Did you ever wonder who invented Cruise Control and when?

By David McClelland

Cruise Control (CC) is a great convenience when on a long trip. We just returned from a trip to Hilton Head and, believe me, I used CC most of the way. Along the way, I wondered who invented it and just how long it has been available. Today, we take CC for granted and most probably never think much about its history.

My research revealed that a blind engineer, Ralph Teeter, received his first patent on a "speed control" device in 1945. Teeter, blind since age 5, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and was employed to develop technology for steam turbine rotors used in torpedo boat destroyers during W.W. I. The story goes that Teeter thought of inventing CC after a jerky ride with a lawyer, an avid talker, who would speed up and slow down again repeatedly while conversing. The ride was quite uncomfortable for the blind Teeter.

Early names for Teeter's speed control invention were "Controlomatic", Speedstat", "Pressomatic", "Touchomatic" and finally, the familiar name of "Cruise Control".

CC was first offered on automobiles on the 1958 Chrysler Imperial, New Yorker and Windsor models. By 1960, it was also offered GM on Cadillacs. As I'm sure that you know, CC is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle, whether the vehicle is moving on flat, uphill or downhill roads. The CC system takes over the throttle of the vehicle to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver.

Daniel Aaron Wisner invented Automatic Electronic Cruise Control in 1968 as an engineer for RCA's Industrial and Automation Systems Division in Plymouth, Michigan. His invention was the first electronic gadgetry to play a role in controlling a car and ushered in the computer-controlled era in the automobile industry. Two decades later, Motorola developed an integrated circuit for Wisner's design. This resulted in CC being adopted by automobile manufacturers as "standard equipment" in nearly every car built and in many trucks as well. The big advantage was that it could be easily integrated with engine management systems and even with electronic accident avoidance systems.

On my Jeep, there is a CC control on the left side of the steering wheel. On top is the "On/Off" button and on the bottom is the "Set" button. The only other part of the system is the brake pedal. When I decide to engage CC, I get up to the speed at which I wish to travel and push the On/Off button which engages the CC and causes the word "cruise" to light up on my dash. I then push the Set button. That is all there is to it. I could travel on the highway for hours at that speed and, when I want to disengage CC, I either push the On/Off button again or tap the brake pedal. At that point, I must again use the accelerator to control my speed. The only times that I feel using CC is a disadvantage is in towns, congested areas or in the mountains. In towns, I need to manually control my speed for stopping an accelerating. In the mountains, when on CC and going up long or steep grades, the transmission will automatically down shift in order to maintain the constant speed I have set. That is less efficient and uses more fuel than when I drive manually.

Now you know who we have to thank for the convenience of driving with Cruise Control.