EcoModder.com

EcoModder.com (https://ecomodder.com/forum/)
-   General Efficiency Discussion (https://ecomodder.com/forum/general-efficiency-discussion.html)
-   -   Oh, What Might Have Been... (https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/oh-what-might-have-been-28659.html)

Frank Lee 04-07-2014 02:35 PM

Oh, What Might Have Been...
 
Check out the micro GM Cadet! :eek:

http://www.bre2.net/index.php?section=19

MICROCAR NEWS Online » 2008

And that wasn't even the first one:

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...shiered-cadet/

aerohead 04-07-2014 02:59 PM

Cadet
 
More scalp and hair for the brick wall,starting right now!:o

elhigh 04-07-2014 04:00 PM

That Chevy Light Car sounds like it would have been a pretty good contender, but it has a few less-than-ideal numbers. To cruise at 60 - admittedly a damned rare feat on the roads of the day - the engine would have been zinging along at about 3400 rpm.

Gadzooks, the brakes. I've seen bigger pies.

Yeah, MacPherson and his crew were challenging all the preconceived assumptions about cars. Too bad it didn't play out.

niky 04-08-2014 12:15 AM

That Micro-cadet looks awesome. Perhaps with the windshield and steering wheel further forward (or maybe a five-point harness as standard), it would do nicely.

Imagine getting one of these as a purchase bonus with your Corvette... :D

freebeard 04-08-2014 04:10 AM

I fel the same way about the Mopar Star Car.

SIA Flashback – Mopar’s Star Cars | Hemmings Dailyhttp://images.hemmings.com/wp-conten...rCars_lede.jpg
Quote:

While GM and Ford messed around with unconventional engine architectures and driveline layouts during the 1930s, Chrysler didn’t just sit on its thumbs. Indeed, under project manager Ken Lee, they built a pair of five-cylinder radial-engine front-wheel-drive cars that underwent about 200,000 miles of testing. One even received a well-constructed body designed just for the purpose. I won’t ask where they are now, though, for which reason you’ll discover in the article on the cars from SIA #10, April-May 1972.

rmay635703 04-08-2014 06:42 PM

Its like a king midget with a decent drivetrain and body.

Frank Lee 04-08-2014 06:52 PM

Love that micro-vette!

Well, we can't blame the American car mfg's love affair with big land barges on the engineers.

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr 04-08-2014 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Lee (Post 419304)
Well, we can't blame the American car mfg's love affair with big land barges on the engineers.

Sure. Many engineers go for the functionality over a fancy design, but the market often doesn't accept it so well. There are also many other regulatory aspects that doesn't leave too much freedom to implement the same solutions that you may often find available in other markets...

freebeard 04-09-2014 02:34 PM

Quote:

Well, we can't blame the American car mfg's love affair with big land barges on the engineers.
You can trace the guilt back from the '49 Ford to the WWII Army Jeep. Weird!

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr 04-09-2014 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebeard (Post 419448)
You can trace the guilt back from the '49 Ford to the WWII Army Jeep. Weird!

Considering the technical limitations at the time, the original Jeep wasn't so unefficient at all.

freebeard 04-10-2014 02:08 AM

It captured people's imagination. Ford kicked the design they were going to introduce post-WWII to the Mercury or possibly the Fordette, to bring out their 'shoebox' design. Nash and Hudson held onto the streamlined look to their detriment.

Then it metasisized into the e.g, '56 Packard Caribbean and '59 Pontiac Catalina. That's a long way from the Jeep.

jamesqf 04-10-2014 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr (Post 419325)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Lee
Well, we can't blame the American car mfg's love affair with big land barges on the engineers.

Sure. Many engineers go for the functionality over a fancy design, but the market often doesn't accept it so well.

Don't think you can blame the market in this case, as a) it was never allowed to come to market - "GM doesn't build small cars"; and b) following this, GM spent half a century getting their butts whipped in the market by VW & the Japanese, eventually going bankrupt and needing a taxpayer bailout to survive.

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr 04-10-2014 01:18 PM

GM sure has its own share of guilt on this matter, but the gov't also failed due to old policies which privileged gas-guzzling trucks and heavy SUVs in regard to emissions and safety norms which were not so strict as for smaller vehicles.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:15 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com