MotorTrend July 1977

There is an old saying that has never been more true: “For every complex problem there is a simple solution… that doesn’t work.” The energy crisis is the most complex problem this country has ever faced: How to rally a nation against an impending peril that is still not visible. There are no simple solutions and no pat formulas for success. The process of seeking solutions will be a long and arduous one, and mistakes are inevitable. Our greatest triumph to date is that we have finally faced up to the problem and begun an effort to correct it. And, whether you like his program or not, President Carter must be given credit for this beginning. What lies ahead depends on the ability of our elected officials, industry leaders and…

FORD'S NEW MANAGEMENT Any fears of top-level Ford decision vacuums have proved unfounded after recent moves by Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board Henry Ford Il. Wall Street analysts, rumored as edgy over Ford power shifts, have dispelled any such notions, with announcement of Ford’s newly created triumvirate “Office of the Chief Executive.” Put another way, the world’s No. 2 auto maker will now be run by three top-level executives. The grandson of Ford Motor Company’s founder will not be 65 until 1982, but recent heart diagnoses have prompted him to loosen his hold on the reigns he took in 1945 to begin leading the manufacturing giant through more than three decades of unprecedented growth. How to effect a smooth transition of power had become the new issue,…

SWAYING TO A MILLION-CAR BEAT With very small domestic oil and gas supplies, Brazil must build and sell more cars in order to earn the money to import its fuels. The sprawling South American nation must balance the greater outward flow of money, in other words, to buy oil by exporting more manufactured products. Always, the aim in Brazil is to handle an alluring image. It must control the problems of its massive interior, but never does it forget to promote soft surf at Copacabana, soft images of Ipanema, softer memories of the carioca and the samba. And always there’s the perilous economics of Brazil’s famous coffee crop. The bottom-line figure, however, means that Brazil has no choice. She must export to survive. After producing nearly a million cars and…

TOO RICH FOR THEIR BLOOD Regarding your choice of Import Car of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz 280E is a great car, but its price, $16,000, should put it in a different category, ‘luxury car of the year.”” My choice would be the Honda Accord, a car that is affordable to most people. And, by their sales and the waiting list, it is what people desire in a car. Donald PalmerSalem, Ore. Your point is well taken, and the fault lies not in the inherent qualities or worthiness of the cars so widely divergent in price, but in the selection method. We are working on a revision to our selection system for next year that will enable us to weigh most judging factors to take price into account. As it stands,…

A lot of people think the diesel engine will be the savior of us all, with its legendary longevity and excellent economy. I have to admit I don’t share that view. I feel the disadvantages of the diesel outweigh the advantages—given the restrictions of present refineries, diesel is a low-yield fuel when compared to gasoline; diesel cars are noisier than their gasoline counterparts; and they usually are more expensive. The pro-diesel faction can always argue that diesels are cheaper to maintain, that they last far longer than an equivalent gas engine, and that they can go farther on a gallon of lower-priced (for the time being) fuel. Into this furor Volkswagen has dropped a diesel-powered Rabbit. Right off the top, the diesel option is not too expensive at $170, although…

The powerplant development business is booming. It seems that every engineer/inventor who ever put pencil to paper or metal to mill has dusted off old theories, dreamed up a few new ones, and shaped them. into something adaptable for automotive propulsion. The reasons, as everyone knows, are inspired by federal regulations on pollution and economy, and reinforced by fuel costs and shortages. The payoffs will be enormous for anyone who can meet the goals. As a simplified refresher, the Detroit factories must meet fleet averages of 20 mpg by 1980 and 27.5 mpg by 1985. Pollution goals are more complex but intimately related. When we consider that a medium-size car uses only about 8 hp for level cruising at 30 mph, and a miserly 30 horses at 60, it would…