which car manufacturer invented airbags
|. In 1981 Mercedes-Benz was the worldâs first automobile manufacturer to present the airbag and belt tensioner as restraint systems to the public in a series-production car. These two milestones in passive safety were premiered in a W 126-series S-Class Saloon at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show.. In 1981 Mercedes-Benz was the worldâs first automobile manufacturer to present the airbag and belt tensioner as restraint systems to the public in a series-production car. These two milestones in passive safety were premiered in a W 126-series S-Class Saloon at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show.