Introduction

The chapter gives an introduction to the cultural logic of vehicle automation, situated throughout the twentieth century between fiction and science. While autonomous driving never became a technology-in-use, introduced on a large scale in the market, it had always been accompanied by the prediction that it would become a reality in 20 years. The chapter then gives a definition of the differences between automated and autonomous driving, driverless and self-driving cars. The next paragraphs present the state of the art of historical research, justify the historical and geographical delimitation of the study, and precise the main research question, centered on the actors and accomplishments in the US, Japan, and Europe between 1950 and the year 2000. The sources and methods used in the study are presented, the theoretical background and the difference between invention and innovation discussed. Finally, an outline of the three parts of the study is given.