History of Car Breakdown Cover
According to Wikipedia - Car breakdown cover is a UK term which - also known as emergency roadside repair & roadside assistance.
Breakdown cover was first developed through organisations like the Automobile association; The AA introducted a fleet of motorcycle patrol men to UK roads in 1949.
When communication technology had advanced enough emergency phone boxes were placed along major UK roads and motorways, this has largely been made redundent with the use of mobile phones.
The 2 major players in vehicle breakdown cover are the AA and the RAC which you can read more about on this website.