What has been the most important automotive improvement since World War II?

My guess would be the seat belt/shoulder harness.

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Jim

Tough question, 75 years is a long time. Here is a list of candidates, in approximate time sequence:

1) Air Conditioning

2) Automatic transmission

3) Power steering/Power braking

4) Seat belts

5) Disk brake

6) Wax thermostat

7) Fuel injection

8) Emissions controls

9) Intermittent wipers

10) Turbocharging

11) Radial tires

12) Electronics, including EFI, OBD, and computerized everything

But my choice would be Sirius, because as long as you have the right sounds, everything is more tolerable.

Broadly speaking - emission controls. If todays cars were as polluting as the 1940s we would all be dead now and our cities would be uninhabitable.

I was trying to do a poll and having trouble and ran out of time. We went to see Midway. Great movie.

Anyway, since I didn’t get the poll done, the thread seems to be coming alive anyway.

I agree with Jim Yuhn in part. As a result of the push to make cars cleaner, electronic fuel injection came about. It contributed greatly to lower emissions, but also due to closed loop fuel/air control, engines are more economical and last much longer. No more carburetors washing the oil off cylinder walls during cold starts and many other benefits. Carburetors are just antique devices which compromised fuel mixture.

Technology in cars has come a long way. That said, those operate these machines on the streets and highways seem to be regressing into stone age mentality. Everyday I witness more and more red light runners and people passing on the right.

So, even though the cars themselves may be more advanced and safer, the drivers are proving they aren't fit to play with matches.

To add to Frank's post... Crumple zones and advanced alloys/composites.

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

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Yes, the safety innovation is most definitely and drastically improved in many ways, both big and small. Things as simple as flush interior door handles have improved safety as well as the more significant innovations mentioned.

I would suggest taking the lead out of gasoline was pretty important.

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1992 500SEL 25K
1995 E320 40K
1995 SL600 120K
2002 JX8 Sport 43K
2005 Volvo S40 95K
2006 Isuzu NPR 304K (Frankencamper)
2007 Crown Victoria 150K
2014 Smart Electric 20K

Brakes. One of the most improved devices in my lifetime.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The really reliable and durable 4 cylinder engines with power. Plus fuel millage I suppose. Engine oils have improved drastically in the same period in many ways as well. So has the price. It was 25c a quart in Canada and cheaper in America for many years I drove. Recomended change interval was every thousand miles though. Many cars also had no oil filter.

I did have one older car with decent brakes though. It was a 1950 mercury with no power booster. The other older cars and there were a lots of them. Never where even in the same ballpark.

Some site members may be too young to know. If you really got water in your drum brakes. You had no brakes until they dried out a little. The introduction of sealed beam headlights was a massive improvement. Perhaps it also was the change from 6 to 12 volt electrical systems as well a little. Yet I cannot really see that. The cars I owned with reflector type headlights where just poor in comparison.

I am on the fence about Midway. I know that battle very well, and am concerned about the accuracy of the telling. Gloss-overs and poetic license would jar me. An accurate depiction of Torpedo 8 would break my heart, and a Hollywood one would piss me off.

I thought Dunkirk stunk. There is a real story to be told about it, but that film was not it. So I am leery of Midway.

Cupholders

Yes, but it is a Hollywood production, so what can you say? I enjoyed watching it, but the version made in the seventies was better at telling the story. The wrinkled uniforms were pathetic. I thought that was very disrespectful. I don’t know if they just didn’t want to take time to press them or if they were trying to make a statement.

The drama of McCluskey diving through the incoming fire was adequately dramatic, but I think he was one of them without bombs due to the foul up of the auto arming mechanisms.

The Doolittle raid was poorly described also.

I just think that these sorts of movies need to respect what those men went through, and I hate to see it turned into a video game. I do expect to see it, however, even if it ticks me off.