We know that Detective Lt. Columbo drove a 1959 Peugeot Convertible Model 403 - and in this video you can see it in action.
I've cued the video to this image:
What is that interesting "corrugated" wire metal device inside the windscreen? It's a convertible, so maybe that's just the thing you use, when the top is down, to keep pigeons from landing on the dashboard and pooping on it. (But probably not.)
