Cadillac's Invention of the Electric Starter Turns 100.

Cadillac invented a technology 100 years ago on the 1912 Cadillac Touring Edition that would be unthinkable not having on a car today - the electric starter. Before the electric starter the engine had to be hand cranked, which required a lot of effort and could be quite dangerous. 

“Hand cranking was the No. 1 injury risk in those early days of the automobile,” said Greg Wallace, director of the General Motors Heritage Center. That was due to the kickback on the crank handle that could break a drivers' arm. 

Cadillac founder Henry M. Leland worked with inventor Charles F. Kettering to create the electric starter. Leland had previously worked with other inventors to incorporate electric lights and electric ignition into Cadillacs. 

“It was a complete game changer. Within a few years, Cadillac featured women in their advertising showing them as drivers, instead of passengers or bystanders,” said Wallace. 

Cadillac offered the first mass-production V8 in 1914 and also introduced the synchromesh production to mass production.