As the saying goes, "women can hold up half the sky", and women who do not let their eyebrows shave play a very important role in all walks of life. In the century-old history from the birth of the automobile to the present, female drivers, female entrepreneurs and female engineers have always played a pivotal role, and their efforts have also had a profound impact on the development of automobiles. In fact, many of the configurations and functions of our cars are also from women's hands, so on the occasion of "March 8Th International Women's Day", let us review the car configurations invented by women and pay tribute to those "female drivers" who have made significant contributions to the development of automobiles in history.
In daily driving, the use of light signals is an important way for us to "communicate" with other traffic participants, so many people call it the "language" of the car. Today's turn signals and brake lights date back to 1914, but at the time, we can't call them "lights", but a simple mechanical device, and its inventor was Florence Lawrence from Canada.
Nowadays, turn signals and brake lights are indispensable components in the car. But at the time, they didn't get much attention from automakers very quickly. It wasn't until more than 20 years after Lawrence's invention that similar devices were widely used. When the time comes to 2022, turn signals and brake lights have also been played by many car companies with more and more new tricks.
Like the turn signals, the wiper is definitely one of the indispensable vehicle features, and more convenient features like the induction wiper have gradually been developed. And about 120 years ago, the wiper was invented by the American Mary Anderson, and eventually it was continuously improved to become what we see it today.
It can be said that Anderson and Bridgewood's inventions were too advanced in their time, because they did not immediately get the attention of automakers. I believe that no one at that time would have thought that the wiper would eventually become the standard configuration of all cars, and it is still irreplaceable today, more than 100 years later.
For people who chose to travel by car more than 100 years ago, the environment in the car in the cold winter and hot summer is a situation that must be overcome. Compared with our predecessors, because of the existence of on-board air conditioning, we have a comfortable interior environment all year round. Half of the credit goes to Margaret Wilcox, an American automotive engineer.
Although today's on-board air conditioning systems are more complex than they were more than 100 years ago, they can provide a more pleasant interior environment. But Wilcox's idea is still the basis of the principle when car air conditioners produce hot air today, that is, to use the heat generated by the engine to heat the interior of the cabin. It can be seen how far-reaching the impact of her invention on the future development of automobiles. So every time you drive in the cold winter, you need to thank her for inventing it.
Yes, Bertha Benz is the wife of the famous car inventor, Carl Benz, and as the woman behind him, Bertha has provided great emotional and financial support for Carl's career, and the brake pads that are indispensable to cars are also the masterpieces of this woman.
The adventure made the car famous as an undesirable thing at the time, and the couple received more and more orders, eventually leaving Carl Benz in history. And of course, this is also inseparable from Bertha's support behind it, and the initial poverty and contempt did not make her give up. With her unshakable faith and bravery, she helped Carl Benz achieve a brilliant career.
Like many of the features mentioned above, the rearview mirror is one of the most needed configurations in our daily driving, and its appearance greatly reduces the risk of accidents in daily driving. But when Carl Benz first developed the car, the relevant problems were not considered, and the birth of the rearview mirror had to start with the British Dorothy Levitt.
With the gradual popularization of rearview mirrors, it has also become one of the indispensable car configurations. In recent years, new features such as streaming mirrors and electronic mirrors have been introduced to further help us improve safety while driving.
This theme allows us to see many outstanding women who were at the forefront of innovation and achievement in the early automotive world. Not all of them are engineers or scientists, but they all have a stronger sensitivity to the seemingly ordinary life. It was their creativity and tenacity that changed the history of the car and the way we drive it now. Of course, I believe that there are more ordinary people who have been working silently behind their backs. So on the occasion of Women's Day, let us once again express our highest respect to the women who have made extraordinary contributions to the development of automobiles.