Kevin Kim invented a new type of wiper blade design, it's easy to see that there are two edges for getting the water off your windshield with the Kimblade

 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556623059784

a 12-year-old from outside Nashville, Tennessee, invented the "EZ Baby Saver," in hopes that it would help parents remember that they've left their children strapped in a car seat. The contraption won him a runner-up prize of $500 at the Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors.

Dozens of children die every year after being left in an automobile –- and one 12-year-old Tennessee boy did his part to end that.

At least 44 children died after being left in overheated cars in 2013, according to data compiled by researchers at San Francisco State University.

The brightly colored strap extends from a car’s driver door handle to the back of the driver’s seat, reminding a parent to check the back as they get out of the car.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/pint-sized-inventor-wants-cut-down-hot-car-deaths-n151076

I've posted before about Vantablack... maybe this similar paint, will show up at SEMA, and get distributed in the USA for sale

A team at Nipsea Group, working through its Color Technology and core R&D unit in Shanghai, has developed what it describes as an "ultra-black coating" capable of absorbing roughly 99.9% of visible light. The material is clearly inspired by Vantablack, the carbon nanotube coating that makes objects look almost flat and featureless.

https://www.techspot.com/news/112851-scientists-created-paint-black-makes-cars-look-like.html

high-resolution images and transcriptions of nearly 1,200 sheets of the original Leonardo Da Vinci manuscript collection, the Leonardotheka 2.0, ( but it's a very slow website to load)

https://teche.museogalileo.it/leonardo/home/index_en.html

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/leonardotheka-da-vinci-codex-2779022

I've never heard of this before... huh!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=826784080396081&set=a.121339284273901

The rear-view mirror was marketed in 1921 by Elmer Berger as the "Cop-spotter," a $3.50-$4.00 accessory designed to help drivers avoid police by spotting them behind the car.

Of course, you are familiar with Ray Harroun racing the Marmon Wasp in 1911, who used mirrors to see competitors.

When asked about how he came up with such an innovative idea as the rearview mirror, Harroun took no credit. He said that in 1904 he saw a driver of a horse-drawn buggy using a rearview mirror. Harroun thought it was a great idea. He copied it and installed it on his race car.

But even earlier, in 1906, Dorothy Levitt, born Dorothy Elizabeth Levi, author, businesswoman, and automobile engineer, who started in the automotive world as a secretary at the Napier motor company. used a handheld beauty mirror to assist her during a car race. She identified that a similar fixed mirror inside the car would help drivers 

Berger's 1921 invention, featuring a 3x7 inch plate glass mirror attached to the windshield, was the first widely distributed version for daily driving, turning a surveillance tool into an essential safety feature

Berger’s business must have been quite successful. He married an opera singer and actress, and the couple bought a house in Huntington Palisades, a new development between Brentwood and Santa Monica. They lived there through the 1930s and ‘40s. They also owned a thoroughbred racing stable. Several of their horses went on to be highly competitive in the major horse races of the day.

https://americacomesalive.com/first-rearview-mirror-marketed-as-cop-spotter/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12056835/

https://speedqueens.blogspot.com/2010/07/dorothy-levitt.html

https://wednesdayswomen.com/the-1905-fastest-girl-on-earth-dorothy-levitt/

interesting onnovation, a tire cleaning patch of chainmail

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/341211-period-images-to-relieve-some-of-the-stress/page/605/

the Governor of Delaware with his '29 Studebaker President Eight, and license plate #1, on a "Weaver brake tester" that used drive-over plates and liquid gauges to instantly show each wheel's braking power simply by driving the car on at steady speed then jumping on the brake pedal. (thank you CoSC!)

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/341211-period-images-to-relieve-some-of-the-stress/page/602

https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/weaver.htm

CoSC left me this terrific trivia info in the comment section! 

The hierarchy in the way license plates once were allocated reflected late eighteenth century political thought in most states. New York allocated “1” to the governor and “2” to the lieutenant governor. 

State senators would also get low numbers, the state’s senior U.S. Senator, the junior U.S. Senator, and the Congressman is issued a plate also in the single digits. 

anything coveted and derived from official governmental action was leveraged into a reward for political support. So in the early part of the 20th century, that low-number license plates became a way for politicians to say “thank you” by conveying favored status to the holders of such single digit plates  Law enforcement was aware a motorist displaying a low-numbered plate was due preferential treatment.

https://www.automobiliaresource.com/license-plate-collecting/politics-and-low-number-license-plates-part-ii

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/341211-period-images-to-relieve-some-of-the-stress/page/402

Porsche has patented a way to clean up the catalytic converters... and it's the same old smog EGR method. Possibly, it's going to work without decreasing power. Time will tell after they prototype and test it

https://carbuzz.com/porsche-catalytic-converter-regeneration-patent/

John William "Jack" Ryan, was Mattel VP and chief designer until 1977, created Barbie, had about a 1,000 patents, and drove a 1935 Reo fire engine around Bel Air!

He built a bizarre faux castle with drawbridge and moat in Bel Air, where he had a dozen college students trading room and board for estate grounds upkeep/party waiters, etc - and so he installed 144 telephones throughout The Castle and grounds. 

The entire phone system was switched through a highly sophisticated communications system that he bought as surplus from a U.S. Navy destroyer and reengineered.

For a short while, he held 300 parties a year

He had a 18 car collection, and owned a vintage 1935 REO fire engine that he would load with party guests and drive around town, and to the Playboy Club where their respective social secretaries arranged a meet and greet, resulting in Hefner and Ryan teaming up for charity events around Hollywood/Beverly Hills/LA

Ryan went to Yale College, where he was active in the Pistol Club, and the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He served in the Pacific for a short time during World War II and in 1946 returned to Yale, where he was known as an “engineering genius.”

With a degree from Yale and having studied at Harvard, Jack worked for Raytheon during the early 50s / Cold War, helping to design the ground-to-air Hawk missile and the air-to-air Sparrow III missile, both of which were ordered by the Pentagon.

In 1955, Ryan joined Mattel, by getting a deal where he got 1.5% of the gross on all the toys he designed for them.

Even though he was never an employee of Mattel, he was their head of R&D. Not only did he do the mechanical design of the toys, he studied how children interacted with them. That’s because he was a real engineer, not just a tinkerer, and that means being systematic. He set up play areas with prototypes and had psychologists evaluate them. This became another reason for Mattel’s success.

Jack invented the Hot Wheels car suspension, the bearings, and the plastic wheels. Unlike Matchbox, Ryan put plastic wheels on the cars with a little give for traction and needle bearings for smooth motion

He also came out with the orange track system that let kids build raceways, and invented the battery-powered accelerator (the Supercharger) that would shove the cars along. Mattel sold six billion Hot Wheels cars in their first 50 years, from 1968 to 2018.

He devised a coffee cup that would keep beverages at a constant temperature (probably using a phase change of sodium acetate), and a camera that could develop its own film.

Ryan later engineered the voice mechanism for Chatty Cathy, the first mass-produced talking doll, revolutionizing interactive play for children. He invented the rocking horse with moving legs. He also helped create Hot Wheels, applying automotive and aerospace engineering to design miniature cars with unprecedented speed, style, and performance.

His ideas on blending technical precision with imaginative play were later preserved by Stanford University, where his "Design Philosophy" is archived.

Evidence of his "space-aged savvy" can be seen in the designs of many of the toys he created for the Mattel line. For instance, the V-RROOM! X-15 https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2019/09/did-you-ever-hear-of-this-mattel-x-15.html which was named after the North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft that were made for the USAF, the NASA, and the USN. 

His name also appears on the patent documents of the V-RROOM! bicycles of the 1960s as well as the V-RROOM! toy engines that simulated real motorcycle engine sounds.

He married Zsa Zsa Gabor for a year, 75-76, but near the divorce, disassembled her Rolls-Royce in attempt to make her a custom limousine and, according to court records, refused to put it back together again.

https://nypost.com/2023/03/04/barbie-creator-jack-ryan-once-held-his-own-daughters-hostage/
https://www.facebook.com/DreamHouseJackRyan/posts/i-asked-chatgpt-for-help-what-do-you-think/1074045853936982/

https://babelniche.com/2024/06/05/obscure-creators-of-the-world-3-jack-ryan/

https://medium.com/@solidi/jack-ryan-and-ruth-handler-of-mattel-the-power-ballad-of-american-coffee-2c19994e6732

https://timenote.info/en/Jack-Ryan-12.11.1926#google_vignette

https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ryan-john-william-jack

https://catalogimages.wiley.com/images/db/pdf/9780470371268.excerpt.pdf

This post took 3 hours just to track down every lead online to find the make and model of the fire engine, all the rest of the information was found only as a side effect of looking for the fire engine

interesting new invention, adapting the door latch to make a step so you can either reach the roof rack, or wash the roof

https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/

(new to me) Wallace and Gromit Ultimate Cracking Contraptions Fails

the Preston North End Sockamatic

1926 Packard with an interesting factory feature, that's dangerous to have functional now, the Fuelizer, a 1920 invention

the Packard Automobile Company engineers perfected a device which is simple and solved the problem of heating the 1920s low-grade of gasoline to insure complete combustion. 

The Fuelizer consisted of a chamber surrounding the intake manifold, in which a small amount of gasoline is exploded and then drawn into the manifold thus raising the temperature of the gas to a high degree.

The gasoline is drawn into the Fuelizer chamber by a small pipe leading from below the butterfly valve, is circulated at high velocity in the chamber by the explosion caused by the spark plug in the chamber, and then goes through a small opening into the manifold where the usual wet and cold mixture from the carburetor is converted into superheated gas which explodes entirely upon ignition.

Franklin also used a pre-heater

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1920/3/13/fuelizer-packards-motor-miracle-innovation-in/

https://www.sae.org/papers/packard-fuelizer-210037

https://www.jstor.org/stable/44720596?seq=29

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10164525320227845&set=pcb.10162575079488757

Ukraine’s DIY tank armor is so effective, even China and Russia are copying it, a flexible protective net that shields armored vehicles from drones dropping explosives

Ukraine’s original “hood” system, widely used across the Armed Forces, is noted for its simplicity. It typically consists of a collapsible frame with several beams that can be opened or closed manually. The design gained recognition on the battlefield for its ability to mitigate the impact of first-person-view (FPV) drones and loitering munitions.

Russia acknowledged the effectiveness of the Ukrainian system, with assessments claiming it was one and a half times more reliable than their own counter-drone measures, before proceeding to copy the idea for its T-72 and T-80 tanks.

https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraines-diy-tank-armor-is-so-effective-even-china-and-russia-are-copying-it-12093

Ukrainian farmers have delivered five specialized mine-clearing rollers to the Armed Forces, a grassroots initiative born out of necessity and funded entirely by the local Ukrainian Agri Council. The first prototype was financed out-of-pocket by the farmers themselves, proving its effectiveness in tests.

The rollers, built according to the “roller scheme,” trigger anti-tank mines and improvised explosive devices by simulating the pressure of heavy vehicles. 

Each unit consists of three sections mounted with four wheels apiece, designed to evenly distribute weight and adapt to rough terrain.

According to the farmers, the system passed state trials, received NATO-standard certification, and has already been approved for use by the Ukrainian military.

The total cost of the eight machines reached about $300,000.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, more than 458,000 land mines and IEDs have been neutralized.

https://united24media.com/latest-news/from-diy-farm-tech-to-nato-standards-ukrainian-farmers-deliver-homemade-mine-clearing-vehicles-to-army-12048

California's contributions to the automotive world - nope, I didn't get on the list, (I am adding myself to it) but Don did with his Garage Style Magazine! So, congrats Don!

Creative Californians lead the world in entertainment, aerospace and automotive, particularly around Southern California, the car culture capital

 Notable car-related firsts and founders:

1919: Car Styling — Harley Earl, Los Angeles (incl. use of clay models.)
1925: Motel — Milestone Mo-Tel, San Luis Obispo.
1926: Kelley Blue Book — Les Kelley, Los Angeles.
1931: Drive In Take Out Restaurant — Pig Stand, Los Angeles.
1930s: Hot Rods — developed around Los Angeles, tested on nearby dry lake beds.
1930:  Art Center College of Design as the Art Center School.

1936: Maurice Schwatz — custom cars. He made the Topper Car.

1948: Road and Track magazine — John Bond, Burbank.
1948: Hot Rod magazine — Robert Petersen, Wally Parks, Los Angeles.
1948: Drive-Through Restaurant — In-N-Out Burger, Baldwin Park.
1949: Motor Trend magazine — Robert Petersen, Los Angeles.
1950: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance — Sterling Edwards, Beverly Hills.
1951: National Hot Rod Association — Wally Parks, Glendora.
1951: Custom Cars — George Barris Hollywood custom cars for tv shows, Los Angeles.
1953: Pinewood Derby — Don Murphy, Manhattan Beach.
1956: Go Kart — Art Ingels, Echo Park, Los Angeles

1957: T Bucket  — Norm Grabowski, Hollywood
1963: Dune Buggy — Bruce Meyers, Newport Beach

1968: Hot Wheels — Mattel introduces kids to cool cars via toys
1973: Toyota Satellite Design Studio, El Segundo.
1983: Automotive Fine Arts Society — Ken Eberts, Temecula.
1984: Motor Press Guild — Matt DeLorenzo, San Pedro.
1986: Automobile magazine — David E. Davis, Los Angeles.
2003: Cars and Coffee — Marc Greeley, Bob Cheatley, Newport Beach

2004: Tv reality shows about custom cars — Boyd Coddington
2006: Just a Car Guy blog — me, San Diego
2008: Garage Style magazine — Don Weberg, La Habra.
2020: Modern Rodding magazine — Tim Foss, Brian Brennan, Fullerton.

Peter Aylett (Laguna Nigel) founded Car Art in 2002 in Southern California he is the great-grandson of a London carriage maker, and during his 25-year career as an automotive design engineer with Ford, Lotus, Mercedes, GM, Nissan, and Mazda, he helped create concepts like the Corvette Stingray III and production cars like the Esprit, De Lorean and RX-8.

Von Dutch and Ed Roth, maybe they should be included, selectively then based on your first comes makes the list for one category, unless you categorize them differently. 

For all I know you might think Ed Roth and Barris are the same category, but when I think of Roth, he was not in a category because of the monster shirts, and comic book marketing, and airbrushing the shirts and sweaters at car shows, plus the Choppers Magazine, and not just the singular focus on wacky custom cars.

Barris started as a reporter for Hot Rod, then customized cars for celebs - unlike Roth who made cars, for car show wins. 

Who invented flame jobs for hot rods? Two Red Lion Special sprint cars in 1934

Von Dutch certainly was not in a category with anyone else, though he did teach others like Jeffries to pinstripe, he was certainly the originator, and his contributions to hot rodding include the invention of lace paint - though Watson took that and popularized it, and Von Dutch got to working with helmets and did the design for the stars and stripes that was copied for the tank of Easy Rider's Capt America bike. 

Also, Norm Grabowski who invented the T Bucket was also the one that created custom shifter knobs. But, that T Bucket - that was pioneering a trend. 

Mr Jalopy invented blogging about car stuff. 

Max Bulchowsky for putting hot rods into GP racing with Ol Yaller

Gene Winfield, not just for the fade paintjob, but also for making Hollywood movie vehicles

Pete Chapouris hot rodding revival in the 70s

Bruce Crower

Cal Club plates

Joe Bailon for inventing candy apple red paint

Compared with diesels, electric prime movers are very expensive, don’t go far on a charge, and take a long time to recharge. This might result in the process getting changed, through this innovative electric motor bolt on

According to the EPA, transportation produced 28% of the greenhouse gases released in the United States in 2022, and nearly a quarter of that came from heavy vehicles – more now than from passenger cars. 

California-based startup Revoy sees itself as well-placed to break up the logjam, with an innovative product and an innovative business model behind it.

The product is an electric motor dolly that can be spliced between the tractor and trailer of any standard diesel semi-truck and then propel the truck via its electrically driven axle.

Power comes from a battery carried on the dolly with a 575-kWh capacity that's comparable to batteries in fully electric prime movers. Revoy says it offers a range of about 250 miles (400 km), and a higher-capacity unit is in the pipeline.

https://newatlas.com/automotive/revoy-electric-semi-tractor/

Ford Tripmonitor Pre-GPS unit, which ran on the Transit satellite network was the first true GPS system in commuter vehicles it seems... it adapted the DOD GPS system for civilians

 

In 1983 Ford shocked the world by introducing the Lincoln Continental 100 Concept. Much like Doc Brown‘s DeLorean, this exciting new concept erupted onto the scene seemingly from thin air. Packing more technology than we’d ever seen in one vehicle.

The centerpiece of this concept was, of course, Ford’s new Tripmonitor system. “In the future, motorists may not have to rely on their own sense of direction,” promised the Desert Sun in June of 1983. “Called a Tripmonitor, it employs a nine-inch, diagonal, eight-color cathode ray tube mounted in the middle of the instrument panel. Push a button and a map appears on the screen with the car’s location.”

the “Transit” GPS system. Initially created for operational use, mostly by the U.S. Navy, Transit slowly transitioned to civilian applications as well. The first satellite-based geopositioning system analyzed radio signals to track the movement of receiver-equipped objects. It was a criminally simple yet ultimately revolutionary idea.

The U.S. government restricted this exciting new GPS technology to military use until 1983, however. Thus, Ford’s Tripmonitor was the very first automotive application to incorporate what would eventually become a common feature we take for granted today.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1481483539916230&set=a.934188851312371
https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/fords-1983-tripmonitor-nav-system-was-totally-tubular

Mercedes has come up with something cool.... again! (gotta credit them with the invention of the car, with an internal combustion engine, right?) it's rims, with electrically controlled vanes that actively adjust for aerodynamic drag reduction, or max brake cooling air

the wheels incorporate active aero. 

The vanes reposition themselves based on the car’s drive mode.

When aiming for efficiency, they close off to reduce drag.

For performance, they adjust to allow better air flow to the brakes. 

Individual generators powered by the wheels provide the electricity to run the tiny actuators mounted in their hubs.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-mercedes-amg-gt-xx-concept-has-active-aero-wheels-and-1341-hp

the co-inventor of the Hot Air Balloon, also invented the hydraulic ram pump, in 1796

 Joseph Michel Montgolfier

https://jasondeegan.com/the-hydraulic-ram-pump-a-228-year-old-french-invention-is-being-revisited-for-modern-use/

one hell of a cool design for a roof rack. Only the 2 inch clamp in the middle of each side, is holding it on