That tiny arrow next to your car's fuel gauge, the one that points either left or right, has spared countless drivers the embarrassment of pulling up to the wrong side of the pump. This everyday hero was born from one man's relatable blunder in 1986. The inventor behind this simple innovation was Ford engineer Jim Moylan, who passed away recently.
The story begins with Jim Moylan, who was a senior interior designer in the Plastics, Paint, and Vinyl division. One day, he was rushing to a meeting on Ford's campus when he spotted the company car's low fuel warning. Making haste, he reached a fuel pump, only to realise too late he'd parked on the wrong side of the pump.
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The drive-around that followed gave him an idea to save countless drivers from this embarrassment. With this idea in his mind, Moylan wrote a letter to the company proposing a small addition to the fuel gauge that changed things for drivers around the world.
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Moylan's idea quickly gained approval in the company. Within months, the arrow debuted on Ford's new models. Rivals quickly copied it, and soon it became standard across the auto industry worldwide. Since then, the invention has been passed on from analog dials to digital screens and continues to help the drivers at every fuel stop.
Why It Still Matters
In India's busy fuel stations filled with two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and SUVs, Moylan's arrow is a quiet lifesaver. It helps drivers avoid reverse maneuvers and confusion at the pump, saving both time and patience every day. While EVs may one day end this fuel station chaos, for now, this small feature remains every driver's best friend during refuelling.
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