Company: Delco Electronics Corporation
Based: Dayton, OH. Founded: 1909 (as Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co.) Founders: Charles Kettering and Edward A. Deeds Specialty: Delco Electronics (a GM subsidy) invented the first automotive electrical ignitions. Was the automotive electronics design and manufacturing subsidiary of General Motors based in Kokomo, Indiana, that manufactured Delco radios and other electric products found in GM cars. In 1972, General Motors merged it with the AC Electronics division and it continued to operate as part of the Delco Electronics division of General Motors. |
Hybrid Circuit in a GM automotive computer module (1978)
|
Delco Electronics early automotive ignition system transponder sample (Mid 1990s)
Item #1014
Lucite paperweight from Delco Electronics.
This hybrid integrated circuit device would have been located in the dash near the ignition key location, and along with the associated transponder key (next item shown below), would work together to form one of the earliest examples of an RFID automotive ignition security system.
In 1985, GM purchased Hughes Aircraft and merged it with Delco Electronics to form Hughes Electronics Corp., an independent subsidiary.
Delco Electronics early chip transponder car key sample (Mid 1990s)
Item #1013
Clear Lucite Prototype from a 30-year Delco Electronics Engineer that did research and development for a GM vehicle security RFID transponder car key and ignition module system.
The Chevrolet Corvette was the first GM car model to get the first VATS (vehicle anti theft system) in 1986. The car's key had a resistor built in that was one of 15 values that the ignition system would look for in order to start. It was so successful at deterring thefts that GM would put it in many of it's models by 1988. But the resistors were prone to failure.
In the mid 1990s, more advanced transponder systems and other anti-theft systems were being developed. The next evolution in vehicle anti theft systems was to replace the transistor in the key with a small RFID system, as seen in this prototype example.
The first GM car produced with a transponder key was the Buick Park Avenue manufactured in 1997.
Clear Lucite Prototype from a 30-year Delco Electronics Engineer that did research and development for a GM vehicle security RFID transponder car key and ignition module system.
The Chevrolet Corvette was the first GM car model to get the first VATS (vehicle anti theft system) in 1986. The car's key had a resistor built in that was one of 15 values that the ignition system would look for in order to start. It was so successful at deterring thefts that GM would put it in many of it's models by 1988. But the resistors were prone to failure.
In the mid 1990s, more advanced transponder systems and other anti-theft systems were being developed. The next evolution in vehicle anti theft systems was to replace the transistor in the key with a small RFID system, as seen in this prototype example.
The first GM car produced with a transponder key was the Buick Park Avenue manufactured in 1997.
DELCO Electronics Integrated Circuit Chip Tie Bar
Item # 1008 & 1009
Tie bar clip from DELCO Electronics features one of their integrated circuit chips mounted on a piece of ceramic with thin-film components, with gold trace circuitry and the DELCO Electronics logo.
GM AC-Delco automotive Spark Plug Components Paperweight (1974)
Sold
Lucite paperweight from GM's automotive parts brand, AC-Delco, showing the components that go into manufacturing their ceramic automtotive spark plugs.
GM AC-Delco spark plug component assembly
VIDEO: How vehicle ignition key transponders work (2010)
Delco radio transistors for GM vehicles (1975)
|
|