List of automotive superlatives (although not all 100% correct, it's a damn fine list)
Engine technologies:
First carburetor - 1896 Daimler
First overhead cam engine - 1898 Wilkinson
First variable displacement engine - 1905 Sturtevant 38/45 six
Honorable mention - 1917 Enger Twin-Unit Twelve
First twin-spark engine - 1921 Bentley 3 Litre
First DOHC engine - 1921 Ballot (automobile)
Honorable mention - 1913 (Peugeot had a DOHC 4-valve Grand Prix car in 1913).
Honorable mention - 1914 (Alfa Romeo Grand Prix had a DOHC 4-valve Grand Prix car in 1914).
First Diesel-engined production car — 1935 Citroen Rosalie.
Multi-valve engines:
First 3-valve engine - 1924 Bugatti Type 35 (Type 18 had a 3-valve in 1912, but only 6 or 7 were made. Type 35 used the engine from the 1922 Type 29 racing car.)
First 4-valve engine - 1921 Bentley 3 Litre
Honorable mentions - An SOHC 4-valve engine appeared in 1910's Bugatti Type 13 racing car, while a 4-valve straight-4 was also developed by Bugatti in 1914. The Linthwaite-Hussey Motor Company of Los Angeles manufactured and advertised a four-valve straight-4 engine in 1916.
First 5-valve engine - 1989 Mitsubishi Minica 548 cc 3G81 I3 (Peugeot had a triple overhead cam 5-valve Grand Prix car in 1921).
First 6-valve engine - 1985 Maserati 2.0L V6 36V 261 hp (prototype engine)
First 3-valve Diesel - 1989 Citroën XM
First 4-valve Diesel - 1994 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
First multi-valve turbocharged engine - 1984 Saab 900 B202
First carburetor air filter - 1915 Packard Twin Six
Honorable mention - 1922 Rickenbacker had a modern dry element
First crankcase ventilation - 1926 Cadillac V8 engine
First automatic choke - 1932 Oldsmobile
First four-barrel carburetor - 1941 Buick
Fuel injection:
First FI engine - 1910 Adams Farwell Diesel
First non-Diesel FI engine - 1952 Goliath GP 700 / Gutbrod Superior 600
First gasoline direct injection - 1952 Goliath GP 700 / Gotbrud Superior 600
First electronic fuel injection - 1968 Bosch D-Jetronic - Volkswagen Type 3/Type 4
First Diesel direct injection engine - 1986 Fiat Croma Turbo D I.d.
First electronic gasoline direct injection - August 1996 Mitsubishi Galant/Legnum 4G93 GDI I4
First common rail diesel direct injection engine - 1997 Alfa Romeo 156 JTD
First supercharged car - 1921 Mercedes 6/25/40 hp
First turbocharged car - 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Turbo Jetfire
Honorable mention - 1962 Chevrolet Corvair flat-6
First turbocharged diesel car - 1978 Mercedes-Benz 300SD
Honorable mention - 1978 Peugeot 604
First variable-nozzle turbocharger - 1989 Shelby CSX-VNT/Garrett Systems
Honorable mention - 2006 Porsche 911 Turbo/BorgWarner
First quad-turbocharged car - Bugatti EB110
First supercharged and turbocharged car - 1989 Nissan March Superturbo MA09ERT
Honorable mention - 1985 Lancia Delta S4 (Homologation special, only 200 road cars produced for Group B regulations)
First point ignition - 1910 Cadillac Model Thirty/Delco
First electronic ignition - 1960 General Motors/Delco
First alternator - 1960 Chrysler Corporation, Plymouth Valiant
First flat-engine - 1905 Knox
First square engine - 1906 Premier
First engine with removable cylinder head - 1908 Ford Model T
First counterbalanced crankshaft - 1908 Mercer Type 35
First split-plane crankshaft - 1923 Cadillac V8 engine
Variable valve timing:
First VVT engine - 1980 Alfa Romeo Spider 2.0 L
First electronic VVT - 1987 Nissan 300ZX VG30DE NVCS V6
First gas turbine car - 1950 Rover JET 1 (Experimental only; no gas turbine car ever reached real production)
Wankel engines:
First production car Wankel engine - 1964 NSU Spider
First 2-rotor Wankel engine - 1965 Mazda Cosmo (60 preproduction examples were produced and registered)
Honorable mention - 1966 NSU Ro 80
First front-wheel drive Wankel engine - 1966 NSU Ro 80
First 3-rotor Wankel engine - 1991 Mazda Cosmo
Honorable mentions - 1969 Mercedes-Benz C111 and 1970 Felix Wankel-refitted Mercedes-Benz 300SL (Not production cars)
First turbo Wankel engine - 1982 Mazda Luce/Cosmo
First Miller cycle engine - 1996 Mazda Millenia
First Atkinson cycle engine - 2004 Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid
First Hydrogen vehicle - 2006 Mazda RX-8 (Japan commercial leases only)
First California ULEV emissions compliant - 1995 Honda Accord
Transmission:
Manual transmissions
First synchronized transmission - 1929 Cadillac
First overdrive - 1934 Chrysler Airflow
First modern cone synchromesh transmission - 1952 Porsche 356
First 5-speed manual - 1953 Ferrari 212
Honorable mention - 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint
First 6-speed manual - 1986 Porsche 959 (introduced at 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show but first customer deliveries were delayed until 1987)[10]
Honorable mention - 1957 Moskvitch 410/411 (three forward gears with high and low selection)
First 8-speed manual - 1960 Moskvitch 410/411
First 16-speed manual - 1913 David
Automatic transmissions:
First automatic transmission - May 1939 Oldsmobile Hydra-Matic (also the first 4-speed automatic)
Honorable mention - 1934 REO (a pair of self-shifting manuals)
Honorable mention - 1937 Oldsmobile Automatic Safety Transmission
First torque converter automatic - 1948 Buick Dynaflow
Honorable mention - 1949 Packard Ultramatic (torque converter automatic)
Honorable mention - 1946 Chrysler Presto-Matic (torque converter manual)
First non-planetary automatic - 1968 Honda Hondamatic
First 5-speed automatic - 1991 BMW E34 5-Series and E36 320i/325i ZF 5HP18
First 6-speed automatic - 2002 BMW E65 7-Series ZF 6HP26
Honorable mention - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee 45RFE had an automatic transmission with 3 planetary gearsets capable of six speeds, but only 5 were used, and the company advertised it as a 4-speed.
First 7-speed automatic - 2003 Mercedes-Benz 7G-TRONIC
First 8-speed automatic - 2007 Lexus LS 460
First limited slip differential - 1956 Studebaker
First continuously variable transmission - 1958 DAF 600 "A-Type"
Driver-aids:
First standard rear-view mirror - 1912 Marmon
First power steering - 1951 Imperial
First cruise control - 1957 Imperial
Honorable mention - Peerless had a centrifugal governor speed control system in the 1910s
First traction control - 1987 Bosch Mercedes-Benz S-Class/BMW 7-Series
First drive-by-wire throttle - 1988 BMW 750iL
First electrochromic rear-view mirror - 1989 Lexus LS
First dynamic stability control system/Electronic Stability Program - 1996 BMW 7-Series/Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
First adaptive cruise control - 1997 Toyota Celsior
First heads-up display - 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
First factory GPS navigation - 1990 Mazda Cosmo, 1991 Toyota Soarer
First night vision - 2000 Cadillac DeVille
First power door locks - 1914 Scripps-Booth
First integrated car dynamics control system: 2005 Toyota CROWN Majesta (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management)
First self parking - 2007 Lexus LS 460
Electrical system:
First electric self-starter - 1912 Cadillac all models[14]
First electric windows - 1938 Buick Y
First combination key and ignition switch - 1949 Chrysler
First AC alternator - 1960 Valiant
First sealed battery - 1971 Pontiac "Freedom Battery"
First multiplexed wiring - 1987 Cadillac Allanté
First integrated car systems control - 1987 Toyota Soarer (Electro Multi Vision)[15]
First built-in 110V AC inverter - 2000 Toyota Avalon
Climate control:
First windshield defroster - 1928 Studebaker
First windshield washer - 1937 Studebaker
First air conditioning - 1938 Studebaker Commander
Honorable mention - 1939 Packard and 1941 Cadillac
First rear window defogger - 1948 Cadillac
First heated seats - 1966 Cadillac
Honorable mention (first electrically heated) - 1972 Saab 99
First automatic climate control - 1964 Cadillac
First digital climate control - 1975 Rolls-Royce Camargue
First ventilated seats - 1998 Saab 9-5
In-car electronics and entertainment:
First original-equipment radio - 1923 Springfield
First navigation system - August 1981 Honda Accord (analog, dealer-installed) [16]
First navigation system with acoustic output - 1989 Infiniti Q45
First digital navigation system - 1990 Acura Legend
First GPS navigation system - 1990 Mazda Eunos Cosmo
Honorable mention - 1991 Toyota Soarer [17]
Honorable mention - 1990 Pioneer Electronics/Trimble (aftermarket)
First active audio volume control - 1990 Chevrolet Corvette Bose/Delco Gold Series
First telematics assist system - 1996 tie 1997-model Cadillac Seville (OnStar) and Lincoln Continental (Motorola RESCU)
First DVD navigation system - 1996 Matsushita/Pioneer Electronics (aftermarket)
First in-car PC - 1997 Microsoft Auto PC (aftermarket)
First Bluetooth-capable audio system - 2000 Chrysler
First THX-certified stereo system - 2003 Lincoln LS
First in-car karaoke machine - 2003 Geely BL
First active noise cancellation - 2005 Acura RL
First digital television reception - 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Other:
First steering wheel - 1899 Packard
First speedometer - 1901 Oldsmobile
First tilt-away steering wheel - 1912 Peerless
First dash-mounted fuel tank gauge - 1914 Studebaker
First tilt-away steering column - 1928 Buick
First turn signals - 1939 Buick
First split folding rear seats - 1961 Renault 4 (Fiat patented the system in 1978)
First tilt/telescope steering wheel - 1965 Cadillac
First four wheel steering - 1985 Nissan Skyline HICAS
Honorable mention - 1938 Mercedes 170VL (miltitary truck only)
Honorable mention - 1987 Honda Prelude 4WS
First composite wheels - 1989 Shelby CSX
First capless fuel filler - 2005 Ford GT
First active exhaust - 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT
First front moveable air dam - 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT
Passive restraint:
First airbags - 1974 Oldsmobile Toronado
First car to come standard with dual airbags - 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo
First six-airbag system - 1994 Audi A8
First head airbags - 1998 BMW 7-Series
Brakes:
First power brakes - 1919 Hispano-Suiza H6 (mechanically assisted)
First vacuum-assist power brakes - 1928 Pierce-Arrow
First standard disc brakes - 1949 Crosley Hot Shot
Honorable mentions - 1955 Citroën DS 1956 (HRG twincam) used helicopter disc brakes
First antilock braking system - 1966 Jensen FF (Dunlop Maxaret system, previously used in aviation)
First electrical antilock braking system - 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III
Honorable mention - 1970 Cadillac (rear only)
First electronic antilock braking system - 1986 Lincoln Mark VII/Continental and Chevrolet Corvette
First Electric parking brake - 2003 Lincoln LS
First diagonally split, dual brake circuits - 1962 Saab 95/96
First asbestos-free brake pads - 1983 Saab Automobile
First electro-hydraulic brakes - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
First regenerative brakes - 1997 Toyota Prius
Rest can be found here
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automotive_superlatives#Firsts