Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23
SPEED PROGRESS
CHANGING AUTOS
Body Designers Looking To.
ward. StreamIine Con-
StruCtion Trend.
spseisl pispatca to The star.

Epecial dispatch 70 The Star.
DETROIT, Mich, February 22.-With
passenger car speeds undergoing pro-
greSsive increases at the rate Of APPROX
inately 10 miles an hour each wear. the
automobile body designers are looking
toward streamline construction as
trend.
How widely it may be followed may
De judged from the Jump from 20 to
80 miles an hour maximum in 1890
models Of medium price and above It..
For 1880 the list of cars in which the
brake horsepower runs TO 80 and above
that mark has widened to 81 out Of 90
lines Of stock models produced by a
makers.
In 1929, there were only 81 out Of 90.
Tne engines as nov manufactured
rate all the way from 265 horsepower
IN the Duesenberg straight eight to 100
IN the Cadillac Wis and on down
with 80
In the latter class there is an ex-
pandtns group in which modern en-
gneering Is doing its part to build up
Scceleratlon, faster getaway and Incl
oentally speed. In the current models
tney APPEAR to have invaded the 81 400
class with the prospect that there viii
be more Of them.
Speed Capability Index.
Usually. but not ALWAYS. the hraka
horsepower is the index OF a cars speed
capablity. The brake HORSEPOWER ie
oistlnct from the taxable horsepower
OF N. A G. c. rating The taxable
horsepower as compared to the braks
horsepower figures approximately three
elghthS numerically, as the engineers
calculate It. Brake horsepower Is TAX
en- 70 mean the power developed by the
engine alone, while the taxable horse
power puts 1t in terms of the force
exerted In the operation of the vehicle
Tnus car rated at S0-brake horse
power would have a taxable status of
N. A. c. C. figuring.
In this years model line-un there are
special lines Of sport models in which
the trend toward greater speed and
consequently streamlined bodies is be-
ing emphasized. Such specialized cars
are usually two to four passenger jobs
ana they include body types like the
open sport roadster, the convertible
coupe and the sport phaeton. They are
preferred by the youth of the Nation
and by those who frequent golf courses
and country clubs during the season
n Is this type Of car that viii he
raced at the Indianapolis Speedway
Wnen the annual 500-mile contest is held
next May so. The new 366-cubic-inch
displacement class which the rules rsii
19E - expected 70 bring out experiment.
a. stun that will create new standards
N the sport car field of performance.
40 De able TO achieve 1t, the racing
car builders will be forced To resort to
sTeamlining their body models. a. thev
nave done with the tiny 91-irch dis |
placement cars now rele9ated To the |
olrs tracks. This years racing viii cali |
Tor two-man cars and seats for . |
necnanician as well as a driver. a. con- |
uasted with the one-seaters Of mast |
years. P@S'
Designing More Difficult.
This factor alone is going to make thu |
designing task more dfficult. because = |
woman car presents to the on-rlIshi,c /
Az currents virtually double the overall |
pooy area. Therefore, these cars will |
nave 70 Be stripped down" to save every |
pOSSlDle men Of atmospheric resistance. |
aere the Skin In streamlining viii Be |
employed for the racers. This division
o. engineering Is known to science &c |
aero oynamics, and the designers Of |
Tie sport passenger cars Of the present |
are employing it to determine the rear.
enc contours. OF models they are build |
ing. Most OF them are rounded for this i
reason Others are "fsh-tailed" or /
Doesc-snaped 70 interpose less resistance
..o~~A ~ W 4C44QCIS dlIOReGneF /
% slope them rakishly to produce the
sSLne result and at the same time
slope the windshield to let the air Aids
over 1t. 80 s'40e
Without Running Boards.
On the same order it has been no.sd
La certain custom sport Jobs now IN.
LII u europe have no running boards
OF nave had steps substituted for them
1eIman 6runn, American custom ear
oeSisner, observed this trend At the
1898 ParB salon. He said there ALEC
was tendency to use triangular
sueam-lned tenders that connnietelv
nIcIoee the rear halves Of the front |
Wneels. Elimination of running boards
was not confined to the sport cars. but
also was used on fine town cars.
according to NJ. Vandenplas BEL
gan body builder, the general lines of
the future cars are to be long fat |
curves, not because of beauty. but for
the reason that their use results in
forms that offer the least possible re-
sistance to the air.
In the automobile as in the air.
plane, M. Vandenplas said, I'VE are
coming 70 regard air resistance as i'm
portant. The result is that we are
tending to round everything of and
carry air streams to the rear with the
IeWest possible Interruptions.
me big tendency is toward SPORT
ing lines, even for digni1ed cars
tCopyright, 1880. by North American News
paper Alltance0
/