The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-05
J.. ID. Walden Of Packard Tells
Result Of Exhaustive
Study Abroad.
SAYS OUR CARS ARE BEST
Discovers Lack Of Attention to
Small but Important
Building Details.

turned from a European trip made for the
purpose of studying the trend Of motor
car design. Mr.. Walden. who has the
ultimate responsibility for the engineer
Ing development of Packards. states:
There are two distinct schools In
European coach work: Germany and Bel
Gium go almost exclusively to well
rounded exterlors, while France adheres to
square corners. with only n slight arch
In the roofs OF enclosed bodies. England
draws from both and makes most OF her
open bodies along German lines. with
enclosed bodies tending more toward the
French designs
Ground corners are best suited 10 bottles
Of large capacity. for round corners and
round roofs dwarf the height and width,
while square corners add most In smart
ness to the design OF bodies of limited
capacities.
THE European manufacturers plan Of
building the chassis only. while 1t rids HIM
Of all the trouble In connection with the
design and manufacture of bodies. robs
him at the same time of the advertising
value of certain characteristics In body
designing which permit a car to be recog-
nized II only the body. top or windshield
may he seen just MS well ~ " the radia-
toT, Huotdp HthuifkhNS pt
tinguished.
Almost all European factories build
the chassis only and make the purchaser
60 to one Of the very numerous carriage
makers for his body; consequently there
rrc almost AS many different designs of
bodies as there are chassis. The owner
IN this way fails to receive as great value
in his body purchase from "A small body
manufacturer he would We're the
making OF body for the entire
output Of that chassis the most i'm
portant business Of large institu-
divided among very large num-
Der Of makers the volume OF bodies of
similar type for any one chassis is not
sufficient to Justify the employment of the
expensive methods which are cheapest
only in connection with quantity produc-
tion.
MANY unusual designs are being shown
abroad. including the boat body with it's
copper riveted, laminated wood sides. and
either without doors at all or with very
shallow ones the aviation limousine with
windows In the roof: bodies with doors
wide beyond any practical limit. SC.
All design abroad has always been in the
direction OF getting the entire car lower
TO the ground than Is practicable here
and with the present strong tendency In
the direction Of very small cars this Is
more noticeable than ever before.
III not UNUSUAL 10 see enclosed cars
alongside Of which II Is possible for n six
foot man to stand and over the roof.
This 10 extreme OF course. but is indica-
tive Of the tendency which is brought
about partly through fad and partly to
reduce the chassis and body weight to the
power capacity OF the small engine.
I'm engine designing manufacturers
abroad and In this country may roughly
b said to have conditions to meet which
are Numerically opposed. inasmuch ~ the
European maker Is required to give maxi
mum power at high engine speed. whereas
the American maker is required to give
maximum power at low engine speed
European road conditions are so much
better than those prevailing here that II is
the rule instead OF the exception to run
At top speed. with our wide range OF
climate and our usually heavy road CON
ditions maximum car speef is out Of the
question. Our motor cars must he driven
At normal rates OF speed and must con-
tain the maximum Of activity at those
normal car speeds
High engine speeds. however. are
bringing 20 public attention tn" remark
able Improvement IN smoothn"ss Of six
over four cylinders. and In England cspe-
cially there seems Ia be n strong tendency
toward six cylinders. even IN very small
sizes. The tax on cylinder bore IN very
largely responsible for the development
II the small bore. long stroke motor in
England. II has also heen responsible
for running the engine revolutions up To
20 high a point, inasmuch an tho greater
ne number of revolutions the greater the
pOwer from a given bore and consequently
me greater ability in a motor car within
- certain tax.
"There have always been discussions
IN the relative merits of long and short
strokes and probably always will he. The
principal difference between the two is a.
10 whether the gas would ra ther be in the
shape Of a German bologna or OF a Dutch
cheese. There Is a moderate course that
~ better than either extreme, and no en-
CINE which has "A record Cor being good
can have a bad stroke
"In constant feed oiling systems enough
oil must be fed with each revolution 10
take care 81 the maximum requirement.
Of the engine at any speed. This quantity
Of fabrication is excessive Tor ordinary
requirements, Under these conditions ex-
cesslve carbon is formed ard, ! am told
this carbon trouble Is the greatest of any
experienced by European makers Of high
speed engines.
Tightening OF the chassis 10 bring II
within the capacity OF q small meter has
resulted In the elimination Of many parts
that are considered quit" necessary for
our severer American conditions Man,
European chassis have nothing hut Tho
rear springs to push the car. To take tor.
que reaction and to resist the action OF
the brakes.
VERY few cars are equipped with cleo
trio lighting and starting outfits and those
no equipped, with three exceptions. have
not what over here would he called thor.
Oughly mechanical installations Genera
tors and starting motors are attached I,
odd places-run by belts or chains--and
auite a number OF the lighting generators
are left to the operator for hand control
This Is so radically different from III
TO date practice over here as to he mos
noticeable from an American viewpoint.
"Motor car control. and IN fact ali mat.
ters affecting the comfort and convenience.
NJ the operator. seem not to have receive,
the same degree OF careful thought as ir
this country The driver stiIl has to reacl
all over the dash for switches, ignition
carbureter adjustment. gasolene, air punp
&c, instead OF having all these thing.
brought 10 his finger tips in cen
trally located control board Nucl
thought is being given rear axle uuietnes.
In an endeavor To secure the silence OF
the worm with the efficiency OF the hevcI
I'm conclusion, one cannot visit In,
European factories without being great,
impressed by the Innate hospitality OF oul
"ontcmporares In the motor car industr,
abroad"