The automatic transmission meanwhile reduced the attention and workload required inside the cabin, such as monitoring the tachometer and taking a hand off the wheel to move the shifter, allowing the driver to ideally keep both hands on the wheel at all times and to focus more on the road.

In 1791, John Barber, an English engineer, patented the first design for a gas turbine engine. His concept used a compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine—a layout that became the foundation for all modern gas turbines. Although the technology of his time couldn’t make it practical, Barber’s design marked a pivotal step toward the development of jet engines and turbine-powered machinery.

George Brayton invents the two-stroke constant pressure internal combustion engine. It was marketed as the “Ready Motor” in 1872.

After the 1973 oil crisis, the U.S. government imposed a nationwide 55-mph speed limit, and fuel shortages and rationing were widespread. Until that time, drivers (especially commercial truckers) used CB radios mostly to locate service stations with better fuel supplies and notify other drivers of speed traps. But during the 1974 strike, led by independent truck drivers, the radios were used to organize blockades and convoys to protest the new speed-limit and other regulations that they felt would negatively impact both their productivity and livelihood.

In the early 1970s, motor vehicles produced significant air pollution, prompting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impose new regulations on fuel consumption and engine design. These rules required manufacturers to develop cleaner engines and refiners to produce low-sulfur fuels. To further reduce emissions, the EPA introduced strict diesel engine standards alongside measures to lower sulfur content in diesel fuel. In response, the Detroit Diesel Series 60 was developed from the ground up to meet these new requirements—becoming the first diesel engine to feature a fully electronic control system and setting a new benchmark for cleaner, more efficient performance.