In 1965, an ex-missile engineer working for Ford Motor Company reinvented the steering wheel to allow drivers to navigate their vehicles using a pair of twist dials. The gizmo, appropriately named the "Wrist Twist" steering control, offered some advantages, but never caught on. It also went down in automotive history as one of the strangest re-engineering efforts of all time. … [Read more...] about Flashback: Ford’s ‘Wrist Twist’ Steering
Industry History
The Story of the Sewing Machine
The sewing machine is so common it’s difficult to imagine that it was ever considered a revolutionary technology that was going to forever change the world both domestically and commercially. However, like today’s 3D printers, that’s exactly what it was and exactly what it did. … [Read more...] about The Story of the Sewing Machine
Why Do We Call It a ‘Jump Seat’?
We've all seen, repaired and even sat in a vehicle's "jump seat." But have you ever wondered where the term comes from? We did some digging to find out. … [Read more...] about Why Do We Call It a ‘Jump Seat’?
How Women Helped Shape Auto Interiors
The automotive interior industry is dominated by men, but women have long played an integral role in its growth and development. In fact, they've been influential as industrial sewing machine operators, auto upholsterers, business owners, textile innovators and even cabin designers. Fastlane, an automotive blog run by General Motors, recently published an interesting … [Read more...] about How Women Helped Shape Auto Interiors
A History of Auto Trimmers Using Labels
As of late, it seems that more and more auto upholstery shops that specialize in custom interiors are using cloth labels to brand their work. However, as Custom Car Chronicle points out in a recent article, it’s hardly a new trend. In fact, the practice of using labels dates as far back as the 1940s. … [Read more...] about A History of Auto Trimmers Using Labels
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