the first airbag was installed in a car as early as 1951.
the first airbag was installed in a car as early as 1951.
when was the first airbag installed in a car?
as early as 1951
the airbag "for the covering of aeroplane and other vehicle parts" traces its origins to a united states patent submitted in 1919 by two dentists, harold round & arthur parrott of birmingham, england and approved in 1920. air-filled bladders were in use as early as 1951. the airbag specifically for automobile use is credited independently to the american john w. hetrick, who filed for an airbag patent on 5 august 1952, that was granted #2,649,311 by the united states patent office on 18 august 1953. german engineer walter linderer, who filed german patent #896,312 on 6 october 1951, was issued on 12 november 1953, approximately three months after american john hetrick. hetrick and linderer's airbags were both based on a compressed air system, either released by spring, bumper contact, or by the driver. later research during the 1960s showed that compressed air could not inflate the mechanical airbags fast enough to ensure maximum safety, leading to the current chemical and electrical airbags. in patent applications, manufacturers sometimes use the term "inflatable occupant restraint systems".
airbag
in the early 1970s, general motors began offering cars equipped with airbags, initially in government fleet-purchased, metallic green 1973 chevrolet impala sedans. these chevys all had a 1974-style oldsmobile instrument panel, and a special steering wheel that contained the driver-side air bag. only one car from this original batch survives. gm's oldsmobile toronado was the first domestic u.s. vehicle to include a passenger airbag. general motors marketed its first airbag modules under the "air cushion restraint system" name, or acrs. the automaker discontinued the option for its 1977 model year, citing lack of consumer interest. ford and gm then spent years lobbying against air-bag requirements, claiming that the devices were unfeasible and inappropriate. chrysler made driver-side airbags standard on 1988–1989 models, but airbags did not become widespread in american cars until the early 1990s.
airbag