Innehållsförteckning för February 1951 från MotorTrend

As you read this issue of MOTOR TREND, A you will note that it is predominately a show issue. The reason is that at this time of year attention is being turned indoors to recap what the sporting and motoring world have accomplished during the competition season. That is why we have devoted four pages of this issue to Motorama, an automotive equipment display that brought out the finest of all things automotive. Featured are the most interesting cars that were present at that show. In a continuation of the trend that has been started with Motorama, we would like to draw your attention to similar-type shows which are being presented at the extreme ends of the country. One of these is the Second Annual National Roadster Show, to be…

WHEN the 1950 Cadillacs were first introduced, considerable speculation was aroused as to the vertical trim strip at the front of the rear fender. Was it the forerunner of a rear engine design, with these slots to function as air intakes for the engine compartment? Or was it just added chrome trim with no particular meaning? A few years ago public interest in the rear engine car was greatly stimulated by the demonstration of a few handmade models of the Tucker, featuring a six-cyl. pancake (horizontally opposed cylinders) engine mounted in the rear of the vehicle. Actually—how close are we to rear engine cars and what are the facts that must be considered by the automotive engineer regarding this major change in engine location? The best possible utilization of space…

CONTINUING our discussion of supercharging, which began in last month’s issue, let’s consider now the various types that make up the second major category, the positive displacement blowers. Unlike the centrifugal blower which generates pressure by accelerating the velocity of the vapor charge, the positive displacement types function by bringing mechanical action to bear directly on the charge, increasing its density to a specific pressure before passing it on via the manifold into the engine. The P.D. (positive displacement) blower types have in common a very high efficiency, their boost curve being almost a straight line, i.e., the ratio of output volume to rpm of the unit itself remains almost constant excepting for internal leakage, or other similar minor losses. This “positive displacement” or “constant boost” characteristic makes this type…

DETROIT, MICHIGAN—Don’t look for the automotive industry to establish any new peacetime production marks in 1951. One of the factors pointing to a sizable drop in output this year is an ever-increasing shortage of necessary materials. In fact many reliable sources predict the problem of materials will be the industry’s biggest headache during the next 12 months. The Federal Government’s recent cutback in civilian consumption of copper, aluminum and other non-ferrous metals has sent automotive production experts scrambling to their charts to re-evaluate manufacturing schedules.… Each passenger car built uses approximately seven lbs. of aluminum, 29 lbs. of copper and 23 lbs. of other copper-base alloys; and there are few practical substitutes. Thus, the announced 25 to 30 per cent cut in these metals may well slash car building by…

NOTE: This month, for the benefit of classic car fans, we are starting a new column, which will be a monthly feature intended to provide such fans with comments on classics. We wish we knew exactly what you want to see and read here, but we don’t. Until you make your opinions and desires known, it will be necessary for our capable classic car staff writer, Gene Jaderquist, to govern both the content and style by his own prejudices and rationalizations. Your letters, however, will have an immediate effect on future issues. Suggestions, pictures, questions, problems, information—all will be gratefully received and noted. Standard publication rates will be paid for all pictures used.—Editor. The most handsome classic car I saw this past month was the Hispano-Suiza pictured here. This magnificent…

FOR THE CAR ENTHUSIAST WHOSE INTEREST RUNS TO STOCK CAR MODIFICATION for better performance and/or appearance, Motorama was a gold mine. Some of the exhibitors were: Edelbrock Equipment Co. (heads, manifolds, pistons, etc.), Harman & Collins (cams, tappets, ignition), House of Chrome (all varieties of chrome accessories), Newhouse Automotive Industries (speed equipment, books), and Nicson (speed equipment). Other exhibits displayed at Motorama are discussed below. *** THE NEW FRENZEL CENTRIFUGAL SUPERCHARGER FOR FORDS AND MER-CURYS was the focal point of attention at the Warren Frazer stand (Culver City, Calif.) at Motorama. The unit mounts directly on the intake manifold, is driven by twin V-belts, develops six lbs. pressure at 4200 rpm, costs $183.75. What does it do? Frazer reports these Russetta-supervised results on a single test car: *** NEWS FROM…

MOST of you no doubt remember the famous Packard slogan, “Ask the man who owns one.” Packard Motor Co. had a reason to use it once, but now they have even more cause to use such a slogan. It’s a cinch that any ‘51 Packard owner is justifiably proud of the comfort and performance of his car. We’ve been exposed to manufacturer’s claims and enthusiasm for a long enough time to look upon them with some reservation, and this was naturally so in the case of the ‘51 Packard. But now that the motor trial of the Packard 200 with Ultramatic is a thing of the past, we know why the Packard Motor Company is so enthused about its product. On the morning that we were to begin the Packard…

IF YOU think that you know what the Henry J convertible (to be announced sometime this summer) is going to look like, then here’s your chance to earn yourself some extra cash. Because of the terrific response to the Ford Anglia Contest, MOTOR TREND is launching another contest—this time for the purpose of arriving at a design which most closely approximates a practical application of a convertible design to the Henry J (in the decision of our judges). The drawing will be judged mainly on the basis of its practicability and partly on the quality of rendering. To aid vou. we have reproduced a photograph of the Henry J two-door sedan, from which you can make your original tracing and the rendering. Read the official rules before you start on…

SLUDGE is the enemy!… And the basic purpose of any oil filter is to eliminate that enemy from the oil which is the life-blood of the modern engine. In the Trade Topics feature of the Dec. ‘50 issue of MOTOR TREND we mentioned briefly the new Wolfer “Clean-Oil” Valve Filter for Chevrolets. This unit (⅓ the size of conventional filters) has an internal mounting without any outside supports or lines. It is installed in place of the oil distributor valve on the rocker arm assembly, and filters all the oil entering the valve mechanism through a Purolator micronic element. The idea is to trap and remove all contaminants from the valve oil at the point of wear. We were interested in appraising the “Clean-Oil” unit on two separate counts—first, as…

ABOUT a year ago I was taking a trip in a new ‘49 Dodge Wayfarer with several members of my family from Port Arthur, Texas, to New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the rainy season, and we had been running into showers all day. According to the condition of the surrounding country, a good deal of rain had fallen and at the particular time it was still coming down pretty good. I was following a ‘49 Buick, which was behind a string of possibly seven or eight cars—the whole string moving about 50 or 55 mph. Naturally, traveling at this speed we would come upon slower travelers, which we had been passing at fairly regular intervals. I noticed the head of the line start to pass a horse-drawn hay wagon and…

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, 1015 So. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles 35, California. IN A TUNNEL? Gentlemen: Congratulations to Mr. Keck for his thoughtful article on car interior safety [“Designed to Beat the Devil,” Nov. ‘50], especially for his suggested use of a flat windshield, cork textured dash, and window type speedometer dial. There are two details, however, that I believe could be improved. First is the impractical use (with anything approaching present steering ratios) of a segmented wheel; more important is the forward placement of the windshield as it appears in the interior perspective drawing. The windshield should be as close to…

NOTE—This article is the third of a four-part series on the evolution of the automotive industry from pre-Revolutionary War days Up to the present day. The first in the series (Dec. ‘50) was concerned with auto news up to the turn of the century; the second installment (Jan. ‘51) discussed the first decade of the 20th Century; this article is concerned with that period from 1910 to 1919—Editor With the coming of 1910, many automotive innovations were still unheard and unthought of—the industry was yet to get into high gear. The first notable invention of the second decade was a gearshift lever mounted directly above the center of the gearbox. Up until the time oldtimer Charles B. King adapted this to his first car, the lever had been a remote…

Thousands of eager motor enthusiasts pressed through the gates of Los Angeles’ Shrine Convention Hall between November 16 and 19 to attend the spectacle that was the First Annual Motorama. The show was many things: a vast museum of power and speed, a sweeping cross-section of historic as well as up-to-the-instant achievements in every branch of power transport, a gigantic trade fair displaying the finest products of America’s automotive specialty manufacturers. “Old guard” showmen shook their heads and prophesied, “It won’t work—you can’t split the public’s interest in so many ways.” But the public knew better—had no trouble in following the direct line of continuity that flowed from the most primitive gas-engined buckboard to belt-driven motorcycle, to Kaiser “War raceabout, to jewel-cases on wheels built for European royalty, to record-shattering…

FRANCE: The 37th Salon de l’Automobile, Paris, was its traditional self: exciting, cosmopolitan, and unique, thanks to its emphasis upon lavish and glamorous coachwork. A real high spot of the show was the Nash-Healey, a handsome example of Anglo-American cooperation alluded to here last month and to be described in detail in due course. A sellers’ market still prevails strongly in France and there were few homegrown novelties to be seen. However, the Italian trend toward quality coachwork on light, inexpensive chassis is gathering popularity here and the principal coachbuilders are experimenting with the “economy” chassis—Dyna, Vedette, etc.—with interesting results.… Renault has added to its line, amplifying the 4CV rear-engine range with a new 2.3-litre four-cyl. front-engined job. The new car is primarily intended to restore part of Renault’s traditional…