6.1 Power Steering

• Sometime between 1920 and 1926 Francis Davis and George Jessup (Americans) invented a hydraulic power steering system.

• In 1926 it was tested in a Pierce-Arrow vehicle.

• The Chrysler Imperial became the first production vehicle to be fitted with a power steering system in 1951. The system was called “Hydraguide”.

6.2 Turn Indicators

• Florence Lawrence (Canadian) invented a turn indicator for cars in about 1914.

• The device was called an “auto signalling arm” and it was attached to the car’s rear fender. When the driver pressed a button an electrically operated arm raised a sign to indicate the direction of the turn.

• Florence Lawrence did not, however, correctly patent her invention.

• In 1929 Oscar J. Simler (American) invented and patented a turn indicator.

• In 1935 a company in the United States invented a flashing turn indicator.

• A Buick was the first production car to be fitted with an electrical turn indicator in 1938.

6.3 Cruise Control

• The first cruise controls fitted to cars were based on the centrifugal governor, a technique invented in 1788 by James Watt and Matthew Boulton (British) for use on locomotives.

• They were first fitted to cars sometime between 1900 and 1910.

• In 1945 Ralph Teetor (American) invented the modern cruise control.

• In 1958 a Chrysler Imperial became the first car to be fitted with his cruise control system.

6.4 Car Radio

• The first car radio was invented by Paul Gavin (American) in 1929. The product was called “Motorola” (a moving radio).

6.5 Fuel Injection

• In 1955 a mechanical fuel injection system was developed by Bosch in Germany. Two years later, in 1957, General Motors in the United States produced a mechanical fuel injection system.

• The “Electrojector” developed by Bendix in the United States during the mid 1950s was one of the first electronic fuel injection systems. From 1957 it was offered as an option by Pontiac, De Soto, Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth.

• However, it was not reliable and was only fitted to about 35 cars.

• Note: The Bendix fuel injection system was originally used on aircraft during the Korean War (1950-53).

• Bosch later obtained patent rights to Bendix’s Electrojector system and during the 1960s Bosch developed their own “D-Jetronic” electronic fuel injection system.

• This was first fitted to the VW Type lll in 1968. Between 1970 and 1973 the system was also used by Volvo, Saab, Renault, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.

• The D-Jetronic version was last used in 1976. Bosch introduced improved versions, including the L and K-Jetronic systems.