[Note: A significantly expanded and updated version of this article can be found here]
That air presented the greatest obstacle to automotive speed and economy was understood intuitively, if not scientifically since the dawn of the automobile. Putting it into practice was quite another story. Engineers, racers and entrepreneurs were lured by the potential for the profound gains aerodynamics offered. The efforts to do so yielded some of the more remarkable cars ever made, even if they challenged the aesthetic assumptions of their times. We’ve finally arrived at the place where a highly aerodynamic car like the Prius is mainstream. But getting there was not without turbulence. (Read More…)
Posted in Design, Editorials, History, Technology
Tagged as 1939 world fair, 1947 studebaker, 1948 hudson, 1953 studebaker, 1966 corvair, 1977 Caprice, aerodynamics, Airflow, aitlfyte, Alfa Romeo, Aptera, audi 100, audi 5000, audi a2, automotive aerodynamics, BAT, belly tank, briggs, buckminster fuller, burney, Cadillac, chaparral, Chrysler, citroen ds, citroen sm, coefficient of drag, disco volante, dkw, dodge charger daytona, dubonnet Ford, dymaxion, ferdinand porsche, ford taurus, futurama, gm ev1, hans ledwinka, history of auto, history of automotive aerodynamics, honda insight, hummer h2, isetta, jaray, jim hall, john tjaarda, lakester, land speed record, lincoln zephyr, lsr, mercedes 300slr, mercury sable, nash, NSU Ro 80, opel calibra, panhard dynavia, Paul Niedermeyer, plymouth superbird, porsche 911 RS, prototype cars, rumpler, saab 92, scarab, stanley steamer rocket, starlight coupe, step down hudson, stout, streamlined cars, streamliners, streamlining, T77, t78, tatra, torpedo, tropfenwagen, tucker, Volkswagen, VW, w124, wimille coupe, world of tomorrow
Tagged as 1939 world fair, 1947 studebaker, 1948 hudson, 1953 studebaker, 1966 corvair, 1977 Caprice, aerodynamics, Airflow, aitlfyte, Alfa Romeo, Aptera, audi 100, audi 5000, audi a2, automotive aerodynamics, BAT, belly tank, briggs, buckminster fuller, burney, Cadillac, chaparral, Chrysler, citroen ds, citroen sm, coefficient of drag, disco volante, dkw, dodge charger daytona, dubonnet Ford, dymaxion, ferdinand porsche, ford taurus, futurama, gm ev1, hans ledwinka, history of auto, history of automotive aerodynamics, honda insight, hummer h2, isetta, jaray, jim hall, john tjaarda, lakester, land speed record, lincoln zephyr, lsr, mercedes 300slr, mercury sable, nash, NSU Ro 80, opel calibra, panhard dynavia, Paul Niedermeyer, plymouth superbird, porsche 911 RS, prototype cars, rumpler, saab 92, scarab, stanley steamer rocket, starlight coupe, step down hudson, stout, streamlined cars, streamliners, streamlining, T77, t78, tatra, torpedo, tropfenwagen, tucker, Volkswagen, VW, w124, wimille coupe, world of tomorrow
Recent Comments
CJinSD - I’ve driven 2002s and 320i’s in the snow too. They weren’t anywhere near as capable as FWDs with similar...
Onus - But now we have its ancestor as rwd. The lx. the sucessor i hear will go back to rwd or fwd in longitudinal layout.
Scoutdude - It should be called “Not Quite in Time 4wd”.
Scoutdude - There is the big difference the FWDs you are talking about barely had enough torque to open a beer bottle so they...
Prado - I bought a 99 CR-V new with the Realtime 4WD. It should have been called RealBad 4wd. A total crap ‘reactive’ and...
Kyree S. Williams - Gee…you’re right. There are hardly any midsized body-on-frame SUVs. The only ones left (that I can...
Chuck Goolsbee - The changes from S1 to S2 were to meet US Federal safety & emissions mandates, not because what buyers wanted....
Scoutdude - The original “Real Time” system was a big joke. It used a center clutch that was powered by a pair of...
NMGOM - Alex, Great article on a complex topic. Thanks. You obviously put a lot of work into it. To show you what a mess of misleading...
Scoutdude - Maybe from the big 3 but International Harvester offered factory installed 4wd starting in the 1955 on their 3/4 ton S-120...