The Washington times., 1922-04-22
NEW CARS MADE
To GIVE POWER
ATLESSER COST
Changes in Engine Design Aim
to Meet Newer
Demands.

recognized in America that power Is
one Of the most essential require
ments of the modern motor car en-.
gtne. In Europe the heavy taxation
OF cars has made it necessary for
manufacturers to cut down on bore
and stroke dimensions so that motor.
ing will not be prohibitive, but over
here the states have not taxed
heavily enough TO materially in
| flucnCe the designers OF power plants
, to radically decrease the piston dis.
| placement. What curtailment there
has been in the direct result of dc.
veloping the engine in such a way
that the same amount of power--or
| more power-is obtained from en-.
gines of smaller dimensions.
The demand for economy has gone
hand in hand with the increasing ue
mand for power; and 1t should be
great satisfaction to the inventive
genius of the American automobile
factory TO know that he Is success.
fully meeting both demands. Tn"
piston displacement OF a number Of
makes has been reduced in five years
time from over 300 cubic inches
down to the COOS, yet all the new
models OF these care give better mile.
age and better performance than c|cr
before. One make in particular of.
fers an engine with a piston displaCC
inent OF 224 cubic inches as against
I447 in 1918, yet the new model will
do feats which would have been con.
sidered impossible with the old car.
Multi Cylinder Helps.
One explanation for this is the mul.
Iti-cylinder power plant which can ne
so designed az TO give more fieNi.
bility and power with less total plS
ton displacement than was found i'll
many OF the big fours" Of eight
years ago. One cight-Cylinder car
develops eighty horsepower with a
piston displaCemnt Of only 332 cub"
inches as against n big four 1911
model with a displacement of 6;S.
which while developing more actual
brake horsepower on tho block could
not take a hill in high and worked
like a Trojan to negotiate tho "traf'
fiC" which ii encountered in those
days.
Some Of the old big fours" could
= make good time. but they were not
constructed 10 Withstand high sped
for any length OF time. Today. whllc
the powerful cars are not dcsign"G
to travel much faster than seVcn'v-
| five miles per hour beCausc an"
speed in excess OF this is impraC;i.
cab these cars will do fifty miles 3n
hour as ungrudgingly IA they DO
thirty and keep II up all day II NC
essary.
Concrete Highways Raise Speed.
With tho coming OF concrete high
ways speed limits will undoubtedly
he raised. and that is one explanation
OF why flexible power is becoming
more and moro OF a requirement.. ON
r. concrete highway il is perfectly
safe 10 travel forty miles an hour IL
the tires are cords land not badly
worm and II the road is not crowded
Quite a large percentage OF cars
maintain this speed uphill and down
without making any special dcman Is
upon the engine.
In addition TO being increased 10y
more impulses upon the CTankshal'.
, power has been further developed
by improved valve action. In the
/ old cars we found T.head engines
with dead pockets on either side Of
each cylinder top where the valbcs
| opened and closed Today we not
only have the valves in the head OF
the cylinders. thus eliminating use.
each cylinder top whore the Valvse
actuated by the overhead Camshatt.
This marks the very latest develop.
ment in valve action and explains
why a new eight cylinder car on :tIc
market is able to develop 65 TO %
| horse power with q total piston dig.
placement Of only 26J cubic inches.
! In the days when fuel was no pa
| ticular consideration engineers p2td
! little attention to tho relation 0f
| power 20 efficiency. II more power
was wanted they simply increased
! the dimensions Of the engine. Today
we find a car showing 3.S cubic inches
! per horsepower as against s inches
per horsepower in another make Of
car which has not kept up with the
| times. This in nutshell explains
how il is that motorists are brlnG
offered more power a, less operat-
! ing cost.
The manufacturers aim to nee,
these demands horauSe they aIc
logical Many mOtorist has saved
himself n bad accident by relying on
the power OF his motor. Quick pick
up is essential in traffic and mat
ter of safety when crossing railway
| or street car tracks. american cars
are required TO take most hills in
/ high" because it is both annoying
! and a loss Of time to he eternally re.
! sorting TO a lower speed. Knowing
| this, the American manufacturer
! who looks 10 the future designs his
engine so that il carries reserve Of
! power as a Or"cautiOn against heinz
st~ained by hill climbing in high"
! Tho "csorve OF power also gulrdN.
tees tho owner against trouble from
loss OF power when the moving parts
| OF {hc CnP.ne begin to wear. IL
other words. the owner is assured
OF being ahl" to have the car narform
So a'isfaC. orilv when it is several years
old. There is such n reserve of
power in some car enoines that they
will climb hills in high" with n
sparl; plug not firing or an exhaust
valve stuck opcn.
More Power, Less Cost.
Counterbalanced crankshafts. bet.
ter pstons, larger and more bear.
inrs. vastly improved CarburetiOn
and temperature regulation have III
played a part in meeting the demand
for more power at less cost. F'nSi.
nnerinR skill is responsible for offer
IN Onnthnr poyr- rop chic ,yoi,,1,