By most objective standards, today represents the golden age of the automobile. Modern cars are more powerful, efficient, and capable than ever before.
The editors would undoubtedly be amazed by the 800-horsepower performance cars, 30-miles-per-gallon SUVs, and vehicles that nearly drive themselves on the open highway.
Additionally, the latest electric cars, trucks, and crossovers demonstrate how far automotive engineering has advanced.
Most significantly, today’s vehicles are the safest they’ve ever been, with traffic-related deaths hovering at just 1.35 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
What made these automotive advancements possible? While market forces played a role, government regulations were even more impactful.
Many of the innovative technologies that led to today’s automotive milestones first appeared in luxury vehicles before making their way into more affordable models.
Moreover, many of these technologies originated in Europe or Japan before becoming commonplace in the U.S. Below is a review of 10 of the most impactful automotive innovations over the past 75 years.
1. Fuel Injection
The idea of injecting fuel into an engine’s intake is a very old concept. Henry Ford implemented a rudimentary mechanical injection system on his 1901 “Sweepstakes” race car, and by the 1920s, fuel injection had become common on diesel engines.
In 1955, Mercedes-Benz introduced gasoline direct fuel injection in its 300 SL, and in 1957, Chevrolet debuted its Ramjet port-injection system in the Bel Air and Corvette. However, these early fuel injection systems were expensive, finicky, and rare.
Emissions standards and fuel economy concerns brought renewed attention to fuel injection in the 1970s.
During this time, advancements like Volkswagen’s computer-controlled injection system—introduced in 1968—allowed for highly accurate metering, delivering the perfect amount of gasoline based on operating conditions and engine temperature.
European and Japanese automakers adopted electronic fuel injection systems quickly, and American car manufacturers eventually followed suit. By the early 1990s, the carburetor was nearly obsolete.
2. Cruise Control
Automatic transmissions reduced the workload on a driver’s left foot, but maintaining a constant speed during long trips still required continuous effort with the right foot.
Constantly pressing the accelerator on lengthy drives was tiring, and adjusting the pedal to maintain speed over hilly terrain could be a challenge.
In the 1950s, aftermarket companies developed ratchet-like mechanisms that clamped the accelerator pedal to maintain a constant speed, releasing when the brake was applied.
However, this wasn’t the same as having a system that could regulate a car’s speed on its own.
The first true automatic speed regulators emerged in 1958 when Chrysler introduced “auto-pilot” on the Imperial. Cadillac’s version came a year later, branded with the now-famous name “Cruise Control.”
While it was initially a luxury feature, it gained widespread popularity in the 1970s as gas prices soared.
Drivers appreciated cruise control for its ability to maintain steady speeds and conserve fuel. By the 1990s, cruise control had become a common feature in vehicles across all price ranges.
3. Turbochargers
The principle behind turbochargers is simple: by forcing more air into the engine’s cylinders, a greater amount of fuel can be burned, leading to increased power.
This idea has been known for decades. Superchargers were available on high-end cars from manufacturers like Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, and Cord as early as the 1930s, but they came with parasitic losses, meaning they consumed additional energy to operate.
Turbochargers, by contrast, harness energy from exhaust gases through turbines to compress air into the engine, utilizing energy that would otherwise be wasted.
Turbochargers proved their reliability and effectiveness during World War II in fighter aircraft, and automakers began exploring their use in the 1940s.
GM introduced turbochargers on the Corvair Monza and Oldsmobile Jetfire in 1962, but they faced challenges. Early turbocharged vehicles suffered from “turbo lag,” a delay in acceleration at low speeds as the turbine spooled up.
However, by the 1980s, technological improvements addressed these issues.
Turbochargers became essential for automakers, allowing them to extract additional power from smaller, more efficient engines—a trend driven by increasingly strict federal regulations. This reliance on turbocharged engines continues to this day.
4. Antilock Brakes
For generations, student drivers braving icy and snowy conditions were taught the same cold-weather driving trick: pump the brakes when sliding.
The idea was simple: slamming the brake pedal and locking up the wheels would only cause the car to continue skidding.
However, by pulsing the brakes—pressing and releasing them rhythmically—you could keep the wheels turning and maintain better control of the car in the process.
While this advice was sound, it wasn’t always easy to remember under the pressure of a sudden or panic stop.
That’s where antilock brakes came into the picture, automating this very process at a much faster rate than any human could manage with their foot.
Ford was the first to introduce a rear-wheel antilock braking system in 1969. Chrysler soon followed by offering a four-wheel, computer-controlled antilock braking system in its Imperial models in 1971.
Mercedes-Benz introduced an even more advanced digital control system in 1978, which could independently adjust brake pressure on each wheel for better control.
By the 21st century, antilock braking systems became commonplace and were made mandatory in the United States in 2012.
These technological advancements have made winter driving—and sudden stops—a little less intimidating ever since.
5. Catalytic Converters
By the middle of the 20th century, Los Angeles was suffering from severe air pollution, with an estimated 850 tons of fresh hydrocarbons being released into the atmosphere daily—most of which came from motor vehicle exhaust.
During the 1970s, as public awareness of ecological concerns grew, emissions from smokestacks and tailpipes went from being symbols of economic progress to stark representations of environmental catastrophe.
The solution came in the form of the catalytic converter. Using chemical processes, catalytic converters transform harmful pollutants into safer byproducts, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor.
Most gasoline-powered vehicles sold in the United States began incorporating catalytic converters in 1975 to comply with emissions standards.
However, there was a notable exception: Honda’s Civic CVCC, which was able to meet emissions standards without the use of a catalytic converter.
Despite their success, catalytic converters come with some trade-offs. The catalyst that drives their chemical reactions is almost always platinum, a material known for being resistant to corrosion but also rare and expensive.
This contributes to both the overall cost of a vehicle and the popularity of catalytic converters among thieves, who view them as highly valuable targets due to their platinum content.
6. Computer-Controlled Engines
The integration of computers into automobiles may be considered the most significant technological innovation of the past 75 years.
This marriage of computers and automotive technology was largely driven by the Clean Air Act of 1970, which spurred Ford and Toshiba to develop electronic engine controls to enhance performance and reduce emissions.
The first iteration of this technology appeared in 1974, utilizing a 12-bit microprocessor to manage engine performance by adjusting ignition timing and air-fuel mixtures.
The system monitored a variety of factors, including the vehicle’s speed, gear, and even the specific gasoline blend in the tank, to make real-time adjustments for optimal performance and emissions control.
Over time, the technology became more affordable and widespread.Another benefit of computer-controlled engines was the development of onboard vehicle diagnostics.
Microprocessors in modern vehicles collect performance data and track any potential issues by generating diagnostic codes.
When a vehicle needs servicing, technicians can connect to these onboard diagnostics, retrieve the stored codes, and identify specific problems with great precision.
California was the first state to mandate the inclusion of basic onboard diagnostic systems in 1988.
Thanks to the state’s economic influence and large market, this technology quickly spread to other regions and became standard in vehicles worldwide.
7. Seat Belts
Nash introduced optional seat belts in 1949, followed by Ford in 1956. However, neither company saw much interest from buyers at the time.
Saab took a different approach by making seat belts standard in 1958, but American automakers maintained the belief that “safety doesn’t sell.” This mindset persisted until Ralph Nader published Unsafe at Any Speed in 1965.
The book played a pivotal role in the passage of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which mandated seat belts and other safety devices in all cars sold in the United States starting with the 1968 model year.
While requiring seat belts was a significant step forward, encouraging drivers to actually use them proved more challenging.
Mandatory seat belt ignition interlocks—systems that prevented a car from starting until the driver latched the seat belt—were introduced in the mid-1970s but met such strong public opposition that they lasted only two years.
It was not until the 1980s, with the help of state laws and public education programs, that Americans began to take seat belt usage seriously.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, since 1975, approximately 375,000 lives have been saved as a result of increased seat belt use.
8. Airbags
Seat belts represented a major step forward in crash protection but only when the driver properly buckled them.
Safety advocates sought “passive” safety devices—systems that would provide protection without requiring any action or input from the driver. Airbags, which were first patented for automotive use in 1953, provided the answer.
As the name implies, airbags are inflatable bladders that deploy in a collision, filled by a gas propellant, to create a cushion for occupants.
Airbags began appearing in American vehicles during the early 1970s, with Chrysler leading the way by integrating them into all its vehicles by 1988.
By 1998, airbags for both the driver and front passenger were required in all cars and light-duty trucks sold in the United States.
In the 21st century, manufacturers expanded their offerings to include rear airbags, side airbags, and knee airbags in select models. Volvo even introduced pedestrian airbags designed to protect people outside the car in the event of a collision.
Although airbags alone are not a complete solution, when combined with seat belts, they significantly reduce the likelihood of fatal injuries during accidents.
9. GPS/In-Car Navigation
When the United States military made the Global Positioning System (GPS) available for civilian use in the 1980s, it paved the way for the development of effective in-car navigation systems.
The first GPS-based system was introduced by Mazda in 1990, and it was initially only available in Japan. General Motors followed suit by adding GPS navigation to the options list for its Oldsmobile 88 in 1995.
In 1998, Garmin launched a portable GPS system that could effectively turn any car into a GPS-equipped vehicle.
Early GPS systems relied on data cartridges or CD-ROMs to provide mapping information. However, modern technology—such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and smartphones—has dramatically improved the capabilities of in-car navigation.
Now, maps are updated wirelessly in real-time, traffic alerts and crash reports are provided instantly, and points of interest are preprogrammed to make it easier for users to enter destinations using voice commands or touchscreen inputs.
While these advancements have made GPS navigation an incredibly convenient addition to the modern car, they come at a cultural cost.
Map-reading has joined other once-common skills like cursive handwriting and basic math in the growing category of vanishing skills.
10. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Many of the technologies in this discussion improve automobile safety, but advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) target the primary cause of accidents: human error.
Technologies like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings, and lane-keeping assistance first appeared in high-end vehicles from brands such as Cadillac, Lexus, and Audi during the 2000s.
These systems use radar and lidar sensors to monitor the area outside the vehicle for obstacles or nearby traffic.
Additionally, they utilize interior sensors to observe the driver’s hands, head position, and eye movements to detect signs of drowsiness, distraction, or inattention.
Some systems merely warn the driver of potential hazards, while others actively intervene by controlling steering and braking to prevent accidents.
Although full vehicle automation remains the ultimate goal for many researchers and companies, it remains clear that the development of reliable and fully autonomous vehicles is far more challenging than initially anticipated.
While we may not yet be on the brink of completely driverless cars, any technology that enhances safety, reduces waste, and improves vehicle performance is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
