Mike Valentine, creator of the legendary Valentine V1 radar detector, died on Monday at the age of 74, according to Cincinnati.com.
If you've spent any time in the world of performance cars, you've likely heard the Valentine name. Since 1992, the V1 has been the go-to for people interested in staying one step ahead of police speed traps. It's safe to assume Valentine has likely helped enthusiasts save hundreds of thousands of dollars in speeding tickets over the decades.
The Ohio native got his start in the radar detector business early in his career, co-founding Cincinatti Microwave, Inc. in 1974, which would later become Escort, another well-established detector manufacturer. In the early 1990s, he left the brand over disagreements on the company's future and set out on his own.
"I wasn’t finished yet," Valentine told Road & Track Magazine in a 2020 interview. "It was like stepping off of a fast-moving train. I looked at the ones going by and wanted to get back on."
From there, Valentine's company took off. Superior detecting quality and arrows on the detector signifying the direction of inbound signals set the V1 apart from other devices. Valentine also let customers send their devices back to the factory to be continually upgraded to keep up with ever-evolving police enforcement methods.
The V1 went through eight total revisions before Valentine introduced the V1 Gen Two in 2020. Even later in life, Valentine continued to evolve his product for the good of his customers. In January 2023, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the University of Cincinnati.
"Your V1 is a big reason why I got hooked on radar detectors in the first place," the Vortex Radar YouTube channel said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I loved the arrows, the performance, and the fact that you let third-party developers start to create apps and testers like me help contribute and add features I wanted to see too."
No cause of death was listed in Cincinnati.com's obituary, stating only that Valentine passed away unexpectedly in his home in Cincinnati. A representative for Valentine's company declined to comment when reached by Motor1.
Valentine is survived by his wife Margaret of 51 years, as well as his two daughters Martha and Anna.
Thanks for all the help, Mike. We'll miss you.
