General Motor's first electric motor meant the driver wasn't, well, cranky.
One hundred years ago the electric starter debuted in the 1912 Cadillac Touring Edition helped establish Cadillac’s reputation while increasing its sales. It’s hard to imagine but before the invention of the electric starter by Charles Kettering it took hand cranking, considerable muscle, and some luck to wake up a Tin Lizzie or one of its ilk. Cranking fathered the American slang term ‘cranky,’ which was said to describe someone’s mood after struggling to start a car.
Cadillac founder Henry M. Leland, who had already pioneered electric lights and electric ignition on his cars, picked up the innovation from a General Motors subsidiary. The electric starter was GM’s first electric motor, a business continuing today and potentially expanding if predictions about the widespread electrification of the automobile prove true.
“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, referring to the kickback on a crank handle that could break an arm, or worse.
“It was one of the most significant innovations in the history of the automobile,” Wallace said. “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.”
Before the electric starter, Leland was a machinist and precision manufacturer. In 1908 A few he implemented component standardization and interchangeable parts. Soon after the electric starter, Cadillac would be the first to introduce the V8 engine and the synchromesh transmission for easier gear shifting. Cadillac was also the first car company to offer a fully enclosed car body. Leland move on to establish the Lincoln brand at Ford Motor Company.
