When leaded gasoline was introduced in the early 1920s, it was a real innovation. Every engine suddenly ran better, performed better and lasted longer. Consumers rushed to it, and for decades leaded gas was the gold standard. Then we learned more about the harmful effects of lead and lead pollution. By the mid-1960s we knew it was terrible stuff, dangerous to the public health, and still it wasn’t entirely phased out in the US until 1996.
