List of automotive superlatives

This page lists superlatives of the automobile industry - that is, the smallest, largest, fastest, lightest, best-selling, and other such topics.

In order to keep the entries relevant, the list (except for the Firsts section) will be limited to automobiles built after World War II. Many odd vehicles emerged in the early days of the automobile industry. There is a section for early superlatives, however.

The list will also be limited to production road cars that meet the following conditions:

1. 20 or more examples must have been made by the original vehicle manufacturer and offered for commercial sale to the public in new condition - cars modified by either professional tuners or individuals are not eligible
2. They must be street-legal in their intended markets and capable of passing any tests or inspections required to be granted this status
3. They must have been built for retail sale to consumers for their personal use on public roads - no commercial or industrial vehicles are eligible

Contents

1 Some notes about units of measurement used herein... 1.1 Engine Capacity/Displacement 1.2 Engine Output 1.3 Fuel Economy 2 Engine capacity 3 Dimensions 3.1 Overall 3.2 Wheelbase 3.3 Track 3.4 Weight 3.5 Other 4 Power 4.1 Most power 4.2 Most torque 4.3 Most specific power (power to weight ratio) 4.4 Most specific engine output (power per unit volume) 4.5 Most specific torque (torque per unit volume) 4.6 Least specific engine output (power per unit volume) 5 Performance 6 Sales 7 Firsts 7.1 Engine types 7.2 Engine technologies 7.3 Body 7.4 Transmission 7.5 Layout 7.6 Suspension 7.7 Brakes 7.8 Driver-aids 7.9 Passive-restraint 7.10 Tires 7.11 Lighting/electrical 7.12 Other 7.13 American types 8 Pre-War 9 See also

Some notes about units of measurement used herein...

Engine Capacity/Displacement

• 1 liter = 1,000 cubic centimeters = 61.0237 cubic inches
• 1 cubic inch = 16.3871 cubic centimeters

Engine Output

Power

• 1 horsepower (hp) = 1 brake horsepower (bhp) = 1.0139 metric horsepower (PS) = 0.7457 kilowatts (kW)
• 1 metric horsepower = 0.9863 horsepower = 0.7355 kilowatts
• 1 kilowatt = 1.3410 horsepower = 1.3596 metric horsepower

Torque

• 1 pound-foot of torque (lb-ft) = 1.3558 Newton-meter (nM)
• 1 Newton-meter = 0.7376 pound-feet

Fuel Economy

• 1 mile per US Gallon = 1.2009 miles per Imperial Gallon = 0.4252 kilometers per liter = 235.208 liters per 100 kilometers
• 1 mile per Imperial Gallon = 0.8327 miles per US Gallon = 0.3540 kilometers per liter = 282.4731 liters per 100 kilometers
• 1 kilometer per liter = 2.3521 miles per US Gallon = 2.8247 miles per Imperial Gallon
• 1 liter per 100 kilometers = 235.208 miles per US Gallon = 2824731 miles per Imperial Gallon

Engine capacity

• Straight-3
  • Smallest I3 engine (petrol) - 0.55 L (543 cc/33 in³) - 1982 Suzuki Cervo F5A
  • Smallest I3 engine (Diesel) - 0.8 L (799 cc/48.8 in³) - 2000 Smart Fortwo cdi
    • Others: 1.0 L (993 cc) - 1984 Daihatsu Charade
  • Largest I3 engine (petrol) - 1.2 L (1198 cc/73 in³) - 2002 Volkswagen Polo/Seat Ibiza 1.2
  • Largest I3 engine (Diesel) - 1.8 L (1779 cc/109 in³) - 1984 Alfa Romeo 33 1.8 TD

• Straight-4;
  • Smallest I4 engine (petrol) - 0.36 L (358 cc/21.8 in³) - 1961 P360 Carol OHV
  • Smallest I4 engine (Diesel) - 1.25 L (1248 cc/65 in³) - 2003 Fiat Panda Multijet
  • Largest I4 engine (petrol) - 3.2 L (3188 cc/194.5 in³) - 1961 Pontiac Tempest 195
    • Others: 3.0 L (2990 cc/182 in³) - Porsche 968
  • Largest I4 engine (Diesel) - 4.3 L (4334 cc/278 in³) - Isuzu NKR 4HF1

• V4
  • Smallest V4 engine - 0.9 L (903 cc/55 in³) - 1939 Lancia Ardea V4
  • Largest V4 engine - 2.6 L (2568 cc/157 in³) - 1930 Lancia Lambda V4

• Straight-5
  • Smallest I5 engine (petrol) - 1.9 L (1921 cc/117 in³) - 1981 Audi 100 1.9 E
  • Smallest I5 engine (Diesel) - 2.0 L (1986 cc/121 in³) - 1978 Audi 100 2.0 D
  • Largest I5 engine (petrol) - 3.5 L (3464 cc/211 in³) - 2004 GM Atlas L52 3500
  • Largest I5 engine (Diesel) - 3.5 L (3469 cc/212 in³) - 1990 Land Cruiser 1PZ Diesel

• Straight-6
  • Smallest I6 engine (petrol) - 1.5 L (1500 cc/91 in³) - 1927 Alfa Romeo 1500 6C
  • Smallest I6 engine (Diesel) - 2.4 L (2383 cc/145 in³) - 1979 Volvo 240 D24
  • Largest I6 engine (petrol) - 4.9 L (4917 cc/300 in³) - 1965 Ford 300
  • Largest I6 engine (Diesel) - 5.9 L (5883 cc/359 in³) - 1989 Dodge Ram 250/350 Cummins B series turbodiesel

• V6
  • Smallest V6 engine (petrol) - 1.6 L (1597 cc/97 in³) - 1992 Mitsubishi Lancer 6A10
    • Others: 1.8 L (1845 cc/113 in³) - 1992 Mazda MX-3 K8
  • Smallest V6 engine (Diesel) - 2.5 L (2497 cc) - 1996 Audi/VW 2.5 TDi (in multiple cars)
  • Largest V6 engine (petrol) - 4.3 L (4300 cc/262 in³) - 1985 GM Vortec 4300
  • Largest V6 engine (Diesel) - 4.3 L (4304 cc/262 in³) - 1982 GM LT6

• V8
  • Smallest V8 engine (petrol) - 2.0 L (1990 cc/121 in³) - 1975 Ferrari 208 GT4
    • Others: ATS/BRM/Coventry Climax and Ferrari Formula One 1.5 L V8 engines (none of them used into a road car)
  • Smallest V8 engine (Diesel) - 3.3 L (3328 cc/203 in³) - 2000 Audi A8 3.3 TDI
  • Largest V8 engine (petrol) - 8.1 L (8194 cc/500 in³) - 1970 Cadillac Eldorado 500
  • Largest V8 engine (Diesel) - 7.3 L (7275 cc/444 in³) - 1997 Ford F250 Power Stroke
  • Smallest American V8 engine - 3.5 L (3532 cc/215 in³) - 1961 Buick Special 215
  • Largest small-block V8 engine - 6.7 L (6689 cc/408 in³) - Ford 400 Cleveland

• V10
  • Smallest V10 engine - 4.9 L (4921 cc/301 in³) - Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI
    • Others: 4.0 L - 1992 Yamaha OX99 (never produced)
  • Largest V10 engine - 8.3 L (8277 cc/505 in³) - 2003 Dodge Viper

• V12
  • Smallest V12 engine - 2.0 L (1995 cc/122 in³) - 1948 Ferrari 166 Inter Colombo
  • Largest V12 engine - 7.0 L (6996c cc/427 in³)- 1998 Lister Storm
    • Honorable mention: 7.3 L (7291 cc/445 in³) - 2003 Pagani Zonda C12S used an AMG-tuned version of that same Mercedes engine but only 17 examples have been built.

• V16

Note: The 6.0 L (366 in³) V16 in the 1995 Cizeta-Moroder V16T is the only post-war V16 production engine. A 13.6 L V16 was used in the General Motors concept car Cadillac Sixteen.

Dimensions

Overall

• Shortest (3 wheels) - 1340 mm (52.8 in) - 1962 Peel P50
• Shortest (4 wheels) - 2286 mm (90 in) - 1956 Isetta
• Longest - 6,426 mm (253 in) - 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five
  • Honorable mention - 6852 mm (269.8 in) - Checker Aerocar (Not a consumer vehicle)
• Lowest
• Highest

Wheelbase

• Shortest wheelbase - 1500 mm (59.1 in) - 1956 Isetta
  • Others:
    • 1800 mm (70.9 in) - 2003 Suzuki Twin
    • 1812 mm (81.3 in) - 1998 Smart Fortwo
• Longest wheelbase - 151.5 in (3848 mm) - 1971-1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five sedan
  • Honorable mention - 4800 mm (189 in) - Checker Aerocar (Not a consumer vehicle)

Track

• Widest track - 1943 mm (76.5 in) - 1961 Jaguar Mark X

Weight

• Lightest passenger vehicle (3 wheels) - 59 kg (132 lb) DIN - 1962 Peel P50
• Lightest passenger vehicle (4 wheels) - 350 kg (770 lb) DIN - 1956 Isetta
  • Others:
    • 370 kg (816 lb) DIN - 1992 LCC Rocket
• Heaviest passenger vehicle - 3428 kg (7558 lb) curb weight - 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha

Other

• Largest brake disc - 406 mm (16 in) - 2004 Bentley Continental GT

Power

Most power

• Petrol/gasoline - (naturally-aspirated) - 650 hp (485 kW) - 2003 Ferrari Enzo V12 (Note: the Enzo's status is disputed since the car was not available for sale to the public but to a private group of individuals selected by Ferrari)
  • Honorable mention: 627 hp (6.1 liter V12)- McLaren F1 (Note: this is the most powerful undisputed car on the list though it is not currently in production)
  • Honorable mention: 624 hp - 2004 Maserati MC12 (note: Maserati and Ferrari are now owned by Fiat the MC12 uses a detuned version of the same V12 engine in the Ferrari Enzo and is the most powerful, publically-offered car currently in production)
  • Honorable mention: The TVR Cerbera Speed 12 prototype produced an estimated 940 bhp (701  kW) (the central shaft of TVR's dynomometer snapped before they could complete the test) but the car never entered production
  • Front-wheel drive: 300 hp SAE (223 kW) - 2002 Cadillac Seville STS and Cadillac Eldorado ETC
• Petrol/Gasoline - (forced-induction) - 806 hp SAE (601 kW) - 2004 Koenigsegg CCR supercharged V8
• Diesel - 325 hp SAE (242 kW) - Ford Power Stroke, 2004 Ford Excursion

Most torque

• Petrol (naturally-aspirated) - 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 - 712 Nm (525 ft·lbf) - 8.3 liter (505 in³) V10 engine.
• Petrol (forced-induction) - 2003 Mercedes CL 65 AMG - 1000 Nm (736 ft·lbf) - 6.0 liter (366 in³) turbocharged V12 engine.
• Diesel - 2005 Dodge Ram (Cummins 610 Turbodiesel), 826 Nm (610 ft·lbf)

Most specific power (power to weight ratio)

• 100–200 hp — 288.75 hp/ton (7.6 lb/hp) — Lotus 340R, 190 hp (142 kW) and 658 kg (1451 lb)
• 200–300 hp — 266 hp/ton (8.5 lb/hp) — 1994 TVR Griffith 4.3 liter 280 hp (209 kW) and 1080 kg (2381 lb)
• 300–400 hp — 381 hp/ton (5.8 lb/hp) — 2003 TVR Tuscan S 400 hp (298 kW) and 1050 kg (2315 lb)
• 500+ hp — 620 bhp/ton (3.2 lb/hp) — 2004 Koenigsegg CCR supercharged V8 806 hp (468 kW) and 1180 kg (2513 lb)

Most specific engine output (power per unit volume)

• Naturally-aspirated rotary engine - 191.1 hp (140.5 kW)/liter - Mazda_RX-8 Renesis (250 hp (184 kW) JIS 1.3 L)
• Forced-induction rotary engine - 214.1 hp (157.4 kW)/liter - 2003 Mazda_RX-7 Type R Bathurst 13B-REW (280 hp (206 kW) JIS 1.3 L)
• Petrol/Gasoline (naturally-aspirated) piston engine - 125 hp (92 kW)/liter - 2000 Honda S2000 F20C (250 hp (184 kW) JIS 2.0 L I4)

Note: The 250 bhp (186 kW) version was available in Japan only. For the rest of the world, the engine produced 240 bhp. Also, the 2.0 L engine is no longer available in North America, it has been replaced by a 240 hp (109 hp/L) 2.2 L F22C1

• Honorable mention: 168 hp (125.3 kW)/liter - 2002 Radical Motorsport SR3 (252 hp (184 kW) 1.5 L I4) - (Note: The Radical's status as a production car is disputed, and numbers refer to the competition version, there is no official data for the road version)

• Petrol/Gasoline (forced-induction) piston engine - 202.9 hp (151.3 kW) per liter (302.13 kW (405.2 hp), 1997cc turbo 4G63 I4) - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII FQ-400 (UK-only, classification is disputed as the car is not manufactured by Mitsubishi but rather the UK distributor)
  • Honorable mention: 191.48 bhp/liter (720 bhp 3,760 cc V12 twin-turbo) - B Engineering Edonis
  • Honorable mention: 171.4 hp (126 kW)/liter (600 hp (441 kW) DIN 3.5L V12 quad-turbo) - Bugatti EB110 Super Sport
• Diesel (naturally-aspirated) - 45.4 hp (33.4 kW)/litre (136 hp (100 kW) DIN 3.0 L I6) - 1995 Mercedes E 300 D
• Diesel (forced-induction) - 91 hp (67.5 kW)/litre (272 hp (200 kW) DIN 3.0 L I6 twin-turbo) - 2005 BMW 535d

Most specific torque (torque per unit volume)

• Petrol (naturally-aspirated) - 114 Nm (84 ft.lbf)/litre (370 Nm (273 ft.lbf)) - 2003 BMW M3 CSL
• Petrol (forced-induction) - 206.6 Nm (152.2 ft.lbf)/litre (412 Nm (304 ft.lbf)) - 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STi (japanese market)
  • Honorable mention: 233.6 Nm (172.1 ft.lbf)/litre - 700 Nm/516&ft.lbf Dauer 962, road-going Porsche 962 replica
• Diesel - 187.1 Nm (138 ft.lbf)/litre (560 Nm (413 ft.lbf)) - 2005 BMW 535d

Least specific engine output (power per unit volume)

• Petrol - 22.5 hp (16.8 kW)/litre (115 hp (85.8 kW) 5.1 L V8) - 1973 Chevrolet 307
• Diesel - 18.4 hp (13.7 kW)/litre (105 hp (78.3 kW) 5.7 L V8) - 1980 Oldsmobile LF9 engine

Performance

• Highest USA EPA mileage - 61/66 mpg - 2005 Honda Insight 5-speed
• Highest not EPA rated mileage - 67/67 mpg - 1955–64 Messerschmitt KR200 4-speed (reverse by running engine backward)
• Lowest EU average fuel consumption - 2.99 L/100 km (78.6 mpg (US)) - 2002 VW Lupo 1.2 TDI 5-speed
• Quickest 0-60 mph:
  • 3.2 s - 2001 Koenigsegg CCR
    • Honorable mention - 3.1 sec - 2004 Caterham CSR 260 - (Note: the Caterham's status as a "production car" is disputed)
    • Honorable mention - 2.8 seconds - 2005 Ultima GTR [1] (http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/newrecord.html) - (Note: production numbers for GTR are not available and the GTR's status as a "production car" is disputed)
  • Sports car (4 seat) - 3.8 s - 2000 TVR Cerbera (4.5 liter version)
  • 4-door car - 3.5 s - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII FQ400 2.0 L (Note: the FQ400's status as a "production car" is disputed)
  • Pickup truck - 4.9 s - 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10
• Quickest 0-100-0 mph:
  • Sports car (2 seat) - 11.5 sec - McLaren F1 LM (Note: this is the best 0-100-0 time for an undisputed production car)
    • Honorable mention: 9.8 seconds - 2005 Ultima GTR [2] (http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/newrecord.html) - (Note: production numbers for GTR are not available and the GTR's status as a "production car" is disputed)
    • Honorable mention: 10.73 sec - 2004 Caterham 500 - (Note: the Caterham's status as a "production car" is disputed)
• Highest top speed:
  • Sports car - 390 km/h (242.4 mph) - Koenigsegg CCR
  • 4-door car - 282 km/h (175 mph) - 1989 Lotus Carlton
  • Pickup truck - 249 km/h (154.6 mph) - 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10

Sales

See also List of bestselling vehicle nameplates

• Best-selling models:
  • Best-selling car nameplate - Toyota Corolla (more than 27,000,000 sold in nine generations since 1966)
  • Best-selling vehicle nameplate - Ford F-Series (more than 29,000,000 sold since 1948)
  • Best-selling single model - Volkswagen Beetle (more than 21,000,000 of the same basic design sold worldwide between 1947 and 2003)
  • Best-selling sports car - Ford Mustang (more than 7,800,000 of five generations sold between 1964 and 2004)
  • Best-selling 2-seat car - Mazda MX-5 Miata (more than 700,000 of two generations sold between 1989 and 2004)
  • Best single-year sales - over 912,000 - 2004 Ford F-150 (23 years in a row as the top-selling single vehicle, 28 years as the best-selling truck in the USA)
• Lowest-production models: (excluding limited-production vehicles)
  • Pickup truck - avg. 223 per month, Lincoln Blackwood (3,356 sold in 15 months)
  • Sports car - avg. 6 per month, Toyota 2000GT (337 sold in 5 years)
    • Honorable mention: avg. 79 per month, Bricklin SV-1 (2,857 sold in 3 years)
  • SUV - avg. 4 per month, Lamborghini LM002 (301 sold in 6 years)
    • Honorable mention: avg. 200 per month, Suzuki X-90 (7,205 sold in 3 years)
• Marques and manufacturers:
  • World's top-selling manufacturer, 2004 - General Motors, followed by Toyota and Ford Motor Company
  • United States top-selling marque, 2004 - Tie, Ford and Chevrolet (each has a valid claim depending on which models are included)

Firsts

Full-production vehicles are listed here. Many were preceded by racing-only cars.

• First automobile manufacturer - Panhard et Levassor (1889) (followed by Peugeot in 1891)
• First standardized automobile - Benz Velo (1894)
• First mass-produced automobile - Oldsmobile Curved Dash (1901)

Engine types

• V4
  • First V4 - 1922 Lancia Lambda
    • Honorable mention - 1903 Marmon (few produced)

• Straight-6
  • First 6-cylinder - 1903 Napier

• V6
  • First V6 - 1950 Lancia Aurelia
    • Honorable mention - 1904 Marmon (few produced)
  • First American V6 - 1962 Buick Special

• Straight-8
  • First I8 - 1919 Isotta-Fraschini
    • Honorable mention - 1920 Duesenberg

• V8
  • First V8 - 1910 De Dion-Bouton
    • Honorable mention - 1904 Marmon (few produced)
  • First mass-produced V8 - 1914 Cadillac
  • First mass-produced monobloc V8 - 1932 Ford Model B
  • First OHV V8 - 1949 Oldsmobile/Cadillac

• V10
  • First V10 - 1992 Dodge Viper
  • First V10 sedan - 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton

• V12
  • First V12 - 1916 Packard "Double-Six"

• W12
  • First W12 - 2002 Volkswagen Phaeton (5998cc W12 engine - four banks of three cylinders)

• V16
  • First V16 - 1930 Cadillac V-16
    • Honorable mention - 1931 Marmon and 1932 Peerless

• W16
  • The Bugatti Veyron is expected to be the first production car from a major manufacturer to use a W16 engine, however, several smaller firms have either developed prototyped or produced small numbers of cars - including the Jimenez Novia which used a 4.1 liter W16 based on four I4 Yamaha motorcycle engines.

• W18
  • No production cars yet are known to use a W-18 configuration, however Bugatti has experimented with both three-bank and four-bank designed for various concept cars.

Engine technologies

• First carburettor - 1896 Daimler
• First overhead cam engine - 1898 Wilkinson
• First variable displacement engine - 1905 Sturtevant 38/45 six
  • Honorable mention - 1917 Enger Twin-Unit Twelve
• First DOHC engine - 1925 Alfa Romeo 6C (Peugeot had a DOHC multivalve Grand Prix car in 1913)
• Multi-valve engines
  • First 3-valve engine - 1924 Bugatti Type 35 (Type 18 had a 3-valve in 1912, but only 6 or 7 were made. Type 35 used the engine from the 1922 Type 29 racing car.)
  • First 4-valve engine - 1931 Bugatti Type 51 DOHC
    • Honorable mentions - An SOHC 4-valve engine appeared in 1910's Type 13 racing car, while a 4-valve straight-4 was also developed by Bugatti in 1914. The Linthwaite-Hussey Motor Company of Los Angeles manufactured and advertized a four-valve straight-4 engine in 1916.
  • First 5-valve engine - 1991 tie Bugatti EB110 3.5 L V12 and Toyota 4A-GE I4
  • First 3-valve Diesel - 1989 Citroën XM
  • First 4-valve Diesel - 1994 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  • First multi-valve turbocharged engine - 1984 Saab 900 B204
• First carburetor air filter - 1915 Packard Twin Six
  • Honorable mention - 1922 Rickenbacker had a modern dry element
• First crankcase ventilation - 1926 Cadillac V8 engine
• First automatic choke - 1932 Oldsmobile
• First four-barrel carburetor - 1941 Buick
• Fuel injection
  • First FI engine - 1910 Adams Farwell Diesel
  • First non-Diesel FI engine - 1952 Gutbrod Superior
    • Honorable mention - 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
  • First electronic fuel injection - 1968 Bosch D-Jetronic - Volkswagen Type 3/Type 4
• First turbocharged car - 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Turbo Jetfire and Chevrolet Corvair flat-6
• First variable-nozzle turbocharger - 1989 Shelby CSX
• First point ignition - 1910 Cadillac/Delco
• First electronic ignition - 1960 General Motors Delco
• First flat-engine - 1905 Knox
• First square engine - 1906 Premier
• First monobloc engine with removable cylinder head - 1908 Ford Model T
• First counterbalanced crankshaft - 1908 Mercer Type 35
• First split-plane crankshaft - 1923 Cadillac V8 engine
• First gas turbine car - 1950 Rover JET 1 (Experimental only; no gas turbine car ever reached real production)
• Wankel engines
  • First Wankel engine - 1964 NSU Spider
  • First 2-rotor Wankel engine - 1965 Mazda Cosmo (60 preproduction examples were produced and registered)
    • Honorable mention - 1966 NSU RO80 (Preceded the production Cosmo by one year)
  • First 3-rotor Wankel engine - 1991 Mazda Cosmo
    • Honorable mentions - 1969 Mercedes-Benz C111 and 1970 Felix Wankel-refitted Mercedes-Benz 300SL (Not production cars)
• First Miller cycle engine - 1996 Mazda Millenia
• First Atkinson cycle engine - 2004 Toyota Prius
• First modern hybrid car - 1997 Toyota Prius (Japan)

Body

• First production closed-body car - 1910 Cadillac
• First monocoque - 1924 Lancia Lambda
  • Honorable mentions - 1917 Ruler Four (few produced), 1934 Citroën Traction Avant
• First coupe convertible - 1934 Peugeot 401 D Eclipse
• First fiberglass body - 1953 Chevrolet Corvette and Kaiser Darrin
• First MPV - 1956 Fiat 600 Multipla
• First retractable hardtop - 1957 Ford Skyliner
• First hatchback - 1958 Austin A40 Farina (first conventional hatchback hinged from top of the rear door was Austin A40 Farina-based Innocenti Combinata of 1962)
• First fiberglass monocoque - 1959 Lotus Elite
• First crossover SUV – 1980 AMC Eagle
• First carbon fiber monocoque - 1991 McLaren F1

Transmission

• First synchronized transmission - 1929 Cadillac
• First overdrive - 1934 Chrysler Airflow
• First automatic transmission - 1938 Oldsmobile/Cadillac "Hydra-Matic" (1934 REO was a pair of self-shifting manuals)
• First torque converter automatic - 1948 Buick "Dynaflow"
• First modern cone synchromesh transmission - 1952 Porsche 356
• First five-speed gearbox - 1953 Ferrari 212
• First limited slip differential - 1956 Studebaker
• First continuously variable transmission - 1958 DAF 600 "A-Type"
• First six-speed gearbox - 1986 Porsche 959
  • Honorable mention: 1986 Honda Civic Wagon 4WD
• First seven-speed gearbox - 2003 Mercedes-Benz 7G-TRONIC

Layout

• First RR car - 1896 Hertel
• First front wheel drive - 1929 Cord L29
  • Honorable mention - 1900 Pennington and 1928 Alvis (did not sell more than 150 units)
  • Honorable mention - 1934 Citroën Traction Avant
• First transverse front wheel drive - 1949 Saab 92
  • Honorable mention - 1959 Mini
  • First transverse FWD I5 - 1993 Volvo 850
  • First transverse FWD V8 - 1985 Cadillac DeVille
• First four wheel drive vehicle - 1898 Lohner-Porsche [3] (http://leo.worldonline.es/jaumepor/angles/porsches/loh_porsche.htm)
  • Honorable mention - First mechanical 4WD 1902 Jacobus Spyker
• First all wheel drive car - 1966 Jensen FF (Bugatti created an AWD racer, the Type 53, in 1932)
• First FR transaxle - 1950 Lancia Aurelia (the 1914 Stutz Bearcat featured a primitive transaxle)
• First MR car - 1957 Zündapp Janus (or possibly the 1923 Benz Drop-Shaped racer)
• First MR AWD car - 1990 Panther Solo 2

Suspension

• First torsion bar suspension - 1921 Leyland
• First front independent suspension - 1924 Lancia Lambda
• First hydraulic shock absorbers - 1933 Hudson (Monroe)
• First coil spring/shock absorber suspension - 1934 Cadillac, Chrysler, and Hudson
• First MacPherson strut suspension - 1950 Ford Consul
• First Chapman strut suspension - 1958 Lotus Elite
• First air suspension - 1958 Cadillac Brougham
  • Honorable mentions - 1909 Cowley and 1933 Stout-Scarab (Firestone)
• First electronically-controlled suspension - 1985 Nissan Maxima (Japan-market model)

Brakes

• First power brakes - 1919 Hispano-Suiza H6 (mechanically assisted)
  • Honorable mention - 1921 Duesenberg Model A
• First vacuum-assist power brakes - 1928 Pierce-Arrow
• First standard disc brakes - 1956 Triumph TR3, Girling (Jaguar pioneered disc brakes at Le Mans in 1953)
• First antilock braking system - 1966 Jensen FF (Dunlop Maxaret system, previously used in aviation)
  • First electrical antilock braking system - 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III
    • Honorable mention - 1970 Cadillac (rear only)
  • First electronic antilock braking system - 1986 Lincoln Mark VII/Continental and Chevrolet Corvette
• First Electric parking brake - 2003 Lincoln LS
• First diagonally split, dual brake circuits - 1962 Saab 95/96
• First asbestos-free brake pads - 1983 Saab Automobile

Driver-aids

• First standard rear-view mirror - 1912 Marmon
• First power steering - 1951 Imperial
• First cruise control - 1957 Imperial
  • Honorable mention - Peerless had a centrifugal governor speed control system in the 1910s
• First GPS navigation system - 1983 Honda Accord
• First traction control - 1987 Bosch Mercedes-Benz S-Class/BMW 7-Series
• First dynamic stability control system - 1996 Bosch/BMW
  • Honorable mention - 1997 Cadillac
• First night vision - 2000 Cadillac DeVille

Passive-restraint

• First airbags - 1974 General Motors vehicles
• First head airbags - 1998 BMW 7-Series

Tires

• First use of pneumatic tires - 1895 Peugeot L'Eclair (Michelin)
• First standard pneumatic tires - 1896 Bollee Voiturette
• First radial-ply tires - 1949 Michelin "X" (patented in 1946)
• First self-repairing tires - 1950 Goodyear

Lighting/electrical

• First electrical lighting - 1898 Columbia electric
• First standard lights - 1904 "Prest-O-Lite" acetylene
• First standard electrical lights - 1908 Peerless
• First integrated electrical and lighting system - 1912 Cadillac Delco
• First "dipping" headlights - 1915 Guide Lamp Company
• First dual-beam headlight - 1924 Bilux
• First swivel headlights - 1936 Tatra T77A
• First fog lights - 1938 Cadillac
• First electric windows - 1938 Buick Y
• First rear window defogger - 1948 Cadillac
• First combination key and ignition switch - 1949 Chrysler
• First auto-dimming headlights - 1952 Cadillac Autronic Eye
• First AC alternator - 1960 Valiant
• First auto-on/off headlights - 1964 Cadillac Twilight Sentinel
• First halogen headlights - 1965 Hella
• First sealed battery - 1971 Pontiac "Freedom Battery"
• First modern U.S.-market car with sealed beam headlights - 1984 Lincoln Mark VII
• First multiplexed wiring - 1987 Cadillac Allanté
• First AC HID lights - 1991 BMW 7-series
• First DC HID lights - 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII
• First neon lights - 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII
• First all-LED tail lights - 1998 Maserati 3200 GT

Other

• First tilt-away steering wheel - 1912 Peerless
• First dash-mounted fuel tank gauge - 1914 Studebaker
• First original-equipment radio - 1923 Springfield
• First windshield defroster - 1928 Studebaker
• First air conditioning - 1938 Studebaker Commander (1939 Packard and 1941 Cadillac were next)
• First windshield washer - 1937 Studebaker
• First composite wheels - 1989 Shelby CSX
• First active differential - 1997 Honda Prelude SH - (The 2005 Ferrari F430 and Acura RL feature the first fully-integrated electronic differentials)
• First split folding rear seats - 1961 Renault 4 (Fiat patented the system in 1978)
• First tilt/telescope steering wheel - 1965 Cadillac
• First heated seats - 1966 Cadillac
  • Honorable mention - 1972 Saab 99
• First automatic climate control - 1964 Cadillac
• First digital climate control - 1975 Rolls-Royce Camargue
• First ventilated seats - 1997 Saab 9-5

American types

• First standardized American automobile - Duryea Motor Wagon (1896)
• First American electric car - Detroit Electric (1907)
• First American hybrid car - Honda Insight
• First American hybrid SUV - Ford Escape Hybrid

Pre-War

• Best-selling pre-war vehicle - Ford Model-T (15,000,000 sold between 1908 and 1928)
• Least-expensive full-featured automobile - 1927 Ford Model-T ($300 is about $3200 in inflation-adjusted 2004 dollars)
• Largest vehicle - Bugatti Royale - 21 ft (6.4 m) long, 180 in (4.57 m) or 170 in (4.32 m) wheelbase depending on model
• Largest pre-war I4 - 12.9 L (12867 cc/785 in³) - 1903 Dietrich-Bugatti Type 5
• Largest pre-war I6 - 13.5 L (13518 cc/824.8 in³) - 1914 Peerless and Pierce-Arrow (tie)
• Largest pre-war I8 - 12.8 L (12763 cc/778 in³) - 1929 Bugatti Royale

See also

• Classic Auto Prints' Automobile History Timeline (http://www.classicautoprints.com/history.html)