When car lamps were still lamps
09/28/2013
When we look at the lighting systems of very old automobiles today, we first notice the major development steps that have turned the original lamps into complex projection systems with gas discharge or LED lighting elements.
In the beginning, the vehicle headlamp was still built almost like a lantern, mostly carbide lamps. Before 1910, however, the first dipped beam system was already available, and halogen lamps appeared in the mid-1960s.
It was not until 1991 that the first xenon lights(in the Siebner BMW) were installed. With LED headlights, the next technology is ready and waiting, with the first applications in the Audi R8 as early as 2008.
However, it is not only the light source that has changed, but above all the control and steering of the light signal. Nowadays, vehicle headlights are actual projection units that are controlled by computers and can not only compensate for changes in height, but also adapt the light to the traffic situation. And the more advanced lighting systems still cost extra. Today we pay extra for xenon or LED, whereas in the sixties and seventies, H1/H4 halogen lamps were listed separately on the price list. And of course you not only pay more when you buy a new one, but also when you replace it. How easy it will be to replace them in 20 or 40 years' time when the xenon light unit of a Siebner BMW has to be replaced, we can't even imagine today. However, a good craftsman can still rebuild the old lamps and lights today if necessary.
