What have we been doing for the past 74 years?!?

[mattW]

I don't know if you guys have seen this before but in 1934 the Tatra Type 77 managed a Cd of 0.212, better than a honda Insight, better than a prius and only just behind the EV1. And the car is really quite beautiful:


So what have we been doing for the past 74 years that we can only beat that Cd with 3 concept cars and the ill fated EV1! Imagine the same shape today with modern material and a efficient 4 cylinder motor... ah what could have been!

[koihoshi]

For a vehicle of that age that co-efficient of drag is VERY IMPRESSIVE!

Funny that back then you know they weren't wind-tunnel testing (at least.... I don't think so?)

If only it weighed 2000lbs less... cars back in those days were verrrry heavy and made no power almost it seems.

Either way, the concept alone of that kind of aerodynamic efficiency for that day and age, VERY cool!

Thanks for sharing

[Chris D.]

pictures don't work..

[mattW]

Theres more photos here...

[Chris D.]

Originally Posted by mattW

I don't know if you guys have seen this before but in 1934 the Tatra Type 77 managed a Cd of 0.212 better than a honda Insight, better than a prius and only just behind the EV1. And the car is really quite beautiful:

So what have we been doing for the past 74 years that we can only beat that Cd with 3 concept cars and the ill fated EV1! Imagine the same shape today with modern material and a efficient 4 cylinder motor... ah what could have been!

[whokilledthejams]

Tatra always made really gorgeous cars. Hans Ledwinka was one of the most serious advocates of aerodynamic design back then.

The thing about the 77, however, is that it had a rear-mounted V8, so it made for some terrifying handling (think of what happens to an old VW or 911 in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing-- oversteer all over the place). I have heard that during WWII, Nazi officers were forbidden to drive Tatras, lest they manage to kill themselves through hoonage.

Of course, there were other vehicles far ahead of their time-- the Rumpler Tropfenwagen was built in 1921, and had a Cd of .28, as well as a transaxle, mid-mounted engine, and swingaxle independent suspension (all inventions of Edmund Rumpler).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpler

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by koihoshi

For a vehicle of that age that co-efficient of drag is VERY IMPRESSIVE!

Funny that back then you know they weren't wind-tunnel testing (at least.... I don't think so?)

If only it weighed 2000lbs less... cars back in those days were verrrry heavy and made no power almost it seems.

Either way, the concept alone of that kind of aerodynamic efficiency for that day and age, VERY cool!

Thanks for sharing

They were windtunnel testing.They were 30-years ahead of the U.S..The Tatra is of Paul Jaray's(of the Zeppelin works) design
.He and Klemperer are the ones that by 1922,pretty much had figured out everthing that was ever going to be figured out about vehicle aerodynamics.

[ebacherville]

however there is much in production cars that is compromised for comfort better vision from the car, safety, and pure ascetics.. its sad that they have not weened us into areodynamics over those many many years.

[whokilledthejams]

Originally Posted by ebacherville

however there is much in production cars that is compromised for comfort better vision from the car, safety, and pure ascetics.. its sad that they have not weened us into areodynamics over those many many years.

A lot of new cars have such horrendous rear visibility that the Tatra 77 isn't that unreasonable a design, really. Apparently, being able to see what the hell is around you is unfashionable because it's a "feminine" design cue (hooray for my xB's huge windows!).

Actually, if someone built a modern car under the same shell as the Tatra, it would actually be a really awesome car. It's design, I think, could be modernized pretty well without ruining the lines or Cd (I'd allow a front-mounted engine, though-- rear engine cars with meaningful horsepower tend to be death traps).

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by ebacherville

however there is much in production cars that is compromised for comfort better vision from the car, safety, and pure ascetics.. its sad that they have not weened us into areodynamics over those many many years.

I wish I'd got to suck at that aero teat over the years.Since automobiles seem to impact so many people ( 10,000 layed -off this morning by GM ),worldwide,one would think we might have discussed automobiles in school,in the" States" anyway.Had I not stumbled onto aerodynamics in 1974,I don't know when I would have heard about it.I do think that design obsolescence remains a critical function in auto design,as the physics for producing 100-plus mpg vehicles has been well understood for a near century now.Perhaps the greatest fear of the automaker is for the public to wake from it's slumber and realize that perhaps,all cars should basically look alike as do boats and planes.Terrifying indeed!