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It is easy to take your headlights as a given until you see how horrible they once were.

For a moment, think about a world that lacks light. This is not in the Biblical sense of an apocalyptic end of all things doom. It’s a world without electricity to illuminate dark places. Ford Motor Companywould like to show everyone what it was like, and how far we have come since the beginning of electric power. This coincides with the early days for the automobile.

Michael Koherr (Ford’s lighting researcher engineer) said that “in terms of lighting technology we have come out the dark ages.” It is amazing how fundamental these changes make in terms of driver comfort and road safety.

This statement may seem a bit slapstick, but it’s not difficult for someone who has never driven an older car at night to appreciate the benefits of modern lighting systems. Although cars are now much more efficient than ever, anyone who has driven a car at night knows how uncomfortable it is to be blind.

“We have moved from glorified candles to more efficient and effective LED and xenon lights. We will soon see cars equipped with super-bright LED lights that can help drivers stay alert. Visibility at night has never been better. Koherr said that it is like night and day.

Early cars used oil lanterns or acetylene, which had to be lit manually. They were not used for vision but to be visible to others at night. Although electric lights were a significant improvement over earlier ones, they had a tendency to go out quickly and were very dim by modern standards.

Cadillac created the first modern electric headlamp system, and was followed by the Guide Lamp Company’s first low-beam light fixtures a few years later. Although the high/low beam bulb was first introduced in 1924 by C.Cadillac, the real lighting revolution took place in 1962 when an inert gas was added as an additional component to an incandescent lamp. The halogen lamp was born as a result of this increase in light output and long-lasting performance.

Modern cars still use halogen lighting systems. But the next revolution is underway. Xenon and led lighting systems generally produce three times as much light than halogens while lasting longer. This is a great thing considering today’s cars are more efficient and more expensive than ever.

This is a live demonstration of automotive lighting systems over the years. Check out the photo gallery to see it in action. It’s an amazing experience. We do, because it is.