Could someone please explain to me what this thing is, and what it does? I'm not interested in buying it. I just came across it on Fleabay and don't know what to make of it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300698416300...84.m1423.l2649

 

I'm not an expert, but I believe this option would automatically dim the headlights when an oncoming car approached. Someone who knows for sure will have to speak up to verify or correct me if I'm wrong. John

 

Here you go. The ad for Autronic Eye. John is 100% right, but it also puts high beams back on after passing cars have gone by

 

$750 for it. Unbelievable. It might be worth 10% of that. At least he'll throw in free shipping.

 

Considering how extremely rare this unit is and that it is NOS, he might be expecting a little too much but is not that far off the mark. It is only for the guy who's car is A#1 and is looking to add something most people do not have. You'll notice there is not a great flurry of activity on it.

 

That was on a '59 Caddy , my Mom's car when I was growing up . Mounted on top of the dash in the middle , near the windshield .
Funny thing is it had a mind of it's own . It got to where when you turned on the headlights , they would at first work correctly , then would flip on the high beams ( it was only supposed to dim the high beams when the high beams are turned on by operating the usual foot switch ) , then back to low , then maybe back to the highs , or maybe even turn the lights off completely . looked like a light show going down the road . At first it only happened while the car was in motion , but got too where it happened sitting still with engine running . There is a **** on the back to adjust sensitivity to on coming lights , and adjusting it at first got it back in order , and it could be turned off by turning **** counter-clockwise until it clicked , and turning it off didn't help in the end . But eventually my dad pulled it apart and repaired it . I know somewhere around here is the schematic he drew for it when he repaired it .
Funny what pops into the mind at a glance of a photo .

 

Reflectorized signs would activate the dimmer, which is why they stopped making them circa mid-late 60s when encapsulated lens reflectorized sheeting was invented and put into use on traffic signs.

 

They changed the name to Guide-Matic around 1959 or 1960. Early units would only dim or bright the lights. G-M had an extra feature called "Safety Salute" that would dim all four headlamps momentarily when it sensed approaching headlights, then back to high before switching completely to low beam lights. Supposedly to prompt other drivers to dim their high beams.

66, maybe 67 was the last year for factory installation though it was often dealer installed. 68-70 were all dealer installed and mounted the Eye outside on the front fender.

Neat gadget, but it and reflectorized highway signs didn't get along.

Cadillac kept it longer than anyone and did two things to combat the reflector sign problem. They changed the Eye to an amber lens and mounted it in the grille, or some years actually had it in the tip of the LF fender top chrome trim.

I wish such a thing was offered now, because I encounter a lot of a-holes who refuse to dim their headlights, and if they're on dim, they have their high-power fog lamps on and they're as bad as high beams.

Now, whether this one is worth $750 remains to be seen.