This GM Brand Introduced Heated Seats Years Ahead Of Its Time

Automobiles these days are brimming with modern technology, but the features we take for granted were once brand-new. Volvo was the first car company to integrate modern three-point safety belts, Mercedes-Benz was the first to offer a vehicle with electronic stability control, and Packard was the first to offer a car with air conditioning. But what about creature comforts like heated seats? 

As it turns out, heated seats aren't a recent invention. In fact, they debuted in the first production cars 60 years ago. If you were in the market for a new Cadillac in 1966, you could choose a car loaded with the exact features you wanted, and one such feature was the inclusion of heated seats on every new model of that year. It was optional, which isn't too surprising, considering how the AM/FM radio also wasn't standard fare on new Cadillacs back then.

The seat warmers provide electric warming to the cushions and the back of the seat. There were four heating elements located underneath the seat surface, much like how heated seats are designed today, to provide warmth before the car's heater warms up enough to heat the cabin on its own. It was operated by a nearby switch and would automatically turn off if the cabin heater could provide enough heat. In other words, you wouldn't be using your warmed seats as a heating pad on longer drives.

Heated seats weren't the only comfort-focused options that were newly offered in 1966. On the Fleetwood, you would get dual-compartment automatic climate control as a standard feature; something like that isn't often standard on many cars today. In the rear of the Fleetwood, you could also spec dual ashtrays. The automaker certainly had some impressive features in its lineup of cars at a time before humanity first set foot on the moon. If you want the experience of driving a land yacht, classic Cadillac models like these are the way to go. It helps that Cadillacs are some of the largest vehicles ever made.

We couldn't find pricing for heated seats in 1966, but it's worth pointing out that some Cadillacs can be quite expensive. It makes you wonder how many people sprang for the option that year. Regardless, it's not surprising that GM introduced heated seats as early as it did. It can get quite frigid in Detroit, and keeping your rear end nice and toasty is solid way to handle the deal with the bone-chilling cold. As GM's flagship brand, Cadillac was the logical choice for the new tech, and it's the brand that continues to get GM's newest technology to this very day.