It’s often said that there’s nothing new under the sun and that most modern advances are simply later attempts at making something work. This is true for self-parking cars, which most of us consider a modern feature of some of the most advanced cars on the market. That’s why it might surprise you to learn that self-parking technology, although in a different form, actually dates back to the 1930s. Of course, no cars were ever mass-produced with this technology, which was limited to the vehicles belonging to the inventor, but it’s pretty fascinating that someone could make this idea work so early in automotive history. There were limitations to the technology back then and no one wanted to invest in it. The first self-parking technology wasn't a complete vehicle, but rather a device that could be added to existing cars so that drivers could easily parallel park in cramped spaces. This historic piece of technology was invented by Brooks Walker from California. To make this possible, Walker had installed a fifth wheel at the rear of the car that would lower to the ground and raise the back tires. This rear wheel was then used to swivel the rear of the car in order to fit into tight spaces. Walker first tried this innovation on a four-door Packard, finally filing a patent for the invention in December 1938. He put the price for installation of the device at somewhere around $175 at a time when the average annual salary was just $515.
