From the early days of the car phone almost 60 years ago
As early as 1956, important and wealthy people had the opportunity to make phone calls from a moving car. The device to be installed in the car cost around DM 4,000 to 5,000, which was considerably more than the price of a new VW Beetle. The basic monthly charge for the connection was DM 60, and the call costs were no more expensive than those via the landline network.
So far so good. But there were also a few small restrictions. Initially, calls could only be made between Karlsruhe and Dortmund, or the area around the highway. Only one call could be made at a time per control center, which was necessary for switching incoming calls from the car to the landline network via shortwave. This was obviously not considered a problem at the time, as the distance between the control centers was "only" around 50 km.
Even then, there were many practical applications, from country doctors and journalists to hauliers and the fire department.
The dangers of making phone calls while driving were not yet considered at the time, but users were advised to stand still during the call in order to maintain clear reception.
Incidentally, the telephone shown in the picture is from a much more modern era, having been taken in a Mercedes-Benz 600 in 1969.
