A Brief History of Windshield Wipers

Early cars didn't have them. But in the rain, leaning out of a moving car to wipe the windshield was certainly not the ideal solution. It wasn't until 1903 that James Henry Apjohn conceived the first windshield wiper, manually operated by the driver. In 1923, the movement of the rubber blade – technically called a “wiper” – was automated with an electric motor operated by a switch. Over time, the windshield wiper also evolved to accommodate the evolution of the windshield, which went from flat to curved. Fast forward to the year 2000, and we have flat blade wipers: thanks to two thin, curved internal metal strips, these blades distribute pressure evenly across the windshield instead of concentrating it on only 4 or 5 points, ensuring excellent visibility and greater safety. Initially reserved for high-end cars, today flat blades can be fitted to almost all cars thanks to a patented universal attachment.