My first good US headlights came with the advent of halogen lamps, initially as sealed beams, then finally as bulbs. Night driving was simply more dangerous before then.

My first car was a '47 Ford 4 dr sedan I bought in 1956. What an improvement sealed beams were over the tungsten bulbs back then! Though Sealed beams were mandated in new cars in the US in my youth because they were such an improvement over tungsten bulbs, they they did/do not meet European standards. Simply don't light up the road and handle glare well enough.

My first good headlamps were on my used VW beetle I bought in Heidelberg, Germany in 1966. Or maybe I just couldn't outdrive them. I had replaceable halogen bulbs (not yet legal in the US) that I had to replace with yellow tungsten bulbs when I was transferred to France -- French were very aware of the problems with bluish light back then, but perhaps overly so, as indicated by their recent retreat from mandated Yellow.

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin, A.D. 1759

Roger
1975 240D
1986 560SL