Ray Harroun

摘要

All the manoeuvres you make when driving your car rely on you being able to see what's around you. Parking, changing lanes and reversing require you to look in your rear-view mirror. It was on the racetrack in 1911 that this simple device was first used. It was invented by Ray Harroun and helped him to win the first Indianapolis 500 driving the Marmon Wasp. At that time the driver would be accompanied in the race vehicle by the mechanic, who would look for competitors approaching from behind and help the driver to defend his position. Harroun's innovation meant that he could race alone, cutting weight and improving the performance of his vehicle, while able to see competitors approaching from the rear.