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Anti-lock braking systems can be traced back to the 1920s, when engineers first applied the concept of an automatic override braking system to aircraft brakes. This system served the same purpose as modern ABS, preventing wheels from locking during rapid deceleration, or on low-traction surfaces.
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ABS remained primarily an aircraft technology until the 1950s, when it was applied to motorcycles because skidding and loss of traction present a major safety risk to a motorcycle driver.
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In the 1960s, automobile manufacturers began to experiment with ABS systems on passenger cars. The Ford Zodiac prototype featured one of the first viable ABS systems of this sort, but the expense associated with ABS led most auto manufacturers to abandon their efforts.
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In the 1970s, Cadillac offered ABS as a premium option on some rear-wheel drive models, but it remained an uncommon feature for mass-market cars.
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Chrysler, together with the Bendix Corporation, introduced a computerized, three-channel, four-sensor all-wheel ABS called "Sure Brake" for its 1971 Imperial.
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By the 1980s, engineers at BMW led ABS development in applying it to motorcycles such as the K100.
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Much of the rapid development of modern ABS was undertaken when Robert Bosch acquired a series of patents, and began a joint development venture with Mercedes-Benz. Many of the era's ABS advancements debuted on Mercedes-Benz models.
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In 1988, BMW introduced the first motorcycle with an electronic-hydraulic ABS: the BMW K100.
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Since the 1990s, ABS and related systems have become common. Many drivers became aware of the technology only once it was made available as a standard feature.
