The emergency air pump from Pontiac
05/13/2014
In 1968, the Pontiacdivision of General Motors introduced a clever air pump that could inflate tires on the spot.
Pontiac salesmen called the marvel the "Mini-Pump" and announced that it would soon be available.
John Z. DeLorean, later known as the initiator of the famous and infamous DeLorean DMC-12, said that the pump was easy to operate.
This pump was driven by the vacuum in the engine and could therefore be used at practically any temperature and at any altitude above sea level.
A special adapter was fitted to the passenger side of the engine to install the pump in the engine compartment. So you connected the pump to this adapter and attached the hose to the flat tire and all you had to do was start the engine and soon there was enough air in the tire again.
As well as being used to inflate a tire, it could also be used to inflate air mattresses, footballs, bicycle tires and other things. And it is especially useful for female drivers, for whatever reason.
Well, the principle didn't really catch on, at least in Europe, perhaps also because the motor had to run for quite a while until the tire was inflated again.
