A support in everyday (car) life - the new quiz is online!
01/18/2026
Headrests were once a feature of luxury cars and were therefore initially more likely to be found in the rear of the car. There they were used for comfort rather than safety.
However, the increased focus on safety in the 1960s brought them to the attention of engineers and, soon afterwards, designers. Some manufacturers initially only offered them for an extra charge, while others tried to integrate them into the seat in such a way that they could also be fully retracted. Critics at the time argued that the view would be better without them.
Alfa Romeo GT Junior Zagato: the headrest can be folded into the seat
And who remembers the clip-on headrests that were used to spice up the old car without them - often more for reasons of prestige than safety? If you are lucky enough to find such an accessory somewhere, you should take a close look at it. Most of them would have failed miserably if the worst came to the worst.
Accessory headrest that could be slipped over the seat backrest, here covered with a seat cover
Whether this was the case with the manufacturers' standard or optional headrests is not the question in our latest quiz. It only focuses on the creativity of the safety engineers and designers. However, they have become an essential element of occupant protection, especially in conjunction with a three-point seat belt. In the 1980s, head restraints became commonplace. The fact that they were designed so differently despite having the same function shows the ingenuity and creativity of the designers.
The Citroën GS Birotor had its own seat design with integrated headrests
But with all this effort by the designers, how much attention do we actually pay to headrests? Some people can't even tell you whether their own wristwatch, which they read every day, has Arabic or Roman numerals... Well, it's probably not that bad with our ignorance of headrests. Our latest quiz will answer the question.
