This is a 1950s-era Italian driving school simulator, it’s an analog unit with a steering wheel, three pedals, a shifter, and other controls for lights, indicators, and more.
Driving simulators like this were used long before the modern era of high-tech racing simulators – simulators that have become so good they’re used by professional racing drivers to practice before races and to learn new tracks.
Above Video: This is one of the official Aetna Drivotrainer introduction films, showing how these early driving simulators worked.
Analog Driving School Simulators
During the mid-20th century, long before the arrival of digital computing and advanced computer graphics, analog driving simulators emerged as a way to teach road safety and basic vehicle operation to new drivers. It was seen as a safer alternative to putting aspiring young drivers behind the wheel, and possibly into harms way.
One of the most significant developments in the field was the Aetna Drivotrainer system, introduced in the early 1950s.
Developed by Aetna Drivotrainer Inc, these machines provided a standardized method for teaching student drivers in a classroom environment, combining as much mechanical realism as possible with filmed traffic scenarios played on a projector screen at the front of the classroom.
Each Aetna Drivotrainer simulator was built to replicate the driver’s controls of a real car. Units had a functioning steering wheel, pedals for throttle, brake, and clutch, a gear shifter, a turn signal lever, and a dashboard with indicator lights and various gauges.
The controls of the simulator were mechanically linked to internal sensors capable of recording student inputs. While they did not move or produce motion feedback, these simulators offered decent tactile realism by mimicking the seating position and control layout of a typical mid-century automobile.
The simulator has a steering wheel, three pedals, and perhaps most importantly, it has a gated gear shifter. So you know it’s definitely Italian.
The simulators were arranged in rows, often in classrooms with a dozen or more units. At the front of the room, a large screen displayed a pre-recorded 16mm film that depicted various driving scenarios from the driver’s perspective. These films covered a range of road conditions and traffic challenges including urban driving, rural roads, night driving, and emergency situations.
The films were precisely synchronized with a central instructor console and the student simulators, allowing the instructor to monitor each student’s responses in real time.
Students were expected to react to the footage as if they were operating a real vehicle. For instance, when the film showed a red traffic light, students would press the brake. If a left turn was required, they would flick the turn signal and steer accordingly. The instructor’s console, often fitted with a recording system or indicator lights, captured and flagged inappropriate responses such as delayed braking or failure to yield.
These simulators offered schools a cost-effective and standardized way to teach driving theory and develop muscle memory before students entered a real car. They were widely adopted in American high schools, military training centers, and some international programs through the 1960s and 1970s.
This classroom-based simulator-led learning system has now been largely forgotten, driving schools typically use cars fitted with two sets of controls, and many (if not most) students now learn out on the road in real-world conditions.
The 1950s Driving School Simulator Shown Here
The driving simulator you see here is a 1950s/1960s-era unit that came from Italy. It’s not known where it was manufactured, but it does bear a resemblance to many of the Aetna Drivotrainer units from the period.
As you can see, it has a steering wheel, three pedals, and perhaps most importantly, it has a gated gear shifter. So you know it’s definitely Italian.
The dashboard contains some lights, switches, and a tachometer – no speedometer though, perhaps a further indication that this is in fact an Italian-designed system.
The front of the unit has headlights and indicators, and the dashboard contains some lights, switches, and a tachometer – no speedometer though, perhaps a further indication that this is in fact an Italian-designed system.
It’s now scheduled to be auctioned by Iconic Auctioneers on the 17th of May with a price guide of £500 – £700 or approximately $635 to $931 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Iconic Auctioneers
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