While every mechanical and technological improvement played its part, the following are five innovative car parts that changed the car forever. Each one improved Carl Benz’s invention in a way he couldn’t possibly have imagined.
Still, the fact that the modern driver can laugh at the misfortunes of the old shows you how much the electric starter changed the automobile.
Turbos did a lot to improve engine power and efficiency. But before you can understand why turbo is such an important innovation for cars, you need to understand the problem it solves.
An internal combustion engine (ICE) feeds off two things: fuel and air. In order for it to run properly, the ratio of air to fuel needs to stay within certain parameters. Early ICE engineers wanting more power had to rely on bigger cylinders to match increased fuel with sufficient air.
Catalytic converters are one of the more complex parts of a car. Without getting too technical, Catalytic converters force a chemical reaction, converting the exhaust gases into less toxic forms.
Originally invented by a French engineer named Eugene Houdry in 1930, catalytic converters were not widely adopted until the mid-’70s when the U.S. government forced stricter exhaust regulations onto the industry.
Anti-lock braking and electronic stability control systems
ABS systems were computerized by Chrysler in 1971 and became widely adopted by the industry in the following two decades. As it gained popularity, automakers like Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes introduced electronic stability control (ESC).
ESC improved ABS by managing its engagement based on the performance of each wheel while simultaneously moderating the engine’s power. Together these systems have saved countless lives.
The three-point seat belt
If Volvo had used Bohlin’s life-saving concept as a competitive advantage and kept it to itself, it might not have made the impact it did. But by bucking industry norms and sharing the patent with the rest of the industry, Bohlin and his employer changed the car forever.
Innovations in car insurance
As the automobile evolved, so did insurance coverage for it. While the basic concept of insurance hasn’t changed for centuries, how its rates are calculated has.