Origins: Car head-up displays explained

The head-up display (HUD) has become an increasingly common option in the modern car - and for good reason.

Instead of having to take your eyes off the road, and refocus on instruments in different light conditions, a modern HUD simply projects information into your line of sight.

The difference can be invaluable. One American study revealed that if a driver's eyes wander off the road for more than two seconds then the chance of an incident doubles. Two seconds might not sound like much but, at 70mph, you'll have travelled over 200 feet - about the length of 14 cars. So, by enabling the driver to remain focused on the road, a HUD neatly helps counter this issue. Here’s how HUDs came about – and why you’ll probably have one on your car soon:

IN PLANE SIGHT

While automotive HUDs have become more prevalent over the past several years, they are still perceived by many to be a relatively new, innovative option. The reality, however, is somewhat different.

HUDs were first developed, like the origin of so much automotive technology, for aircraft. In the early 1940s, engineers began projecting extra information, like radar images, onto the windscreen of night fighters - and the concept swiftly progressed to include the likes of artificial horizons and bomb aiming markers. The most modern systems such as in the F/A-18 fighter (top right) convery a vast range of information.

FIRST EXPERIMENTS

As the hardware advanced, it caught the attention of General Motors. Consequently, early design renders for its 1965 Mako Shark II concept (pictured) - with its aircraft-themed interior - reputedly featured a HUD. The idea remained on the drawing board, however, until a prototype was tested in 1968.

The XP-856 Aero Coupe concept, displayed in 1969, also featured a HUD. Complexity and cost, presumably, prevented the idea progressing any further.

GM HUGHES

Then, in 1985, GM bought the aerospace and defence contractor Hughes Aircraft for $5.2 billion. The acquisition – built up by the enigmatic industrialist & movie mogul Howard Hughes (pictured) prior to his death in 1976 – allowed GM to diversify into new areas but, usefully, also granted it access to a vast amount of HUD-related knowledge.

THE FIRST PRODUCTION HUD

Having merged Hughes with its established Delco Electronics arm, GM ordered that the newly formed GM Hughes Electronics Corporation develop a HUD for its cars. In May 1988, the first production HUD was unveiled in the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible Indy 500 Pace Car (pictured), 50 of which were offered to selected customers.

OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME

The system was then made available as an option elsewhere in the fifth-generation Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (pictured), the sedan launching in 1990. The car featured a new front-wheel-drive platform and modern engine options, and a HUD would be the technological icing on the cake; the option cost around $250 at the time – roughly equivalent to $500 today.

THE COLOUR HUD

GM just beat Nissan to the punch, too; Nissan had finished developing its first HUD in December 1987 but it didn't appear on the Maxima and 240SX options list until late 1988. Toyota soon joined the party, unveiling its HUD-equipped Crown Majesta in 1991.

GM shot back, launching the first colour head-up display in the Chevrolet Corvette C5 in 1998 (pictured).

TODAY

It took the top-flight European brands, often considered the most advanced, far longer to get in on the action; BMW waded into the fray in 2003, Audi in 2010 and Mercedes-Benz in 2014 (pictured) - with Mercedes citing potential driver distraction as its reason for avoiding the technology for so long.

HUDs aren't restricted to the realm of flagship models these days, mind, as the technology has trickled down through many manufacturers' model ranges. Okay, so some of the chintzy pop-up plastic ones aren't quite as technologically gratifying, but the benefits are the same.

TOMORROW

What’s next? Well we can increasingly expect augmented reality type systems heading towards our line-of-sight, as in this mock-up from Panasonic. On a more practical note, there does seem to be a technological barrier preventing (increasingly common) HUDs to coexist with (increasingly common) heated windshields. Doubtless this will be solved in due course.

In the meantime, the HUD looks like being here to stay.