Although it is very strange to us, the first vehicles did not have a windshield. Glasses were part of the essential outfit of every driver. Still, dust, wind, insects, mud and stones from the road, and rain made the experience of getting behind the wheel a continual danger, as well as uncomfortable. Would we be able to drive today in such circumstances? Everything is possible, but it would be absurd and very dangerous. Windshields have been present in vehicles since the first years of the last century and their appearance was decisive in making driving a real pleasure.
Every responsible driver knows that the windshield is a fundamental element of safety. A powerful reason why the windshield repair is essential is before any impact or damage, since it will avoid greater evils and unnecessary risks. This piece guarantees good visibility, protection and comfort, as well as being essential for the structural resistance of the car. But it was not always like this. The history of the windshield shows a constant evolution, which has not been echoed by other technological and mechanical advances.
The first windshields to be installed brought obvious benefits to drivers, allowing them to dispense with glasses and improve their field of vision. However, very soon they were involved in controversy, since in the event of an accident or frontal impact the glass would break into a thousand pieces. In those years, road exits were something quite common and so were head-on collisions. In many cases, the most serious injuries occurred as a result of a broken windshield rather than a collision. With the advent of closed vehicles, which included side windows, the notorious presence of glass in cars only grew.
Despite the obvious problems, manufacturers had already opted for the windshield. As with other innovations, Henry Ford was the first to introduce the front glass in the legendary Ford T, although as an extra that also included the headlights and a speedometer. A package for $ 100, a not inconsiderable amount in 1908 when it was launched on the market. However, Oldsmobile was the first brand to manufacture all of its models with the standard windshield.
In the 1920s, Ford was fully convinced that it was necessary to improve the quality and safety of windshields. It was clear to the automotive pioneer that Ford had to be actively involved in the R&D process to produce stronger and cheaper glass at the same time. Clarence Avery, one of the factory’s mechanical artists, was in charge of leading this project. Ford no longer ceased in his efforts, despite the fact that the results would take time to arrive.
Everything changed when the use of laminated glass became widespread in the manufacture of windshields. It was not a quick process, far from it. More than three decades have passed since the French Edouard Benedictus fortuitously discovered the effects of cellulose nitrate on glass. In 1903, this inventor dropped a glass tumbler on the floor and, surprisingly, it did not shatter. What was the cause? This glass had been the makeshift cellulose nitrate container, and this substance left a dry film adhering to the inside. That was the reason why despite the impact the glass did not break.
Benedictus evolved his discovery and in 1909 he filed a patent for a two-layer glass with a cellulose layer in the middle. Two years later, he created the Société du Verre Triplex that would create a first compound thought for automobiles. But the creation of Benedictus had two serious disadvantages to spread in the incipient automobile industry: its high price and the discoloration of the cellulose layer that deteriorated the windshields.
Long before a solution to both problems was found, some brands had already incorporated laminated glass. The first to integrate them as standard in one of its models was the Rickenbacker Motor Company in 1926. Another manufacturer, Lincoln, two years earlier, had made a significant advance by developing a bulletproof windshield for the Police Flyers, a model car. for the police. This vehicle used a 2.5 cm thick combination of glass and polycarbonate.
The 1930s were decisive in the evolution of windshields. It became a staple in the battle for the advancement of the car between the different manufacturers, more and more numerous and powerful. One of the first innovations was the sloped windshield, which offered new design options and improved aerodynamics. Cadillac and Chevrolet shared the credit for this breakthrough. In 1934, Chrysler launched the first one-piece windshield with curved shapes and, two years later, General Motors opted for the vertically split windshield. All the great actors were immersed in the race to improve the glass of their cars.
However, despite the progress, there were still two obvious handicaps: the price and the discoloration of the laminated lenses. But at the end of the 1930s that also changed. In 1937, a strike by the Glassworkers Federation of America caused a series of changes that led to a drop in prices. A year later, the polyvinyl butyral developed by Carleton Ellis solved the discoloration problem. Ford took the initiative once again, and in 1939 an advertisement for the brand announced the Indestructo safety glass, which claimed that “in addition to not breaking into a thousand pieces, it is crystalline and does not discolor.”
The tempered glass, which is used on the sides and on the rear window, is also a progress of the prodigious 30s.
Safety has always guided the evolution of windshields, and that standard has remained unchanged from the dawn of the automotive industry until today, on the verge of innovations that look like something out of a science fiction movie. Continuous advancements have made windshields increasingly lighter, thinner and much more resistant. In 2016, the Ford GT surprised the market with a Gorilla Glass, a product designed for smartphone screens.
The latest generation of windshields has far exceeded the expectations and purposes of the pioneers of the automotive industry. A good part of the safety of vehicles rests on this element, which originally generated rejection precisely because it caused injuries by breaking into a thousand pieces in the event of a collision.
Windshields of the 21st century support around 30% of the structural resistance of the car. Despite being lighter than ever, their role is essential to prevent the roof from sagging in the event of the vehicle overturning. But there is more, much more. Sensors are located on the surface of the front window that guarantee the correct functioning of the ADAS active safety systems. Functions such as emergency braking or lane departure alert depend on the information captured by devices on the windshield, taking advantage of its privileged position in the vehicle.
There is no doubt that the future has new features in store for the windshield. An exciting evolution that has not ceased at any time for more than a century and that will continue to surprise in the future.
