Interesting Aerodynamic Cars (Mike Vetter's ETV, also Avion)

[Varn]

I read through the wiki and this alpha has an interesting history. To my mind more interesting than the car itself. It was supposedly kept in a garage until 1946 when the owner in Hungary drove it under the border gate at high speed on Christmas eve to escape the Communist regime.

The border guards were shooting at him for his crime of escaping their control. Sure makes a good point for the capitalistic free enterprise system over the socialist big government.

Originally Posted by some_other_dave

How about the Alfa Romeo 6C 2800 Aerodynamica Spider? Someone posted a random photo of it on another web site I frequent, and I felt compelled to track it down.

Alfa Romeo 6C - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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It was evidently a development by a couple of Eastern European brothers, made in parallel with an official Alfa racing car with a possible sports car derivative.


-soD

[arcosine]

[Rokeby]

I can't really tell, but the maroon and white "car" appears to be a super-scale wind-up toy... maybe even a boat?

[ballo]

Originally Posted by Rokeby

I can't really tell, but the maroon and white "car" appears to be a super-scale wind-up toy... maybe even a boat?

Not a boat, but a train, and unfortunately no space for anyone inside the shell!



From a German forum
"A 1954 VW-Porsche prototype Escher Kleinbahn
The prototype in Hamburg.
These Were Little trains built from 1954 to 1971 and were used in parks and botanical gardens. Which three cars pulled it had space for 90 passengers. Its not a accident that the design of the locomotive looks like a cross between the legendary TEE train and the Porsche 356 This locomotive was powered by a VW industrial engine and was the prototype of the VW-Porsche trains."

More info on this page

[NeilBlanchard]

That Alpha Romeo is sweet -- and if they had narrowed the rear wheel track somewhat, it would be even better.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

The Stout Scarab doesn't fit the template, but then the rear engine and cooling exhaust is unconventional, so obviously it has better aero drag than most cars.

The piece of history that we are dancing around is that the mid 30's is when paved highways were becoming more common, which makes it obvious that aerodynamic drag is a very important issue.

The two "solutions" to high drag is either streamlining or a bigger engine -- elegant design or brute force. We need elegant design for efficiency.

Yeah,she's no 'Template' vehicle but pretty 'out there' for her time.I wonder if he was 'committed' to the project in 1934 and carried it to conclusion.
The Dymaxion Car would have sent tremors through him.And you suspect that a guy like this would have his ear to the rails,watching for technological developments.

[kach22i]

The 163D, is very similar to what I've been drawing the last couple of weeks. The wheels are set inboard, something I've just done two days ago in fact. I understand the car was never built, which is why you will only find scale modes, renderings and line drawings.

Alfa Romeo Tipo 163 (1941)

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by kach22i

The 163D, is very similar to what I've been drawing the last couple of weeks. The wheels are set inboard, something I've just done two days ago in fact. I understand the car was never built, which is why you will only find scale modes, renderings and line drawings.

Alfa Romeo Tipo 163 (1941)

If they,as also with the Schlor Car,had 'basjoos'd' the front wheels,they could have really narrowed the car.Pity!

[NachtRitter]

Thank you Kachi for finding and posting the drawings of the 163D.

It appears, from the drawings, that the radiator is in front. Could there be a benefit from aero perspective in putting the radiator in the rear (NACA intake in front of the rear wheels or along the rear roofline for example) with the air exiting together with the exhaust? Or does it make no difference either way?

A smaller (than V8) engine would probably have lower cooling requirements too (resulting in a smaller radiator).

[NeilBlanchard]

When the car is tapered to an ideal angle for streamlining, then a NACA duct won't work well, because the air is already closing in as fast as it can/should. So, it can't enter the intake very well.

I think the best cooling solution would be to have the intake right on the stagnant point and a smooth duct back to the radiator, and then exhaust the hot air out into the wake zone at the very back of the car.