In the 1970s, a lengthy Interstate trip could be both tedious and tiring due to those nasty 55 MPH speed limit signs, a part of the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, signed by President Nixon. Some of those long and flat stretches of road that you’d often come across in Texas or the Plains states were really hard work for the driver, becoming a test of both their patience and right ankle endurance. But Mercedes had an answer, and the company’s invention would change how Americans and drivers worldwide dealt with long-distance travel. The newfangled cruise control system on models like the 450 SEL 6.9 allowed drivers to set a constant speed, so they could let the car do the rest. What’s the story of this ever-so-welcome innovation?
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