1975 Cadillac Coupe deVille with an Airbag?

In the 1970s, airbags were not standard equipment in Cadillacs or any other vehicles. Airbags began to be introduced as optional or standard safety features in some vehicles in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but they were not widely adopted until later decades. The first production car to feature an airbag as a standard feature was the 1974 Imperial, a luxury vehicle manufactured by Chrysler. However, these early airbag systems were quite different from the modern airbag systems we see today in terms of design and effectiveness. It wasn't until the 1990s that airbags became more commonplace and mandatory in vehicles sold in the United States.

[@davidphillips5395]

In 1987, I went to the GM Training Center in Tigard, Oregon to take a mechanic's update class (the building is now a church). The trainers were all excited about a taxicab - a 1967 full size Chevrolet - that had been found in a wrecking yard ... equipped with an airbag in the steering wheel. Apparently, they were using this cab fleet as a test bed. They had photos of the company removing it, and the related system, from the vehicle and testing it. The darn thing worked just fine! Pretty cool. ~ David

[@automotiveadbuilder]

So what is the real first car with an airbag? I always thought was an Oldsmobile was the first????

[@chucie9265]

I owned a 1975 Olds Delta 88 convertible for years. Paperwork showed SRS was available as an option and there were places in the instrument panel ready for indicator lights………
It did have 5 mph bumpers though……..
Also, we just had to liquidate our parents home of 65 years………some very difficult decisions had to be made……the more stuff in the home, the more it cost to clear for sale….

[@automotiveadbuilder]

That is why I try not to keep stuff. When my mother goes I am doing an estate sale......

[@garyszewc3339]

GM put that in a few different models for a few years. They then quit, because they found out they weren't working properly. It took them years to redesign to work properly.

[@automotiveadbuilder]

Hmmm, but they gave up until the 90's. Did people really care about safety back then? Those cars were strong at least/

[@churchyandfriends]

To my understanding some of the earlier airbags had some major issues. There were several examples of airbags deploying with a fire ball and in isolated cases even throwing shrapnel. It took quite a few years to sort out the kinks so the dry spell between this era and the late 80s makes sense.