Why no airbags in 1971?

[OzJavelin]

Found this little gem reading "Road Test" magazine, Jan 1970, reviewing the new '70 AMC Javelin:

"We had hoped that by 1970 introduction time there would be a major improvement in lap and shoulder restraints throughout the industry. It now appears that the present state of the art is frozen awaiting the perfection and introduction of airbags expected to be first seen in 1971."

So what happened between 1970 and mid 80s(?) when airbags started showing up on Mercedes and other high-end makes? I had serious doubts it was an overwhelming technological issue .. probably just marketing?

Funny enough that this statement was made reviewing a car which still had four-wheel-drums and non-radial tyres as standard equipment .... like just about all Yank/Aussie cars of the era. Maybe they we just getting a little ahead of themselves?

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

Found this little gem reading "Road Test" magazine, Jan 1970, reviewing the new '70 AMC Javelin:

"We had hoped that by 1970 introduction time there would be a major improvement in lap and shoulder restraints throughout the industry. It now appears that the present state of the art is frozen awaiting the perfection and introduction of airbags expected to be first seen in 1971."

So what happened between 1970 and mid 80s(?) when airbags started showing up on Mercedes and other high-end makes? I had serious doubts it was an overwhelming technological issue .. probably just marketing?

Funny enough that this statement was made reviewing a car which still had four-wheel-drums and non-radial tyres as standard equipment .... like just about all Yank/Aussie cars of the era. Maybe they we just getting a little ahead of themselves?

It was marketing. Airbags would have added to the price and safety wasn't an issue in those days. The only maker plugging safety was Volvo and other manufacturers seemed to think this was rather quaint.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

Found this little gem reading "Road Test" magazine, Jan 1970, reviewing the new '70 AMC Javelin:

"We had hoped that by 1970 introduction time there would be a major improvement in lap and shoulder restraints throughout the industry. It now appears that the present state of the art is frozen awaiting the perfection and introduction of airbags expected to be first seen in 1971."

So what happened between 1970 and mid 80s(?) when airbags started showing up on Mercedes and other high-end makes? I had serious doubts it was an overwhelming technological issue .. probably just marketing?

Funny enough that this statement was made reviewing a car which still had four-wheel-drums and non-radial tyres as standard equipment .... like just about all Yank/Aussie cars of the era. Maybe they we just getting a little ahead of themselves?

Airbags were the American industry's lazy response to the safety issue. There they had (have?) a problem with people not wearing their seatbelts so the airbag was the defacto seatbelt.

Australian manufactured cars were quite early with safety features led by BMC models from 1964-65: Mini, Morris 1100, Austin 1800. Austin 1800 in 1965 for example had radial ply tyres, lap sash front seatbelts, front power assisted discs, anti-lock rear brakes (pressure limiting valve), split braking system, rack & pinion steering. Holden started playing catchup in later years as I think did Ford even later.

[Riksta]

I remember reading Wikipedia's Airbag Article not long after I got my car, because I was interested in the topic.

Its quite interesting so have a look through.

[blk_frmnt]

Originally Posted by Riksta

I remember reading Wikipedia's Airbag Article not long after I got my car, because I was interested in the topic.

Its quite interesting so have a look through.

"Smoking a pipe should be avoided while driving. If the airbag inflates and hits the pipe, it is likely to be fatal, even if the crash is moderate."

Haha...I always enjoy a few puffs of my pipe while piloting my motorcarriage.

[jaydee]

I remember seeing a show at least 10 years ago and they were in the US and went to a wrecking yard and found a car that was 20 years old, a real piece of ****** that had been sitting in the yard for donkeys years.
They wanted to test the air bag to see if it still worked and short circuited it and BANG, she went off as good as gold, so the yanks have had them for much longer than us.
The car was something like a Lincon Continental 2 door or similar.

[jcxr]

Its BIG business in the states, degassing old airbag activating cannisters. The gas is highly toxic. It will also eventuate in Aus.

[xbgs351]

My 1970 Kingswood didn't even have rear seat belts.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

Found this little gem reading "Road Test" magazine, Jan 1970, reviewing the new '70 AMC Javelin:

"We had hoped that by 1970 introduction time there would be a major improvement in lap and shoulder restraints throughout the industry. It now appears that the present state of the art is frozen awaiting the perfection and introduction of airbags expected to be first seen in 1971."

So what happened between 1970 and mid 80s(?) when airbags started showing up on Mercedes and other high-end makes? I had serious doubts it was an overwhelming technological issue .. probably just marketing?

Funny enough that this statement was made reviewing a car which still had four-wheel-drums and non-radial tyres as standard equipment .... like just about all Yank/Aussie cars of the era. Maybe they we just getting a little ahead of themselves?

Because in the 1970s Australian cars were big lumps of tin with huge engines, carburettors and kettering ingnition and the only way you would find a computer in the vehicle was if you owned a digital watch.
Airbags require complex sensors and safety overrides to prevent accidental deployment.

[rodderz]

Originally Posted by flappist

Because in the 1970s Australian cars were big lumps of tin with huge engines, carburettors and kettering ingnition and the only way you would find a computer in the vehicle was if you owned a digital watch.
Airbags require complex sensors and safety overrides to prevent accidental deployment.

I hear MacGyver made his 1980 jeep cherokee airbag compliant using only his digital watch, a hanky and a pack of chewy, saved him from an arch enemy in one of the episodes

[Riksta]

Originally Posted by rodderz

I hear MacGyver made his 1980 jeep cherokee airbag compliant using only his digital watch, a hanky and a pack of chewy, saved him from an arch enemy in one of the episodes

That is such a lie, and you know it.

Only because it doesn't involve a paper clip.

[Bossxr8]

Without reading the Wikipedia article I think airbags go back to the 50's or 60's. They had too much trouble controlling them. They could only get them to work properly once they had the computer power to do it.

[jdg]

Early American cars that were fitted with airbags had airbags that inflated much more forcefully and were harder as they were used instead of seat belts, rather than supplementing them. I guess it all comes down to cost...why isnt every new car sold fitted with 6 airbags, even 8 or 10 - in the case of (Lexus) and ESP? Cost and model differentiation.

[matt-chops]

I can see it now... one day in the not too distant future cars are going to have so many air bags that they will look like this...



A seven car pile up on the freeway will look like fresh popcorn from a traffic chopper.

[1970galaxie]

Originally Posted by jaydee

I remember seeing a show at least 10 years ago and they were in the US and went to a wrecking yard and found a car that was 20 years old, a real piece of ****** that had been sitting in the yard for donkeys years.
They wanted to test the air bag to see if it still worked and short circuited it and BANG, she went off as good as gold, so the yanks have had them for much longer than us.
The car was something like a Lincon Continental 2 door or similar.

Yeah, I read somewhere some years back, the Ford had them in Lincolns back in around 1974. It wasn't legislated to have then though, until the late 80s/early 90s. That Wiki article probably explains it all.

[Scareybear]

Some of the early US cars had mechanical airbags, which apparently were very touchy, instructions on removing the airbag included "remove nut 'A' with your arm through the drivers side window, facing away from the car......".
Remember the dodgy '80's movies where airbags pop at the slightest tap? probably not as uncommon as you'd think

[Umineko]

Originally Posted by Scareybear

Remember the dodgy '80's movies where airbags pop at the slightest tap? probably not as uncommon as you'd think

True, but according to the movies american cars will explode into a fireball if you kick the bumpers too hard, so the airbag is really not likely to be of much help unless the inflation gas acts as a fire extinguisher

[uranium_death]

Why no airbags?

Pamela Anderson and silicon implants were yet to become commonplace.