Cowl Lites

I am a Model "A" driver, and I use my cowl lights as turn signals and as running lights near dusk. I have a friend that turns his cowl lights on for all daytime driving.
However, I think you are asking if the cowl lights were used by drivers when the Model A was a new car. I don't think you will find many original Model A owners to answer your question.
 

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The original purpose of cowl lights was as parking lights.If your Model A was new and was a Standard model it had parking lights in the headlights. They were not intended to be a driving light.
 
My cowl lights illuminate my Motometer tempt gauge. Without them on I can not see what temp I'm running at.

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It depended on the model. Some models had two bulb headlights, with parking lights in the headlights. Others had cowl lights, and single bulb headlights.
 
Don't think a driver could see past the front bumper with the original cowl lights on a dark night. That said I bet some nut tried it.
 
Parking lights is what I have heard in the past. I have always wondered how many people parked their car and left the parking lights on. Battery drain?
 
Just about all countries in the world had laws that required cars to have lighting when parked. Often in those days, streets were not illuminated well like today. Probably to avoid other moving vehicles driving into parked vehicles at dusk etc.
All modern cars still have them, so the laws still exist. I use them if dull or misty during the early morning but most modern drivers just use headlamps. It is not illegal to have them on [ parking lights] when driving.
 
I read somewhere that in the early days of motoring the lamps near the windscreen were called opera lamps, and were different colours so you could find your car after returning from the opera.
Anyone old enough and sophisticated enough to remember?
 
Modern cars use 4-way flashers. They didn't have the technology for that back in the day so park lights were the norm up until the 1960s. If your 4-ways crap out then you still have park lights. It's better than not being seen at all.
 
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