Tuesday, May 30, 2017

the Buick Guidematic and GM Autronic Eye






General Motors unveiled the Autronic Eye, the first automatic headlight-dimming system. When the phototube, mounted on the dashboard, detected approaching headlights, it automatically switched the car’s beams to low until the other lane was clear. It was offered on Oldsmobile and Cadillac cars. Unfortunately minute light fluctuations caused the automatic headlights to flicker erratically. By 1959, General Motors had solved the problem with a new gadget: ‘With a twist of the dial Autronic Eye lets you control the automatic dimming of your lights.’ Thus the driver could manually control an automatic device designed to eliminate the need for manual control!

2 comments:

  1. If the "Autronic-Eye" was a good idea, and I have no reason to think otherwise, why did it disappear? I always thought it was a very cool device.

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  2. My 2012 Durango has automatic high beams. It works well most of the time, but you still have to be ready to dim the lights when it doesn't do it automatically.

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