Page "Starter (engine)" Paragraph 9

One aspect of the invention lay in the realization that a relatively small motor, driven with higher voltage and current than would be feasible for continuous operation, could deliver enough power to crank the engine for starting.

At the voltage and current levels required, such a motor would burn out in a few minutes of continuous operation, but not during the few seconds needed to start the engine.

The starters were first installed by Cadillac on production models in 1912.

These starters also worked as generators once the engine was running, a concept that is now being revived in hybrid vehicles.

The Ford Model T relied on hand cranks until 1919 ; by 1920 most manufacturers included self-starters, thus ensuring that anyone, regardless of strength or physical handicap, could easily start a car with an internal combustion engine.