If you’ve ever wondered about the history of cruise control, the Folsom Auto Mall is here to educate you.
The very first version of a speed control device was found in a Wilson-Pilcher car back in 1901. This English car company built a single gear vehicle with a speed governor in the middle of the camshaft. A “foot throttle”, or pedal, overrode the governor to increase or decrease speed. Essentially, this speed governor was a very early form of cruise control.
The version of cruise control we’re familiar with today wasn’t invented until the 1940s by a man named Ralph Teetor. Teetor was a talented mechanical engineer. When he was five years old, he injured his eye and ultimately became blind. Even with his disability, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in mechanical engineering (and eventually earned his master’s degree, too). For many years, he worked at his family’s motor company. It has been said that Teetor was inspired to invent cruise control when, as a passenger in his lawyer’s car, he became irritated by the constant jerking of the car speeding up and slowing down. The rocking motion annoyed him to the point that he began tinkering with the concept of a speed control device.
His solution was both mathematical and mechanical; he created a mechanism to count the rotations of the drive shaft to calculate the vehicle’s speed and used a bi-direction screw-drive electric motor to adjust the throttle in order to maintain an even pace. He called it the Controlmatic, then the SpeedoStat. Other names included “Touchomatic” and “Pressomatic”. Speedostat became the trademark name and he eventually received a patent for his invention.
Chrysler was the first manufacturer to implement the device in 1958. They called it “Auto-Pilot” and it appeared in their luxury model as an upgraded option. Soon after, General Motors installed it in their Cadillac vehicles, naming it “Cruise Control” which has stuck to this day.
Popularity for the option soared in the 1990s and more advanced solutions using LiDAR, radar and cameras appeared soon thereafter. These days, cruise control has advanced to what has been called “Adaptive Cruise Control”. It uses computer aided technology to determine and maintain a safe following distance from vehicles ahead of the vehicle equipped with the system. It adjusts a car’s speed automatically. It can also detect and warn drivers about potential forward collisions. Adaptive cruise control has also been known to maximize traffic flow. What will they think of next?
Now you know the history of cruise control. Does it make you appreciate it even more? Visit the Folsom Auto Mall to check out all of the automotive advancements in safety and convenience in our new 2022 and 2023 models.
The very first version of a speed control device was found in a Wilson-Pilcher car back in 1901. This English car company built a single gear vehicle with a speed governor in the middle of the camshaft. A “foot throttle”, or pedal, overrode the governor to increase or decrease speed. Essentially, this speed governor was a very early form of cruise control.
The version of cruise control we’re familiar with today wasn’t invented until the 1940s by a man named Ralph Teetor. Teetor was a talented mechanical engineer. When he was five years old, he injured his eye and ultimately became blind. Even with his disability, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in mechanical engineering (and eventually earned his master’s degree, too). For many years, he worked at his family’s motor company. It has been said that Teetor was inspired to invent cruise control when, as a passenger in his lawyer’s car, he became irritated by the constant jerking of the car speeding up and slowing down. The rocking motion annoyed him to the point that he began tinkering with the concept of a speed control device.
His solution was both mathematical and mechanical; he created a mechanism to count the rotations of the drive shaft to calculate the vehicle’s speed and used a bi-direction screw-drive electric motor to adjust the throttle in order to maintain an even pace. He called it the Controlmatic, then the SpeedoStat. Other names included “Touchomatic” and “Pressomatic”. Speedostat became the trademark name and he eventually received a patent for his invention.
Chrysler was the first manufacturer to implement the device in 1958. They called it “Auto-Pilot” and it appeared in their luxury model as an upgraded option. Soon after, General Motors installed it in their Cadillac vehicles, naming it “Cruise Control” which has stuck to this day.
Popularity for the option soared in the 1990s and more advanced solutions using LiDAR, radar and cameras appeared soon thereafter. These days, cruise control has advanced to what has been called “Adaptive Cruise Control”. It uses computer aided technology to determine and maintain a safe following distance from vehicles ahead of the vehicle equipped with the system. It adjusts a car’s speed automatically. It can also detect and warn drivers about potential forward collisions. Adaptive cruise control has also been known to maximize traffic flow. What will they think of next?
Now you know the history of cruise control. Does it make you appreciate it even more? Visit the Folsom Auto Mall to check out all of the automotive advancements in safety and convenience in our new 2022 and 2023 models.