in reference to of restaurants, banks, etc., built to be patronized without leaving one's car, 1929, from the verbal phrase; see drive (v.) + in (adv.). Of movie theaters by 1933 (the year the first one opened, in Camden, New Jersey).
also ingoing, 1825, from in + going. Probably a modern formation unrelated to Middle English in-going (n.) "act of entering" (mid-14c.), from ingo "to go in, enter," from Old English ingan (past tense ineode), equivalent of German eingehen, Dutch ingaan.
1907, from commercial verbal phrase in transit "on the way or passage, while passing from one to another" (1819, earlier in Latin form in transitu), from in + transit (n.).
