Innehållsförteckning för April 1950 från MotorTrend

THE LAST issue of Motor Trend had an article by your correspondent stating, objectively we hope, the basic differences between the classic car and the restyled car. Although the article may not have aroused your curiosity, it did mine. What is a restyled car? How is it built? What actually do the terms used by restylists mean? Are restyled cars in a rut or are restylists going to do something new? Very interested in getting the answers to these questions, I drove to the nearest shop, which happened to be the Barris Kustom Shop, in Bell, California. Upon my arrival, I began by asking George Barris where he had learned restyling. “By working in a body and fender shop under a guy who really knew the business,” George told me.…

AS OFFICIALS at the Palm Beach Shores pre-race meeting sadly surveyed the ominous black clouds overhead, the remark was made, “If they can do it in Europe, we can do it here.” And so it was that the first SCCA road race of 1950 was held during a rainstorm at Palm Beach Shores, Florida, on January 3rd. Thirty-five super-tuned sports cars and drivers were entered in an event that could set a precedent—it was so neatly planned and conducted. More than 25,000 fans lined the 2.1 mile course, which was but two lanes wide, had eight street-corner turns and an “S” curve. Right after the green flag dropped, uninitiated persons began mopping mixtures of rain drops and perspiration from their brows. On the first turn of the first lap, four…

NEW AND INTERESTING: France has promising plans for ’51, including production of the Hotchkiss-Gregoire and the Mathis, both now in prototype form, each potentially sensational. The Gregoire, designed by the engineering genius of the same name, is a revolutionary design featuring almost total use of light alloys for every part of the car, and has a two-litre (122 cu. in.) flat four engine…. Both cars are aimed for the “austerity” market, but the Mathis is based on the somewhat American idea that the cheapest car to maintain is one with a big engine, rather than a loaded-to-the-limit small engine. The car is, in fact, “French-American,” with strong U.S. influence (see photo). The frame has side members flush with body sides, front and rear seats are six feet wide, and the…

Late in January, the 1950 Lincolns were announced. They are basically the same, although many mechanical improvements have been made—including changes in steering, new threering pistons, improved carburetor, automatic choke and spark control, heavier frames, and a new grille. Other changes are in interiors, and for quieter ride, Fiberglas insulation has been added to both models. ★ ★ ★ ODDS AND ENDS: Willys-Overland will soon be announcing their new “F” head (one side valve and one ohv) engine… Willys-Overland has also come up with a new military Jeep that runs under water… The new Kaiser-Frazer low-priced small car was shown to the public for the first time at the Chicago Automotive Show. It is a two-door, five-passenger sedan and will be lower in price than the Chevrolet-Ford-Plymouth class (see photo).…

*To inaugurate the Cristobal Colon Highway—2174 miles from Juarez to El Ocotal, near Guatemala—a five-day road race will he held. Limited to five-passenger stock cars, the event will have eight legs over a period of five days. Purse is $38,208. Credit to Pomeroy In all fairness to Mr. Laurence Pomeroy, Technical Editor of The Motor, we wish to state that technical material for Roger Huntington’s article, “Grand Prix Racing,” was obtained from the book, “The Grand Prix Car,” written by Laurence Pomeroy and published by Motor Racing Publications, Ltd., England.—Editor…

CUSTOM INTERIOR KIT Here is the most beautiful matched set obtainable. Each unit is of glistening jeweler’s chrome and carries our unconditional guarantee. Designed for use with custom interiors, padded door panels and reupholstered seats. Dash knobs are identical in shape to the door handle knobs. The solid chrome will set off and match any color interior. Set consists of five knobs plus handles and cranks for a coupe. Chrome escutcheon plates and pins included. Fits Ford and Mercury 1935 to 1950. Complete set, $5.55. WHEEL SPACERS ANTI-SWAY BAR CHROME KNOBS CUSTOM CATALOG 25% Deposit Required with All OrdersMinimum order, $1.50 CHROME SHIELDS CHROME DASH PANELS Throw away that old, worn-out plastic and replace with these beautiful chrome-plated, metal panels. Your restyling dollar really pays off with these gems. EASTERN…

IN BUYING a car, Mr. Motorist can be shown many things—styling, comfort, riding qualities, acceleration—but the most difficult thing to graphically portray is fuel economy. And yet this feature is one that determines, to a large extent, the advisability of buying a particular model car. Automobile engines have been constantly improving since the first internal combustion engine was invented. To gauge their improvement in terms of fuel economy, and to test the efficiency of present-day gasolines, the General Petroleum Corporation designated the AAA to represent Mr. Motorist in a comprehensive test of engines and fuels, known as the Mobilgas Grand Canyon Economy Run. The route for this field test encompassed road and temperature conditions in a two-day period that the average motorist would only see in a year of driving.…

Enthusiasts attending the Automobile Show at Earls Court, London, England, late in 1948, were unanimous in their acclaim of an entirely new entry in the sports car field. Combining meticulous mechanical design with a well balanced graceful appearance, the XK-120 Super-Sport Jaguar is the outstanding achievement of a distinguished marque. Outstanding qualities of acceleration and maximum speed are combined with many things appreciated in a really high performance car. The seats afford a degree of comfort close to luxury. The flexible suspension allows a soft, though controlled, ride with the utmost stability and control while cornering. It is of special credit to the Jaguar that the brakes will bring the car to a stop from speeds above 100 mph. Designed from the ground up for maximum performance and efficiency, nothing…

STYLED for sport, the car in the accompanying photographs was built by Lon G. Hurley, apartment owner of Long Beach, California, over a period of nine months. Hurley started with a ’46 Cadillac engine and an “X” frame, the original frame structure being shortened and the “X” being relocated. Suspension consists of individual coil springs in the front and coil springs with rigid axle in the rear. The front and rear fenders are remolded from ’49 Cadillac fenders. The lower portion of the Cadillac grille is hidden behind the Cadillac bumper, so an air scoop has been installed below the bumper for cooling purposes. The hood was made from a Cadillac hood, while the rear deck was formed from flat sheet stock. There is a trap door in the rear…

NOTE: Restyling and customizing are two things that, like other arts, are better left to the masters. However, there are many small items that an individual, with the proper tools, talent and patience, can perform. That is why this page, each month, will be devoted to styling hints—hints that an individual can take advantage of, either by doing the work himself or by contracting a stylist to do the work for him.—Editor. VARIATIONS in methods of mounting or relocating license plates on the rear of cars are almost unlimited. With a little ingenuity, the license plate and bracket can be installed in a position that is both pleasing and practical. Almost invariably, if the license plate was originally mounted on a fender, it is reinstalled on the turtledeck; if it…

OWNERS of Olds 88’s and Cadillacs will be pleased with the announcement that the Italmeccanica supercharger will be available shortly for their cars. At the present time, the I.T. (a low-pressure, Rootes type, “V” belt blower) is made in complete kit form for many makes. Included among these are Ford V-8 85 and 100, Mercury, Allard, MG, the Austin A-40, the Studebaker Champion, Chevrolet, Crosley, Alfa-Romeo, the 500 cc Simca and Fiat, and the two-litre Healeys. Italmeccanica, producers of the I.T., have supplied blowers for Grand Prix race cars for years, and are highly regarded in Europe. These blowers have a boost from 6 to 12 pounds and will increase performance up to 35-45 per cent. These superchargers are to be distributed on the West Coast by John Edgar of…

THE TWO foremost questions in most sports car enthusiasts’ minds are: why doesn’t the United States have a production-line built sports car—and is there a possibility of such a car in the near future? Since each individual owner and each sports car group seem to have a different definition as to what constitutes a sports car, for this discussion we will arbitrarily define a sports car as one that gives a sporting performance in a stock condition. The word sporting will be considered to include better than average pick-up through gears, higher than average top speed for cubic-inch displacement involved and better than average roadability under varying road conditions. (Note: for a complete definition of a sports car, see “A Sports Car—Defined,” February 1950 Motor Trend.—Editor.). An immediate answer can…

IN 1938, AFTER a year of devotion and back-breaking labor, the construction team of designer Rust Heinz and coachbuilder Maurice Schwartz introduced into the bright California sun one of the most unique automobiles ever made in the United States—the Phantom Corsair. The Corsair—named after a swift bird of ghostlike grace—was a dreamboat in solid form to Rust Heinz, scion of the H. J. Heinz family. At 23, fresh from Choate, And-over and Yale, where he studied naval architecture, he promptly engulfed himself in a sea of imagination. Conceptions for years foremost in his mind became scale drawings, and in time, clay models. Aerodynamics were tested in a wind tunnel of his own creation and young Heinz thus developed his car in the light of functional streamlining. Sound engineering principles were…

Colonel Alexis de Sakhnoffsky presents here his version of how an Italian designer in Milan might design a two-door body on a 1950 Ford chassis. It has many characteristics of modern Italian school of thought: Flat hood, with lid type opening, enlivened by louvers; fairly flat body side, with a radius at the waist and a pronounced radius at the bottom; hood length is emphasized; headlights placed as low as possible; minimum amount of overhang at rear; curves are made as smooth as possible without too much chrome, although chrome molding is used to accentuate grouping of the windows; shallow roof, with light upperstructure; extremely wide doors; rear wheels not covered up, but emphasized by circular cutout in fender; recessed door handles; slim window posts; louvered wheel discs; close-coupled body;…

At the turn of the century, the horseless carriage was roughly comparable to atomic energy today… as a barbershop conversational piece, that is. Motor car boosters discussed at length such accomplishments as the feat of Louis Ross on Boston’s Readville Track. In the summer of 1900, at the wheel of a 20 horse-power Stanley Steamer, Ross was clocked for 5 miles in 5:33.06. Or they bragged of John Bushen Walker’s almost unbelievable non-stop 11,000-foot ascent up Pikes Peak by auto. Automobile’s detractors gloated over the anecdote of a Newport, Rhode Island, steam-car owner who neglected to turn off his car’s fuel supply and garaged it with steam still being generated. The safety valve failed to work. Newport car-haters spread the story of the resultant explosion with glee. Car insurance was…

Letters published in this department are the opinions of the writers and are not to be construed as those of the editors. Address correspondence to: Letters From Our Readers, Motor Trend, 548 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles 48, California. A PRODUCTION SPORTS CAR? Gentlemen: Would you please give us a discussion on the possibilities for sport car production by an established domestic manufacturer such as Ford, Chrysler, or General Motors? It would seem that there is a potential market in this country for a sports car similar to the Allard illustrated on page nine of February Motor Trend. Perhaps such a car could be derived from a modified chassis and mass produced at a competitive price. I am sure there are thousands who would welcome this type of car,…