Indholdsfortegnelse for January 1960 i MotorTrend

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE to drive into tomorrow’s service station, select your choice of kerosene, aviation jet fuel, marine or automotive diesel gas or straight gasoline in a car whose engine develops one horsepower per pound of its own weight (total 75), then whisk away at 58,500 rpm with no more sound than a breeze through the trees? This unusual prospect could become a reality if the aims and efforts of the Williams Research Corp., of Walled Lake, Mich, continue as planned. The first light, economical and compact—about the size of an ordinary breadbox—medium-hp gas turbine engine using a heat-exchange principle has been developed for a wide variety of uses, according to Sam Williams, president of the company. The 75-hp prototype has been built, and run successfully on the Detroit…

CORVAIR GRILLE Some people like the blunt look of the Corvair’s nose, but on the other hand, there are those who prefer the appearance of the conventional grille. A very good-looking package that bolts on to the front of the new Corvair makes it look front-engined. Basically in horizontal motif, the car appears wider and lower. Priced at $19.95. Write to C-T Automotive, 7253 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, Calif. CAR LITTER BAG Next time you stop in for fuel, ask the man to give you a litter bag for your car. They’re free—compliments of Dri-Power You don’t have to buy a can to get the bag, but if your machine has problems that could be helped by their products, it might be a good time to try a can. They’re…

GENERAL MOTORS STEPPED into the “smaller car” field with an entirely new concept of an American motor car. The new Corvair is definitely not a scaled-down version of anything previously offered by Detroit, and it undoubtedly took a great deal of intestinal fortitude to make the decision to produce a rear-engined, air-cooled automobile in the face of our national tendency to “do what everyone else does.” It is refreshing, to say the least, to see something new once in a while and for this we compliment the men behind the Corvair. MOTOR TREND’S road test program exposes our test drivers to a wide variety of domestic, imported, and competition cars. Our attitude toward any car we are pre-paring to drive—whether it be “conventional” or unusual—is to first learn to drive…

HOW THE FALCON COMPARES TO THE CORVAIR AND VALIANT How It’s Put Together—Better than Corvair and Valiant. In City Driving—Not as good as Corvair and Valiant. For Highway Driving—Equal to Corvair and Valiant. Ride—Equal to Valiant, better than Corvair. Acceleration—Equal to Corvair, not as good as Valiant. Mountain Driving—Equal to Valiant, not as good as Corvair. On Poor Roads—Not as good as Corvair and Valiant. Gas Mileage—Better than Corvair and Valiant. How It Stops—Equal to and Valiant. Trunk Space—Better than Corvair, not as good as Valiant. Serviceability—Better than Valiant, as good as Corvair. SPECIFICATIONS OF TEST CAR ENGINE: Pushrod-operated, ohv, in-line 6. Bore 3.5 ins. Stroke 2.5 ins. Stroke/bore ratio 0.715. Compression ratio 8.7:1. Displacement 144.3 cu. ins. 1 single-barrel, downdraft carburetor. Single exhaust. Advertised bhp 90 @ 4200 rpm.…

IT LOOKS SO SMALL and so beautiful that a woman might well wonder whether to drive it or hang it on a charm bracelet. To a man it looks fragile and delicate, until you insinuate yourself into the interior and experience its precocious performance. Understructure and road gear are by Abarth out of Fiat 600 as on previous models. The body is a new coupe by Allemano which gets its effect by clarity of line, with no applied decoration beyond a small simulated grille at the front carrying the nameplate. After the fabulous 750 Bialbero (and there is now an 850 Bialbero too) this 850 pushrod job comes as a quieter, more flexible machine more suitable for everyday use—but fast. Engine is derived from the 750 which, in turn, grew…

WE REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME we climbed behind the wheel of the Facel Vega. Not only was luxury laid out before us, but it actually came down to enclose us. Its engine was big—nearly six liters to be exact—and it had a price tag to match. To answer a demand for a smaller-displacement, just-as-luxurious car—satisfying a need on the domestic market and filling a gap in the export line—Facel Vega have designed, built and introduced the little Facel, the Facellia. Overall body lines resemble the Bertone-styled Giulietta in the contour of their sweep, probably more coincidental than intentional. In detail, there is no similarity. Both fore and aft ends are basically flat. At the front, air intakes account for penetration losses anyway, and at the rear the flatness is drag…

THE LITTLE NSU SPORT-PRINZ is a new world when you come from bigger cars, and in Germany we call cars bigger than 1500’s Big Cars. It is like a little ardent Arabian horse: sensitive in steering (very direct), cornering quickly (short wheelbase) with excellent road holding. It tends to oversteer; but you soon get familiar with its habits. This car was born to go along tortuous roads, and it feels like a little racing car. Its third gear is the correct ratio, and leaving the Sport-Prinz in third eliminates a lot of shifting. Its range is from 20 to about 62 mph. At this speed the engine is noisy, but the factory engineers told me this engine can be driven hard. It is a workhorse, even though it has the…

TESTING AN AUTOMOBILE with faulty suspension proves that anyone who knowingly operates his car with tired components is a menace. The modern automobile is the product of so many production and cost compromises that many makes of cars lack stability even when brand new, but because every part is functioning at peak efficiency a good driver can handle it at turnpike speeds and stop it hard with no more than normal dangers. It’s when the parts begin to wear—after thousands of flexings the springs become soft, shock absorbers bypass fluid without damping, and locating arms develop looseness at the bushings—that the situation becomes dangerous. And by this, we mean that the car cannot be controlled under emergency conditions when control is most needed. Let’s start with a few basics. Front…

Requirements are: copy limit of 25 words (not including name and. address); 1st come. 1st served: we reserve the right to edit where necessary; we are not responsible for accuracy of description, although we will reject any misleading statements. This service is not open to commercial advertisers. No ads will be accepted if payment is not made in advance, and such communications will not be acknowledged. Only one CAR may be listed in any single Sell ‘N’ Swap insertion. This limitation will not apply to parts, catalogs, etc. The charge is $4 per insertion. If your car is unusual and you. have a photo of it suitable for publication, you may submit it with your ad. If we decide to print it there’s no cost to you for the cut,…

This was the highest figure that resulted from efforts of 47 entrants in the 1959 Mobil Mileage Rally, run over a 345-mile Southern California route that ranged from sea level to 5200 ft. For the first time in this annual economy test of imported cars, sportscars were included—and showed that sportscar fun and performance were not necessarily incompatible with good gas mileage. An Austin-Healey Sprite driven by James Parkinson topped the field with an amazing 56.50 mpg—nosing out even smaller displacement vehicles. As a matter of fact, the sportscars averaged 42.53 mpg compared to 37.10 for the economy four-passenger cars. Entries in all the classes averaged 38.42 mpg, but the average owner who uses his car for everyday driving and pays little if any attention to featherfoot driving techniques should…

FIRST IMPACT OF THE COMPACTS Dear Sir: When I compared the Ford Falcon and the Chevrolet Corvair in the flesh I was very much disappointed with the Corvair and very much pleased with the Falcon. The Corvair’s quality and quality control were poor in the models I saw. With one hand I could squeeze the presumably solid metal of the front doorsill in an inch! In the design of their engine they made one serious blunder—the people who supply Corvair owners with fan belts will become very rich. Two 90-degree turns and two 360-degree turns are too much for any flexible connection at the speeds at which they will be operating. The Falcon, on the other hand, is a very well-put-together, comfortable, stylish, sensible automobile. Dean Peters Saskatoon, Sask., Canada…

Questions and Answers What is it—Best Car Buys is a listing service … a publication which is sent you every six weeks. If is an organized effort to bring to you from hundreds of sources throughout the United States a list of new and used cars that you may purchase at dealers wholesale or below … it is an organized effort to screen from thousands of current wholesale buys the very best ones and present them to you in published form, describing the car… the equipment… the price… the address of the seller and complete instructions for buying wholesale. But how can I buy wholesale …I am not a dealer? True, many of these cars can be bought only through a licensed dealer so we have arranged for a licensed…

HOW THE CORVAIR COMPARES TO THE FALCON AND VALIANT How It’s Put Together—Better than Valiant, not as good as Falcon. In City Driving—Better than Falcon, not as good as Valiant. For Highway Driving—Equal to Falcon and Valiant. Ride—Not as good as Falcon and Valiant. Acceleration—Equal to Falcon, not as good as Valiant. Mountain Driving—Better than Falcon and Valiant. On Poor Roads—Better than Falcon, equal to Valiant. Gas Mileage—Equal to Valiant, not as good as Falcon. How It Stops—Equal to Falcon and Valiant. Trunk Space—Not as good as Falcon or Valiant. Serviceability—Better than Valiant, equal to Falcon. SPECIFICATIONS OF TEST CAR ENGINE: Pushrod-operated, ohv, horizontal opposed 6. Bore 3.37 ins. Stroke 2.60 ins. Stroke/bore ratio 0.77:1. Compression ratio 8:1. Displacement 140 cu. ins. 2 single-barrel carburetors. Single exhaust. Advertised bhp 80…

ANYONE WHO HAS EVER DRIVEN an automobile more than 2000 miles cross-country—stopping only for meals, motels and more fuel—can attest to the fact that motoring is more than just a simple pleasure. When the car in your charge happens to be the very first of its make to hit the road under other than the seat of a company employee, the responsibility of the matter is sizably broadened. And at trail’s end, when your duties are to report on your compiled statistics and general impressions, you’ll be surprised to discover how quickly you have forgotten—or missed altogether—much of the enchantment of our wide lands. After a quick jet flight from New York to Detroit we were driven (in an old last year’s model Plymouth) directly to Plymouth/DeSoto Division, Chrysler Corp.,…

AFTER DRIVING THE NEW ANGLIA for a while you find yourself comparing it with larger cars outside its price and displacement class. It has remarkable interior space, and when cruising fast it is smooth, free from noise and clamor. It is so silky and quiet at 50 in third that I can imagine people used to the old three-speed clangers just forgetting to change into top gear, which sounds as effortless as overdrive. The pistons just flutter up and down those 1.9 ins. of stroke as the crank spins 3740 for a cruising speed of 60 mph. As a mate to the brand-new short-stroke engine, Ford has developed a four-speed gearbox. Like any piston area engine, output and top speeds are higher at the top end; however, bottom end (low…

THE DAIMLER DART (now designated SP-250) is a mixture of old and new ideas. The oversquare V8 engine is modern, uses 70-degree-inclined valves in hemispherical combustion chambers operated by short, light-alloy pushrods. Light alloy (to save weight) is used extensively in the engine. Maximum power is 140 hp at 5800 rpm, from 2548cc (154.2 cu. ins.). The chassis is not so new—a light box-section structure carrying independent front suspension by wide-based unequal wishbones and coil spring. The live rear axle is carried on semi-elliptic leaf springs, with the chassis frame passing under the axle. This provides low center of gravity and low silhouette, but at the cost of reduced ground clearance and limited travel for the rear suspension. Wheel-base is 92 ins., overall length 160.5. The body is a light,…

As usual the Paris and Turin Auto Shows unveiled a number of striking new styles (photos at left, top to bottom). Pinin Farina displayed his annual GM experimental car—a Cadillac with transparent plastic roof. Sliding shades of lightweight aluminum were remotely controlled by electric motors; they are adjustable to provide shade for passengers. A two-seater sports model from DB featured wheel rims bolted to radially-finned brake drums; model displayed had metal body, though plastic is planned for production. Farina also exhibited a 410 SuperAmerica special body with clean, classic lines, silver gray finish, leather interior—the ultimate in custom-building. An unusual two-door plastic body for the Citroen 2-CV, styled by Peter Kirnan-Taylor, offered an attractive disguise for the “ugly duckling.” The cost would be $280 above the standard model.…

JUDGING THE APPEARANCE of the ’38 Lincoln is a matter of personal preference, but it must be admitted that the car looks like a classic from any angle. The aluminum-bodied seven-passenger sedan shown here is a shining example of one of the last models of a long series of famed cars. For a fuller appreciation of this cherished classic imagine yourself taking a trial spin with us and recording your impressions … First of all, though the doors are extremely large and heavy, you find they open with amazing ease. You slide behind the steering wheel and are immediately impressed with the comfortable front seat, which seems to support your back in just the right places. The position of the steering wheel is high and slightly awkward. You have to…

IT’S NO SECRET THAT MORE COMPACTS ARE COMING… it’s only a matter of time and the question of whether there’s really that big a market for them. Plans to bring out a new car take lots of time; the decision to produce one can be made quickly. The first of the new ones will be the Corvair coupe—possibly out as early as January, though the steel strike could delay the timetable somewhat. The coupe will be basically the same as the sedan but will have a fastback, eliminating some of the rear luggage space, but not cutting in on the rear seatroom. The next car will probably be the Ford Comet, due out in April. The first sketch appearing anywhere was the one in our December issue. Sources close to…

Surrounds you with silent strength Unibody construction gives twice the torsional strength and 40% more beam strength Here is a family of cars built a whole new way—the 1960 cars from Chrysler Corporation. We call this new construction Unibody because body and frame have been designed into a single, solid unit. Gone is the old concept of a body and a frame held together with nuts and bolts. In the 1960 cars from Chrysler Corporation the new, all-welded body gives you a car with twice the torsional strength and 40% more beam strength than cars made the old way. And also gone, with the nuts and bolts, are a surprising number of squeaks and rattles. These cars ride so quietly they sound and feel like they’re going 10 miles per…

FLAMING FORD FOR ’60! New power equipment available for Ford engines converts them into real high-performance powerplants. The heads, manifolds, headers, cams, valve springs, cam followers, pushrods, dual-point distributor convert the stock 352 engine into a potent 360-hp package, known as the “352 Special 4-V.” Best news of all is that these factory production units will not only fit the 332-cu.-in. engine, but the 1958 and ’59 engines as well. The parts are available from Ford dealers for modifying existing engines or can be ordered as an option on new cars for about $125, installed at factory. THE DIE IS CAST: ALUMINUM Centr-O-Cast and Engineering Co., of Detroit, in cooperation with the technical assistance of the Reynolds Metal Co., have completed exhaustive tests on a cast-aluminum muffler. The new muffler…

The Studebaker engineering, design and sales departments did it. The latter believes it easier to sell a quiet, squeak-free car. And that’s just what they have. The Lark is literally spotted with over 300 live rubber cushions, grommets, bushings and seals strategically positioned throughout the body and chassis to reduce noise, damp vibration and eliminate the troublesome wear of metal-to-metal contacts. This is illustrative of the very high premium Studebaker places on detail, quality and sound engineering practice. These are not idle words because after about one billion cumulative road miles of owner use, Studebaker-Packard corporate figures clearly show that Lark repair and maintenance costs are well below the automobile industry average. Not only does The Lark save for you, but it performs for you … day after day, year…

The first choice in determining whether or not you should consider buying one of the new compacts is not necessarily “Which one?” but “Should I buy a compact or a normal-sized car?” It is only after having decided in favor of the compact that you can then approach each of these new cars (or one of the other two compacts) to see which one best fits you. Probably some of the major considerations in prospective (and actual) buyers turning to the compact cars are the facts that they feel that normal-sized cars are “too large” and that the compacts are more economical—both in initial price and in operation. That many of today’s cars are too large—to maneuver easily and to park, especially—is pretty much agreed. As to whether or not…

IT’S EVIDENT THAT Ford’s biggest sales pitch for their new Falcon is to “unsell” the idea of a rear-engined car. It started with their “weighted-in-the-rear arrows” on TV commercials and is being fostered additionally in newspaper and magazine ads. Take a look at such statements as these: “The engine’s up front to reduce chances of oversteering (characteristic of many rear-engine cars), or skidding out of control in emergency stops ….” “The gas tank is safely in the rear, instead of up front in the laps of driver and front-seat passengers ….” “Optional hot water heater eliminates fumes and danger of gasoline-fueled heater inside the car (required by aircooled engines) ….” It’s obvious that such challenges are being issued to one car only—the Chevy Corvair. Do they have true facts to…

HOW THE VALIANT COMPARES TO THE CORVAIR AND FALCON How It’s Put Together—Not as good as Corvair and Falcon. In City Driving—Better than Corvair and Falcon. For Highway Driving—Equal to Corvair and Falcon. Ride—Better than Corvair, equal to Falcon. Acceleration—Better than Corvair and Falcon. Mountain Driving—Equal to Falcon, not as good as Corvair. On Poor Roads—Better than Falcon, equal to Corvair. Gas Mileage—Equal to Corvair, not as good as Falcon. How It Stops—Equal to Corvair and Falcon. Trunk Space—Better than Corvair and Falcon. Serviceability—Not as good as Corvair and Falcon. SPECIFICATIONS OF TEST CAR ENGINE: 30-degree-inclined ohv 6. Bore 3.40 ins. Stroke 3.125 ins. Stroke/bore ratio 0.92:1. Compression ratio 8.5:1. Displacement 170 cu. ins. 1 single-barrel downdraft carburetor. Single exhaust. Advertised bhp 101 @ 4400 rpm. Bhp per cu. in.…

AT A TIME when auto manufacturers all over the world are becoming interested in smaller cars, Rolls-Royce have boldly reasserted the position of their car as the logical choice for leaders in business and politics by producing the largest Rolls-Royce ever made, the Phantom V, with a new big V8 engine in a chassis almost 20 ft. long. Fitted with custom-built limousine bodywork by such specialists as Park Ward and H. J. Mulliner, it is an immense car 5¾ ft. high and more than 6½ ft. wide, which offers sumptuous comfort and space to spare—a car into which one can walk without loss of breath or dignity. It is the chauffeur-driven car for those who can afford the best, know what the best is, and wish to travel in lavish…

• Fraction of the Price of Comparable Instruments• New, Improved Design Shows Primary or Secondary Patterns• Provides In-Action Check of All Ignition Parts• Finds Systems Weaknesses Without Removing Individual Components The Heathkit IA-1A offers the hobbyist, small garage owner, or service station operator an ignition analyzer with the features of scopes costing several times more. To check the complete ignition system of an automobile in operation, just plug in and clip on test cable leads: the IA-1A will show condition of coil, condenser, points, plugs and ignition wiring. A switch selects either primary or secondary circuit patterns; or alternately, provides choice of parade or superimposed secondary patterns. Also detects breaker point bounce and facilitates checking of point dwell-time setting. Can be used with the car in motion and under load…

IN A SMALL SOUTHERN TOWN, a justice of the peace’s salary has tripled … since, out of pocket, he “treated” the village’s only patrolman to a radar speed meter. “Best investment I ever made,” the “justice” grinned. Recently he moved his family into a spanking new $30,000 house … bought by radar. In Manchester, Conn, businessmen charged that the local police chief, enforcing speed laws solely by radar, had so labeled the town a “speed trap” that motorists were skirting it … and taking their business with them. “Pushbutton justice … is all but upon us,” warned an Erie County, N.Y. jurist, in reversing a lower court’s conviction of a speeder apprehended by radar. “Nonsense,” retorted New Mexico’s Capt. Penn Winston, of the state police, “we’re in business to save…

The end of the Project IDEAS Custom Car Contest is drawing near—final entries must be postmarked before midnight, December 31, 1959-To be eligible in the final monthly selections—and to compete for the Grand Prize awards—entries must be mailed prior to the deadline. For the benefit of latecomers, here is a review of the categories in which entries may be submitted: 1) An original automotive design sketch or detail drawing—for a complete car or for one or more components.2) An original model car or a model built from any Revell (or other make) customizing kit.3) Photographs of an actual full-size car that you have designed or customized. There are three classes in which entries may be submitted: Apprentice Designer (entrants aged 13 or under); Junior Designer (entrants aged 19 or under);…