Over the long history of vehicle manufacturing, ignition keys have changed significantly. Today, consumers have access to the most advanced devices that allow them to unlock the car and start the engine remotely. This article outlines the evolution of ignition keys.
For drivers’ attention
The engines of the first cars, manufactured at the end of the 19th century, were started using a hand crank. The starter “key” looked like a zigzag-shaped handle that was inserted into a slot in the crankshaft and turned to trigger an ignition burst in the cylinders. Using such a handle required not only the driver’s physical strength, but also careful work. Often, after the engine started, a crank that wasn’t pulled out in time would strike car owners’ fingers hard.
In the 1920s, after the invention of the electric starter, cars began to be equipped with a standard ignition lock, and starting the engine only required using a key. However, the zigzag-shaped crank continued to be used for several more decades as a backup means of starting the car engine. Even up until the 1980s, the ignition key did not change significantly. Only the shape of the key’s teeth and grooves was modernized to make it harder to counterfeit.
From the 1980s, cars began to be equipped with identical ignition locks and door locks. Thus, if a driver loses the key, they will be unable to start the engine or access the vehicle’s interior. In such a case, the only thing that can help vehicle owners is emergency car unlocking. In the 1990s, chip keys appeared, for which making a physical duplicate would not benefit criminals, because the immobilizer will shut off the engine if an attempt is made to steal the vehicle.
Nowadays, remote engine starting using a multifunctional alarm remote is very popular among drivers. Some cars offer the option to start the engine by pressing the “Start” button located in the vehicle’s interior. The most advanced car models allow the engine to be started using voice commands.
