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Originally Posted by Arragonis
Ford started later with Aero - with the Mk3 Escort, the same as the one in the US got the ball rolling
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Escort in Europe and the US never had anything in common aside from the name. I also wouldn't call this getting the "ball rolling" when it was released some 40 years after the very aerodynamic design I posted from 1939 on pg1?!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arragonis
- the overall shape was intended to be much better than the competition target VW Golf Mk1 - which it was.
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..and yet nothing compared to what had been achieved even BEFORE WW2!?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arragonis
the Escort was followed by the more radical Sierra, which was sort of based on the some of the Probe prototypes of the late 1970s.
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I know all this, I grew up with all these, but what (most likely?) was attained before both your an my time, was still way beyond any of these MAINSTREAM cars!
I never said car manufacturers totally ignored the aerodynamics, but when you look at the numbers that had been achieved long before cars were even a common household "product" it is frankly despicable the values of any of these cars including the mainstream cars of TODAY! That is *MY* point, that the "prototypes" and "idea cars" shown at car shows now 60-70 years later (and more!) are barely reaching the already achieved values, with as you pointed out yourself a lot less refined technology! With that in mind our everyday cars today should MEET the best values seen in the 30's!
Could you imagine if someone had been able to create the most powerful smartphone we have today in our pockets in the 30's and we'd been using something that's decades behind that still today in our every day life's? THAT is what I am talking about, that's what we have been sold by the automotive (and oil companies?) industry!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arragonis
The aero on this was very advanced, so advanced that Ford created some "stability" problems with early models and had to add small air dams in the 3rd rear window to push the airflow out so the centre of pressure was safely behind the car at speed.
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In this context I must say the comment of "very advanced" makes me smile, because it was exactly what the automotive industry WANTED you to think and believe, but their focus was NOT on making the most aerodynamic car but to sell you something for a DECENT PROFIT!
Also it sounds to me you are focusing on Cd values and not CdA where the latter actually has some meaning, because you can take a Mk1 VW Sharan and it has equal Cd to a VW Vento, however their CdA values are far apart. S
Sure Ford of Europe was in the front of this styling trend and sure they were doing some "progress" compared to the other brands of the era, BUT it can hardly be called progress when the Ford Sierra of 1982 had a CdA value of 0.67 when from the same manufacturer the Ford Capri of 1978 had CdA of 0.641 and you can find cars from the 60's with 0.22 CdA values!
reference:
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