In the first days of automotive design things were primitive. It took a huge effort to hang on and keep a car pointed down the road. To make cars more attractive to the masses many attempts were made to reduce the effort needed to drive. Power-assists for steering were made as early as 1896 and later efforts by Pierce-Arrow's truck division (who knew P-A made trucks?) in 1926. It was way too expensive to produce and offer on passenger vehicles but found its way onto armored vehicles and heavy equipment during World War II.