Which 1912 automobile was the first production car equipped with an electric starter motor?

The Cadillac Model Thirty was the first production automobile equipped with an electric starter motor, introduced for the 1912 model year.

The starter was developed after an incident involving Cadillac engineer Byron Carter, who was fatally injured while trying to hand-crank a Cadillac. Cadillac president Henry Leland asked electrical inventor Charles Kettering to create a safer alternative.

Kettering’s electric starting, lighting, and ignition system made it possible to start the engine from inside the car rather than turning a heavy crank at the front. The system helped make automobiles more attractive to a wider range of drivers.

Early cars still commonly relied on hand cranks, and electric starters did not instantly appear on every model. The Cadillac’s innovation nevertheless became a major turning point in everyday automobile design.