In 1912, Cadillac put Charles Kettering’s electric starter in a car and made hand-cranking obsolete

Early motorists faced dangerous physical challenges starting cars with hand cranks, risking injury from backfires. Charles F.

In 1912, Cadillac fitted 12,000 cars with Charles Kettering's electric self-starter; the hand-crank era ended, and ordinary drivers could finally start a car safely

In the early days of the automobile, drivers faced a daunting ritual every time they wanted to hit the road. Cranking the ...