Actually the "flat" gauges, whether panel or steam, where the pilot is viewing them at an angle is an advantage in most situations.
If the gauges were angled toward the pilot so that they are at a 90 degree angle, there would be more glare. Which is why automobiles have a glare shield over the gauges.
Which begs the question, why not put a glare shield on plane panels?
(some/most do have small glare shields)
It has to do with the size/shape/angle of the windows, the glare shield required would be quite large to cover all the gauges.
There are far more gauges in a plane panel than on a car, so a relatively small glareshield covers the gauges in a car, but compared to the size of the gauges the glare shield is quite large.
For a glare shield in a plane to be the same proportionate size, it would be huge. For example, on my car, the speedometer is about 7cm (3") in diameter, the glare shield is 12cm (5") deep. If I had a glareshield on the plane that covered the 3 gauges deep that are 5cm (2") in diameter (15cm - 6" - not including any space between gauges) it would have to be 24cm (10") deep (numbers and conversion approximate). And even then it would not take into account that the side windows on my car are higher than the gauges, but on many planes this is not the case.
As for the arrangement of the gauges, as already said they're in a standard "T" in modern airplanes (before the 70s it was common for different manufacturers to use different arrangements, even across different models).
There are far more instruments for flying than for driving, and the importance of the instruments is different for flying than for driving.
There are very few "idiot lights" in planes, although there are warning lights that are associated with a gauge. So there are gauges for everything from cylinder head temperature, to altimeter, which are not found in a car.
This "T" puts the most important instruments for instrument flying in an arrangement that is best suited for "scanning" the panel. When flying in instrument conditions, it's most important to keep the wings level, so the central instrument is the artificial horizon. In a car, you don't have to worry about this, so it's not in the car at all.
The air speed indicator, which you are so concerned about being on the far left, is far less important than keeping the wings level. It's used when climbing to ensure the right rate of climb. Otherwise, it's used to confirm that the other gauges are giving you the right information. (if the artificial horizon - I know I'll get corrected on calling it that - shows straight and level and you have established straight and level, but the airspeed is increasing, then you aren't flying straight and level, rather you are descending)
The altimeter is used when reaching the destination altitude, and when descending to an airport to know when to abort the approach, or when to expect certain other indications during an approach, but during normal level flight, it's used to confirm the attitude indicator.
The other instruments in the "T" or right next to the "T", also, are used to confirm, or to identify positioning, or to give headings for navigation.
Then there are all the engine instruments, which are used to establish a particular profile (climb, straight and level, etc.) and otherwise to verify that everything is "OK".
There's much more, and I've simplified things, but generally the attitude indicator is what you spend most of your time looking at (but not staring at) while you scan to the left, then back to the centre, then right, then centre, then down, then centre, every once in a while down and left or down and right, or over to the VOR or NDB or GPS.
As stated above, the best thing to do would be to either have an hour of instruction flying on instruments, or to read a book on instrument flying. This will clarify a lot about how to scan .vs. read instruments, and which ones support which other ones, and which ones are primary or secondary for which type of manouver.