In the thirties and forties, GM pioneered and brought to market some of the most innovative, successful and lasting new technologies: diesel-electric locomotives, the modern diesel bus, automatic transmissions, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, high compression engines, independent front suspension, and many more. But GM’s technology prowess was just one facet of its endlessly warring multiple personalities. Planned obsolescence, chrome, fins and financial rationalization were the real moneymakers, especially during the technically conservative fifties. But in the period from 1960 to 1966, GM built three production cars that tried to upend the traditional format: the rear engined 1960 Corvair, the front-wheel drive 1966 Toronado, and the 1961 Tempest. And although the Corvair and Toronado tend to get the bulk of the attention, the Tempest’s format was by far the most enduring one: it was a BMW before BMW built theirs. If only they had stuck with it. (Read More…)
Tagged as balance shafts, BMW, bmw 1500, bmw 1602, bmw neue klasse, buick 215 V8, corvair, GM, independent rear suspension, john delorean, large four cylinder engines, lemans, mercedes, polaris, Pontiac, pontiac 326 V8, porsche 928, porsche 968, powerglide, rear transaxle, rope drive, rover 2000, rover p6, swing axles, tempest, tempestorque, toronado, torque tube, wide track
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