Indholdsfortegnelse for May 1961 i MotorTrend

Standard on every 1961 Chrysler Corporation make of car except the Imperial is an engine that puts out its best on regular gas. There’s the new Economy Slant Six that wrings 20% more go out of 15% less gas than our previous sixes; and a variety of V-8’s including a big 361 cubic inch power plant. And these cars save important pennies and your nerves with other good things, too. Like 7-soak rustproofing that protects looks and resale value. The amazing Alternator that keeps your battery charging even when the motor’s idling. And strong, silent Unibody Construction that quiets squeaks and rattles while it adds head, leg, and hip room. Someday other cars will probably have their versions of these good things. But why wait? You can have them all,…

NOTHING NEW Your 1961 “Car of the Year,” the Tempest, to my way of thinking, does not have any new features. The curved driveshaft was used by Herreshoff in his high-speed steamboats back in the 1880’s. The Herreshoff shafts were identical with the Tempest’s except the Herreshoff; shafts were much longer. The transmission on the rear axle was used in most cars up to 1910. Some transmissions were amidship in a box. The unit powerplant, a much advertised feature, came out about 1910. As for the slanting engine, Mercedes-Benz has used it for some time. Personally, I can see no reason for better performance with such an engine. It does make for a slightly lower hood. There is nothing wrong with it, either. It is just nothing to get steamed…

FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS there has been a build-up, despite factory denials, of rumors that a new Volkswagen design was coming. Now these rumors, at least in part, are resolved since a new Volkswagen has been announced. The car, shown above and below in sedan and station wagon form, is called the “VW-1500.” It is the same car shown in sneak photos and drawings published in recent months, so that such speculation is now fully confirmed. The VW-1500 will be formally introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany in the fall, and substantial production probably will follow in several: months after that. There are many unanswered questions about the VW-1500, since the factory has chosen not to reveal everything at this stage. From the official announcement, and other…

Chevrolet Will have a four-cylinder engine for One of its 1962 models, according to reliable Sourecs in Detroit. The Four Will be developed by the Same method Pantiac resorted to in creating a similar PowerPlant For the Tempest. The Chevy version Will Consist of one bank of the 283-cubic-inch V-8,longer stroke that will increase cubic inches to over 150. It is also reported that, as an option, Chevrolet may add two more Cylinders to the bank to come up with a “slant Six” that has close to 200 cubic inches. Both engines presumably are intended for a new smaller “junior” Chevrolet. If you’re confused now by new sizes and names, wait until next year. The variety will be even greater. Both Ford and Chevy will have “junior” versions, a whole…

Copyright 1961 Motor Trend How is your knowledge of cars and the terms of the automotive world? Here is a unique way to test it. This exclusive MOTOR TREND automotive crossword puzzle has been created with the interests of our readers in mind. Naturally, not all of the words used will apply directly to cars, but a good acquaintance with the field should be the key to a quick solution of the puzzle. Correct answers will appear in next month‘s MT. ACROSS 1. Front suspension component in Cadillac and Lincoln, among others. 6. Engines, especially in hot rods. 11. Get up. 12. Walter Reuther heads one. 13. 19th century fuel. 14. Increase quantity. 15. Preposition. 17. Most popular car in the world. 19. State of Georgia. 20. — Kippur. 22.…

MY FIRST LOVE has always been an automobile that would go anywhere. I drive through streams, mud, snow and sand; I’ve gone over trees, rocks and practically perpendicular mountains. To me there is no other type of driving that can even come close to the challenge, excitement and sense of satisfaction of conquering an unbroken trail in a car. Early this year I got a chance to be one of the first outsiders to drive International Harvester’s new Scout. A few weeks later I was cutting cross country in an old friend, the English-made Land Rover. The Scout was located at International’s huge proving grounds in Arizona. But more impressive than the driving I did was the four-wheel-drive Scout — a car that is quite unlike anything else made in…

All fi gures listed are for four-door sedans. If that body type is not offered, data for four-door hardtops is listed. Obvious exceptions are such cars as the Thunderbird and Corvette. All specifications are the latest as announced by the manufacturers. Additions 19 61 C iy and corrections will be made each month in order that our readers may have the most complete and authoritative figures on Detroit’s new cars. (Entries marked “NA” contain information not available at the time of publication.)…

HIGHER SPEEDS, lower economy records and an exodus from the beach to the track were the key points of the NASCAR-sponsored stock car events at Daytona Beach this year. Marvin Panch streaked across the finish line 3 hours, 20 minutes and 32 seconds after the major event began, to set a new track record of 149.601 average mph. Not only did this shatter the existing mark but made Daytona’s race the fastest “500” ever run anywhere in the world. The old record, 138.767 mph, was set at Indianapolis last year. Pontiac nailed down five out of the first six places, finishing 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Fourth was won by Fred Lorenzen in a ’61 Ford. Panch’s ’60 coupe was only 15 seconds ahead of Joe Weatherly’s 1961 Pontiac.…

The front wheels never touch the track for the first 100 yards! That’s how fast this speedster gets away—and, reportedly, it’s never been outpaced. Driver Dave Skeans has recorded an E.T. of 9.70 to 9.90 seconds, an average time of 148 MPH, and a maximum of 155 MPH! His 46 trophies include 10 Top Eliminators and the Class A Modified Roadster Championship of the entire Northwest. Like many other top dragsters, owner J. L. Skeans depends on Pennzoil Z7 to get his record-breaking performance. He explains, “This engine turns 8500 to 9000 RPMs. Naturally, valve train pressures, bearing and crankshaft loads are abnormally high at 16-to-1 compression ratio. Safe and dependable lubrication is a must, and Pennzoil Z-7 fulfills this tough lubrication assignment. Pennzoil stands up—and to prove it, we’ve…

Sing the song of the sixties with Dyna-Glas whispering power. Rocket-age fiber glass packing — and exclusive “Whisper Chamber” — release built-in factory power — but lullaby low. The Dyna-Glas flat oval shape snugs into place and installs in minutes. You’re back to the original equipment look with more road clearance — more power — more zip — and the “mellow without bellow” sound of the sixties. For mufflers of original equipment type — see the Goerlich Standard or Master models. Each is a top value' GOERLICH’S, Inc. MUFFLERS AND PIPES Dept. A-46, 619 Smith St., Toledo, Ohio…

Wide seats (58½ “in front, 58¼” in rear). 44 inches of legroom in front’37½ inches in the back. Even the middle man can stretch his legs. The big front floor hump is gone’the rear tunnel is low. Chalk this benefit up to the rear transmission. Front engine/rear transmission puts equal weight on front and rear wheels. Wagons need that balance. Full load or solo driver, the back end of this one takes a solid grip on the road. Doesn’t skip or jounce. Less weight on the front wheels. A cinch to steer and handle. Fill the Tempest Safari with passengers and gear. The 110 to 155 horsepower ratings of the gassaving 4-cylinder engine will scoot the car up steep hills in high gear. Take a turn in a Tempest. Find…

Only once in every decade a new Peugeot. way back in the Forties, it was the 203. In the Fifties, the 403. The latest expression is the 404. • You will find much that is new in this car. The new 4-cylinder engine is mounted at 45 degrees. This lowers the hood line, improves your view of the road, makes servicing easier. • The 404 has a new automatic fan clutch. It is thermostatically controlled to declutch when temperature drops below 167°F. This releases 4 to 5 hp, lowers engine drag, increases gas economy and does away with fan noise. • This car has a new four-speed transmission. Fourth gear is direct drive. All forward gears, including first, are synchromesh. • Design of the 404 is new. Sports Car Illustrated…

MOTOR TREND/May 1961 At first thought, the whole idea behind the recent development of the economy compacts would seem to result in a batch of dull cars. Low-cost transporation is not the most exciting criterion of automotive design. But Detroit has surprised us with a group of cars that are most original, have great variety and are fun to drive. On the next 26 pages MOTOR TREND prsents complete road tests of the eight U.S. compacts powered by six-cylinder (or less) engines. All five of the major auto manufactures are represented and each has produced at least one contender that has a distinct personality all of its own. Powerplants range in design from flatheads to just plain flat. There is a four-cylinder engine and a slanting six that can be…

THE SUCCESS OF THE COMET has been remarkable. The car is little more than a stretched, deluxe version of the Falcon, yet it attracted nearly 200,000 buyers between its introduction last spring and the end of the 1960 calendar year. Obviously, many drivers of compacts want more than simple economy. Even for a smaller car, they are willing to pay a higher price to get higher quality. The development this year of the “medium compact” class is, in fact, based on just that premise. But the particular appeal of the Comet goes beyond its extra notch of prestige and luxury. More than any other compact, including the Falcon, it resembles the big six-cylinder cars of a few years ago. Compared with the ’52 Ford Six, for example, it has only…

PLYMOUTH’S VALIANT has had few mechanical changes since it was introduced a year ago. However, this year the Valiant rates better when compared with the entire group of compacts. This is especially true in gas mileage, where bigger engines and higher axle ratios have been edging into most compacts’ mpg figure. Actually there are only minor differences in economy and performance in the 1961 Valiant. But as the testing figures became complete, there was a general trend in the compact field of fewer miles per gallon while performance is creeping up. The test Valiant was powered by the 170-cubic-inch Slant Six that was originally engineered for this compact. The only significant difference in the powerplant is the compression ratio, which has been reduced from 8.5-to-1 to 8.2. This makes the…

Among all of the world’s sports cars, no name commands more admiration and universal respect than that of Jaguar. The magnificent line of XK roadsters and coupes has been, for nearly a decade now, a symbol to Americans of a breed of cars beautifully suited for both road racing circuits and the street. Recently there have been reports of a new Jaguar sports car. The design, however, was a well-kept secret. Virtually nothing was known of the new machine — until now. But the time has come for the new Jaguar to be revealed. It is currently being displayed to the public and, for many, its appearance in this issue of MOTOR TREND is the first look at what obviously is another major success for the Coventry works. The new…

The Bendix Hydraulic Brake is used (with some modification) on most makes of General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Hudson, Nash and Packard cars. In this brake assembly, both shoes are connected by means of a spring at the heel, or bottom end, of the shoes. Because of this connection, these shoes thus work as a team and are referred to as primary and secondary shoes. When the brake is applied with the car in forward motion, the wheel cylinder actuates only the primary shoe. This shoe in turn actuates the secondary shoe by means of a feature of the brake. This feature, called servo action, forces the secondary shoe into the rotating brake drum, with the result that it does about twice as much work as the primary shoe. Because…

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Take any one of Chevy’s five ‘61 Impalas, add either the new 409-cubic-inch V8 or the 348-cubic-inch job and a four-speed floor-mounted stick, wrap the whole thing in special trim that sets it apart from any other car on the street, and man, you have an Impala Super Sport! Every detail of this new Chevrolet package is custom made for young men on the move. This is the kind of car the insiders mean when they say Chevy, the kind that can only be appreciated by a man who understands, wants, and won’t settle for less than REAL driving excitement. Here are the ingredients of the Impala Super Sport kit* · Special Super Sport trim, inside and out · Instrument Panel Pad · Special wheel covers · Power brakes and…

OF ALL THE AMERICAN AUTO MAKERS, Chrysler Corporation appears to be the leader in the development of a gas turbine car. At least that corporation has made public more dramatic news in the field than any other. The latest revelations include further important refinements in the turbine itself, as it was equipped in a specially modified Plymouth (top photo, opposite page) and in an experimental vehicle called the Turboffite (photos below and lower right). In the case of the Turboflite, there is a good deal of design importance other than the fact of a turbine as a source of power. Indeed, some of the car safety features of the Turboflite actually out-rank any power train developments. The gas turbine advance, according to Chrysler engineers, consists of a variable nozzle system…

WHEN ASKED why dream cars have become scarce items in recent years. Detroits stylists reply that their industry is moving so rapidly now that new ideas are used on production cars as soon as they are conceived. The advance stylists of the Ford Motor Company, obviously disgusted with this turn of events, have unveiled a new creation that is far enough “out” to insure its status as a dream for some years. The delta-shaped “Gyron,” which made its public debut at the International Auto Show in New York, seeks to shatter many of the age-old restrictions of automotive design. With only two running wheels instead of the usual four, the “Gyron” is stabilized by a gyroscope while in action or by two small, retractable outrigger wheels when at rest. Two…

WHILE NO LONGER the sensation it was when it first appeared in the fall of ’59, Chevrolet’s Corvair is still one of the most unorthodox cars built in America. Most of its novelty centers around the engine, an air-cooled, opposed Six combined with the transmission and final drive in a single package and mounted at the tear. Other advanced features include unit construction and independent suspension of all four wheels. This added up to the logical candidate among 60 models for MoToR TREND’s “Car of the Year” award. Nothing in years has been as significant a break from traditional Detroit engineering. Then, as an encore late in the season, Chevrolet introduced the Monza 900 version of the car and dramatized another new idea, the luxury compact. Most people associate the…

RAMBLER’S AMERICAN is a changed compact this year. This is a somewhat unusual role for the American, because it has customarily been one of the least changed cars from year to year. But since the policy of avoiding change for the sake of change has been one of the American’s most valuable assets, the company’s promise of few styling changes in the new body for the next several seasons is probably valid. The test car was a four-door sedan powered by the 125-hp ohv Six which was originally available only in the Classic. Coupled to the engine was a manual transmission with a 3.31-to-l rear axle ratio. Since this engine was a mid-model year change in 1960, MOTOR TREND has never tested it in an American. As might be expected,…

FORD HAS MADE an emphatic bid for top honors in the performance field with a potent version of its big 390-cubic-inch V-8. The new regular production option boosts the horsepower to a lively 401 with a triple two-barrel carburetor system on an aluminum intake manifold. The carburetor linkage is mechanically operated, with front and rear carburetors acting as secondaries when maximum acceleration is desired. Under normal driving conditions, only the center carburetor is required to provide fuel to the engine. With torque of 430 lbs.-ft., the engine has a ratio of 1.1 lbs.-ft. per cubic inch of displacement. The ratio of horsepower to engine weight (1 hp to 1.5 pounds) and the horsepower per cubic inch of displacement (1.028 hp per cubic inch) are currently the most favorable in domestic…

THERE’S A LONG, straight stretch of highway between the villages of Bonneville and Cluses near the eastern border of France. It is a lonely area without speed limits, ideally suited to test the full potential of a car. I gave the new engine of our little sedan a full throttle. Without coaxing it surged ahead, and the speedometer needle soon bounced over into the respectable area of 90 mph. For a powerplant with 72 horsepower and less than 100 cubic inches of displacement, it was doing its job quite well. The bare trees of France’s gray winter months flashed by but were soon replaced by snow-covered cliffs as we began to climb through the Alps. Over these twisting mountain roads the car proved again the practicality of its design. This…

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 mis-leading statements. This service is not open to commercial advertisers. No ads will be accepted if payment is not made in advance. 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, but we’ll have to decide which photos…

"I'm on the big two-mile dirt test track at Kingman where they torture Fords … getting ready to take a bath in a Galaxie at 80 mph. I come out of the turn and down the long chute and then sight the water — a mean-looking pool just ahead. Then whoosh! I'm in it — and through it — as water blasts at the suspension, and rough desert sand tears at the ball joints. I brake down to a stop and we hoist the Ford. Everything's like it was. The sealed ball joints are intact — the moly grease is still there even after a sand and water blasting that would wash most front ends dry. No wonder this one goes 30,000 miles between lube jobs!" THE ’61 FORD! BEAUTIFULLY…