Innehållsförteckning för December 1949 från MotorTrend

PARTIALLY BECAUSE of the increased competition that European cars are making here in this country and partially because of the rising demand for a low-priced and economical car, a number of American manufacturers are spending considerable money in design study in the “small” car field. The automotive market analysts have discovered that the family in need of a second car always consider low price, economy, size and handling ease prime requisites in their selection. Meeting the public’s increased interest in “small cars are only two well-established manufacturers in the United States, namely, Crosley and Willys-Overland. Investigation disclosed, however, that there are many “small” cars in the design or formative stage by newly formed companies throughout the United States. The Willys-Overland Company are currently producing a “Jeep” station wagon, several body…

THE BIG BLACK touring car shrieking around a tight corner at 75 per, with machine-gun fire splattering from behind its flapping side-curtains … remember the getaway sequences in the gangster films of the ’30’s? Though it never performed on the tracks, the old Lincoln was the prototype of the fast, fine car. Screen idols purred down Hollywood Boulevard in their sleek Lincoln phaetons … the car was sporty. Statesmen and diplomats rolled up to the White House in their Judkins-bodied limousines … the car had elegance. Twenty-five-year-old tow rigs are still doing a perfect job today … the car was rugged and dependable. It had a versatility that could be matched by few other makes. Every automobile is designed to conform to a well-defined prime function. It can be speed,…

NOTE: This is the third and concluding part of an article that is a digest of “Technical Highlights of Postwar Automobiles,” Parts I and II, which appeared in the May and June 1949 issues of the SAE Journal.—Editor. THE USE OF undercoating is extremely popular in the automotive field, since it achieves silence and gives a sense of solidity. Several bus body manufacturers are employing it, and its use will no doubt creep into volume production. Nash has been using sand Mortex over the years to silence panels and it is now brushed on the inner surface of the floor pan and trunk floor with the idea of obviating later undercoating. Trunk Increased storage space, counterbalanced and leak-proof trunk lids mark the new trunks. In the GM “A” bodies, helical…

SUNBEAM-TALBOT—The latest Sunbeam-Talbots are made in two models—the “80” and the “90,” both of which are available as saloons or coupes. In appearance, this car is the latest example of British streamlining, although there is improved passenger accommodation. The previous “L” head engine has been discarded in favor of an overhead valve engine on the “80” of 1185 cc (72.3 cu. in.), and of 1944 cc (118.6 cu. in.) on the “90.” The “80” develops 47 bhp at 4800 rpm, while the “90” develops 64 bhp at 4100 rpm. Each engine is four-cylinder, the model “80” having a compression ratio of 6.88:1 and the “90” having a ratio of 6.59:1. The body is of all-steel construction. An attractive new feature is the curved one-piece windshield and rear window, while the…

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TO FIND OUT what kind of a shakedown test new General Motors products are put through, we recently conducted a tour through the Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division of General Motors Corporation in South Gate, California. We were particularly interested in the new Buick Special, since it is the newest in the GM line. At the end of the assembly line, where the units have become completed cars, we saw a Buick Special being driven under its own power into the Inspection Building. At this point, a special jig was used to adjust the headlights, while at the same time, the front wheels were checked for proper toe-in, caster and camber. From the light and front end adjustment,, the Special was driven onto one of the chassis dynamometers, which is a unit…

ATTEMPTING TO prove a point of contention—that of whether it is the equipment or the driver that makes for winning a race—a combination of the two were used to stage what could be considered an upset win at the Del Mar stock car races on October 16. This combination was in the form of Walt Faulkner and a ’49 Plymouth two-door sedan. Starting on the outside of the sixth row in the feature 100-lap race, Faulkner drove a heady race by remaining behind the pack until about the fiftieth lap. By that time, the mile dirt-and-clay track (which had had its surface for horse racing pushed to one side) had begun to take its toll. Entered against Faulkner were cars of the West Coast Stock Car Racing Association, of many…

NOTE: In the fast issue of MOTOR TREND, our feature writer, George Finneran, wrote an article on the custom body era from 1930-1935. In this issue he continues his diatribe from where the previous one left off, covering the era from 1935 on.—Editor. CAME 1935, and the auto industry in general, and the luxury trade in particular, discovered the existence of a world depression. This gave pause to think, as the French so aptly put it. Throughout the actual depression of 1929-35, we have seen how the boys in Detroit tried to defeat the unhealthy attitude of a nation by producing longer, more cvlindered, more expensive, custom-bodied cars. The ostrich act couldn’t go on forever; consequently in 1935-36, we have the three big carriage-trade manufacturers making a first stab at…

This composite design by Colonel Alexis de Sakhnoffsky represents many combined features of the most popular American cars of 1949, projected into the future. Although identifying details have been omitted, the general development of the sheet metal is characteristically General Motors. The trunk treatment is reminiscent of the Lincoln Continental, etc. These features have been emphasized to obtain a newer appearance. The windshield is more curved, providing fine vision. Generous use of curved glass reduces most blind spots in the rear. The low, tapered hood follows the trend of Italian sport cars. The grille is conventional, but in addition there are air-scoops below the center bumper. Extra heavy cast bumpers protect the vulnerable front and rear ends of fenders. The bumper extends along the side body panels. In line with…

PROBABLY THE BEST known custom body car ever built in the United States was the Topper car, designed in 1936 by Tony Garrity of Los Angeles, and built in the shops of Bohman and Schwartz of Pasadena for Hal Roach Studios. The body was constructed on the Series 80 (now the Roadmaster) Buick chassis. For those famous invisible man sequences, a second steering wheel mounted down near the floor was used, the driver lying prone and watching the road through a hole in the firewall and through the specially designed grille. Bohman and Sons of Pasadena just recently completed the remodeling job (designed by W. Everett Miller) shown here, including the new grille, front fenders, bumpers, upholstery, and an all-steel, fabric-covered top. The car is equipped with a special 110-volt…

METALWORKER C. E. Johnson of North Hollywood, California, does not claim to be a designer, nor does he profess to be a stylist. Yet it is almost unanimously agreed that his ’39 Ford V-8 coupe is a professionally styled piece of work. To Johnson, the styling and building of his car was a hobby—even though metalworking is his means of employment. The car was originally a ’39 Ford V-8 convertible coupe, but now retains little of the original design. Major changes include a redesigned grille, fadeaway front fenders, fin-type rear fenders, a spare tire sunk into the turtledeck, and a removable top. The car has been lowered slightly: 1½ inches in front (by reversing the spring eyes) and two inches in the rear (by removing one leaf and reversing the…

FOR A CAR that’s different from the original design, it is hard to. beat the ’48 Custom 8 owned by John Zaro of Maywood, California. Originally, the car was a ’41 Ford V-8 Club Coupe convertible, but was completely done over by Barris Kustom Shop of Bell, California. The chopped top is by Chavez, while the interior is by Hilborn. The frame of this Ford has been chopped, while the body has been channeled, achieving a drop of eight inches. The sides of the body were also sectioned out so that the body height would not be too great. (Overall height is only 4 feet 8 inches.) To clear the tires the front fenders were shifted up, making bloated blisters. All creases have been rolled out and the body has…

IN 1900 THERE were approximately 800 American built automobiles in operation and they had cost their owners an average of $1,000 each. By 1903, 28,000 American cars had been made but the average retail price was still close to the thousand mark. That was why, at New York’s Madison Square Garden Auto Show in 1903, one of the most popular exhibits was the new Orient Buckboard, manufactured by the Waltham Mfg. Co., Waltham, Massachusetts. The Orient was the answer to the limited purse: four wheels, a motor and economy in operation for only $425. What the Ingersoll was to the pocket watch buyer, the Orient was to the motorist. The original 1903 model Orient had a one cylinder, air-cooled, four horsepower engine with drive by pinion and a large spur…