thebear's archive of motorsports trivia

[thebear]

October 7, 1913

MOVING ASSEMBLY LINE AT FORD

For the 1st time, Henry Ford's entire Highland Park automobile factory is run on a continuously moving assembly line when the chassis -- the automobile's frame -- is assembled using the revolutionary industrial technique. A motor & rope pulled the chassis past workers & parts on the factory floor, cutting the man-hours required to complete one "Model T" from 12-1/2 hours to 6. Within a year, further assembly line improvements reduced the time required to 93 man-minutes. The staggering increase in productivity effected by Ford's use of the moving assembly line allowed him to drastically reduce the cost of the Model T, thereby accomplishing his dream of making the car affordable to ordinary consumers.

In introducing the Model T in October 1908, Henry Ford proclaimed, "I will build a motor car for the great multitude." Before then, the decade-old automobile industry generally marketed its vehicles to only the richest Americans, because of the high cost of producing the machines. Ford's Model T was the 1st automobile designed to serve the needs of middle-class citizens: It was durable, economical, & easy to operate & maintain. Still, w/a debut price of $850, the Model T was out of the reach of most Americans. The Ford Motor Company understood that to lower unit cost it had to increase productivity. The method by which this was accomplished transformed industry forever.

Prototypes of the assembly line can be traced back to ancient times, but the immediate precursor of Ford's industrial technique was 19th-century meat-packing plants in Chicago & Cincinnati, where cows & hogs were slaughtered, dressed & packed using overhead trolleys that took the meat from worker to worker. Inspired by the meat packers, the Ford Motor Company innovated new assembly line techniques & in early 1913 installed its 1st moving assembly line at Highland Park for the manufacture of flywheel magnetos. Instead of each worker assembling his own magneto, the assembly was divided into 29 operations performed by 29 men spaced along a moving belt. Average assembly time dropped from 20 minutes to 13 minutes & soon was down to 5 minutes.

With the success of the magneto experiment, Ford engineers put the Model T motor & then the transmission on moving assembly lines. On October 7, 1913, the chassis also went on the moving assembly line, so that all the major components of the Model T were being assembled using this technique. The chassis were moved along by a rope tow. Ford rapidly improved its assembly lines, & by 1916 the price of the Model T had fallen to $360 & sales were more than triple their 1912 level. Eventually, the company produced one Model T every 24 seconds, & the price fell below $300. More than 15 million Model T's were built before it was discontinued in 1927, accounting for nearly half of all automobiles sold in the world to that date. The affordable Model T changed the landscape of America, hastening the move from rural to city life, & the moving assembly line spurred a new industrial revolution in factories around the world.

None of this would have been feasible had Eli Whitney (1765 - 1825) not developed "Interchangeable Parts". Eli Whitney (who also invented the "Cotton Gin for removing seeds from cotton crops) saw the potential benefit of developing "interchangeable parts" for the firearms of the US military, and thus, around 1798, he built ten rifles, all containing the same exact parts and mechanisms, and disassembled them before the US Congress. He placed the parts in a large mixed pile and, with help, reassembled all of the weapons right in front of Congress. Prior to that time, firearms had been assembled one at a time and all parts had to be hand fitted with unique labor intensive pieces.

[thebear]

October 10, 1901

Henry Ford's 1st & last race

In the early days of the automobile, it was not the practical uses of the new invention that attracted the most widespread attention, but rather the thrill of motor sports. The always entrepreneurial Henry Ford, who had been constructing automobiles since 1896, recognized the public's enthusiasm for the new sport, & so sought to establish his name as a racing manufacturer & driver. On this day, Henry Ford drove one of his automobiles for the 1st & last time in an automobile race. Sponsored by the Detroit Racing Club & held at the Grosse Point Race Track in Michigan, Ford puttered up to the starting line of the main 10-lap race in an automobile he had constructed earlier in the summer w/engineer Oliver Barthel. Ford's competitors were the famed Alexander Winston & another driver who w/drew just before the start of the race because of a mechanical problem. The experienced Winston was clearly the superior driver, but fortune proved to be in Ford's favor as Winston's machine began leaving a trail of smoke after 3 laps, & he had to w/draw. Altho Ford won the race & the kind of public acclaim he had hoped for, he found the experience so terrifying that he retired as a competitive driver, reportedly explaining that "Once is enough." Nevertheless, Ford continued to construct automobiles for motor racing, & a year later Barney Oldfield drove into motor racing history in Ford's 999 racer, kicking off a legendary driving career & winning Ford his 1st major racing victory. With the prestige of racing under his belt, Ford went on to establish the Ford Motor Company in the following year, making a fortune as he pioneered the modern assembly-line manufacturing that put the automobile within the average American's reach. But motor racing still remained important to the Ford Motor Company, & today Ford is the only automaker that can lay claim to victory in the Indy 500, Daytona 500, 24-Hours of LeMans & Daytona, 12 hours of Sebring, the Monte Carlo Rally & the Baja 1000.

[thebear]

October 11, 1928

Birth of a royal racer

Spanish racer Don Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, Carvajal y Are, the 17th Marquis de Portago & 13th Conde de la Mejorada, was born on this day in London, England. Better known as Marquis Alfonso de Portago, the Spanish nobleman became interested in motor racing as a young man, soon finding his way into some of the world's most prestigious & dangerous racing events, owning more to his social standing than his racing skills. For a 2-year period beginning in 1956, the reckless Marquis Alfonso drove for the Lancia Ferrari team, managing to rack up 4 points in 5 G/P starts, but failing to win any race. In 1957, Alfonso brought tragedy to the classic Mille Miglia event, a 1,600-kilometer race from Brescia to Rome & back, when he lost control of his Ferrari & plunged into a crowd of spectators. Alfonso, his co-driver Ed Nelson, & 10 spectators died in the accident, bringing to an end the 30-year tradition of the Mille Miglia. Twenty years after the Marquis' tragic run along the course, the event was revived, & to this day the Mille Miglia attracts thousands to the streets of Italy to watch a nostalgic run of classic racing cars.

[thebear]

October 16
- 1951

Hudson's Hornet stings

In 1948, Hudson launched its new Monobuilt design, an innovation that is still found in most cars to this day. The Monobuilt design consisted of a chassis & frame that was combined in a unified passenger compartment, producing a strong, light-weight design, & a beneficial lower center of gravity that didn't affect road clearance. Hudson coined this innovation "step-down design" because, for the 1st time, passengers had to step down in order to get into a car. Most cars today are still based on the step-down premise.

On this day in 1951, Hudson introduced the Hornet, & put some sting into the step-down design. The Hornet was built w/a 308 ci flat head in-line 6-cylinder motor, producing generous torque & a substantial amount of hp. And it was w/this popular model that Hudson 1st entered stock car racing in 1951. After ending their 1st season in a respectable 3rd place, Hudson began a 3-year domination of the racing event. In 1952 alone, Hudson won 29 of the 34 events. A key factor in Hudson's racing success was the innovative step-down design of their cars. Because of their lower centers of gravity, Hornets would glide around corners w/relative ease, leaving their clunky & unstable competitors in the dust. .

- 1957

The Lotus Elite debuts

Earls Court motor show in London was the scene. The fiberglass bodied car was developed and built in one year. The first 280 bodies were made by Maximar, a boat builder. The subsequent 1000 were made by aeronautical firm Bristol. The 1.2 liter Coventry Climax FW engine was revised by Colin Chapman and produced 75hp. The 24hrs of Le Mans beckoned in 1959 and the Elite was 1st in class (under 1.3 liter) and 8th overall. .


- 1958

A muscle car for the urban cowboy

Chevrolet introduced the El Camino on this day, a sedan-pickup created to compete w/Ford's popular Ranchero model. Built on the full-size Chevrolet chassis, the big El Camino failed to steal the Ranchero's market & was discontinued after 2 years. But 4 years later, in 1964, the El Camino was given a 2nd life as a derivative of the Chevelle series, a line of cars commonly termed "muscle cars." The Chevelles were stylish & powerful vehicles that reflected the youthful energy of the '60s & early '70s, & sold well. The Chevelle Malibu Super Sport was the archetypal muscle car, featuring a V8 as large as 454 ci, or 7.4L. Chevelles came in sedans, wagons, convertibles & hardtops, &, w/the reintroduction of the El Camino in 1964, as a truck. The station wagon-based El Camino sedan-pickup had a successful run during its 2nd manifestation as a Chevelle, & proved an attractive conveyance for urban cowboys & the horsey set. .

[D-Type]

The Lotus Elite won its class a Le Mans no fewer than six times

[thebear]

October 24

1908

Old 16 defeats the world

On this day, the Locomobile Old 16, driven by George Robertson, became the 1st American-made car to beat the European competition when it raced to victory in the 4th annual Vanderbilt Cup held in Long Island (NY). The Vanderbilt Cup, an early example of world-class motor racing in America, was created in 1904 to introduce Europe's best automotive drivers & manufacturers to the U.S. George Heath won the 1st Vanderbilt Cup in a French-made Panhard automobile, beginning a French domination of the event that would last until Old 16's historic victory. Old 16 was 1st built in 1906 by the Connecticut-based Locomobile Company, & showed promise when it raced to a respectable finish in the 2nd Vanderbilt Cup. With some modifications, Old 16 was ready to race again in 1908. Americans pinned their hopes on the state-of-the-art road racer to end the European domination of early motor racing. Designed simply for speed & power, Old 16 had a 4-cylinder, 120 hp engine w/a copper gas tank, & a couple of bucket seats atop a simple frame w/four wooden-spoked wheels completed the design. At the 4th Vanderbilt Cup, Robertson pushed Old 16 to an average speed of 64.38 mph, dashing around the course to the cheers of over 100,000 rowdy spectators, who lined the track dangerously close to the speeding motor cars. With a thrown tire in the last lap & a frantic fight to the finish against an Italian Isotta, America's 1st major racing victory was a hair-raising affair. Old 16 is one of the oldest American automobiles still in existence, & is currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn (MI).

1944

An accused collaborator dies

French automaker & accused Nazi collaborator Louis Renault died on this day in a Paris military prison hospital of undetermined causes. Born in Paris, Renault built his 1st automobile, the Renault Type A, in 1898. Inspired by the DeDion quadricycle, the Type A had a 270 cc engine (1.75hp), & could carry 2 people at about 30mph. Later in the year, Renault & his brothers formed the Societe Renault Freres, a racing club that achieved its 1st major victory when an automobile w/a Renault-built engine won the Paris-Vienna race of 1902. After Louis' brother, Marcel, died along w/nine other drivers in the Paris-Madrid race of 1903, Renault turned away from racing & concentrated on mass production of vehicles. During WW I, Renault served his nation w/the "Taxis de la Marne," a troop-transport vehicle, & in 1918, w/the Renault tank. Between the wars, Renault continued to manufacture & sell successful automobiles, models that became famous for their sturdiness & longevity. With the German occupation of France during WW II, the industrialist, who had served his country so well during WW I, mysteriously offered his Renault tank factory & his services to the Nazis, perhaps believing that the Allies' cause was hopeless. The liberation of France in 1944 saw the arrest of Louis Renault as a collaborator, & the Renault company was nationalized w/Pierre Lefaucheux as the new director. The 67-year-old Renault, who likely suffered torture during his post-liberation detainment, died soon after his arrest.

[thebear]

October 25, 1902

Oldfield & Ford race into history

Racing was in Barney Oldfield's blood long before he ever had the opportunity to race an automobile. Born in Wauseon (OH), Oldfield's 1st love was bicycling, & in 1894, he began to compete professionally. In his 1st year of racing, the fearless competitor won numerous bicycling events &, in 1896, was offered a coveted position on the Stearns bicycle factory's amateur team. Meanwhile in Dearborn (MI), the entrepreneurial inventor Henry Ford had completed his 1st working automobile & was searching for a way to establish his name in the burgeoning automobile industry. In the early days, it was not the practical uses of the automobile that attracted the most widespread attention, but rather the thrill of motor racing. Recognizing the public's enthusiasm for the new sport, Ford built a racer w/Oliver Barthel in 1901. Ford himself even served as driver in their automobile's 1st race, held at the Grosse Point Race Track (MI) later in the year. Altho he won the race & the kind of public acclaim he had hoped for, Ford found the experience so terrifying that he retired as a competitive driver, reportedly explaining that "once is enough." In 1902, he joined forces w/Tom Cooper, the foremost cyclist of his time, & built a much more aggressive racer, the 999, that was capable of up to 80hp. On this day in 1902, the 23-year-old Barney Oldfield made his racing debut in the 999's 1st race at the Manufacturer's Challenge Cup in Grosse Point. The race was the beginning of a legendary racing career for Oldfield, who soundly beat his competition, including the famed driver Alexander Winton. The cigar-chomping Oldfield went on to become the 1st truly great American race-car driver, winning countless victories & breaking numerous speed & endurance records. But Oldfield's victory in the 999 was also Ford's 1st major automotive victory, & together they went on to become the most recognized figures in early American motoring -- Ford as the builder & Oldfield as the driver.

[thebear]

[thebear]

OCT 30, 1963

The Lamborghini 350 GTV debuts at the Turin auto show. Lamborghini had not completed the prototype in time for the deadline, & the 350 GTV was presented with a crate of ceramic tiles in place of an engine. With or without the engine, Lamborghini's 1st car was not particularly well received, & only one GTV was ever completed. The former tractor-maker was not discouraged, & in '64 the drastically redesigned 350GT went into production. Lamborghini managed to sell over 100 of the expensive cars. The GT was a quiet & sophisticated high-performance vehicle, capable of achieving 155 mph w/a maximum 320 hp. The elegant Lamborghini 350 GT indeed provided a smoother ride than most of its Ferrari counterparts, & Ferruccio's old tractor factory, located just a few miles from the Ferrari factory, began constructing some of the most exotic cars the world had ever seen, such as the Miura, the Espada, & the legendary Countach.

[John Turner]

Loved that 350GT when it came out and still do. It was the start of great things and Lambo, from quite early on became a viable alternative to Ferrari.
Good on Ferrucci, I say!

[thebear]

November 8

- 1866
Austin founder born in England

Herbert Austin, the founder of the Austin Motor Company, was born the son of a farmer in Little Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England, on this day. At the age of 22, Austin moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he served as an apprentice engineer at a foundry, before becoming the manager of the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Company. Long journeys into the wide-open spaces of Australia gave him insight into the benefits of gasoline-driven vehicles, & Austin decided to try his luck in the burgeoning automobile industry. In 1893, Austin returned to England w/the Wolseley Company & began work on his 1st automobile. Like his American counterpart, Henry Ford, Austin hoped to produce an affordable motor car for the masses, & by 1895 the Wolseley Company completed its 1st vehicle, a 3-wheeled automobile, followed by the 1st 4-wheeled Wolseley vehicle in 1900. In 1905, Herbert Austin founded the Austin Motor Company in Birmingham, England, & by 1914, the company was producing over 1,000 automobiles a year. During WW I, Austin & his factories joined in the British war effort, a service for which he was knighted in 1917. In 1922, w/the introduction of the Austin 7 Tourer, Sir Herbert Austin finally fulfilled his ambition to produce a mass-produced automobile. The diminutive vehicle, boasting 4-wheel brakes & a maximum speed of 50mph, was an instant success in England. In 1930, the Austin 7 was introduced to America, & enjoyed 5 years of modest U.S. sales before falling prey to the hard times of the Depression in 1935.

- 1956
What's in a name

On this day, the Ford Motor Company decided on the name "Edsel" for a new model in development for the 1958 market year. The new addition to the Ford family of automobiles would be a tribute to Edsel Bryant Ford, who served as company president from 1919 until his death in 1943. Edsel Ford was also the oldest son of founder Henry Ford & father to then company President Henry Ford II. The designer of the Edsel, Roy Brown, was instructed to create an automobile that was highly recognizable, & from every angle different than anything else on the road. In the fall of 1957, w/great fanfare, the 1958 Edsel was introduced to the public. With its horse collar grill in the front & its regressed side-panels in the rear, the Edsel indeed looked like nothing else on the road. However, despite its appearance, the Ford Edsel was a high-tech affair, featuring state-of-the-art innovations such as the "Tele-Touch" push-button automatic transmission. Nevertheless, buyer appeal was low, & the Ford Edsel earned just a 1.5% share of the market in 1958. After 2 more years, the Edsel marque was abandoned, & its name would forever be synonymous w/business failure.

[thebear]

November 13

- 1916
E. L. Cord's 1st racing victory

Errett Lobban Cord, the genius behind the Auburn, Cord & Duesenberg family of automobiles, 1st became involved w/automobiles as a racing car mechanic & driver. On this day, the 20-year-old Cord won his 1st motor race in Arizona. Cord, driving a Paige vehicle designed by Harry Jewett, won the 275-mile race from Douglas (AZ) to Phoenix (AZ). From his racing beginnings, Cord moved into automobile sales, & in 1924 came to Auburn (IN) to save the faltering Auburn Automobile Company. Cord, a brilliant salesman, rapidly pulled the company out of debt by clearing out hundreds of stockpiled Auburn vehicles & excess parts, & was subsequently named the VP & GM at Auburn. Under Cord's guidance, the Auburn line was entirely refashioned, & the new Auburns were known as some of the most luxurious & fashionable cars on the road. In 1926, Cord acquired the expert design skills of Fred Duesenberg, & in 1928, the Duesenberg Model J, one of the finest automobiles ever made, was introduced to the public. To make the family complete, the Auburn plant introduced the Cord L-29 in 1929, which was America's 1st successful FWD car. The Auburn, Cord & Duesenberg automobiles that sold so well in the roaring '20s also proved surprisingly resilient during the early years of the Depression, but by 1937, America's hard times were too much even for E. L. Cord, & manufacturing ceased as his entire corporation was sold.

- 1940

Willys-Overland completes original Jeep prototype

In 1939, the U.S. Army asked America's automobile manufacturers to submit designs for a simple & versatile military vehicle. It would be two full years before the official U.S. declaration of war, but military officials, who knew this declaration to be inevitable, recognized the need for an innovative troop-transport vehicle for the global battlefields of WW II. The American Bantam Car Company, a small car manufacturer, submitted the 1st design approved by the army, but the production contract was ultimately given to Willys-Overland, a company that had a larger production capability & offered a lower bid. The Willys Jeep, as it would become known during the war, was similar to the Bantam design, & featured 4WD, an open-air cab, & a rifle rack mounted under the windshield. On this day, the 1st Willys-Overland Jeep prototype was completed, & submitted to the U.S. Army for approval. One year later, w/the U.S. declaration of war, mass production of the Willys-Overland Jeep began. By the war's end in 1945, some 600,000 Jeeps had rolled off the assembly lines & onto the battlefields of Asia, Africa & Europe. The efficient & sturdy 4WD Jeep became a symbol of the American war effort -- no obstacle could stop its advance. Somewhere along the line the vehicle acquired the name "Jeep," likely evolving from the initials G.P. for "general purchase" vehicle, & the nickname stuck. In 1945, Willys-Overland introduced the 1st civilian Jeep vehicle, the CJ-2A -- the forefather of today's SUVs.

[thebear]

November 14

- 1914

The 1st Dodge

On this day, John & Horace Dodge completed their 1st Dodge vehicle, a car informally known as "Old Betsy." The same day, the Dodge brothers gave "Old Betsy" a quick test drive thru the streets of Detroit (MI) & the vehicle was shipped to a buyer in Tennessee. John & Horace, who began their business career as bicycle manufacturers in 1897, 1st entered the automotive industry as auto parts manufacturers in 1901. They built engines for Ransom Olds & Henry Ford among others, & in 1910 the Dodge Brothers Company was the largest parts manufacturing firm in the U.S. In 1914, the intrepid brothers founded the new Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company, & began work on their 1st complete automobile at their Hamtramck factory. Dodge vehicles became known for their quality & sturdiness, & by 1919, the Dodge brothers were among the richest men in America. In early 1920, just as he was completing work on his 110-room mansion on the Grosse Point waterfront in Michigan, John fell ill from respiratory problems & died. Horace, who also suffered from chronic lung problems, died from pneumonia in December of the same year. The company was later sold to a NY bank, & in 1928, the Chrysler Corporation bought the Dodge name, its factories, & the large network of Dodge car dealers. Under Chrysler's direction Dodge became a successful producer of cars & trucks marketed for their ruggedness, & today Dodge sells a lineup of over a dozen cars & trucks.

- 1945

Speedway gets a 2nd chance

Tony Hulman purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Edward Rickenbacher for $750,000 on this day. The speedway was in deplorable condition after 4 years of disuse during WW II, & before Hulman made his offer Rickenbacher was considering tearing the facilities down & selling the land. Hulman installed himself as chairman of the board of the raceway & named Wilbur Shaw as president. The two hastily renovated the racetrack for the return of Indy racing in the next year, but also launched a long-range program of improvements that included replacing all of the old wooden grandstands w/structures of steel & concrete. In May of 1946, the American Automobile Association (AAA) ran its 1st postwar 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. George Robson, driving a pre-war Adams-Sparks automobile, won the event w/an average speed of 114.82mph, &, thanks to the efforts of Tony Hulman & Wilbur Shaw, a great American racing tradition was reborn.

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by thebear

[B]Speedway gets a 2nd chance

Tony Hulman purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Edward Rickenbacher for $750,000 on this day. The speedway was in deplorable condition after 4 years of disuse during WW II, & before Hulman made his offer Rickenbacher was considering tearing the facilities down & selling the land. Hulman installed himself as chairman of the board of the raceway & named Wilbur Shaw as president. The two hastily renovated the racetrack for the return of Indy racing in the next year, but also launched a long-range program of improvements that included replacing all of the old wooden grandstands w/structures of steel & concrete. In May of 1946, the American Automobile Association (AAA) ran its 1st postwar 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. George Robson, driving a pre-war Adams-Sparks automobile, won the event w/an average speed of 114.82mph, &, thanks to the efforts of Tony Hulman & Wilbur Shaw, a great American racing tradition was reborn.

What state would American (and World) motorsport be in if Indy had been pulled down?

[thebear]

Enough links HERE to keep you busy for weeks.

A few of them have appeared on 10-10ths from time to time but there is a lot of new (old) material.

. . . . .

[thebear]

December 05

- 1932

The Ford model C automobile is introduced.

[thebear]

Dec. 11

- 1941

Buick lowers the prices to reflect the elimination of spare tires or inner tubes on its cars.

[thebear]

Dec. 13

- 1957

The last 2-passenger Thunderbird is produced.

[thebear]

Sorry for the delay(s) but I have been on holiday.

This should finish off December:

Dec. 15
- 1980 - Peter Gregg commited suicide. For more information, on Peter Gregg, click HERE

Dec. 20
- 1892 – Alexander Brown and George Stillman of Syracuse NY patent an inflatable automobile tire.

Dec. 27
- 1951 - A right-hand-drive Crosley, the first car designed for U.S. rural mail delivery, is put into operation in Ohio.

Dec. 30
- 1936 - The United Auto Worker's legendary sit-down strikes begin at GM plants in Flint, MI.

[thebear]

Armco!, Armco! I want my Armco! HERE is ~two minutes of the 1963 Sebring 12hr race. Scroll down to see the text before starting.

You have to use your imagination for the sounds.

. . .

[thebear]

January 2, 1974


Nixon signs national speed limit into law

On this day in '74, US President Richard M. Nixon signs the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, setting a new national maximum speed limit.

Prior to '74, individual states set speed limits w/in their boundaries & highway speed limits across the country ranged from 40 mph to 80 mph. The U.S. & other industrialized nations enjoyed easy access to cheap Middle Eastern oil from '50 to '72, but the Arab-Israeli conflict changed that dramatically in '73. Arab members of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) protested the West’s support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War by stopping oil shipments to the U.S., Japan & Western Europe. OPEC also flexed its new-found economic muscle by quadrupling oil prices, placing a choke-hold on America’s oil-hungry consumers & industries. The embargo had a global impact, sending the U.S. & European economies into recession. As part of his response to the embargo, President Nixon signed a federal law lowering all national highway speed limits to 55 mph. The act was intended to force Americans to drive at speeds deemed more fuel-efficient, thereby curbing the U.S. appetite for foreign oil. With it, Nixon ushered in a policy of fuel conservation & rationing not seen since WW II.

The act also prohibited the Department of Transportation from approving or funding any projects w/in states that did not comply w/the new speed limit. Most states quietly adjusted their speed limits, though Western states, home to the country’s longest, straightest & most monotonous rural highways, only grudgingly complied. Even after OPEC lifted the embargo in March '74, drivers continued to face high gas prices & attempted to conserve fuel by buying revolutionary Japanese “economy cars.” For many, a desire for fuel-efficient automobiles became the standard until the trend toward gas-guzzling SUVs emerged in the '90s. In '87, Congress authorized states to reset speed limits w/in their borders, but proponents of the national maximum speed limit law claimed it lowered automobile-related fatalities, prompting Congress to keep it on the books until finally repealing it on 11/28/1995.

Today speed limits across the country vary between 35 & 40 mph in congested urban areas & 75 mph on long stretches of rural highway. U.S. drivers now drive almost as fast as their European counterparts, who average between 75 & 80 mph on the highway. On some roads in Italy, it is legal to drive as fast as 95 mph.

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by thebear

January 2, 1974


On some roads in Italy, it is legal to drive as fast as 95 mph.

Higher still on some German autobahns, I believe!

[thebear]

January 13, 1942

Henry Ford Patents Plastic Car

On this day in 1942, Henry Ford patented a plastic-bodied automobile. The car was 30% lighter than ordinary cars. Plastic, a relatively new material in '42, was revolutionizing industry after industry in the U.S. Today most car bodies are still made of metal, but plastic parts are becoming more & more common.

Plastic Ford Unveiled
Time Magazine
8/25/1941

The 1st plastic car was shown by Henry Ford in Dearborn last week. It was the product of his own long dream—that industry should use more farm crops—and of the chemical inventiveness of his protege, 32-year-old Robert Allen Boyer. His plastic, 70% cellulose w/a resin binder, is made of soybeans, wheat, cotton, hides, plus a few imported, now hard-to-get ingredients (cork, rubber, tung oil, ramie—formerly used to wrap Egyptian mummies). Last fall Boyer turned out a few panels, had his lanky boss whang at them harmlessly with an ax, was overjoyed when Ford gave him the go-ahead for a complete car.

Blunt-nosed, cream-colored, the plastic Ford looks much like any other '42 automobile. It has a std Ford 60 chassis, engine, wheels. But the plastic body cuts its total weight from 3,000 lbs to 2,000. The body consists of 14 panels (formed in 1,000-ton presses) attached to a tubular steel frame.

Chemist Boyer last week hoped for "limited production" by '43, said "there's lots of development work to do." Plastic bodies would relieve some of Detroit's immediate worries over steel & chrome, but not over copper, zinc, nickel, other shortages. Nor could it easily get the new presses & tools to work the plastics. But in normal times, plastic cars would take some 10% of the steel industry's market & give it to farmers. The new Ford was the 1st gun in a technological revolution that may begin when the other guns are stilled.

[thebear]

A history of JAGUAR . It has not been updated to include the "Tata" purchase.

[thebear]

1972 Maserati Boomerang details .