The Automobile and American Life: February 2021

Sunday, February 28, 2021

The "Forward Look"

I paid scant attention to Virgil Exner and the "Forward Look" in my The Automobile and American Life. Perhaps it was and subconscious, the result of my family's bad experience with a 1958 Plymouth. Today I saw the above photograph on Facebook, and its impression hit me square between the eyes!

This photograph is a work of art, given its use of depth-of-field. More significantly, both the car and the woman model are works of art. With the car, note the the sweep of the bumper and its continuity with the rear of the quarter pane. And then there is the exhaust tip - a unique creation so beautifully shaped. The three stop lights possess a fine and delicate inner structure of concentric circles.Indeed, the entire light structure is a piece of jewelry. And at the peak of the fin a gentle line takes us down towards the fuel filler and marque emblem. Automotive design at its best.

And then we have a most elegant woman fitting of standing next to a car with luscious shapes and dramatic contrasts. Glamour and class at its best.

Thanks to Ed, here is a 2nd ad featuring that exhaust and a pretty lady!

Watch out you don't get burned!

In Memory of an Incredible Woman Librarian and Austin-Healy Owner-- Julia Dees

John, your blog post about this guy's stolen vehicles, struck me, especially, at how small these cars were. While he is likely a large fellow, look at the size of the Austin-Healey's door in comparison to his body. I'm sure he could barely get in it. But every time I see one of these cars my mind is triggered to the woman I worked for in college -- Julia Dees -- reference librarian who owned a British Racing Green (BRG) Austin-Healey although her Healey was a few years earlier than this red one in this photo and had side curtains. I was walking home late one afternoon in the pouring rain, soaked, and she stopped and asked me if she could take me to my rooming house. I climbed in wet as a duck and fell in love with her car.

Miss Dees -- Julia -- retired to Colorado and I made contact with her about four years ago before she passed away. I recounted to her the story of her giving me a ride to my rooming house, soaked to the skin..........and 50 years later she remembered the story! In a letter she said that she dearly loved that car!

Please post! Not for posting but the lust for Julia's car included a bit of lust in my heart for her -- at the time she was in her early 40s and had related to me many stories of her life. She grew up in Rhode Island, the only child of a wealthy family whose lineage went back to the Mayflower. Julia had been a WAC in the Korean War and then studied French in Paris following that conflict -- while in Paris she rode a Vespa around Europe. She spoke four languages. With my provincial background, I'd never encountered such an "exotic" person before and while she was my supervisor and over 20 years older I sort of have puppy love for her. Plus she was a Unitarian-Universalist -- not your ordinary Methodist or Baptist for sure!

Friday, February 26, 2021

Seen on the Street: A Very Rare 1960 Edsel Ranger

Where else but in Yellow Springs, Ohio, would one find a rare car like this and driven by an old hippie? A 1960 Edsel Ranger. The third and final year of the Edsel with all produced in Louisville, Kentucky. The 1960 model was to be the "come back" year after the disastrous 1958 launch and the withering sales of the 1959 model. Didn't happen and may be one of the lowest production runs in automotive history: Introduction to dealerships of the model began on October 15, 1959 and the last Edsel was assembled a month later on November 19, 1959. With such a limited production run, the 1960 model included some of the rarest Edsel models of any year. The one here is the 2 door Ranger and considered one of the rare ones.

That said, this one was loved by the elderly owner I talked with after asking him if I could take some photos. He had pulled into the Speedway gas station in the village for a cup of coffee and sat his cup on the trunk lid while I took the photos. "Rough shape, but still runs," he said! Note the odd tail lights as well as the front grille which abandoned the earlier controversial horseshoe shaped grille.

Put the Pedal to the Metal!

Mercedes-Simplex 40 PS, 1903, pedal set. Vehicle from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection. The functions of the four pedals, from right to left: brake, accelerator (round pedal), brake and clutch. The two brake pedals act on the clutch. In addition, there is also a brake that acts on the rear wheels, which the driver activates using the operating lever to the right (not visible in photo). (Photo signature in the Mercedes-Benz Classic archive: D370008)

Concerted efforts: Driving a car requires coordinated actions. The most important of those are accelerating, steering, indicating the turning direction, braking, shifting and operating the clutch – and, of course, observing traffic while doing so. Early inventors quickly agreed that, in addition to the hands, the feet would also be used to operate the automotive mobility machine. Vehicles were given pedals.

Standardisation: At the start, however, there was no consensus on where the driver was supposed to step. Each vehicle manufacturer had a different arrangement of the accelerator, brake and clutch. The Prussian military clarified the situation. In 1908, the pedal arrangement was standardised in army vehicles so that drivers could easily handle cars of different makes.

Uniformity: This is how the arrangement of the accelerator, brake and clutch (from right to left), which is still used to this day, emerged in German Imperial army trucks. It did not immediately catch on everywhere, however. Up into the 1920s, the number and arrangement of pedals in cars was anything but uniform. The accelerator was often located in the middle. This was also the case in racing cars. Little by little, however, the current standard won out.

Clarity: The three pedals of the “33 Extras” at the Mercedes-Benz Museum demonstrate an exceptional ease of operation. Cast letters clearly label the assigned functions of the clutch and brake. At the same time, this step plate design also prevents shoes from slipping.

Transition: It was common for the right foot to operate the accelerator and brake and for the left foot to step on the clutch pedal. Automatic transmissions became more widespread starting in the 1950s, leaving only an accelerator and a brake pedal. That is the future: manual transmissions were taken out of the Mercedes-Benz range little by little; electric vehicles also generally have just the two pedals. This means that left-foot operation became obsolete.

Locked: For Mercedes-Benz, this is not the whole story. Over the decades, vehicles from the manufacturer have had another pedal on the far left in the footwell for actuating the parking brake, instead of a handbrake lever. It is released using a handle on the left underneath the steering wheel.

“Gas”: The accelerator is called the gas pedal because it is used to regulate the volume of the gas/air mixture that enters the combustion engine. Low for little power development, and a lot when more is desired. Even in electric cars, the right pedal is commonly called the gas pedal, despite controlling the flow of electrical energy instead of the output of chemical energy in the form of fuel.

Accessible: What if the driver has a physical disability that makes it impossible to use the standard pedals? Mercedes-Benz offers driving aids from the factory, including pedal adaptations and pedal covers.

No pedals: Modern Mercedes-Benz vehicles already offer countless assistance systems that take over pedal-operated functions – such as DISTRONIC Active Distance Assist. If a fully automated driving mode is available for certain routes in the future, the pedal could be completely retracted in this situation to increase comfort. This has been demonstrated in the 2019 Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESF).

Rally sport: In very sporty driving, some racers prefer heel-and-toe shifting. This makes it possible to brake while simultaneously downshifting. In this process, the toe of the right foot operates the brake pedal, while the heel taps the throttle.

Monday, February 22, 2021

Porsche's Clean Synthetic Fuel -- An Alternative to Electric Vehicles?

Bryan Hood

Mon, February 22, 2021, 1:10 PM·2 min read

The Porsche Taycan may be one of the most exciting EVs on the market right now, but that doesn’t mean the German automaker is ready to give up on the combustion engine just yet.

The marque’s vice president Motorsport and GT cars, Dr. Frank Walliser, told British car magazine Evo that the company is hard at work on a synthetic fuel technology that could save traditional, gas-powered mills. The fuel won’t just reduce emissions, either; it has the potential to make combustion engines just as clean as their battery-powered counterparts, the executive said.

Unlucky Dominic Cooper and his Four Stolen Cars within the Past Year

From The Sun, February 22, 2021.

MAMMA Mia actor Dominic Cooper has had his fourth car stolen in the space of a year.

The latest, a rare 1978 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 worth around £83,000, was swiped from outside his home last week.

Actor Dominic Cooper has had his fourth car stolen in the space of a yearCredit: Rex Features

The latest car to be stolen was a rare 1978 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 worth around £83,000Credit: Dominic Cooper/NextDoor

The Human Story Behind a Porsche 356A 1600 Super Speedster

Birch trees are growing out of the tarmac at the Marlboro Motor Raceway, although the grandstands are just about still intact. Until 1974, racing royalty such as Mario Andretti, Roger Penske and Paul Newman drove here. And Jackie Stewart won the 12-hour race in a Lotus Cortina in 1964. “This race track closed down shortly after I retired from motorsport,” chuckles Edward Parlett, an 80-year-old privateer racer and veteran of this circuit. “I think that means I still hold the lap record here. And that is then a record forever.”

Parlett obtained his competition license at Marlboro, took part in his first race here and would go on to twice win its six-hour endurance events. He was one of the so-called ‘Philly gang’, a group of local racers including Bob Lorrailliere, Jack Heron, Nagle Bridwell and Ray Kraftson. Old pictures reveal them gathered around the 356 A 1600 Super Speedster that was Parlett’s long-standing and last racing car – and the car Ron Szasszer now owns.

Ron Szasszer, 356 A 1600 Super Speedster, 2021, Porsche AG — Take a good look: several years after discovering this rare find, owner Ron Szasszer still enjoys taking it all in.

Back in 2008, Szasszer was sitting on the sofa in his flat in northern Germany, surfing online car deals with one eye, watching TV with the other. “I didn’t really want to buy anything, and also not a Porsche,” he says with a smile. He grew up with cars, but not with any particular affiliation with Porsche. Photos of his father, who emigrated to Miami from Hungary, often show him leaning against giant Chevys, and Szasszer’s own first car was actually a buggy – which he built from two scrap Beetles.

Repairing instead of studying

The second was a Cali-look Oval Beetle with lowered suspension, in matt black and wearing outsized tyres. Later, while at university, Szasszer ran a workshop with his friend Jens Wilke in an old station building in the east of Hamburg, rebuilding Volkswagens for people in the East who desperately wanted to own something other than a Trabant after German reunification. He also bought himself an unfinished Jaguar E, but still the call of Porsche eluded him. The pair shut the workshop in 1996, by which time Szasszer was driving a Land Rover Series III. This was followed by a Mercedes Pagoda as his everyday car for eight years before he finally made the move and bought a 993.

“I have always had a weak spot for patina, for racing history, for starting numbers on doors,” he recalls of that moment of sofa surfing, “and somehow I must have been looking for that.” Eventually he came across a dealer in Austria selling this 356 A 1600 Super Speedster, built in 1957, in its original racing trim and orange paintwork. “There was hardly any description for it, and there was also no price,” says Szasszer. “There was just a comment that it had competed in many major races on the East Coast of the US and that it once belonged to a driver called Ed Parlett. For me, it was love at first sight.” He immediately made a down-payment. He thought it best not tell his wife for the time being ...

The modernization of the 356 A 1600 Super Speedster

Once the not inconsiderable sum had been transferred, the dealer fetched the car from America and Szasszer then collected it from Austria. Back in Hamburg, he looked for a firm that would reinstall the engine and get it roadworthy. But he was keen not to change anything about the car’s appearance. It was impossible to avoid a certain amount of modernization: the original racing bucket seat was replaced, space was created for a passenger, the large roll bar was also removed and the old fuel bladder made way for a metal tank. The wind deflector was also replaced by the original windscreen and Szasszer tracked down the old magnesium wheels, still with 50-year-old Goodyear rubber on them, which had been used by Parlett in the 1960s. It was only then that he began to research this hitherto unknown driver.

There was only one hit for the name on the Internet, and that didn’t help me.” In the end it was his Business English teacher who was responsible for the breakthrough, arriving one day with the news that he had spoken to Parlett in the US. “Ed was alive! I was totally fascinated,” says Szasszer. Not a week later, he and his interpreter were on a plane to Maryland and the car’s story began to unfold.

“Parlett started racing at the beginning of the 60s,” Szasszer explains. “Following his mother’s advice, he had already bought a used 356 for everyday driving in 1959 as a student. Later, while working in the medical equipment industry, he got to know Nagle Bridwell, one of the Philly gang, who lured him into racing.” Bridwell stopped racing in 1965 and let Parlett have his 356 Speedster.

356 A 1600 Super Speedster, 2021, Porsche AG — Ageing gracefully: the Parlett-356, with its original windshield and ancient Goodyear tyres on the patinated magnesium rims.

This precious gift met a sticky end in Limerock in 1969, however, and with the engine and transmission under his arm, Parlett set out to look for a new car. He found chassis number 84333 at friend Bruce Baker’s dealership. It was one of the last Speedsters built at Reutter in Stuttgart in December 1957 before being transported via Bremerhaven to Max Hoffman in New York. Baker had obtained the car from racer Dick Scarborough and Parlett continued its competitive legacy for many years.Although not necessarily a natural talent behind the wheel, Parlett tinkered with things down to the very last detail. He designed the wind deflector and even installed a Super 8 camera in a wheel housing to see how the (frequently modified) chassis worked.

Badges in the car reveal that Parlett and his Porsche were the winners of the Barrel of Fun Rally in the PCA Chesapeake Region on 21 September 1963, as well as participants in the National Races on the Steel City International Raceway near Detroit at the end of September 1967 and the Appalachian National Rally in the Philadelphia Region in 1969. The busy and well-travelled pair were also class winners in the Bryar Nationals in New England in early September 1972.

Szasszer met up with Ed Parlett

Parlett retired from racing in 1975 and sold the car to TWA driver Jack Klinges in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, who stored it in his barn until 2008 when Franz Wittner from Carcollection brought it to Austria. Szasszer finally returned it to the road in 2011 and frequently met up with Parlett during this time to better understand its history. In 2012, the race veteran gave Szasszer his helmet, as well as all the car’s old invoices and his detailed race records.

Sadly, Parlett died the following year but Szasszer has done much since to ensure his memory lives on. The Speedster, which still bears traces of rubber from its final race almost half a century ago, is driven regularly despite Hamburg’s less than perfect weather. And its dedicated owner now runs the United Garages Instagram account, where around 1,500 subscribers share their unifying passion for a Porsche with patina.

Technical specifications of the 356 A 1600 Super Speedster

Engine: Four-cylinder boxer
Displacement: 1.582 cm³
Mixture preparation: 2 Solex downdraft carburetors 40 PBIC
Maximum power: 55 kW/75 hp at 5,000 rpm
Maximum torque: 117 Nm at 3,700 rpm
Maximum speed: 175 km/h
O-100 km/h: 14.5 s

The Story of the Mercedes-Benz C Class, 1982-

Mercedes-Benz compact model Saloons of the 201 model series (production period 1982 to 1993). From left to right: 190, 190 E, 190 D and 190 E 2.3-16. (Photo signature in the Mercedes-Benz Classic archives: 83F183)The C-Class is still one of the highest-volume model series made by Mercedes-Benz.

Since 2016, China has been the largest sales market for the saloon, followed by the USA, Germany and the United Kingdom, where the estate also plays a key role. There are C-Class customers in more than 100 markets around the globe. Its uninterrupted history began in the 1980s with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 190 of the W 201 model series. Its premiere contributed to the significantly younger and fresher perception of the brand.

Mercedes-Benz proceeded to make the compact model class ever more diverse: the W 201 model series was followed in 1993 by the 202 model series (saloon 1993 to 2000, estate 1996 to 2001). It was called the C-Class for the first time and introduced the estate. The sports coupé was introduced in the 203 model series (saloon 2000 to 2007, estate 2001 to 2007, sports coupé 2000 to 2011 – from 2008 as CLC) and was replaced by the coupé in the 204 model series (saloon and estate 2007 to 2014, coupé 2011 to 2015). In the 205 model series (saloon, long-wheelbase saloon and estate since 2014, coupé since 2015 and cabriolet since 2016), the cabriolet followed as the fourth body variant. The C-Class can boast a number of close relatives: SLK (from 1996) and SLC (until 2020), GLC (from 2008, initially labelled the GLK), GLC Coupé (since 2016) and the all-electric EQC (since 2019). Well over ten million cars of the saloon and estate versions alone have been delivered to customers all over the world since the debut of the 190. The new C-Class 206 model series will be launched in spring 2021.

Debut of the compact model class: The W 201 model series (1982 to 1993)

When it was launched in November 1982, the fresh and agile design, clear wedge shape and fine lines of the Mercedes-Benz 190 caused heads to turn. Internally, the saloon was referred to as a compact model”. The “Baby Benz” was what customers in the USA initially called the car. The lines of the Mercedes-Benz upper medium-size category and the luxury and premium classes with their powerful identifying character served as a reference for this development. Compared to these, however, the W 201 model series was more compact, lighter and more economical. Its technical highlights included the specially developed chassis with its multi-link independent rear suspension. This design largely compensated for lateral and longitudinal forces in all driving conditions. As the debut of the model series, Mercedes-Benz presented the 190 and 190 E models in 1982. These were followed in 1983 by the 190 D with a quiet diesel engine and in 1984 by the sporty 190 E 2.3-16 with four-valve technology. Mercedes-Benz continued development of the model series. A highlight of the 1988 facelift was the 190 E 2.5-16 (143 kW/195 hp), which also served as a successful basis for DTM racing cars. In 1992, special models designed to appeal to younger buyers underlined how successful the model series had been in attracting new target groups to the brand. After a final facelift in 1991, production of the W 201 ended in August 1993, by which time a total of 1,879,630 vehicles of the model series had been built.

The first C-Class: Model series 202 (saloon 1993 to 2000, estate 1996 to 2001)

The 202 model series premiered in May 1993. It bore the name C-Class for the first time – in line with the naming convention of the S-Class, which had been applied since 1972. The letter “C” was followed by a three-digit number referring to the engine capacity. With similar exterior dimensions, the C-Class offered more space and comfort than the W 201 model series. The estate (S 202) appeared in 1996 as a sporty, compact beast of burden. Various design and equipment lines (CLASSIC, ESPRIT, ELEGANCE and SPORT) underlined the individual character, and this was embellished optionally with an AMG styling package. 1995 saw the launch of the supercharged C 230 Kompressor (142 kW/193 hp): for the first time in more than 50 years Mercedes-Benz fitted a passenger car with a Roots blower. The debut of the C 220 CDI (92 kW/125 hp), the first Mercedes-Benz passenger car with a direct-injection diesel engine based on the common rail principle, was a sensation when it launched in 1997. The top-of-the-range model was the C 36 AMG (206 kW/280 hp) when it became available in September 1993. In 1997, the C 43 AMG (225 kW/306 hp) followed as the first C-Class with a V8 engine. The C 55 AMG (255 kW/347 hp) took over the top spot in the following year. From 1992 to 2001, a total of 1,626,383 saloons (W 202) and 243,871 estates (S 202) of the 202 model series were built.

Twin headlamps for the C-Class: The 203 model series (saloon 2000 to 2007, estate 2001 to 2007, sports coupé 2000 to 2011 – from 2008 as CLC)

In March 2000 Mercedes-Benz presented the 203 model series. For the first time, there were three body versions of the compact premium car: the saloon (W 203) was joined by the estate (S 203, 2001) and, for the first time, the sports coupé with a central star in the radiator grille (CL 203, 2000). The twin-headlamp appearance of the front was particularly striking, reflecting dynamism coupled with elegance. Customers could choose between the CLASSIC, ELEGANCE and AVANTGARDE design & equipment lines. As a technology leader, the 203 model series introduced many innovations to the market segment, e.g. window airbags, multifunction steering wheels and a central display. Many assistance systems to promote active safety were included as standard features. Other new developments were the three-link front axle and the easily exchangeable front module incorporating crumple zones made of high-strength steel. The drag coefficient of 0.26 was a pioneering achievement. From spring 2001, the top-of-the-range model was the C 32 AMG (260 kW/354 hp) with a supercharged V6 engine. 2004 saw the launch of the facelifted 203 model series, with the C 55 AMG (270 kW/367 hp), featuring the first eight-cylinder engine in the model series. In 2005, the first Mercedes-Benz V6 engine with quadruple camshaft phasing followed in three performance variants. From 2000 to 2007, Mercedes-Benz produced a total of 1,529,921 saloons (W 203) and 373,873 estates (S 203) of the 203 model series and, by 2008, some 310,709 sports coupés (CL 203) as well. The two-door model was particularly successful with young target groups and customers new to Mercedes-Benz. After a comprehensive facelift , it continued to sell as the CLC-Class until 2010.

Outstanding faces of the C-Class: The 204 model series (saloon and estate 2007 to 2014, coupé 2011 to 2015)

The C-Class 204 model series premiered in January 2007. The saloon (W 204) was followed by the estate (S 204) in the autumn of 2007. The coupé (C 204) appeared in 2011. Compared to its predecessor, the 204 model series had grown in all its dimensions, which further improved spaciousness and comfort. The design, with its taut lines, clear sweep of the front and large, unfussy surfaces exuded technical self-assuredness. For the first time, Mercedes-Benz offered a choice of two different vehicle faces: the AVANTGARDE equipment line with a Mercedes star centrally positioned in the radiator grille was more sports orientated, while ELEGANCE and CLASSIC boasted the classic Mercedes radiator grille with the star on the bonnet. The latter models stood more for comfort and elegance. The AMG Sports package emphasised the sporty appearance. From 2007, the C 63 AMG (336 kW/457 hp) with a V8 engine was the top-of-the-range model. 2008 saw the launch of the C 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY with the world’s first petrol engine with spray-guided direct injection. In March 2011, the C-Class Coupé (C 204) was presented, based on the saloon platform. A highlight was the high-performance C 63 AMG Black Series (380 kW/517 hp) presented in mid-2011, which was only available as a coupé. For the saloon and estate models, the C 63 AMG Edition 507 (372 kW/507 hp) was the most powerful C-Class option from 2013. A total of 2,417,117 vehicles of the 204 model series were produced at the Mercedes-Benz plants in Sindelfingen, Bremen, East London (South Africa) and Beijing (China) by the end of 2013. These included 1,836,349 saloons, 429,939 estates and 150,829 coupés.

Wide range of variants in the C-Class: The 205 model series (saloon, long-wheelbase saloon and estate since 2014, coupé since 2015 und cabriolet since 2016)

In January 2014, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class of the 205 model series made its debut, initially as a saloon. The other body variants appeared in quick succession: the estate (S 205, May 2014), a long-wheelbase version of the saloon for China (V 205, August 2014), the coupé (C 205, August 2015) and, for the first time in the direct tradition of the C-Class, the cabriolet (A 205, February 2016). The extensive range of engines with outputs from 85 kW (116 hp) to 375 kW(510 hp) in the top-of-the-range model C 63 S) also included modern hybrid and plug-in hybrid units. Ultra-high-strength steels and extruded aluminium profiles made the saloon’s body structure 50 kilograms lighter than a pure steel construction. The outstanding overall rigidity contributed to the excellent handling with optimum freedom from noise and vibration. The AIRMATIC air suspension was available for the first time, a unique feature in this vehicle class. The Cd value of 0.24 in the lowest-price BlueEFFICIENCY version was a new best value in this vehicle class. In terms of safety, the 205 model series boasted a range of assistance systems. In addition to the familiar airbags, the model series was equipped with pelvis airbags, deployed sideways from the doors, as well as a newly developed window airbag, side airbags for the outer rear passengers and a knee airbag for the driver. The 2018 facelift provided, amongst other things, optional MULTIBEAM LED lights with ULTRA RANGE Highbeam and the Intelligent Light System. In the interior, a fully digital instrument display was now available, amongst other features. The new four-cylinder engines M 264 and OM 654 formed the basis of a modular engine system and enabled a range of drive variants to be offered.

Saturday, February 20, 2021

The Personification of an Old Car

Old cars are like old people! Thanks, Ed!

The idea of personifying an automobile is as old as cars themeselves. When naming cars, we often five them gendered names and often refer to them as "him" of "her." The process of taking an inanimate object and giving it natural or human qualities is a topic worthy of more discussion, in terms of components that are analogous to human organs. A four cylinder engine is referred to as a "four lunger," for example.

The Automobile and American Life

Popular Posts