Innehållsförteckning för February 1952 från MotorTrend

Demanded by Discriminating Buyers—from coast to coast Available for these cars There’s nothing quite like the new Continental Custom Rear Conversion! And discriminating car buyers really appreciate it…as evidenced by more than 10,000 units already on the road. Especially engineered for all makes listed, it really belongs on these fine cars. Notice the distinctive custom appearance it adds; the richer, longer, wider appearance. See how gracefully it blends with the over-all lines and becomes a part of the body. Yes, a Continental adds the final touch that means so much in extra beauty, convenience and practical value. Many other important features you’ll appreciate, too. Ask your dealer to show you, Or write, wire or ’phone for complete details and prices. Immediate service. HUDELSON-WHITEBONE Corp. 302 EAST UNIVERSITYCHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS.Custom Engineered by…

“… The spare hump on my ’50 Olds 88 is a ’39 Cadillac spare-tire cover leaded in just for looks. The tire is in its original position. Deck lid is electrically operated from the dash.” “… It’s a ’48 Plymouth with a ’48 Cad grille. The car was built in Oregon City, Ore., which is my home. The engine has been customized, too, and it runs a ¾ cam, high-compression head, dual manifold, twin carburetors.”—G. A. Hammond, Donaldson AFB, Greenville, S. C. “… This car is a ’33 Chrysler Imperial Eight with the engine bored out .050-inch. The body was styled by a Canadian firm and weighs 4,460 pounds empty. The engine boasts nine main bearings of bronze. It has been clocked by the AAA at 104.93 mph.” “…’47 Ford…

From Motor Trend’S huge file on customizing come valuable facts, hundreds of detailed diagrams and photographs—to bring you America’s only complete book on the beautiful and bizarre custom creations of modern motoring—to show you how to restyle your car… At last! A book that covers every phase of buying a car—new or used. How to buy it, how to defend your legal rights, how to keep it rolling. Let the experts lead you through the fine-print clauses, tell you about “bushing” and selling used cars for new, explain depreciation. HOW TO BUY A CAR: your guide to a really profitable investment… America’s most unique sport—on displey in the photo-packed pages of this great book by the Editors of HOT ROD MAGAZINE. “How to do it” features, cutaway drawings, and engine…

A car engine with 335 bhp? Not for you and me. Buick’s XP-300 can produce that amount of urge, but that’s only for testing purposes. In an exclusive interview, Dick Cook, chief engineer for the Buick division, told me that the output of this test engine has been boosted almost beyond the limits of its capabilities so that failures (and it is expected that there will be some) can be quickly detected and corrected. But even without the supercharger and the ultra-high compression ratio which demands alcohol fuel, the XP-300 is something very special. You and I know that one of the most remarkable developments of the post war era is the mass rediscovery of the automobile. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t expect Detroit to catch the…

A Heavily Loaded truck darted to the left at the busy intersection. Tearing along the street from the opposite direction a speeding sedan saw the truck and tried to stop. There wasn’t enough room. They collided solidly at the intersection. “There,” cried La Marr Stevens, Senior Inspector for the California State Patrol, “Did you see that? Now back up and try it again.” The two drivers reached down and picked up their vehicles. The truck driver, a shy, short woman, carefully placed the truck beside the stop sign at the intersection. “I had my hand out for a left turn,” she said to Stevens. “But you failed to look both ways before you darted into the street,’ Stevens told her. The driver of the speeding sedan set his car down…

The young man piloted the big car up the driveway and brought it to a smooth stop behind a stripped-down Buick. A tall, ruddy mechanic detached himself from a group of loungers and sauntered over to the newcomer. “You fix Packards?” the young man asked eagerly. “Sure,” said the mechanic. The young man probed further. “Old Packards?” “Any Packard,” the mechanic countered. The young man heaved a small sigh. “Well, I’ve got this ’36 sedan,” he began, “one of the big 12-cylinder models, and …” The mechanic held up his hand. “Packard never made a 12-cylinder car,” he announced. The young man gaped in astonishment, then snapped his jaws shut firmly. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he responded, “my mistake.” And he kicked the starter of his Packard V-12 and drove away.…

Detroit, Michigan—The battle of the “dream” cars has rolled into top gear here in the automotive capital. GM’s highly experimental Le Sabre and XP-300 kicked it off. Although neither are practical production cars, both are pioneering numerous automotive developments of tomorrow. Now comes Chrysler’s fabulous sport coupe, the K-310. This is one of the special jobs described here in the October, 1951, issue. Unlike GM’s creations, this beautiful car could readily be built under the American system of volume manufacturing. As a matter of fact, there is considerable speculation in Motor City auto circles that eventually the car will be placed on the market in limited numbers. One clue pointing this up is Chrysler’s use of its regular chassis. Nevertheless, K. T. Keller, Chairman of the Board, reports no decision…

This was a DeMille production, with glittering lights and thousands of people swarming across the stage and a fabulous collection of stars assembled from the far corners of the motor world. Here in the City of Stars the show of the year was Motorama, and the stars were cars. In the gleaming array were the proud ambassadors of motordom: the breath-taking XP-300 from Detroit; the sleek Jaguars and graceful Rileys, Sunbeam-Talbots, MGs, Minxes and a host of others out of England; France’s Simca; custom cars from California’s finest builders; and a splendid legion of the uniquely-American hot rods. In supplement, but not subordinate in any way, the speedboat champions and the best of midget racing planes and all of cycling’s greatest bikes evoked the “ohs and ahs” of the pilgrims.…

$ 5200? Why, I didn’t pay that much for my Cadillac! And this,” indicating the Aston Martin, “is such a… well, just such a tiny thing.” Needless to say the lady did not buy the Aston. When she saw it through the showroom window she thought it was a cute little toy and assumed, quite naturally, that it would carry a toy price tag. Nothing I could say would convince her that automobiles aren’t always sold by the pound—that superb performance and quality workmanship are an expensive combination, whether they come in little or big packages. To be quite truthful, I considered the price a little stiff at first. Jaguar sells its XK-120 for under $4000; the MG, though not in the same performance class, costs less than $2000. The…

The philosopher has it: “Let a man build the better something- or other and the whole world will beat his doors down.” There’s the consummation devoutly to be wished for Motorama Foundation now a-building. The Foundation, as it exists today, is a plan of action…a blueprint drawn by a small non-profit group which incorporated in May of 1951 with this express purpose: to secure and develop a property which will house a paved timing strip, a road course to equal the finest European circuits, and a proving ground area for stock production testing in Southern California. The Foundation, as it will materialize in some early tomorrow, will be the installation which contains all these desirable features—available to all (timing associations, racing groups, manufacturers, and private citizens) on an impartial basis.…

Anyone who isn’t familiar with the background of the slick, red custom beauty that holds the center spot on our cover this month is likely to be a bit jolted to learn that the car was built in 1940. Coachcraft of Hollywood carried out the work for designer-owner Peter Stengel. The ’41 Merc engine was then given fullhouse Eddie Meyer treatment by Jeohnck of Santa Barbara, resulting in performance to match the car’s unique appearance. Stengel refers to his creation as a “sedanca de ville.” Perhaps the most striking single feature of the bodywork is the harmonious flow of all its graceful curves. Next in impressiveness is the handsomely-formed, three-position top which can be removed entirely, can fully enclose the passenger compartment, or can shelter only the rear-seat passengers. Stengel…

NOTE: Since we bought our Jeep, 11,000 miles ago, we’ve been questioned by scores of Motor Trend readers about the ruggedness, the versatility of the civilian FWD Jeep and how it compares with the military model. We don’t plan to add Motor Trials of utility vehicles to our format, and this is not a Motor Trial; it’s one man’s impression of one of the world’s most useful cars.—Editor. I’ve racked up almost half of the 11,000 miles on the odometer of Trend Inc.’s Jeep station wagon. After the first 500 miles I’d learned to respect that car mightily. The strongest feeling you get from extended experience with a Jeep is confidence. The way we’ve flogged that little car and the way it’s taken the beating without ever missing a beat…

WINTER’S WONDERLAND holds no delight for the driver who feels his wheels spin frantically in a broth of snow or mud. To obviate this seasonal hazard comes up a product known as TRACTION-TRACKS. The idea is based on a simplified version of the tractor tread. The T-Ts are constructed of heavy, durable wood. It is not necessary to attach TRACTION-TRACKS to the wheels of the car. You merely toss them on the ground beneath, and they give the necessary traction to free your mud- or snow-bound auto. Lightweight and portable, practical and economical, this novel item (as the manufacturer points out)—“eliminates the necessity for carting ashes around in your car all winter.” CONSOLIDATED EQUIPMENT CORPORATION of Cleveland, Ohio is responsible. ★ ★ ★ TO ELIMINATE THE BLIND SPOT in your…

NASH ROAD TEST Gentlemen: After reading your “Nash Ambassador Motor Trial” in the December issue, I’d like to register a complaint. I’ve been under the misguided impression that one of the purposes of these tests was to give the reader an idea of top performance capabilities in each car; particularly the tests for top speed, acceleration, and gasoline economy. This cannot be accomplished as long as the cars tested are equipped with Hydra-Matic or one of the other gas gobblers. Naturally when an automatic transmission is standard equipment there is no alternative, but when a car can be obtained with standard transmission, it should be used. In almost every “Motor Trial” where an automatic transmission is used, you state that better results can be obtained with syncro-mesh or over-drive, so…

When the editors of Motor Trend asked me to write a story on Buick’s XP-300 I accepted the invitation with enthusiasm because the reasons for building both this car and General Motors Styling Section’s Le Sabre have been misunderstood by so many people. The fact that these cars are not prototypes of soon-to-be-announced models should be immediately obvious to anyone seeing the cars or reading their specifications for the first time. Everyone must realize, I am sure, that the engineering departments of car manufacturers frequently build cars which, while they look like the cars that you and I are driving every day, have experimental features concealed beneath their conventional exteriors. Their experiments may be quite exploratory in their nature and may not be tagged with the date of some specific…

Two lovers snuggle deeply into the back seat upholstery. The car dips and rises over the surface of a famous street in Istanbul, and through the rear window you see the changing background of exotic streets and buildings as the car passes through the city. It’s just twilight, the lights of the streetlamps and the passing cars’ headlights brighten and fade on the lovers’ faces. Then a new sound is added to the powerful purr of the car’s engine—rain. The drops strike the rear window with increasing intensity, adding tension to the scene as the background blurs and Ty Power says huskily to Pat Neal, “I’ll stand by.” This is not the script, but you need not be familiar with it to know how this shot was made. It’s a…

The best engine will give you the best performance; the best brakes will bring you to the quickest stop. By actual tests, conducted with the aid of the most accurate instruments obtainable for the job, the new Chrysler V-8 is the best of a representative 15 of the 1951 American production cars. What the scientist is to theory, the engineer is to practice. Our Motor Trials give you something even closer to your own needs: analysis of automobiles under actual service conditions. We take absolutely stock automobiles, equipped as you will buy them, and drive them as hard as you can possibly drive them. Only by taking an engine to the extreme limit of its resources can its true capabilities be found; only by cornering at high speed and repeatedly…

Palm Springs Road Race Mexican Road Race MG Car Club—Convair Mt. Equinox Hill Climb Arrowhead F.C.C. Meet Palm Springs was literally swarming with sports cars on the weekend of October 27th and 28th when the California Sports Car club held a spectacular Concours D’Elegance at the famous Racquet Club and a road race on the deserted streets of an Army Air Force base. In the first event of 10 laps, although not qualified to compete in the o to 1500 cc stock class, an amazing one-cylinder Cooper driven by Russ Kelly out-performed the 14 entrants by as much as a half lap in the six times he circled the 2.3-mile course. Powered by a J.A.P. engine. the Formula 3 car put on a good exhibition—fast on acceleration and amazingly smooth…

NOTE: Want your choice of any ten available back issues of Motor Trend, free? Just send in your little-known idea which other motorists might be able to put to use. The idea can apply to any class of car: stock, custom, veteran, antique, or classic. Upon acceptance of your idea, you will be sent a check list of available back issues, from which you can make your selection. We will do our best to verify the correctness of the ideas which appear on this page, but can accept no responsibility for possible misstatements by readers. RADIO DRAIN Many radios are wired through the switch and to use the radio while engine is not on, the switch must be on. It isn’t so much the radio that runs down the battery…