Evening star., 1934-01-28
BODY EVOLUTION
RECOGNIZES NEEDS
Every Step in Development
Held Practical 0utgroWth
of Experience.

Practical, hard-headed engineering
sponsible for the evolution Of automo-
bile bodies to their present high state
of development, according to w. A.
Fisher, president of Fisher Body Cor
poration division of General Motors
Everything about the body of a car
has been developed with a practical
purpose in mind, and then refined and
beautifed, he points out.
1.-The first automobile body was emf
nently practical-because the builder,
having built his motor, merely installed
1t in the nearest existing vehicle.
buggy" he said. Then 1t was discov-
cred that the motor belonged, not under
the drivers seat, but in the front. and
the hood was added to the automobiles
profile. The windshield was an obvious
remedy for the breath taking breezes OF
q 25-mile- -an-hour clip. 1t took several
years ior the body manufacturers to
produce at a reasonable cost the solid
roof and doors and windows that form
the closed body. but they did-and the
automobile became a year-round We
hicle.
Steering Location Practical.
"Even the location of the steering
wheel has a practical, definite reason.
The wheel is on the left, of course, be-
cause we drive to the right, but that
custom in turn had a utilltarlan origin
In England it was the ancient custom
to keep to the left, because in passing
another man ones sword or pistol arm
was then on the side nearest him.
But our American pioneers, who beat
their way through the wilderness, re-
versed the process. In driving the Con-
estoga wagon, which they used extern
sively, the driver rode on the left wheel
horse He found he had better view
of passing vehicles by keeping to the
right of the trail The lazy board of
the wagon-a board between the two
left-side wheels that pulled out and
could be ridden when driving from the
side of the Wagon-alSo called for
right-side passage. Horsemen and pc
destrians who followed in the rutS of
the Conestoga wagon followed their
lead and also kept to the right. Ma
turally the automobile followed this
practice-which is why the steering
wheel is placed on the left side
WIN Cne neeQ OF an Improvement
established, and the physical need later
filled by mechanical ingenuity, it was
then up to the stylist to SO design and
beautify the device that it harmonized
from an esthetic standpoint with the
rest Of the car, Mr.. Fisher stated.
Cowl Ventilator Changed.
ITO take a single body feature as an
example" he continued, Fisher de-
signers working on the no-draft venti-
lation system sought to improve the
current design Of cowl ventilator. With
the ordinary ventilator. blasts of air
swept directly from the hot hood down
into the drivers compartment. The de-
desired improvement was obtained by
reversing the ventilator. Instead of
hinging from the rear. it hinges at the
front-a development that increases its
efficiency so per cent. and at the same
time improves the appearance of the
car. since the upward slope of the ven-
tilator from the hood toward the roof
conforms more closely with the flowing
lines of the body. In operation, the
reversed ventilator gives indirect venti-
lation to the front compartment, elimi-
mating draft on the drivers feet and
legs The air hits the front of the yen-