Rearmament in the early eighties
For many decades, an exterior rear-view mirror, if available at all, was a relatively simple thing, i.e. a housing and a mirror glass. These rear-view mirrors were quick to fit and inexpensive to replace.
In the 1970s, however, car manufacturers began to put more effort into the design of exterior mirrors and soon mirrors that could be adjusted from the inside found their way into cars. This adjustment was soon also carried out via electric motors.
BMW went one step further with the 735i at the end of the 1970s, when the exterior mirrors were also electrically heated to remove ice and moisture. What pleased the comfort-oriented car enthusiast, however, turned out to be an expensive component when it came to replacing it.
Today, however, mirrors are even more complex, as they usually also contain cameras. And soon it will only be cameras that transmit their image to the screens in the cockpit ...
