<VV> Ridiculed by others... (no corvair)

[ScottyGrover at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/13/2008 11:37:16 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
rusecular at yahoo.com writes:

In 1955 Ford offered for the first time lap belts as an option. In 1956,  
largely at the insistence of executive Robert McNamara, seat belts  
were offered for consumer automobiles within the "Lifeguard"  
safety package.

The safety device was met with  ridicule by others in the industry, but it
caught on with the  public. By 1964, Most U.S. automobiles were sold 
with standard  front seat belts; rear seat belts were made standard in  
1968...



Ford had them (unlike other American manufacturers, who ridiculed them) but  
sales were low; some members of the car-buying public, when polled, thought  
Fords were unsafe because they appeared to need belts.  When the Government  
made them mandatory, Ford was ready, others had to scramble.
 
Myself, I've had USAF-surplus belts on every one of my cars since 1956 (do  
you remember the 1951 Kaiser?)
 
Scotty from Hollyweird



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