Mike Valentine, creator of the legendary Valentine V1 radar detector, died on Monday on the age of 74, in keeping with Cincinnati.com.
When you’ve spent any time on the earth of efficiency automobiles, you have possible heard the Valentine title. Since 1992, the V1 has been the go-to for individuals all for staying one step forward of police pace traps. It is secure to imagine Valentine has possible helped fanatics save a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars} in dashing tickets over the a long time.
The Ohio native acquired his begin within the radar detector enterprise early in his profession, co-founding Cincinatti Microwave, Inc. in 1974, which might later turn into Escort, one other well-established detector producer. Within the early Nineties, he left the model over disagreements on the corporate’s future and set out on his personal.
“I wasn’t completed but,” Valentine advised Street & Monitor Journal in a 2020 interview. “It was like stepping off of a fast-moving practice. I seemed on the ones going by and needed to get again on.”
From there, Valentine’s firm took off. Superior detecting high quality and arrows on the detector signifying the path of inbound indicators set the V1 aside from different gadgets. Valentine additionally let clients ship their gadgets again to the manufacturing facility to be regularly upgraded to maintain up with ever-evolving police enforcement strategies.
The V1 went by way of eight complete revisions earlier than Valentine launched the V1 Gen Two in 2020. Even later in life, Valentine continued to evolve his product for the nice of his clients. In January 2023, he was offered with a lifetime achievement award by the College of Cincinnati.
“Your V1 is a giant cause why I acquired hooked on radar detectors within the first place,” the Vortex Radar YouTube channel mentioned on X, previously referred to as Twitter. “I beloved the arrows, the efficiency, and the truth that you let third-party builders begin to create apps and testers like me assist contribute and add options I needed to see too.”
No reason behind loss of life was listed in Cincinnati.com‘s obituary, stating solely that Valentine handed away unexpectedly in his house in Cincinnati. A consultant for Valentine’s firm declined to remark when reached by Motor1.
Valentine is survived by his spouse Margaret of 51 years, in addition to his two daughters Martha and Anna.
Thanks for all the assistance, Mike. We’ll miss you.
