19-09-2017, 01:21 PM
An instrument panel (also called dashboard, instrument panel (IP) or fascia) is a control panel located directly in front of the driver of the vehicle, showing instrumentation and controls for vehicle operation. Originally the word dashboard was applied to a wooden or leather barrier fixed to the front of a horse-drawn cart or sled to protect the driver from the mud or other debris "thrown" by the horses' hooves. Commonly, these boards performed no additional function other than providing a convenient handle to ascend to the driver's seat, or a small clip with which to secure the reins when not in use.
When the first "horseless carriages" were built at the end of the 19th century, with engines mounted under the driver like the Daimler Stahlradwagen, the simple dashboard was kept to protect the occupants from the debris thrown by the front wheels of the cars. However, as the car's design evolved to position the engine in front of the driver, the dashboard became a panel that protected the occupants of the vehicle from heat and engine oil. With the gradual increase of mechanical complexity, this panel formed a convenient location for placement of calibrators and minor controls, and from this evolved the modern dashboard, though retaining its archaic common name.
The first mass produced car, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, got its name from its board, which was curved like a sled.
When the first "horseless carriages" were built at the end of the 19th century, with engines mounted under the driver like the Daimler Stahlradwagen, the simple dashboard was kept to protect the occupants from the debris thrown by the front wheels of the cars. However, as the car's design evolved to position the engine in front of the driver, the dashboard became a panel that protected the occupants of the vehicle from heat and engine oil. With the gradual increase of mechanical complexity, this panel formed a convenient location for placement of calibrators and minor controls, and from this evolved the modern dashboard, though retaining its archaic common name.
The first mass produced car, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, got its name from its board, which was curved like a sled.