This year, Bose celebrates 30 years of providing premium sound systems to the automotive industry.  The milestone places Bose in a singular position as the company that invented  factory-installed music systems for vehicles, and the only audio company to provide three decades of continuous innovation and breakthroughs for car manufacturers around the globe.  
 “Since the early 1980s, the Bose® Automotive Systems Division has been committed to research with a simple goal:  providing the highest-quality car sound systems available,” said Brandon Westley, president of the Bose Automotive Systems Division.  “General Motors took a chance on us 30 years ago to provide something different and better for its customers, and the success of that collaboration –- which continues today -- set the foundation for our business.  Today, we work with many of the world’s leading car manufacturers, and millions of Bose sound systems are on the road, thrilling drivers everywhere.”  

The Beginning:  Bose Changes Everything
In 1983, Bose introduced its “clean-sheet” approach to automotive sound based on the philosophy that superior sound quality must be designed in from the start and tailored for every vehicle.  This approach represented an industry transformation when that model year’s Cadillac Seville, Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Riviera and Oldsmobile Toronado featured, for the first time, an optional Delco-GM/Bose® sound system, custom-engineered and acoustically designed for each vehicle’s interior. 
Prior to this, systems were typically installed in the final stages of vehicle assembly, with no thought given to custom design or equalization.  The indisputable success of the ‘83 GM models helped change the way manufacturers and drivers viewed car audio.

Thirty Years of Continuous Innovation
Bose innovation has continued to be the hallmark of automotive sound, with advancements that have, each year, consistently come closer and closer to reproducing a live performance.  
 The company has dedicated three decades of research to system design and psychoacoustics –- the science of how humans perceive sound.  Bose proprietary tools for speaker designs, signal processing and custom equalization remain the most advanced in the industry, precisely tuning the vehicle listening experience for accuracy and clarity -- avoiding trends that boost or accentuate frequencies.  

Breakthroughs in the fields of vehicle surround sound with Bose Centerpoint digital signal processing, sound quality monitoring and measurement with Bose AudioPilot® noise compensation technology, and efficiency with the Bose Energy Efficient Series sound system have ushered in new eras of in-car audio performance.  Beyond audio, Bose has introduced Active Sound Management for engine noise cancellation and enhancement, both solutions to help manufacturers more effectively control the way a vehicle sounds inside the cabin. 
Today, the Bose® Automotive Systems Division delivers premium sound systems and proprietary technologies for more than 15 global auto brands, with systems recognized around the world as the industry benchmark for performance and customer satisfaction.  

Bose Automotive:  Key Moments in History

1983 — Bose introduces the industry’s first custom-engineered, factory-installed sound systems in the 1983 Cadillac Seville, Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Riviera and Oldsmobile Toronado.

1986 — Bose develops a 4.5-inch inverted-structure neodymium driver, designed to enable high-performance woofers to be built into the narrow frame of a vehicle door and deliver improved low-note performance.  This driver was the precursor to the patented Bose Nd woofer.  

1988 — The 1989 Nissan Maxima is the first Nissan vehicle with a Bose sound system in the United States.

1989 — Bose designs its first sound system for an Infiniti vehicle, the  Q45.

1989 — The 1990 Audi 200 Series and 100 Series are the first European vehicles to offer a Bose sound system.

1993 — A Bose sound system is included in the 1994 Mazda RX-7, the first time in a Mazda vehicle.  It’s also the first vehicle to use Bose® Acoustic Waveguide technology based on Bose home entertainment products.  Acoustic Waveguide technology enables a richer bass sound in the vehicle cabin without requiring large system components. 

1994 — Bose achieves “Tier 1 Supplier” status with GM.

1997 — The Bose Nd® woofer makes its automotive debut in the Chevrolet Corvette.

1998 — Bose AudioPilot noise compensation circuit technology is introduced in the 1998 Cadillac Seville STS.  AudioPilot monitors and adjusts the music signal in response to vehicle speed and external noise.  

2001 — Bose develops custom-designed sound systems for the first time in  Porsche vehicles, making them available in the 2002 Porsche 911  Carrera and Porsche Boxster.  

2003 — Bose Centerpoint signal processing circuitry makes its debut in the

2004 — Porsche Cayenne.  Centerpoint technology creates an immersive, surround sound experience in the vehicle cabin from nearly any stereo source.  

2004 — The Cadillac XLR is the first GM vehicle to use TrueSpace signal processing circuitry for a more spacious, multichannel sound experience.  

2008 — Porsche AG names Bose as its “Supplier of the Year.” 

2009 — The Bose Energy Efficient Series sound system debuts in the Chevrolet Volt, delivering high-quality acoustic performance using significantly smaller and lighter components that require approximately 50 percent less energy than conventional systems.  

2010 — The Cadillac Escalade is the first vehicle with Bose Active Sound Management technology for targeting and reducing engine and  powertrain noise in the cabin.

2010 — Bose is named as a GM “Supplier of the Year” for the fourth time. Bose also received this honor in 2009, 2004 and 2003.  

2011 — The first Renault Bose Edition vehicles are launched in Europe.

2012 — Bose Active Sound Management technology is integrated into all-new  GM models, including the Cadillac ATS and XTS sedans, and Buick  Encore crossover.  

More information about Bose automotive sound systems can be found at www.Bose.com/auto.