NFC tags in your car beat Android Auto's voice controls for quick navigation

8 Questions · Test Your KnowledgeTechnology Arrives in VehiclesTrivia challenge From crackling AM radios to touchscreen dashboards — how well do you know the gadgets that rode shotgun through automotive history? Car RadiosMedia PlayersNavigationDisplaysPioneers Begin What year did Motorola introduce the first commercially successful car radio, the 5T71? A1922B1930C1937D1945 That's right! Motorola launched the 5T71 in 1930, and the product's success is actually how Motorola got its name — a blend of 'motor' and 'Victrola.' It retailed for around $110 to $130, which was a significant sum at the time. Not quite — it was 1930. Motorola's 5T71 was such a hit that the company renamed itself after it, combining 'motor' (for car) and 'Victrola' (a popular phonograph brand). The radio cost nearly as much as some used cars of the era! Continue Which U.S. president's administration first raised concerns about car radios being a dangerous distraction to drivers? AHerbert HooverBFranklin D. RooseveltCHarry TrumanDDwight D. Eisenhower Correct! During the Hoover era in the early 1930s, several states and safety groups debated banning car radios as dangerous distractions. The debate sounds remarkably familiar given modern concerns about smartphone use while driving. Actually, it was during the Hoover administration in the early 1930s. As car radios became commercially available, safety advocates and lawmakers pushed back, fearing drivers would be distracted — a debate that echoes loudly in today's discussions about phones and infotainment screens. Continue The Chrysler Highway Hi-Fi, introduced in 1956, used a special record player built into the dashboard. What made its records unique? AThey were square-shaped to fit the glove boxBThey spun at 16⅔ RPM and were smaller than standard recordsCThey were made of flexible vinyl to survive vibrationDThey played at 78 RPM using a diamond-tipped laser needle Spot on! The Columbia-designed Highway Hi-Fi discs spun at 16⅔ RPM — half the speed of a standard LP — and measured just 7 inches across. This slow speed allowed longer playtime per side, which was perfect for a road trip. The correct answer is that they spun at 16⅔ RPM and were smaller than standard records. Designed by Columbia Records specifically for Chrysler, these discs held up to 45 minutes of audio per side, but the system was plagued by skipping on bumpy roads and was quietly discontinued within a couple of years. Continue Which automaker was the first to offer a factory-installed cassette tape player as a standard or optional feature in its vehicles? AFordBVolkswagenCChryslerDGM Correct! Ford offered an optional in-dash 8-track player as early as 1966, but was also among the first to adopt cassette players in the early 1970s as the format gained popularity. Ford's early embrace of in-car audio helped set the standard for the industry. It was actually Ford that led the charge. Ford offered factory-installed 8-track players starting in 1966, and was among the earliest adopters of cassette players as that format rose to dominance in the 1970s. Cassettes eventually outsold 8-tracks entirely by the late 1970s. Continue What was the name of Honda's groundbreaking navigation system, introduced in the 1981 Honda Accord in Japan, that used a gyroscope and had no GPS? ATravelPilotBElectro GyrocatorCRouteGuide 1000DNaviMaster Excellent! The Electro Gyrocator was a pioneering piece of tech that used an inertial navigation system with a gas gyroscope to track movement. It displayed the car's position on a transparent map overlay — with no satellites involved whatsoever. The answer is the Electro Gyrocator. Honda's 1981 system was revolutionary for its time, using a gyroscope to estimate position on a translucent map overlay. Since GPS wasn't available to civilians yet, it relied entirely on dead reckoning — tracking speed and direction from a known starting point. Continue Which was the first mass-market car to feature a factory touchscreen infotainment system? ABMW 7 Series (1994)BBuick Riviera (1986)CLexus LS400 (1989)DCadillac Seville (1992) That's right! The 1986 Buick Riviera featured a touchscreen 'Graphic Control Center' that controlled climate, radio, and trip information. It was years ahead of its time, though drivers found the glass screen difficult to use while driving and it was eventually dropped. The correct answer is the 1986 Buick Riviera. Its 'Graphic Control Center' was a touchscreen panel that let drivers adjust the radio, climate, and check trip data — decades before touchscreens became standard. It was widely criticized for being distracting and hard to use on the move, which ultimately led to its discontinuation. Continue FM radio became widely available in cars during which decade? A1950sB1960sC1970sD1980s Correct! While FM had existed since the 1940s, it wasn't until the 1970s that FM car radios became widely available and affordable. FM's superior sound quality over AM helped fuel a massive growth in FM radio stations throughout the decade. The right answer is the 1970s. Although FM radio technology dates back to the 1930s and 40s, it took decades for the infrastructure and consumer hardware to make FM a practical in-car option. By the late 1970s, FM had surpassed AM in popularity thanks to its much cleaner, static-free sound. Continue The first car to offer a factory-installed CD player was introduced in 1984. Which manufacturer built it? ASony and Toyota jointlyBBMWCLincoln (Ford Motor Company)DBlaupunkt for Mercedes-Benz Well done! Ford's Lincoln Town Car offered an optional in-dash CD player in 1984, making it one of the first vehicles in the world to feature the technology from the factory. It was a premium luxury feature at the time, costing hundreds of dollars extra. It was actually Lincoln, Ford's luxury division, that introduced a factory CD player option in 1984. Offered on the Lincoln Town Car, it was an expensive add-on that signaled the beginning of the end for cassette tapes in vehicles — though cassettes hung on well into the 2000s in many cars. See My Score Challenge CompleteYour Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again