Experienced drivers often sigh sadly: they say that cars are not the same now – weak, weak, short-lived, and usually fragile. In many ways, they are right, but… Note that although the reasonable price (including inflation) of cars remains at the same level from generation to generation, they are becoming better equipped and more rich And today, even budget models of the lower classes have functionality that was previously possible for owners of supercars and passengers of luxury limousines. Being closer to “power” may be the price to pay for more comfort when using a car.
And so that you can appreciate more what the current car industry has achieved and the efforts of technicians to reduce costs, we invite you to see the models on which the facilities that are mandatory today first appeared.
We will tell right away that in our article we will consider the first cars on which this or that option appeared in its current form and in large numbers. That is, prototypes and tuning tools are not taken into account this time.
Electric starter. Cadillac Model 30, 1912
The need to turn the engine every time you start the engine with a big crank called “cam start” has created more than one generation of driving geniuses – who knew how to start has moved without stopping in the most difficult situations. And while drivers were improving their starting ability, engineers were struggling with the problem of a compact electric starter motor and its connection to the gasoline engine starter.
A team led by the American engineer Charles Kettering created a device like this that was commissioned by the foreign brand Cadillac. The first model to receive such a useful device was the Cadillac Model 30. Yes, two or three decades ago, the start was turned on not by a key or a button, as it is now, but with a separate pedal under the dashboard. But still, this was a big step forward compared to the dubious pleasure of shaking a tight engine every time with an iron “spinning wheel”.
Windscreen wipers. Cadillac V8 Town Sedan, 1922
But it seems that no one had a big problem with the design of windshield wipers: manufacturers did not look forward to them much, because two decades had passed since they were invented before their first serial use. The American Mary Anderson, after seeing how a tram driver suffered due to wet snow, developed a “janitor” scheme, and the principle has survived to this day. Engineers know that the biggest problem with a windshield wiper is making sure the blade fits the glass well, and that driving the arm is a technical issue. .
So Ms. Anderson developed (perhaps without realizing it) the most important thing. Just what you need: similar to the current rubber blade, pressed against the glass with a spring on a leash. In 1903, she patented the idea, but no one wanted to buy the right to make it happen: car makers had other problems then. The patent expired in 1920, but it wasn’t until 1922 that Cadillac began installing windshield wipers of this design as standard equipment on all of its vehicles.
Heater. Ambassador Nash Six, 1938
There were many ways to heat the interior of a small car, especially at the first stage of movement: from vehicle options such as a brazier with coal and heated stones to steam boilers connected to the exhaust manifold. But finally, a modern option appeared: a small radiator included in the engine’s cooling system, through which air flow from the street is directed. The first car where such a system was permanently built into the body was the American Nash – more precisely, all its 1938 models.
The design and controls were the same as the cars we used at the turn of the century: fan speed control knob, radiator valve handle, as well as a knob to mix cold and warm air streams. In principle, it is the same today, only instead of the driver, climate control servos turn the knobs.
Automatic gearbox. Oldsmobile 60 Series, 1939
Perhaps, one car unit has not seen as many tests and changes as an automatic transmission (tests, as we see, are still ongoing). Against this background, the classic automatic transmission can be considered, which stayed on the longest carrier and has a planetary gear with several levels and a fluid connection (torque converter) connected to it.
For the first time, such a transmission appeared under the Hydra-Matic brand name on the Oldsmobile 60 series of the 1940 model, and later on other General Motors production models: Cadillac and Pontiac. Automatic hydraulic control took into account factors such as travel speed and acceleration setting. Except for the electronic control, the other components remain unchanged today. And in general, it is this type of gearbox that today is especially respected by experienced drivers for the appropriateness of switching and reliability. And it is this, and not the new CVT and DSG, that is now used on high-end cars.
An air conditioner. Nash Rambler, 1954.
Attempts by car manufacturers to equip cars with air conditioning on the assembly line began in the pre-war period: the first model was the American Packard in 1939. But the system had several shortcomings: low efficiency, poor -convenience to use, half of the stock was used with equipment. And the price was too high even for rich Americans: up to a third of the price of a new budget car. Therefore, air-conditioned Packards sold poorly, as did Cadillac and Chrysler, which were offered a year later. The second attempt at serial production of air-conditioned cars took place in the 1950s, but this was also a form of tuning – the systems were mounted in the trunk and were separate from the ventilation and heating systems.
It was only in 1954 that Rambler Nash Corporation air-conditioned cars appeared in the form in which we know it now. The system was integrated into the overall climate control system along with ventilation and heating and was easy to control. In addition, all the parts were hidden under the hood, and cold air entered the cabin through the same vents as warm air from the heater. The price was lower – “just” a quarter of the price of, for example, the cheapest Ford model at that time. Since that time, air coolers have been equipped with sensors and automation, but nothing has fundamentally changed to this day.
In short
As we can see, cars are transformed not only according to the whims of marketing, but also according to the development of technology. Thanks to the unprecedented benefits of comfort available to us just yesterday. Although it would not be superfluous to remind you of one “but”: each improvement involves an increase in the cost of maintenance. And it is worth remembering this when we choose a car with a “fat” configuration, especially one that is not new and has many miles.
2024-05-03 05:30:04
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