Indholdsfortegnelse for April 1951 i MotorTrend

APPROXIMATELY a year ago, MOTOR TREND Research tested the 1950 Mercury. At that time, we offered some suggestions for improvement of the car and are happy to report, now that the test of the 1951 Mercury is history, that some of these improvements have been incorporated on the new car. Basically, aside from exterior styling changes, the 1951 Mercury is the same car as last year’s model. However, one of the recommended changes “…a wider rear window would improve vision to the right rear…” has been included. Stylewise, the car has a new grille and front end trim, new rear fenders and quarter panels, and new bumpers. In the engine compartment, the big news is the “Merc-O-Matic,” which combines a torque converter and three-speed transmission. Since this converter is similar…

ALTHOUGH produced by one of Britain’s oldest motor manufacturers, the Singer “Nine” is a relative newcomer to the ever-increasing group of imported models available to the American buyer. It is interesting to note that although the company has a rich store of experience in the manufacture of sports cars, this latest example bears the more conservative designation “light roadster.” Such an honest appraisal of the car makes its virtues all the more evident, and indeed, I was to learn that many of the Singer’s features are of distinct sports car calibre. Vaughan-Singer Motors, located in Hollywood, California, are the Western Factory Distributors and I called on Mr. Monroe Gretske, their Sales Manager, for a checkout and some preliminary information before starting on the Sports Trial. He explained that the Singer…

ENGLAND: Twenty million dollars in American orders for the new Mark VII Jag were placed at Earls Court in October, even before its first U.S. showing. The car sells for $3850 delivered in N.Y.—an outstanding buy…. From the fascinating correspondence pages of The Motor (London) comes this contribution to automotive folklore. Question: Why do the English drive on the left side of the road? Answer: The custom began during the Dark Ages, when all travellers were armed. Men rode on the left in order to meet “oncoming traffic” sword arm to sword arm. Even with the advent of pistols the custom still served its function; it’s not too good an idea to fire across your horse’s head. Today the custom is under attack and many authorities are suggesting that Britain…

SCCA MEMBERS, more than 200 strong, gathered for the club’s annual meeting in New York on January 20, elected ’51 officers as follows: Cameron Peck of Chicago, President; Fred Wacker, Jr., of Chicago, V.P.; Phillip J. Cade, Secretary; Dr. Henry R. W. Finn of Jersey City, Treasurer; Karl F. Kucker of Washington, Conn., Editor. In other words, SCCA’s 1200 members will continue to be guided by substantially the same panel of officers as last year…. Two major trophies were awarded at the dinner following elections. The Thomas McKean Memorial Trophy, presented each year to the member whose sportsmanship has been most outstanding, went to George Huntoon of North Miami, Fla., who tossed away his chances in the last Watkins Glen Seneca Cup Race in order to rally ‘round a competitor…

TIRES don’t cause the motorist the troubles they did 20 to 30 years ago but in an era when cruising speed for the average motorist is 47 mph, your four tires can definitely be the margin of safety. If you have a new car with new tires the mileage you can expect from your tires is largely determined by the care you give them. If you own a used car, you may be interested in knowing whether those balding jobs can be retreaded economically, and efficiently, or not. Pre-World War II a car owner was lucky if he could put 20,000 miles on a set of tires before there was a need for replacement. Today only eight per cent of the cars on the road have tires replaced at 20,000,…

DETROIT, MICHIGAN—Barring all-out war in the next 10 months, there is an excellent possibility that the automotive industry will make substantially more cars in 1951 than previous estimates have indicated. Just how many cars will be built is a question no one here is aide to answer accurately as yet; but some mighty interesting forecasts are being made as the industry carries on the day-to-day task of sizing up the production job ahead…. Should, for instance, current production rates hold throughout the year, the car-buying public will find about 5,000,000 vehicles on the market in 1951. That is a reduction of only 25 per cent from last year’s record output. Some sources indicate this figure will be ample to meet essential civilian transportation needs…. Substantiating the optimistic viewpoint is the…

ALFA-ROMEO’S five-year stranglehold on European Grand Prix racing may be nearing an end! That’s the big news out of the 1950 Formula “A” road racing season. Ever since this amazing little Type 158 Alfa took off in its first post-war race at St. Cloud in 1946, it has had things all its own way. It has competed in 21 major Grand Prix races in the five years since that time—and won exactly 21! In most cases, the three-car factory team has been able to fill the first three places without pushing. In fact, this astonishing car has consistently been at least four per cent faster in lap speed than any of its competitors! That is. un until that memorable afternoon of September 3rd, last season, at the Italian GAP. over…

NEWEST one-of-a-kind arrival on the sports car scene is this just-completed creation designed by and built for Eddie “Rochester” Anderson. The Rochester Sports Car shares its birthplace with many thoroughbreds: the shop of Emil Diedt, veteran race car builder with such famous jobs to his credit as the Blue Crown Specials, Nat Rounds’ rear-engine Offy, and the Edwards Sports Car. Eddie Anderson had been casing the establishments of American and European specialty manufacturers for several years, while turning over a personal car in his mind. Finally, he decided upon Diedt as the most competent man available for the carrying out of his ideas and in late September, 1950 work began on the machine illustrated here. Anderson’s conception of a competition car was very clear cut, was put in the form…

THE BREATHING efficiency of an engine is important—but, unfortunately, it’s usually taken for granted. The breathing system is as necessary to an engine as lungs are to humans. Can you imagine how you would feel if you began to take deeper breaths, hut exhaled the same amount as before? Shortly, you would be choked up so that you couldn’t breathe at all. This is similar to the way that “back pressure” affects your engine. If you increase the intake flow of your engine you naturally have to increase the exhaust flow. Otherwise, the additional charge in each cylinder, not having the proper volume to thoroughly expel itself, will result in back pressure. Back pressure is a positive resistance to exhaust flow caused by restrictions in the exhaust manifolds and the…

FRANKLY, I don’t care who wins the Academy Awards in Cinema Town this year. It is already a certainty that my own nomination will appear nowhere in the parade of glamour to and from the presentation table. The arrogant Isotta-Fraschini that carried Norma Desmond to her pathetic interview with Cecil B. DeMille in Paramount’s “Sunset Boulevard” will spend that night in a lonely stall. The photo below shows the Isotta as it was before the studio lined it with leopards and dressed it in basket-weave pants. It was sent to the United States in 1930 as a gift from Mussolini to Samuel Untermeyer, one of the East’s leading attorneys. In 1936, Pacific Auto Rentals bought the car to add to their large collection of classic and sport cars for movie…

Letters published in this department are the opinions of the writers and are not to be construed as those of the editors. Address correspondence to: Reader Reflections, MOTOR TREND, 1015 South La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles 35, California. FORECASTER BY PROXY Gentlemen: I have read your publication avidly since its launching some two years ago. [20 months old this issue.—Ed.] In my opinion it far outreaches in scope the modern automobile, classic cars, racing, and other information reporting done by any other auto publications to date. A particularly good job is being done in your reporting the performance and statistics of new automobiles manufactured in the United States. I follow with interest your column by Harry Cushing, “Spotlight on Detroit.” On several occasions I have mentioned information contained in it…

AGAINST a field of 27 European machines, most of them costly high-performance jobs, a single American entry—a humble, fighting Hot Shot—won the Sebring, Florida, Six-hour Road Race held by the SCCA last December 31. Only with handicapping can a four-cyl. Crosley come in ahead of a 12-cyl. Ferrari, or 44 cu. ins. outperform the 331 cu. ins. of a Cad-Allard. The Sebring six-hour enduro, run over a twisting 3½-mile paved circuit in daylight and in darkness with full road equipment, used complete Le Mans regulations, including the fair-to-all categories handicapping formula worked out by France’s Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organizers of the classic Le Mans Grand Prix d’Endurance. The 28 entries hailed from all parts of the U.S., and even from Canada. There were five MG’s, four Cad-Allards and Morris…

NASH, America’s boldest automotive innovator, chalks up another “first” to its credit with the announcement to the American public of the first home-bred high-performance sports car in decades. “Home-bred” must be qualified by pointing out that Nash has pooled its experience with Healey, the famous English sports car builders, calls the 125 mph beauty the Nash Healey. It seems appropriate that, in view of our industry’s long-standing lack of know-how in sports car construction, an overseas specialist firm was chosen to collaborate on this project. The new car was introduced to the American public in late February at the Chicago Automobile Show and is undergoing exhaustive engineering tests at Daytona, Bonneville, and Indianapolis. Production and sales during 1951 will be cautiously limited while the U.S. market for sports cars is…

CONNAUGHT, England’s most promising newcomer to the quality sports car field (MT, Nov., 1950), has burst into overseas headlines with a new full-race Formula II (two litres unblown—122 cu. ins.) contender. The sleek monoposto, like the marque’s already famous two-seater, is powered by a modified Lea-Francis 1767 cc (108 cu. ins.) engine, but there the similarity stops. The short pushrod, 90 degree-inclined ohv mill runs four Amal Type 10 T.T. carbs and a British-made Scintilla mag, develops 139 bhp at 6000 rpm, as compared with the 102 bhp at 5000 of the sports version. The Formula II Model chassis appears to have taken into its design every device known to latter-day racing car construction. Frame is made of 3¾-in. 16 gauge steel tubing, torsion bar independent 30 per cent variable…

NOTE: On this page are featured drawings of how a ’50 Oldsmobile would look if it were “Mercurized.” These suggestions were submitted by Rex Burnett, well-known MOTOR TREND contributor. Now, it’s YOUR turn—to submit ideas on how you think a certain model car could be customized. Or maybe you already have unusually restyled a car and have photographs of it. In any event, submit your ideas, with photos, sketches, drawings (if you can’t draw, describe it—we’ll draw it). We want this to be YOUR page—a place where MOTOR TREND readers can exchange styling ideas. What’s YOUR idea?—Editor…

THE REVELL LINE OF ACTION MINIATURE PLAYTHINGS, manufactured by Precision Specialties, Inc. (Hollywood, Calif.), and introduced by the popular Model T Ford, has now been expanded to include two other classic items of bygone vintage. New road-mates of the Ford (“Granpaw’s Pride 1911”) for the spring season will be the famous Stanley Steamer and the oldtime Packard. Each will be produced in plastic with its own special display-box “garage” in color and will be priced for volume selling at 79c each. Revell first struck its rich lode of “Americana” plaything interest in antique autos with its exact-replica Maxwell, introduced last fall. Produced with a detachable cable, so that it can also be used as a “mantelpiece mascot,” the Maxwell was principally responsible for Lewis Glaser’s (the company’s president) decision to…