Map on the Dashboard
Long before GPS satellites guided drivers turn-by-turn, the Iter Avto appeared in 1930s Italy. Mounted on a car dashboard like modern systems, it didn’t use screens or voices, but a scroll of paper maps that advanced mechanically.
The device was connected to the car’s speedometer, so the scroll moved at a rate matching the car’s speed. This allowed drivers to follow roads, turns, and landmarks in real-time.
Mechanics Behind the Innovation
The Iter Avto was not mass-produced. One challenge was that if a driver veered off route, they had to manually locate their position on the map and rewind it to the correct section.
Though precise within its constraints, the complexity and economic conditions of the 1930s limited its spread. Few people could afford a car, let alone accessories like a dashboard-mounted map device.
A Watch That Held the Road
Even earlier than the Iter Avto was the Plus Four Wristlet Route Indicator, a British invention from 1927. It looked like a wristwatch but contained a winding strip of road maps operated manually using two knobs.
It wasn’t automatic—users had to advance the map themselves—but it came with a collection of preprinted routes, mostly beginning in London, including trips to Bournemouth and Edinburgh. Additional routes could be ordered.
Rare Devices, Lasting Curiosity
The Plus Four Wristlet Route Indicator is now in the collection of Maurice Collins in Muswell Hill, London. Although he’s never tried using it while driving, he described it as a unique invention.
Its original cost was about five British pounds—around £45–50 today. Both devices show how drivers tried to navigate long before satellites or smartphones, using mechanical ingenuity and printed maps.
Before GPS or smartphone apps, a device in 1930s Italy guided drivers using rolling paper maps.
Called the Iter Avto, it sat on a car's dashboard and was linked to the speedometer. As the car moved, the map scrolled forward at the same speed, showing the road ahead…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/rKyoDJNVg1
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) August 5, 2025