Air Conditioning in Cars the first car with an actual refrigeration system was the 1940 model year Packard.

Brakes In 1901, British inventor Frederick William Lanchester patented disc brakes.

Car Radio In 1929, American Paul Galvin, the head of Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, invented the first car radio. The first car radios were not available from carmakers. Consumers had to purchase the radios separately. Galvin coined the name "Motorola" for the company's new products combining the idea of motion and radio. (See a picture of an early Motorola radio.)

Drive shaft in 1898, Louis Renault invented the first driveshaft.

Electric Windows Daimler introduced electric windows in cars in 1948.

Fender In 1901, Frederick Simms invented the first car fender. Similar to the railway engine buffers of the period.

Fuel Injection The first electronic fuel injection system for cars was invented in 1966 in Britain.

The History of Gasoline

Heater Canadian Thomas Ahearn invented the first electric car heater in 1890.

License Plates On April 25, 1901 the state of New York became the first state to require car license plates by law. The very first license plates were called number plates - first issued in 1893 in France by the police.  

Seat Belts/Safety Belts Volvo had the first safety belts in 1849. Swedish inventor, Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seat belt - not the first but the modern seatbelt - now a standard safety device in most cars. Nils Bohlin's lap-and-shoulder belt was introduced by Volvo in 1959.

Supercharger Ferdinand Porsche invented the first supercharged Mercedes-Benz SS & SSK sports cars in Stuttgart, Germany in 1923.

Transmissions In 1832, W. H. James invented a rudimentary three-speed transmission. Panhard and Levassor are credited with the invention of the modern transmission - installed in their 1895 Panhard.

Turn Signals Buick introduced the first electric turn signals in 1938.