Evening star., 1935-01-13
TRIED PRINCIPLES
ms
UPHELD IN AUTOS
Manufacturers Refrain
/. From Radical Departure
|, in 1895 Motor Cars.
(Continued From First Page.)

Il (COnt1nued From F1rSG fdSeJ
disappeared save in the case of the
tighter cars.
i The outstanding departure in body
fabrication is that represented in the
Widespread adoption of the all-steel
afoof. Having found ways to use this
material without adverse effects from
Vibration, the industry has adopted 1t
Tor the top of the car, with the result
that the passenger now rides in the
equivalent of :. metal shell. With
iShatterproof glass in windshieldS and
windows, the steel top imparts an ele-
,ment of safety heretofore lacking
Moreover, it absolves the owner of
Responsibility for an item of main
itenance which he has found either
Annoying or eventually expensive in
the past.
!, Two other factors affecting the ap-
pearance of the latest models, and ex-
tremely favorably, are the disappear
ance Of the erstwhile cowl and the
universal adoption of new-type hood
louvers.
The desire to make the car look
longer is responsible for the sacrifice
of the cowl. The hood now is carried
back from the radiator shell to the
base of the windshield The new note
in louvers Is expressed in the universal
use Of the horizontal type.
Automatic Gearshifting.
The most captivating of new en-
gineering ideas in the latest models
is to be found in the appearance Of
automatic gearshifting. This feature
is offered optionally by manufacturer
whose products range in price from
the popular group to the medium.
Vacuum is utilized to move the gears
after the desired combination has been
selected through the movement of q
small hand in an H-slot in an arm
attached to the steering post. Pre-
selection of the gears is provided in
that the actual shift Is not made
until the driver depresses the clutch,
although the car can be equipped, at
slight extra cost, to eliminate the
driver even from this function by
the addition of automatic clutch
control.
In cars so fitted, the conventional
gearshift lever is entirely absent from
the driving compartment. Provision
is made for its attachment in case
the owner desires to alternate the
different methods of control, or in
event of an emergency.
The other transmission develop
ment has less novelty. It is the in
corporation of an overdrive gear by
a number of manufacturers. This
device, also automatic in operation,
provides a means of gearing the
engine down in relation to rear axle
performance. In other words, with
overdrive less work on the engines
part will produce equal road perform
ance. It results in smoother opera
ton at high speeds, greater silence,
improved fuel and Oh mileage much
as did the now discarded four-speed
transmission and the newer dual
ratio rear axle.
Overdrive has won several new con-
verts this year.
Once again, engines have greater
power. In the main, increases are
smaller on the average than in other
years. They have been achieved pri-
marily by the adoption Of higher
compression ratios.
It is interesting to note in this
connection that the higher ratio head
does not involve the use of premium
fuels. Advantage has been taken of
the heat-diffusion properties of alum
inum, and aluminium alloyed with iron,
to produce high-compression engine
which will utilize regular gasonnes
without detonation.
Manifold Changes.
Changes in manifolding and valve
notifications also contribute to the
higher power and better volumetric
efficiency of the 1885 engines. More
effective cooling also has been fac
tor in improving the energy output Of
the engine.
The average compression ratio OF
this years passenger car engines is
between $50 to l and to /. The
buyer Is given the option of heads
running as high as Z to l in the case
Of sports models. These, of course,
call for the use of premium fuels, but
they hike horsepower to levels that
give q power-weight ratio that as
sures speedway performance-if the
customer is looking for that kind Of
performance.
An engine accessory change that Is
bound to excite the gratitude of the
motor buying public is that which has