Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31
AUTO BODY DESIGN
GOING AERONAUT|C
Foreign Trends and influences
on American Cars Noted
by Custom Builder.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, Mich, August 30.-Auto-
mobile body design is going aeronautic.
Aerodynamics, the underlying science
of aeronautics, has caught the car in
its spell. 1t is gradually reshaping au-
tonobiles in characteristic streamline
form. This means that future cars will
be embarrassing. In style, they
will follow what the engineers call the
true aerofoil section"
This is the view of Ralph Roberts of
the Lebaron Organization, custom body
builders, following a survey trip to the
European style centers.
Compares Foreign Trends.
After observing the European trends
and comparing them with those of
America, he finds the foreign builders
making fundamental changes through
an evolutionary process. 1t was ex-
pressed in French cars in Paris, Ger
man cars in Berlin and the latest Eng
lish jobs in London.
All Europe is air-minded Over there
they are taking their motoring much in
the same manner as aviation, which is
that of a sport. At the Tempelhof. the
great airport of Berlin, one can always
see big crowd drinking Pilsener and
watching the planes arrive and depart.
In the same spirit, 1t is a common sight
in France to see a sporty looking gen.
tlen1an emerge from his home in linen
buster, leather helmet and big gaunt-
lets. He will step into a powerful His
PIANO or Farman torpedo" car with a
brutal-looking front end and a cutout
on 1t like fire truck, only to drive for
an hour in the Bots de Boulogne before
lunch.
The rich folk drive their De Lagos.
Mercedes and Isottas in hair-raising
road races, while the poor still ride BIZ
cycles.
IF we had been looking for new lines.
such as holdings, sweeps. raised panel
curves and other decorative features In
automobile fashion, we would have been
disappointed" Mr. Roberts says. There
are some new ones. but they are re-
garded as freaks. The simple lateral
belt molding Is still the dominant motif
IN European cars as in American makes.
The heavy belt of rolled section, as
originated in France in 1927, and used
since in this country by Cadillac and
later by Nash, Dodge and others, re-
mains In vogue all over Europe It has
not, however. found favor in England.
where. molding treatments are looked
at rather askance.
Stronger Affinity Noted.
while the affinity between motoring
and flying abroad is stronger than it is
here, 1t already has Influenced current
American body types 1t is likely to
continue to be the factor of change in
this country until we see cars of very
different form than those Of today.
THE trends at this time are toward
consolidation of the various parts of a
car into one well knit form.
Motor hoods are straighter and cowls
run straight through without reverse
curves Bodies are much closer to the
ground and lower above the motor hood
Slanting windshields are found on al
most all custom bodies. They are still
little expensive, however, for produc-
ton cars. Rear ends are pulled down
and pulled in as though to let air cur
rents now past without back eddies.
Luggage for touring use is now being
shaped to assist in streamlining the
tail. Following the aero trend, rounded
windshield headers. nicely streanlined,
are popular and clean-cut in appear
ance. But with sharp slanting wind
screens, deep body sides and longer
windows, the European jobs appear al
most like fuselage without wings.
What Is known as 'tumble-in' Of
body sides above the waistline, in con-
tTaSC 10 the conventional flare of Amer
lean cars, is fast-looking when properly
done, but certain English examples of
1t made the cars look 'boXy' and de-
prived them Of grace.
Wind Splitting Effects.
"'V' radiators add to wind-splitting
effect. The Bentley, Britain's fast rae
ing job, has beautiful front It's radi-
ator might have been taken direct from
small scout plane. Mercedes in Ger
many parallels Bentley in this respect.
as does Alfa-Romeo in Italy. w radi-
ators are common all over Europe. They
have more angle, too, than the Cord
car or any others like IL on this side.
The European tenders and running
gear are fuller and heavier than ours.
Disc wheels and wire-whee covers are
favored In France and Italy. They are
used on so per cent of the cars in
Europe for the reason that they make
the car look more unified from a BAL
ance standpoint.
while long-fiowing fender cars also
are favored abroad, they get a strong
back current there which has not
touched America. This Is in the direc-
ton Of short cycle" tenders, always
fun crown. These, with q long running
board between them, add to the appar-
emit wheel base of a car"
(CopyriEht, 1880. by North American News
paper Alliance)