In 1922, electronic ignition replaced the starter crank handle, but it wasn’t until 1949 that Chrysler introduced the keyed ignition into production cars. Cigarette lighters came to automobiles in 1921, then car radios in 1930.

Once entertainment was taken care of, power steering appeared as far back as 1951, and then Chrysler introduced air conditioning in 1953, and cruise control appeared as early as 1958. Three-point seatbelts appeared in 1959 courtesy of Volvo, while the 1960s saw electric windows, heated seats, and intermittent wipers appear. Anti-lock brakes were first seen in 1971, in 1973, the catalytic converter turned up to ruin everyone’s fun for nearly twenty years, and the first digital dashboard appeared in 1974. Airbags started becoming standard in the 1980s, then, in the 1990s, things started really picking up. That’s where we’ll start with the evolution of modern car technologies as we know them.
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