enhance safety, which manual mirrors cannot provide.

Convenience: Power-adjustable mirrors offer significant convenience, allowing easy adjustment from the driver's seat and often including heating elements for frost or fog.

Regulation: Safety regulations, such as ECE Regulation 46, require side mirrors to be mounted such that they swing away when struck, a design feature that has evolved alongside power-folding mechanisms, further pushing out the older manual designs. .