Air Bag Timeline By zmadigan Jan 1, 1951 Patent application first sent Patent applications were submitted by German Walter Linderer and American John Hedrik. Jan 1, 1953 John Hedrik received U.S. Patent #2,649,311 For what he called a "safety cushion assembly for automotive vehicles." Device still impractical. Jan 1, 1973 Oldmobile Tornado first car with a passenger air bag intended for the public Jan 1, 1994 Driver side airbags made mandatory Jan 1, 1995 Side airbags first introduced by Volvo Jan 1, 1998 Both driver and passanger airbags mandatory