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I remember as a kid driving my grandfathers car that had vacuum windshield wipers. Engine revs determined wiper speed. I think I remember the wiprs speeding up when you let up off the gas pedal. Small hose from intake manifold went to wiper mechanism.
What vehicle was first with electric wipers? What year did all vehicles have electric wipers?
I remember that the '50 Chev had vacuum wipers, but Dodge had electric immediately after the war, and probably before the war. My dad's '38 Pontiac probably had electric, I remember being surprised the first time I rode in a car with vacuum wipers stopping when accelerating. The cheap Chev model around 1950 was probably the last vacuum wiper.
I would guess that electric wipers were introduced really early on, and maybe used later only on the barebones model. In fact, in the early 30s, cars had only one wiper, drivers side only, mounted at the top of the windshield, with a little electric motor with a switch on it up by the sun visor, and a capstan through the metal frame of the windshield. I'm think that must have been electric, it would more efficient to run wiring up there, than a vacuum hose. Before that, probably just a knob to turn to manually sweep the wiper over the glass.
Which reminds me, my old ''62 VW Beetle had an air-pressure windshield washer drive. The washer fluid was in a pressure reservoir, with a valve on it like on a tire. You pump it up to 80 pounds or so, and when you pressed the button to spray the windshield, it would release fluid from the pressurized reservoir, which you had to keep going to tire pumps (free then) and re-pressurizing to make the washers work.
Edit: Googling, I find that the first electric was around 1040, and the last vacuum in '72.
I had a second hand 1957 Olds 88 back in the 70's. It had vacuum wipers. I had a bud who drove a 61 Caddy - if memory serves me, it too had vacuum wipers. "The new vacuum-powered system quickly became standard equipment on automobiles, and the vacuum principle was in use until about 1960." Source: Wikipedia
I think it might be hard to pin down the "first" vehicle to have electric wipers. Concerning GM: Olds was always first with an innovation as they were the "guinea pig" for Cadillac. So, it would seem electric wipers for GM might have been on an Olds first...don't know about Ford and Chrysler.
Automatic windshield wipers were invented in 1921. Called "Folberths," after their inventors, Fred and Willaim Folberth, they were powered by an "air engine," a device connected by a tube to the inlet pipe of the car’s motor.
The electric version, attached to the top of the windshield, was created by Bosch in 1926, but was reserved only for luxury models.
Robert Kearns (1928-2005) patented intermittent powered wipers in 1967. He demonstrated the system to Ford Motor Company, which introduced automobiles with intermittent wipers in 1978. Other automakers soon followed.
I learned to drive on a 1929 Ford Model-A and they only had hand cranked wipers.
I had a second hand 1957 Olds 88 back in the 70's. It had vacuum wipers. I had a bud who drove a 61 Caddy - if memory serves me, it too had vacuum wipers.
My 59 Cad Fleetwood has electric wipers. Probably what you remember is the vacuum pump on the wiper motor that was used for the washer system. There was a square plastic gizmo with several rubber hoses connected to it on the motor.
My 59 chevy truck has electric wipers, but they were optional according to my Factory Service manual.
AMC was the last to give up the vacuum wipers in the mid 1970s They were stqandard equipment on Gremlins and Hornets. The old Big 3 went to electric wipers in 1960 for most models.
I had a 1961 Rambler American with vacuum wipers. They stopped when I accelerated. I had a 1962 Rambler Classic with vacuum wipers. They worked well. That model had them connected to a dual action fuel pump. They slowed down when accelerating, but not nearly as much as the American's did.
Edit: Googling, I find that the first electric was around 1040, and the last vacuum in '72.
Wow, I didn't know that electric wipers have been around for 971 years!
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