The first
ABS as we know it arrived on the 1978 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W116), co-developed with Bosch. It was a $1,400 option ($6,800 in 2026 dollars).
The rollout
Cadillac was the first American manufacturer to widely offer ABS, on the 1986 Allante and various other models. By the early 1990s it was standard on most luxury cars and optional on most mainstream sedans.
The mandate
ABS became federally required on all new passenger vehicles sold in the US from September 1, 2011 under FMVSS 126, which mandated electronic stability control (ESC) — and ESC requires ABS to function. Most cars had it long before the deadline.
The point
ABS doesn't shorten stopping distances on dry pavement — it shortens them in the wet, on gravel, and on ice. The real benefit is steering control during emergency braking. A driver with ABS can dodge an obstacle while standing on the brakes; a driver without ABS locks the wheels and slides straight ahead.