Mercedes Benz 300SL in 1954. It was available in the US but not exactly mainstream. I had thought it came out in 1955 but checked and it was 1954.quote:
Originally posted by ZmOz:
Just wondering...what was the first (main stream, available in the US) vehicle to have fuel injection, and when did it come out?
Really makes me wonder what they're cooking up right now that we won't know about for 40 years!quote:
Originally posted by Jimbo:
GM has had some of the best engineering talent and money for R&D of any company in the world. The problems usually come when they try to mass produce those ideas at the lowest cost.
In addition to those things already mentioned are:
electric starting (Cadillac, ~1915}
fully automatic transmission (1938 Olds Hydramatic}
mass produced fiberglass body (1953 Corvette)
automatic transaxle (1960 Corvair)
all aluminum, water-alcohol injected, turbocharged V-8 (1962 Oldsmobile F-85)
fuel cells
Yes, GM had a running hydrogen fuel cell van in 1963!
It depends on your definition of mainstream. MB diesel passenger cars were not officially imported to the US before the late 1950's. Large highway trucks in the US did not go to diesel until after WWII and I would not count construction equipment or locomotives as mainstream. The 40 passenger GMC bus just barely pre-dates WWII and is probably the first diesel road vehicle used in any numbers here.quote:
Originally posted by cryptokid:
you are all wrong!
the first fuel injection systems were on the early diesels, a very long time ago!
you have to realise that diesels use injectors and that diesel is a fuel.