Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-17

~ glittering new models stir envy in
the hearts of automobile owners
look into the future reveals q revo-
iutionary type of automobile-one which looks
like a teardrop and resembles the car OF todsy
In about the same degree today's car resembles
the cumbersome vehicles which trekked west
ward with the forty-niners This new car Will
be the fully streamlned motor car, product
now in the experimental shop stage, but des-
tined to make its formal appearance before
another decade has passed.
This newest automobile will not be merely
q novelty. 1t will not only please the eye and
satisfy the motorists craving for something
new and something stylish but it also will be
An engineering accomplishment. 1t will go
twice as far on gallon of gasoline as today's
car. 1t will weigh about one-half as much as
today's car. 1t will have lower center OF
gravity. Its wheels will be independently
sprung. 1t will be fast, economical, powerful
beautifully and radically different-truy rev.
olutionary product.
This is not the dream of long-haired
wild-eyed inventive genius, but the sound
prophecy OF one of the Nations foremost body
designers and pioneer in this new art OF
automotive streamlining, ]. Jedwinka, Phila-
delphia autonlotive engineer with long record
of practical accomplishments to his credit.
THIS eminent automottve authority knows his
engineers the country over, he appreciated that
today's motor car is a truly cumbersome vehicle,
not unlike a milk wagon in its design and
impractical from many angles Indeed, the
Nations leading automobile engineerS were to
get together tomorrow and using their COM
bined knowledge and the results of their years
OF experience, were to design and build the
ideal automobile the product Of their inge-
nuity would not even look like today's auto
mobile.
Why is this? Isn't todays motorcar sup
posed to be all that car should be? Hasn't
1t four-wheel brakes balloon tires, automatic
starters all-steel bodies, air-cooled tires, wire
wheels, downy seats, elliptical and semi ellipti
cal springs? Isn't it fast easy riding, rapidly
accelerated, relatively safe, long lasting and
capable of running for thousands OF miles with
out mechanical breakdowns? Let Mr.. Led
winka answer these questions.
uTHE modern automobile is great advance
over its counterpart Of a decade ago." says
Mr. Ledwnka. But from engineering
standpoint it lacks much. In the first place.
It is a clumsy, awkward vehicle. 1t offers
almost a. maximum amount Of resistance to
wind 1t is unnecessarily high. 1t is too heavy.
It costs too much to operate. Its inspiring
weight Is too great. 1t needs refining, perfect
ing improving, and what is being done today
I'm this regard behind the scenes of the automo-
bic industry will be reflected in the cars which
roll OF the assembly lines few years hence"
To the Iayman, streamlining may seem to be
IN unimportant subject, Mr.. Ledwinka points
out Actually, it is one of the most important
factors in the industry today. The modern
Car suffers from its lack. The popular concep-
ton is that the wall of wind against which a
moving hurls itself is the chief factor OF
wind resistance against which it must contend
quite the contrary is true. The drag at the
rear OF the car is what retards it most.
This drag is caused by wind currents rushing
over the top Of the automobile and being SO
detected at the rear as to pull the car back,
thls Iessening its speeds and making necessary
the use of additional power to offset this de-