Electric windows
First fitted in a production car by Daimler in 1948 (DE36), although they appeared first in the experimental Buick Y (1938). Motorised windows are now near-standard, at least up front, in most mainstream production cars - only the cheapest city cars and budget runarounds have wind-up windows these days. Sure, most of us are capable of turning a lever, but that's just such a chore.
First fitted in a production car by Daimler in 1948 (DE36), although they appeared first in the experimental Buick Y (1938). Motorised windows are now near-standard, at least up front, in most mainstream production cars - only the cheapest city cars and budget runarounds have wind-up windows these days. Sure, most of us are capable of turning a lever, but that's just such a chore.
Parking sensors
Oh, how we laughed when the first parking sensors were offered. For learners, elderly aunties and hopeless cases! For those who had no idea how to park, or indeed, drive, a car! Surely no-one who fancied themselves as any kind of a driver needed these.
A couple of years on, we are so completely converted. Use the beepers to help you swing nonchalantly into that space without so much as a neck-turn. Squeeze into that tiny, tiny gap that you'd never previously have thought of attempting (we all know that there's usually an inch or two leeway once the continuous beeps start). Protect against those stupid lapses of attention we all get occasionally (don't we?) when manoeuvering.
If only all our neighbours, who park by touch, could have them too.
Oh, how we laughed when the first parking sensors were offered. For learners, elderly aunties and hopeless cases! For those who had no idea how to park, or indeed, drive, a car! Surely no-one who fancied themselves as any kind of a driver needed these.
A couple of years on, we are so completely converted. Use the beepers to help you swing nonchalantly into that space without so much as a neck-turn. Squeeze into that tiny, tiny gap that you'd never previously have thought of attempting (we all know that there's usually an inch or two leeway once the continuous beeps start). Protect against those stupid lapses of attention we all get occasionally (don't we?) when manoeuvering.
If only all our neighbours, who park by touch, could have them too.
Radio
Early cars were so noisy and wind-beaten that you wouldn't have been able to hear a radio anyway, but as enclosed hard-tops became more common and refinement improved, so the demand for in-car entertainment grew – along with concerns that this would distract drivers.
The 1923 Springfield was the first car to come with a factory-fitted radio (an adapted domestic set) but the first radio specifically designed to be fitted in a car, the Motorola, was patented by an American, Paul Galvin, in 1929. The first British car to have a factory-fitted radio was the 1934 Hillman Melody Minx.
More recent car radio innovations have included traffic information alerts and there is increased use of digital and satellite radio channels, not to mention integration of CD players, MP3, iPods and other digital-format players.
Early cars were so noisy and wind-beaten that you wouldn't have been able to hear a radio anyway, but as enclosed hard-tops became more common and refinement improved, so the demand for in-car entertainment grew – along with concerns that this would distract drivers.
The 1923 Springfield was the first car to come with a factory-fitted radio (an adapted domestic set) but the first radio specifically designed to be fitted in a car, the Motorola, was patented by an American, Paul Galvin, in 1929. The first British car to have a factory-fitted radio was the 1934 Hillman Melody Minx.
More recent car radio innovations have included traffic information alerts and there is increased use of digital and satellite radio channels, not to mention integration of CD players, MP3, iPods and other digital-format players.
Satellite navigation
One of the most popular Christmas presents in 2005: whether factory-fitted into a car or purchased as an aftermarket accessory, 'sat nav' is becoming a must-have tool.
It uses a sophisticated locator device which takes a 'fix' on the car's position, speed and direction of travel from satellites above the Earth. Linked to a CD or DVD of maps, the system can then direct you, road by road, to your desired destination. The more sophisticated systems use full 3D-effect colour mapping on a large display screen. Directions are by no means infallible as yet, but sat nav could make map-reading a dying skill.
One of the most popular Christmas presents in 2005: whether factory-fitted into a car or purchased as an aftermarket accessory, 'sat nav' is becoming a must-have tool.
It uses a sophisticated locator device which takes a 'fix' on the car's position, speed and direction of travel from satellites above the Earth. Linked to a CD or DVD of maps, the system can then direct you, road by road, to your desired destination. The more sophisticated systems use full 3D-effect colour mapping on a large display screen. Directions are by no means infallible as yet, but sat nav could make map-reading a dying skill.
Voice controls
David Hasselhoff talked to KITT in Knight Rider, but it took a while for driver-car verbal communication to take off in the real world – we'll forget the Austin and Renault 'talking dashboards'.
Voice-controlled functions for sat nav, the audio systems and Bluetooth phone kit are now common, especially in US-market cars, and the possibilities for using verbal commands for auxiliary functions are considerable. Expect voice-controlled climate control ('Hotter... yes, more...'), seat positioning ('Back, I said, back!') and mirrors ('Up a bit... to the left... no, in a little'...) to follow in the near future.
These systems are going to have to learn how to deal with strong Scouse or Glaswegian accents, though – we don't all sound like BBC announcers or laid-back Californians.
David Hasselhoff talked to KITT in Knight Rider, but it took a while for driver-car verbal communication to take off in the real world – we'll forget the Austin and Renault 'talking dashboards'.
Voice-controlled functions for sat nav, the audio systems and Bluetooth phone kit are now common, especially in US-market cars, and the possibilities for using verbal commands for auxiliary functions are considerable. Expect voice-controlled climate control ('Hotter... yes, more...'), seat positioning ('Back, I said, back!') and mirrors ('Up a bit... to the left... no, in a little'...) to follow in the near future.
These systems are going to have to learn how to deal with strong Scouse or Glaswegian accents, though – we don't all sound like BBC announcers or laid-back Californians.