History of Car Lifts & Vehicle Lifts

Imagine that the only method of repairing a car was to slide underneath it or crouch in uncomfortable positions. That scenario should be enough for every car repairman to thank history for the development of car lifts. Naturally, car repair has been necessary as long as vehicles have been on the road. But,  car lifts have not always been around to ease the process. The first method of car lifting was starts with an rudimentary inground car lift and grows into the more advanced lifts we see today.

The Beginning of Car Lifts: The Inground Lift

Inground auto lift

As advanced as inground lifts are now, they originated as nothing more than holes in the ground. To repair the underside of a vehicle, a pit would be dug in the ground that was large enough to fit the mechanic. Then, the vehicle would be driven onto a ramp that suspended the vehicle above the hole.Given that this solution was revolutionary for its time, it was also costly and difficult to install. For many car repairmen even this somewhat simple solution was farfetched. As technology advanced, though above ground lifts became the norm and inground car lifts were left behind.

Technology Advances: The Above Ground Lift

Although they are now used around the world, above-ground lifts were originally developed in Europe. These vehicle lifts are now available in the 2 post lift and 4 post lift variety. Instead of having to stand below the car in a pit, the car could be raised to various heights for mechanic comfort. They were more convenient, safer, and offered a much wider variety of servicing options than the original inground lifts.
Despite all of these advancements, though, the first above ground lifts posed a significant issue challengerfor American cars. This issue is simple—size. As is still true today, European cars tend to be of a much smaller, compact design. On the other hand, American vehicles are known for their large size and heavy duty construction. For 2 post car lifts and 4 post car lifts to spread around the world, more developments needed to be made.

Final Developments: The American Lift

As stated above, the main difference between the European car lift and American car lift is the size. The American version of this vehicle lift adapted the European technology to accommodate larger vehicles and provide more repair angles. Another American advancement in car lifts was the mobile lift, which truly allowed vehicle lifts to accommodate any repair needs. These changes helped vehicle lift use to proliferate around the world.

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