MotorTrend December 1967

IF YOU, AS AN AUTO ENTHUSIAST, are not cognizant of the importance of the automotive industry and its impact on the lives of all of us—particularly during this past ’year — you just haven’t been with it. How could you not be aware—with the amount of publicity given daily to every new mouthing of the safety crusaders (and the sometime rebuttals of the industry)? To the fact that you’ll be paying more in your ’68 car for antismog controls and required safety features? To the drum roll preceding every detail of labor’s infighting with auto management? The car is our most important form of transportation — a fact that no one can deny. Car-watching has become our second most popular spectator sport, as attested to by the fact that only…

More Lugging Info. In a recent “People Write to Pennzoil,” you talked about “lugging,” but I think you should cover this subject more completely. I suggest a definition of “lugging” should include mention of low RPM, together with large throttle open. For example, a lightly loaded stick-shift car can be lugged in high gear at low speed on a grade. J.B.T., Dallas, Tex. You’re absolutely right. Unfortunately, space doesn’t permit our going into great detail in “People Write to Pennzoil.” However, all letters we receive are answered personally and are more complete. Serious Cycler. I’m an ardent motorcycle enthusiast. I’ve heard it said that detergent oils are not good for cycle engines since they hold in suspension particles which might damage zero clearance ball and roller bearings. Most cycles do…

CRASH PROGRAM Skeletons of old marques used to resemble the structural skein of the Chi-Town L-Way, “and the more so, the better, by god,” we used to say, further reiterating that old platitude: “They don’t make ’em like they used to.” But, in our zest to reaffirm our Old World transplant, we neglected to realize that the car is a moving object, and when it encounters an immovable one, something’s got to give. In most cases, it was that frail mortal inside. It took us a long time to realize this, but now that we have, it’s changed our whole set of standards concerning “product integrity” or some such thing. Now, we’ve been told, if the car doesn’t collapse upon impact, it’s a deathtrap. So, manufacturers have dived into projects…

1. Safety “No Spoke” steering wheel. 2. Rugged hemi head engine, built to maintain high cruising speeds with low gas consumption. 3. Dual proportional braking system that prorates brake force according to front/rear weight distribution. 4. Front-mounted spare tire provides additional impact protection. 5. Aerodynamic body slices through air smoothly, silently. 6 Adjustable Road Clearance to drive right over deep snow, ruts, any terrain. 7. Sensor warns when brake pad linings are low. 8. Power disc brakes. Mounted inboard for better cooling and reduced unsprung weight. 9. Front wheel drive with low center of gravity for better traction and control. 10. Michelin X AS steel cord radial tires. 11. Power Jacking for quick, effortless tire changing. 12. Hydropneumatic suspension for greater stability and a smoother ride. 13. Narrow side pillars…

BEATING THE BUSHES for sales, GM has started to ship its entire Opel line (with right-hand drive, of course) to England, where GM also owns Vaux-hall. Opels may not be exactly what are needed by the British car industry. During the first six months of the year it produced 834,101 cars, down 102,500 from 1966. Production of utility vehicles there has suffered worse. ITALY’S ROAD-DEATH rate is on the high side at 9.8 per 10,000. The appalling driving habits which contribute to it tend to be regarded with complacency until a well-known racing driver is killed and the daily press turns the sad event into a sensational campaign for newsstand sales. It happened with the usual regularity last June when popular driver “Geki” Giacomo Rossi was involved in a mass…

There’s not one energized soul among the entire Enthusiasm Generation who deserves all the credit for this whole super car bag. These mechanical muscles just happen to represent the final, universal coupe-de-grace cop-out on conventional civilization that began the moment some hairy-faced, stogie-smoking rebel turned his back on Austria some 75 years ago and went home and started writing about everybody’s Id. ⌎ From that moment on, you couldn’t fight it. One by one the insouciant rascals of the new lands said they were tired of all the dumb things that were going on and that it was about time to get about this business of living. So, they became educated early and asserted themselves and did some dumb things, but eventually, some found their goal—their faculty of feeling. And…