The instrument panel was oval in shape and was set in front of the driver. The layout was always the on left-hand drive cars. The two larger instruments had dials finished with silver centres and black, dished peripheries; the smaller instruments had flat black dials. Figures and lettering were white (black in the centres of the two large instruments), and pointers were white but had black centre ends on the speedometer and rev counter. These two instruments also had quite a distinctive typeface for the numbers, whereas the typeface on the smaller instruments was plain.
From left to right, controls and instruments were found in the following order. First came a combined oil pressure and water temperature gauge; the oil pressure gauge in the upper half read to 100lb/sq in, and the water temperature gauge below read to 230° Fahrenheit (a centigrade instrument was not available). Next followed a starter push-button set in a switch in a hexagonal bezel. Then came the speedometer; the normal instrument read to 120mph (with a kilometres version available for export, reading to 200kph) in 20mph intervals. The speedometer incorporated mileage recorders for trip and total mileage. The trip meter was above and read to three figures plus decimal, the total mileage recorder below with five figures. The trip recorder had a re-set button behind and below the facia. To the left of this was the panel light switch. The speedometer also incorporated a red warning light for high beam. A 140mph speedometer as fitted to the 100S was found on some cars, if fitted with the Le Mans engine conversion and the alternative 3.66 rear axle ratio.
In the centre of the panel, immediately above the steering column, was a green warning lamp for the flashing indicators, in a round chrome-plated bezel. On the other side of the column was the rev counter or tachometer, which read to 6000rpm in 1000rpm intervals, with a red line at 4800rpm. In the bottom of the rev counter was a red ignition warning lamp. To the right of the rev counter was the light switch in a hexagonal bezel. It was market 'Side' and 'Head'; it was pulled to turn on the side and rear lamps, and then twisted to turn on the headlamps. Below, also in a hexagonal bezel, was the ignition lock, with a key number originally in the FA range but on later cars sometimes in the FP range. The same key operated the boot lid lock. Finally came the fuel gauge which was marked in quarter intervals. The four instruments were all set in chrome-plated bezels.
Immediately to the left of the instrument panel (or, on a left-hand drive car, to the right) was the flick switch for the overdrive, with an hour-glass shaped chrome-plated escutcheon, marked 'Overdrive' above and 'Normal' below the switch. The only modification introduced on the BN 2 model in 1955 was that the ignition lock and overdrive switch were transposed, and the overdrive switch was given a new round escutcheon.
In front of the passenger, towards the outside of the car, was a chrome-plated grab handle, set directly on the surface of the facia panel. Jajor controls not found on the facia included the heater blower rheostat switch positioned on the heater itself; the control for the separate fresh-air intake found on the right of the heater; and the choke control, found on the left of the heater. The bonnet release was under the facia, above the heater.
Above the facia, on the rear edge of the scuttle, was an aluminium trim strip matching the other trim strips to the door tops and rear cockpit edge. On the scuttle was a centrally-mounted Eversure rear view mirror, with a chrome-plated back and stem, incorporating a ball fitting for adjustment.
