Windshield wipers have been used on cars since they were first invented by Mary Anderson in 1903 and were standard equipment on most makes by 1916. The first automatic wiper powered by an electric motor was invented by Charlotte Bridgewood in 1917. Little did either realize what their inventions would become on today's production car.

All cars from that time until the Forties and even the Fifties had a flat windshield and the wiper blade need be only a rubber squeegee mounted to a rigid frame that could wipe across the flat glass. They were attached to an extension arm by a small bolt and nut or a hooking mechanism that allowed for a small amount of flexibility at the joint. The blades themselves were very short, in most cases less than 15 inches long.

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