Mike T.

Actually, I recall that General Motors, more specifically, Buick, made the first series production cars with airbags way back in 1974-75. Daimler-Benz may have refined the airbag afterwards (hence their patents 10 years later), but GM was definitely the first to use them in series production.

Hard to believe it may be, but there was even an ad campaign on it in car magazines at the time. One of these ads showed a Buick that had collided head on with a power pole on a rural highway, and the unbelted driver was uninjured thanks to the airbag.

It was a semi-experimental technology at the time, which was nonetheless applied to a few/several thousand Buicks. It was a quite expensive option.

Kimberly, it's good to know that the car protected you well. Imagine if you had been in a Civic, or even a W 202 C Class. How much bigger is your next car going to be? Please don't buy an SUV - they are unbelievably unsafe to other traffic, and not so good in their own right.

CitronC230K_03

im not barging in here and not stating things which i say are "fact", but they are mearly opinion or general thoughts, and maybe belief. i heard volvo was working on the airbag in the late 70's/early 80's. i cant confirm nor deny that. if GM was as well, great. i did find reference to the MB airbag patent i have. in the 1992 model line up brochure, included was a "Sloving the Automotive Safety Puzzle". it starts at 1940 and is in chronological order to '92 from there. if i get a chance i will scan it it and post it. its 4 pages long, with roughly 25 major safety innovations, highlights, etc. there are 4 patents shown: 1. 1951 The fundamental principle of Passive Safety protection through an impact absorbing chassis - is patented. 2. 1956 The first impact-absorbing steering column wheel and column are patented. 3. 1968 The world's first impact-absorbing steering system, patented in 1960, goes into regular series production. 4. 1982 A Mercedes-Benz patent on its air bag system. so from that sentence i would conclude, that yes they hold a patent for "its air bag system." granted they may not have been the worlds first, but i would say they were at the forefront, not the frontlines if buick had it in the 70's, but they were in the forefront of airbag technology.

Lockbuster

Mike T,
I hate to disagree with you, however GM did not have mass production on the airbag, it was an option and not many GM vehicles had it. I started locksmithing in 1978 and I am an auto specialist. Over the years I have made keys or repaired the Saginaw steering column on GM cars in the thousands (not exaggerating) and I can honestly say I only ran into a couple of air bags of the 1970s GM autos. In the 1980s I had many of GM dealerships in the San Diego County that I worked at (as an independent locksmith), so I am quite abreast on the vehicles and what was in them. I was called in when the first airbags came into the dealerships to be work on and at that time their was no tech manuals on the vehicles. Same goes with Mercedes Benz.

Mike T.

OK, don't believe me Believe this:

From www.pvtlaw.com, in a paper by Jeffrey D Boyd, regarding GM auto safety issues:

In 1972, a limited number of demonstration airbag vehicles were in use, and airbags were first available to the general public in 1974 model year cars as an option. The initial results were very good: the bags deployed in the right crashes, and they did reduce injuries. In 1973, General Motors supplied 1,973 Chevrolets with airbags to controlled fleets. Between 1974 and 1976, GM built over 10,000 vehicle with driver and passenger side airbag systems.

It seems that I underestimated the number of GM airbags in the 1974-75 period

BrabusPower

I'm glad to hear that you are aright.. take care man...

pocholin

I'm sure you meant woman.

Lockbuster

I know what you are saying and I am working off my own experience as a field tech working for the GM dealerships in the
San Diego area. If the airbags were mass produced like the report said I would have known since I was the most experienced auto locksmith at that time in San Diego, working on more vehicles than any locksmith in that time frame. I do not know where that information is coming from however I do know cars and that is what the US is all about freedom of speech and the American way.

PS I do have my car dealership references to back me up however I was just making a point.

Drew_ML

No, if you're not wearing your seatbelt, the airbag WILL deploy. Having it deploy and being injured while being unbelted, is better than being launched into the windshield.