Innehållsförteckning för August 1952 från MotorTrend

3 TIMES THE LIFE, TOO! The three point feature of “Triple Fire” plugs assures SMOOTHER PERFORMANCE, QUICKER STARTING, GREATER GAS SAVINGS AND LONGER PLUG LIFE. Designed to meet the rigorous demands of high speed travel on both road and track, this great new plug gets top motor performance from any car. Each electrode fires alternately . . . giving greatly increased life, and each is “pointed” to deliver a hotter spark flash. FIGHTER PLANE TESTED INSULATION! The “Lifetime Cardo Material” used in the insulators of all “Triple Fire” plugs was first used to meet the hazardous high speed requirements of U.S. fighter planes in World War II. This famous insulator keeps plugs running cool and smooth, resists tetra-lead shorting and etching, and reduces porcelain and jacket breakage to a minimum.…

■ for better performance ■ for lasting quality ■ for distinctive appearance Space does not permit listing all ARNOLT AUTOCESSORIES on this page. Write for the complete new 1952 Arnolt Autocessories catalog. Please send 25c to cover postage and handling charges. a complete line of… MG Tops–In three styles MG Tonneau Covers–In fabric and Arnocolor MG Tire Covers–Rugged 3-ply material Autocessories, Ltd. WARSAW, INDIANA, U.S.A. Division of Arnolt Corporation…

The Ordinary Family sedan can now be easily converted into a practical and luxurious vacation car with kits designed and executed by Coachcraft, Ltd., of Hollywood. Equipped with the kits, this ’52 Mercury has adequate accommodations for that extra load of luggage and vacation equipment and, at the same time, the conversion gives the car a decidedly beautiful custom look. It is the practical answer for the family who has a custom car addict in its rank. The luggage rack kit is designed to fit any hardtop domestic or foreign automobile, and according to Burt Chalmers of Coachcraft, can be shipped pre-fitted for installation on any specified car. The rack consists of stainless steel tubing, polished alloy rust-proof stanchions, and heavily varnished hardwood slats. Attached to the car top with…

This Particular Man had just picked up his three estimates as per the insurance company’s request. His car had been badly damaged in the accident and it was clearly the fault of the other party. Fenders were crumpled, top bashed in. both side panels out of shape, hood and deck half-twisted off their hinges—it was a major repair job in anybody’s book. The three repair estimates, however, varied considerably. One was for $750, the second was $675, and the third … Something was very strange about the third estimate. It seemed impossible, but the manager of the big body shop down the street had given a figure of $450. The car owner took the estimates to the insurance adjuster who checked them over quickly. “We’ll pay you.” he said. “$450.”…

Most drivers think they’re good — most drivers who are used to fast cars are good, judging by ordinary standards. But when it comes to taking the car in and out of a corner a split, split second faster than the other man — when it comes to playing on the gearbox like a virtuoso — then a lot of boasts get left behind. The Jupiter is a car that can take all the good driving you can give it—perhaps more than you can give it? Incidentally the Jupiter is docile in traffic—has proper wind-up safety glass windows and big car comfort rare in high-speed sports cars. Racing Successes litre class 1950 1st—Le Mans 24 Hour Grand Prix 1951 1st & 2nd—Monte Carlo Rally 1st—Lisbon Rally 1st—Bremgarten Sports Car…

A couple of months back I trudged into Fred Bodley’s shop (Fred is a versatile guy, not only pushing a capable pen as tech editor of MOTOR TREND—but making with the wrenches as one of California’s best mechanics) with a couple of boxes of the new TRIPLE FIRES clutched tight in my hot little hand. “Observe, Swami, what I’ve dug up for you to test—the amazing TRIPLE FIRE spark plug with the triple electrodes (each firing alternately) for increased plug life, smoother performance, quicker starting … ‘Lifetime Cardo Material’ insulators (as used in U.S. fighter planes) for cooler running and resistance to shorting….” “Very interesting,” said Fred, “I see you’ve read their advertising literature—let’s see how it sparks on the plug tester.” I watched with interest the precise and uniform…

Detroit, michigan—Fiberglas the new wonder material of the nation’s custom body builders, is not making much of an impression upon this city’s auto manufacturers. They concede it has beauty, strength, lightness, and many other desirable qualities. They shy away from using it mainly because of economic considerations. The industry is nearly unanimous in asserting it costs considerably more to build Fiberglas bodies in large quantities than it does to stamp out steel hulls. Nearly all firms have studied and tested the material for years. Chrysler, for instance, installed a Fiberglas body on a chassis in 1942, and ran it around Detroit’s streets for six years. Ford, of course, was an early experimenter with plastic-type materials, the most famous one being the soybean car of Henry Ford I. Body panels on…

$2.98 postpaid Are you subject to sudden blinding confusion, momentary lack of coordination, surging temper reaction—when some inconsiderate character fails to dim his high beam and catches you square in the eye? Be careful, mister, it could be fatal. Does your brain curl up slightly at the corners after watching your television screen for seven hours? Do you enjoy headaches and eyestrain and such on long night drives? THESE PLEASANT LITTLE EXPERIENCES ARE SYMPTOMATIC OF A 20TH CENTURY AILMENT KNOWN AS GLARE-1TIS. THE CURE? — RAYEX NITE GLASSES These glasses stop blinding headlight glare, reduce danger of night accidents, sharpen night and TV vision, cut eyestrain and squinting … the chrome amber lens (guaranteed for life!) reduces glare and the dark-producing blues and violets in the spectrum—thus making objects clearer…

When it Comes to the new feel in custom cars, California will have to take a back seat to Florida. Particularly is this true in the case of the Dons custom car. This fantastic custom, known as the Dons Lancer, embodies many of the features of the ideal custom car. Basically a Chrysler Imperial, the chassis and engine were modified on order of owner James Everett, who spent $9500, and Don Williams, who spent five months of hard labor. In the parlance of the custom car fan, it is known as a Radical, since it was built up from a bare Chrysler chassis, the body being shaped from various components: modified Chrysler grille, reshaped ’51 Ford hood and fenders, and a rear deck pounded out of a ’48 Mercury hood.…

Preparing your wife, the kids, and the family bus for a vacation can be an irksome task. We can’t help you with your family problems, but we’ve discovered that the accessory and equipment shops can assist you with your automotive needs. Only a nominal outlay of money is necessary to purchase your choice of a multitude of practical items available to make your trip to the mountains, the seashore, or the lake country an enjoyable one. First off, there’s the luggage problem. Piling six suitcases, the portable radio, fishing equipment and the bird cage into the trunk and thus the rear end of the car doesn’t always make for good riding comfort, especially if the added load bottoms the springs. We suggest several solutions: a rack for the top of…

LE MANS, FRANCE—Most notable thing about the Le Mans sports car race held on June 15 as far as Americans are concerned is the fact that an American car, a Cunningham piloted by Briggs Cunningham and his co-driver, Bill Spear, placed fourth in the grueling 24-hour endurance test. German Mercedes-Benz autos placed first and second, and a British Nash-Healey came in third. The winning team of Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess roared around the approximately 8.5-mile course more than 275 times for a total distance of 2,320 miles during the 24 hours. Taking turns at the wheel, the German pair averaged 96.6 mph in the grind, which ended in sunshine at 10:00 a.m. after fog had hampered the drivers during the night. The second place Mercedes-Benz, driven by Theo Helfrich…

THE DIGITS IN OUR ROAD TESTS Gentlemen: For some time I’ve been meaning to write you about the number of digits you use in publishing the results of your tests. The editorial “What Good Are Road Tests?” in the June issue inspires me to do it now. As this editorial so aptly points out, the results of automotive tests cannot be duplicated from car to car, from day to day, or from driver to driver. This is not to say that the results are without value; simply, that they are not very precise determinations. Yet you are in the habit of reporting acceleration tests to hundredths of a second, top speed tests to hundredths of an mph, fuel consumption to tenths of an mpg, and brake checks to the nearest…

Occasionally, and inevitably, a publication that provides its readers with product information is accused of “pulling its punches.” Fortunately, this has not happened to MOTOR TREND, and before it does we would like to make a statement of policy. We call our shots as we see them, although in doing so, we may be tactful about it; we don’t think it necessary to become absolutely brutal when criticizing something. Constructive criticism, that which recommends changes instead of merely finding fault, is much more likely to be received for what it is—with the result that the recipient will feel disposed to do something about changing or improving his product. This is what we have always done, and what we will continue to do. There are times when it’s hard not to…

Fast Comfortable and safe—a brief but positive description of the Hudson Hornet and Hudson Wasp that can be made without any fear of contradiction. Both cars have top speeds close to the 100 mph mark; they give you a comfortable ride; and with their low center of gravity, responsive steering, and good brakes they are as safe, if not safer than most cars on the road today. MOTOR TREND Research became acquainted with the Hudson Hornet back in the early part of 1951; at that time we had the same comments to make about the car. Being acquainted with the car, we were more than pleased when the Hudson Motor Car Company turned over one of their demonstration Hudsons to us for use on the 1952 Mobilgas Run. We needed…

A SAFETY BELT can be likened to an insurance policy—when you have it, you take no notice of it; it’s only when you don’t have it that something happens to make you wish you had the foresight to have had it. For most circumstances, you won’t feel that a safety belt is any value at all, but the minute you get in an accident, you’ll be glad you have one, more than sorry if you haven’t. Safety belts, such as the ones installed in my car by Ray Brown Automotive, have their greatest value, unfortunately or fortunately depending on your point of view, in the more serious accidents such as rolls, head-on collisions, or bad skids. Their secondary importance, however, should not be overlooked. This is the pinning down of…

IN A WORLD that is all caught up with its questionable present and dubious future, it is refreshing to run into a guy like Al Michaelian, who does an enthusiastic job of “honoring motordom’s memorable past.” MICHAELIAN MOTORPRINTS, P. O. Box 14433, Los Angeles, California has reproduced 10 early auto ads (from the 1904 Fredonia to the 1917 Stutz Bearcat) … they’re lithographed on white, heavy cover stock … ready for easy mounting in standard 8 × 10 picture frames … ideal for study, den or office. Prints are 35¢ each, entire set of 10 only $3.00 postpaid … no COD’s … add city or state sales tax where necessary. This is a unique and attractive gift for the motor historian. WHERE the Bell Telephone System leaves off CARR-LITE COMPANY,…