xcel
03-24-2007, 01:40 AM
Exhibit: 50 years of sleek cars. (http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/autos/0703/gallery.streamlined/)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1939_Lincoln_Zephyr.jpgPeter Valdes-Dapena - CNNMoney - Mar. 23, 2007
1938 Lincoln Zephyr
Phoenix Art Museum's (http://www.phxart.org/) exhibit explores the influence of streamlining and aerodynamics on car design throughout the 20th century. Exhibit to run April 1 to June 3, 2007. Photos by Michael Furman (http://www.michaelfurman.com/docs/gal_14.html).
The Zephyr, named after the streamlined Burlington Zephyr locomotive, was introduced in 1936 as a low-priced entry-level Lincoln. It was the first American production car to use what is now called unibody construction in which the car's body is an integral part of its structure, not just an overlying shell atop a frame.
The Zephyr's beautiful lines showed the influence of Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son and head of Ford Motor Co. at the time. Edsel was one of the first American auto executives to understand the importance of design.
The 1939 coupe version is considered by many to be the handsomest Zephyr of them all.
Edsel requested his own modified version of the Zephyr to be used as his private car. That version went into full production in 1940 under the name Continental.
Ford brought back the Zephyr name for the 2005 model year. Again, it was an entry level Lincoln. The name was quickly dropped, however, in favor of the initials MKZ.
1986 Oldsmobile Aerotech
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1968_Oldsmobile_Aerotech.jpgThe Oldsmobile Aerotech's 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine produced an astonishing 800 horsepower. In 1987, race driver A.J Foyt set two separate land speed records in two different versions of the Aerotech.
Built on a modified GM Indy Car chassis, the Aerotech was designed by Ed Welburn, now GM's global head of design. The Aerotech is less than 2 feet tall and rides less than an inch from the ground. The car's underbody includes a tunnel carved out to provide added downforce. Underbody sections can be adjusted to tweak the amount and placement of downforce.
GM produced three Aerotechs to prove the capabilities of the company's Quad4 engine. Two were short-tailed (ST) versions and one was long-tailed (LT), the one shown here.
1952 SoCal Belly Tanker
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1952_SoCal_Belly_Tanker.jpgWhen World War II fighter planes had to carry out long range missions, their small bodies weren't big enough to carry all the fuel they needed. So disposable "drop tanks" were fitted to their undersides. The tanks had an aerodynamic teardrop shape to minimize their impact on the planes' performance.
California hot rodders serving in the Pacific theater recognized a ready-made racecar body. After the war, a big 315-gallon tank that had ridden under Lockheed P38 Lightnings was fitted with wheels, a V8 engine in the back and a cockpit up front.
This car, one of many "Belly Tankers" that were built, set a land speed record of 195.77 mph on the famous Bonneville Salt Flats. Despite its immense power and speed, the SoCal Belly Tanker had no front brakes. Because it was driven on a wide open landscape with no other cars, there was little need for quick stops and a full set of brakes would have added needless weight.
1948 Tatra T87
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1947_Tatra_T87.jpgThe Czechoslovakian-built Tatra T77, precursor of this car, was unveiled in Berlin in 1934. In many ways, it presaged the Volkswagen Beetle with its air-cooled rear-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration and short, sloping hood. (It is said that Tatra designer Hans Ledwinka discussed many of the car's particulars with Ferdinand Porsche, designer of the cars that became the Beetle.) But the T77 and T87 were anything but "people's cars." They were fairly expensive automobiles for their day.
The Tatra's aerodynamic design allowed maximum performance from the car's air-cooled engine. Despite power output of only 75 horsepower, the T87 could reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Unfortunately, the Tatra was badly imbalanced. With most of its weight in the rear, the Tatra's tailfin could only do so much to insure stability. The car's tendency to fishtail in fast turns proved fatal to many drivers.
1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1941_Chrysler_Thunderbolt.jpgChrysler, which had already embraced aerodynamics with its advanced - but poorly received - Airflow production car, had six versions of the Thunderbolt built for the auto show circuit. They were among the first of what we now call "concept cars." They were built for Chrysler by LeBaron, an independent coachbuilder.
The Thunderbolt had a power-retractable hard-top and doors that opened, inside and out, with the push of a button. The front wheels were deeply inset to allow them to turn without hitting the body.
1938 Darracq/Talbot-Lago T150-C
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1938_Darracq_Talbot.jpgIn the late 1930s, sweeping aerodynamic lines pointed the way to the future. The 150-C's gorgeous shape stems from the designer's eye for modernism rather them from considerations of efficient air flow.
The body was created by coachbuilders Figoni & Falaschi, famous for their flowing, highfendered cars, automobiles that look futuristic even today.
The car's convertible top is concealed entirely within its teardrop shaped tail. The v-shaped windshield folds down for the complete open-air driving experience. The T150-C has a 4.0-liter 140-horsepower 6-cylinder engine.
1937 Cord 812
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1937_Cord_812.jpgThe Cord 812 was envisioned as a less-expensive Duesenberg. By this time, Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg were all part of the same company with each brand aimed at a different market segment, an idea that had started with General Motors.
In the midst of the Great Depression, the market for high-priced Duesenbergs was getting thin. Former Duesenberg designer Gordon Buehrig was coaxed back from a job at GM to create the car, which he based on a design he'd started at GM.
Later, it was decided that the car would be a Cord instead of a Duesenberg and that it would have front-wheel-drive, an extremely unusual configuration at that time. (Cord was among the first car companies to use it.) The first version was called the 810, followed quickly by the 812, shown here, which was available with a supercharged engine. Other novel features on the 810 and 812 included retractable headlights and flush taillights.
Unfortunately, reliability problems, combined with parent company Auburn Automobile's financial straits, soon spelled the end for Auburn, Dueseberg, Cord and the 812.
1937 Delahaye 145GP
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1937_Delahaye_145GP.jpgThe Delahaye 145GP was built specifically for a try at the French Million Franc Prize, an attempt to break an average speed record set in 1934 in an Alfa Romeo. The Delahaye did it with an average speed of 91 miles per hour over 124 miles. The 145GP wasn't tested in a wind tunnel. Instead, its aerodynamic design was based on intuition.
Weight savings were achieved with holes drilled in the pedals, a hollow rear axle and a transmission housing made from aluminum.
1935 Stout Scarab
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1936_Stout_Scarab.jpgJournalist and engineer William Stout had headed Packard's aircraft division during World War I. Following the war. Stout continued his work in aircraft design.
His airplane company was purchased by Ford Motor Co. in 1925 and Stout's design for a three-engined commercial airplane provided the basis for the famed Ford Tri-Motor. Stout went on to create his own small airline, which he later sold to United Airlines.
After that, Stout went back to designing airplanes but began to work on cars, as well.
The Scarab's Ford engine was mounted in the rear. Inside, the driver's seat and a rear bench were fixed in place, but two other chairs could be moved anywhere in the cabin. The interior was decorated with wood trim and a varnished wicker headliner.
Scarabs were rare and expensive, even in their day. At a cost of about $5,000 each, they were sold only by invitation to selected influential individuals. At most, nine were ever built.
1934 Chrysler Airflow Imperial
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1934_Chrysler_Airflow.jpgThe Chrysler Airflow was a car that was genuinely ahead of its time. In fact, competitor General Motors attacked the streamlined car on that very basis, calling the Airflow "ill-timed" and "dubious" compared to GM's more conservative products.
The Airflow was the first American production car to be designed with the benefit of actual windtunnel testing, something that was done on the advice of Orville Wright.
Despite its advanced design - and ride and handling qualities far superior to other cars of the day - the Airflow sold poorly. Early quality problems take some of the blame but the car's odd appearance, especially for the 1930s, probably did more than anything to keep buyers away.
1938 Dubonnet Hispano H-6C Xenia
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1937_Dubonnet_Hispano.jpgThe Xenia was commissioned by race driver and former World War I fighter ace Andre Dubonnet who created a unique suspension design for the car. The Xenia's interior resembles an airplane cockpit. The side windows, made of Plexiglas, lift out and up like gullwing doors. Even the undercarriage was designed to provide the smoothest possible air flow.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1939_Lincoln_Zephyr.jpgPeter Valdes-Dapena - CNNMoney - Mar. 23, 2007
1938 Lincoln Zephyr
Phoenix Art Museum's (http://www.phxart.org/) exhibit explores the influence of streamlining and aerodynamics on car design throughout the 20th century. Exhibit to run April 1 to June 3, 2007. Photos by Michael Furman (http://www.michaelfurman.com/docs/gal_14.html).
The Zephyr, named after the streamlined Burlington Zephyr locomotive, was introduced in 1936 as a low-priced entry-level Lincoln. It was the first American production car to use what is now called unibody construction in which the car's body is an integral part of its structure, not just an overlying shell atop a frame.
The Zephyr's beautiful lines showed the influence of Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son and head of Ford Motor Co. at the time. Edsel was one of the first American auto executives to understand the importance of design.
The 1939 coupe version is considered by many to be the handsomest Zephyr of them all.
Edsel requested his own modified version of the Zephyr to be used as his private car. That version went into full production in 1940 under the name Continental.
Ford brought back the Zephyr name for the 2005 model year. Again, it was an entry level Lincoln. The name was quickly dropped, however, in favor of the initials MKZ.
1986 Oldsmobile Aerotech
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1968_Oldsmobile_Aerotech.jpgThe Oldsmobile Aerotech's 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine produced an astonishing 800 horsepower. In 1987, race driver A.J Foyt set two separate land speed records in two different versions of the Aerotech.
Built on a modified GM Indy Car chassis, the Aerotech was designed by Ed Welburn, now GM's global head of design. The Aerotech is less than 2 feet tall and rides less than an inch from the ground. The car's underbody includes a tunnel carved out to provide added downforce. Underbody sections can be adjusted to tweak the amount and placement of downforce.
GM produced three Aerotechs to prove the capabilities of the company's Quad4 engine. Two were short-tailed (ST) versions and one was long-tailed (LT), the one shown here.
1952 SoCal Belly Tanker
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1952_SoCal_Belly_Tanker.jpgWhen World War II fighter planes had to carry out long range missions, their small bodies weren't big enough to carry all the fuel they needed. So disposable "drop tanks" were fitted to their undersides. The tanks had an aerodynamic teardrop shape to minimize their impact on the planes' performance.
California hot rodders serving in the Pacific theater recognized a ready-made racecar body. After the war, a big 315-gallon tank that had ridden under Lockheed P38 Lightnings was fitted with wheels, a V8 engine in the back and a cockpit up front.
This car, one of many "Belly Tankers" that were built, set a land speed record of 195.77 mph on the famous Bonneville Salt Flats. Despite its immense power and speed, the SoCal Belly Tanker had no front brakes. Because it was driven on a wide open landscape with no other cars, there was little need for quick stops and a full set of brakes would have added needless weight.
1948 Tatra T87
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1947_Tatra_T87.jpgThe Czechoslovakian-built Tatra T77, precursor of this car, was unveiled in Berlin in 1934. In many ways, it presaged the Volkswagen Beetle with its air-cooled rear-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration and short, sloping hood. (It is said that Tatra designer Hans Ledwinka discussed many of the car's particulars with Ferdinand Porsche, designer of the cars that became the Beetle.) But the T77 and T87 were anything but "people's cars." They were fairly expensive automobiles for their day.
The Tatra's aerodynamic design allowed maximum performance from the car's air-cooled engine. Despite power output of only 75 horsepower, the T87 could reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Unfortunately, the Tatra was badly imbalanced. With most of its weight in the rear, the Tatra's tailfin could only do so much to insure stability. The car's tendency to fishtail in fast turns proved fatal to many drivers.
1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1941_Chrysler_Thunderbolt.jpgChrysler, which had already embraced aerodynamics with its advanced - but poorly received - Airflow production car, had six versions of the Thunderbolt built for the auto show circuit. They were among the first of what we now call "concept cars." They were built for Chrysler by LeBaron, an independent coachbuilder.
The Thunderbolt had a power-retractable hard-top and doors that opened, inside and out, with the push of a button. The front wheels were deeply inset to allow them to turn without hitting the body.
1938 Darracq/Talbot-Lago T150-C
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1938_Darracq_Talbot.jpgIn the late 1930s, sweeping aerodynamic lines pointed the way to the future. The 150-C's gorgeous shape stems from the designer's eye for modernism rather them from considerations of efficient air flow.
The body was created by coachbuilders Figoni & Falaschi, famous for their flowing, highfendered cars, automobiles that look futuristic even today.
The car's convertible top is concealed entirely within its teardrop shaped tail. The v-shaped windshield folds down for the complete open-air driving experience. The T150-C has a 4.0-liter 140-horsepower 6-cylinder engine.
1937 Cord 812
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1937_Cord_812.jpgThe Cord 812 was envisioned as a less-expensive Duesenberg. By this time, Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg were all part of the same company with each brand aimed at a different market segment, an idea that had started with General Motors.
In the midst of the Great Depression, the market for high-priced Duesenbergs was getting thin. Former Duesenberg designer Gordon Buehrig was coaxed back from a job at GM to create the car, which he based on a design he'd started at GM.
Later, it was decided that the car would be a Cord instead of a Duesenberg and that it would have front-wheel-drive, an extremely unusual configuration at that time. (Cord was among the first car companies to use it.) The first version was called the 810, followed quickly by the 812, shown here, which was available with a supercharged engine. Other novel features on the 810 and 812 included retractable headlights and flush taillights.
Unfortunately, reliability problems, combined with parent company Auburn Automobile's financial straits, soon spelled the end for Auburn, Dueseberg, Cord and the 812.
1937 Delahaye 145GP
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1937_Delahaye_145GP.jpgThe Delahaye 145GP was built specifically for a try at the French Million Franc Prize, an attempt to break an average speed record set in 1934 in an Alfa Romeo. The Delahaye did it with an average speed of 91 miles per hour over 124 miles. The 145GP wasn't tested in a wind tunnel. Instead, its aerodynamic design was based on intuition.
Weight savings were achieved with holes drilled in the pedals, a hollow rear axle and a transmission housing made from aluminum.
1935 Stout Scarab
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1936_Stout_Scarab.jpgJournalist and engineer William Stout had headed Packard's aircraft division during World War I. Following the war. Stout continued his work in aircraft design.
His airplane company was purchased by Ford Motor Co. in 1925 and Stout's design for a three-engined commercial airplane provided the basis for the famed Ford Tri-Motor. Stout went on to create his own small airline, which he later sold to United Airlines.
After that, Stout went back to designing airplanes but began to work on cars, as well.
The Scarab's Ford engine was mounted in the rear. Inside, the driver's seat and a rear bench were fixed in place, but two other chairs could be moved anywhere in the cabin. The interior was decorated with wood trim and a varnished wicker headliner.
Scarabs were rare and expensive, even in their day. At a cost of about $5,000 each, they were sold only by invitation to selected influential individuals. At most, nine were ever built.
1934 Chrysler Airflow Imperial
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1934_Chrysler_Airflow.jpgThe Chrysler Airflow was a car that was genuinely ahead of its time. In fact, competitor General Motors attacked the streamlined car on that very basis, calling the Airflow "ill-timed" and "dubious" compared to GM's more conservative products.
The Airflow was the first American production car to be designed with the benefit of actual windtunnel testing, something that was done on the advice of Orville Wright.
Despite its advanced design - and ride and handling qualities far superior to other cars of the day - the Airflow sold poorly. Early quality problems take some of the blame but the car's odd appearance, especially for the 1930s, probably did more than anything to keep buyers away.
1938 Dubonnet Hispano H-6C Xenia
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1937_Dubonnet_Hispano.jpgThe Xenia was commissioned by race driver and former World War I fighter ace Andre Dubonnet who created a unique suspension design for the car. The Xenia's interior resembles an airplane cockpit. The side windows, made of Plexiglas, lift out and up like gullwing doors. Even the undercarriage was designed to provide the smoothest possible air flow.