John, I never knew the 100E Anglia was exported to the States. My first car was an early 60's Anglia 105E. Only 997cc (59 mph downhill) but joy oh joy it had electric wipers!

Richard

Flash of Genius is the name of the movie and is based on the true story revolving around the development of the intermittent wipers.  Essentially it’s the story of the little guy getting what is due even though it takes many years.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Ford was the first to have intermitent wipers, in the mid 60's. My brother had a 65 Comet with them, first I ever saw. There was a Hollywood movie out last year about the guy who invented the idea and how Ford tried to steal it from him. Didn't see the movie.

My 1959 Anglia 100E (English Ford) had vacuum wipers with no fuel pump boost. I think it had a reservoir tank instead but would only last a few seconds. When you wanted to see where you were going uphill you had to let off for a second. Hated to let off with 1100cc of throbbing flat-head 4cyl  under the bonnet.

BTW: 59MPH flat out on level ground.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico

Some of us are old enough to remember when safe sex just meant putting the emergency brake on.

Ol'ford nutCentral Iowa

56 Vic w/292 & 4 spd.

John, it must have been later than the 20's. I rode to school my first year in a bus with manual wipers. That is wipers that had a lever that the driver had to work. And I ain't all that old yet. In the second grade we had a Chev school bus that had good wipers going down hill. We went up the hills so slow that we didn't really need wipers any way.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

The "booster" fuel pump was a considerable upgrade. I still remember when driving the average basic 50s grocery-getter, pulling out to pass at night in a downpour was quite a thrill. Not sure, but the first electric wipers likely had no intermittent feature. I love the progressive variable speed of vacuum units.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Going back to the teens and twenties, cars, if they even had wipers, were hand operated.  So the first vacuum wipers were a real blessing, even if they did slow down or stop when you accelerated.  The band aid for that was the vacuum booster fuel pumps, and the fix started to show up in the mid '50s with electric wipers.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Just as a side note: I have been told in the next couple of years new cars are going to 24 volt systems due to the large electrical demand. Heated seats, heated mirrors, nav systems, 500 amp + stereo systems, power seats, power windows, and the list goes on. Some even have electric steering.

Ol'ford nutCentral Iowa

56 Vic w/292 & 4 spd.

You must remember those were different times. Vacuum was standard and electric an option. Most people opted for vacuum. In those days, electric wipers drew a lot of current which put strain on the generator. Running the heater, wipers, radio and lights maxed out a generator. Specing a larger generator cost money too. Many cars had no radio in those days and not all had a heater. Unless you lived during those times, it is hard to understand. People just didn't expect all the latest.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

They ran off manifold vacuum and the fuel pump unit was to help keep them from stopping during acceleration. That's why you see two connections on top of the fuel pump, one to manifold and the other to the wipers and vacuum unit for the heater.

Ol'ford nutCentral Iowa

56 Vic w/292 & 4 spd.