Inside the Henry Ford Museum Picking up Another Mil Or So

Theour Society of Automotivena Historians, Inc. Issue 220 January-February 2006

The Turnpike Is Coming Your Way by Michael Bromley he passage of H.R. 3, the $286 billion, five-year highway funding bill that politi cians have called the "Safe , Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity www.autohistory.org T Act: A Legacy for Users," arrives with the usual complaints of pork and misguid ed priorities. SAH ]au mal readers, for example, might be glad or otherwise to know that some $3 million of it is headed to the National Packard Museum of Warren, Ohio, with Inside the Henry Ford Museum picking up another mil or so. Quickly enough the headlines have disappeared and the arguments will hibernate for the next half a decade. Perhaps the only reason anyone outside of Washington (or outside of certain museums and their Editor's Comments 2 congressmen) paid attention to the bill is the current price of gasoline, which is ampli fied, of course, by the fuel excise tax that starts with the federal share of 18.5 cents and goes from there, state to state, upwards and beyond the 25-cent squeeze in Connecticut President's Perspective 3 and the 30-cent smack of Rhode Island. (Moral of the story: when on the way to Maine, gas up in New jersey or pray for the Massachusetts line.) Since the now textbook history "Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of SAH News 4 Interstate and Defense Highways" was launched in 1956, there has been precious little debate over its meaning. Its most vigorous opponents have merely slowed or redirected it, but never changed the fundamental idea of a national system of main arteries con "When Heaven Was at the 6 structed by the states and financed nationally in a pay-as-you-go scheme drawn from Corner of Sycamore excise taxes on gasoline, diesel and truck tires, wherever purchased or used. Sure, envi ronmentalists have saddled the program with regulations or city planners and activists (or Maple) and Main" have stopped an extension or two, but its largest obstacle has been the system's own suc cess: congestion and too much money. The Highway Trust Fund is bulging and ever tempts Congress to such inanity as the 6,3 7l "pet projects" of the latest authorization Book Reviews 8 and its myriad of other programs that have nothing to do with highways. Solutions to congestion call for reduction in traffic or more building rather than any fundamental Letters 10 change in the system. There was, however, a strenuous and successful opponent to the national system back in 1956 whose day, amazingly, is ongoing and whose particular tri umph may well arrive for the rest of us: the New jersey Turnpike. Billboard 15 When something becomes normal we often don't think of what was normal before it. The Interstate System and its gasoline tax are normal to us today. We don't worry about its nature, only its particular functions. What is forgotten is how much debate went into the original idea. That it was not until 1956 that Congress acted upon a truly nationalized system is telling enough-for that's halfway into the Motor Age. The Inter state System didn't just happen. Indeed, but for the hydrogen bomb it might never have Also Inside: happened. Of all the variables, politics, safety, economics and so on, the one difference between 1956 and earlier periods was the Soviet threat. Serious proposals in Congress for Silent Auction Catalog national roads date back to the early Motor Age. In August 1953 the Russian bomb gave urgency to nationalized roads. Those roads would be built. Reminder: The deadline In the old days, to get from Washington, D.C to Maine one followed, variously, for 2006 SAH Awards what became Route 1. My mother recalls the old path for summer trips to Maine taking submissions is April 15, 2006. from fifteen to twenty hours of driving. These days, with the traffic stars aligned-and no continued on page 7 Only the Cars Are Hibernating

swap meet in Springfield. Although the Silent Auction catalog. Leroy and Cora quantity of used parts keeps shrinking, Cole do a great job with this time con replaced by more and more diecast mod suming task each year and deserve the els and cheap tools, its still a can't miss gratitude of all SAH members. event to catch up with everyone you Also in this issue SAH ews kicks haven't seen since the fall 's last shows or off with Gregg Merksamer's report on all the holiday get togethers. Beverly Rae Kimes receiving the Inter This time of year is also a great national Automotive Media Awards Life Thomas S. Jakups, Editor time to catch up on some good reading. time Achievement Award for 2005. I I just finished reading Don Bent's A Place thank Gregg for attending the luncheon ne month into the new year and Called Buick. Don did a good job of detail and filing his report. To say this is a well here in snowy Connecti cut us ing the physical growth of the factory site, deserved honor is like saying Mother 0 old-car folks are engaged in our but I would have liked some coverage of Teresa was a well-regarded nun. Bev has version of the hot stove league. With our the people who worked there a Ia a book devoted her working life to automotive cars safely tucked away, it's time for auc I picked up at the Buick Centennial in history and personifies the mission of the tions, swap meets and holiday parties. Flint, The Good Old Days at the Buick, by Society of Automotive Historians. She has Like weekend golfers enviously Lynn Reuster. The book is a look back at also been a a ge nerous member, frequently watching as the pros tackle courses in life there by former workers and is very contributing her expertise to the journal. Maui and Arizona, we gather around the enjoyable. I look forward to next reading While checking out SAH News TV getting our vicarious thrills watching The Story of Reo joe, Work, Kin and Com please note the reminders about the Paris the bidding at Barrett-jackson For the munity in Autotown U.S.A. Dinner, the April Automotive History same thrills but now in the nesh we then Yes, there are a lot of good automo Conference and the deadline for SAH hop on a bus to the auction in Atlantic tive books out there. Speaking of books, award submissions. City. Even closer to home is the annual enclosed with this journal is the latest -Tomjakups

J QU.~I1~~,1Issue 220 January-February 2006 Officers Publications Committee SAH Journal (ISSN 1057-1973) Michael L. Berger President Christopher C. Foster, Chair is published six times a year by the Darwyn H. Lumley Vice President Taylor Vinson Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Susan S. Davis Secretary Thomas S. Jakups Christopher C. Foster Treasurer Michael lamm Subscription is by membership Beverly Rae Kimes in the Society. Board of Directors Through October 2006 Membership dues are $40 per year. Samuel V. Fiorani Robert R. Ebert Past Editors Send dues, membership inquiries Patricia lee Yongue Richard B. Brigham and changes of address to Through October 2007 Issues 1-29 Sept. 1969-(undated) 1973 Michael Bromley Paul N. Lashbrook Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. C. Marshall Naul Stanton A. lyman 1102 long Cove Road Joseph S. Freeman, ex officio 30-50 July 1973- Dec. 1976 Cales Ferry, CT 06335-1812 USA Through October 2008 John Peckham John A. Marino Arthur W. Jones 51-59 Feb. 1977 -July 1978 ©2006 Joseph R. Malaney Walter Cosden The Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. 60-87 Nov. 1978- Dec. 1983 SAH Journal Find the Society of Automotive Historians Richard B. Brigham Thomas S. Jakups, Editor, Adv. Mgr. on the web at www.autohistory.org. 37 Wyndwood Road 88-117 Jan.jFeb. 1983-Nov.jDec. 1988 West Hartford, CT 06107 USA Christopher C. Foster 860-233-5973 Fax 860-232-0468 118-1 57 Jan.jFeb. 1989-July/Aug. 1995 Copy Deadline for journa/221 [email protected] Samuel V. Fiorani February 28th [email protected] 158-194 Sept.jOct. 1995-Sept.jOct. 2001

2 SAH)ouma1No. 220 On Star, or Badly Off Course?

"campus" as they call it. Therefore, it did see something automotive- and indeed not surprise my fellow conference atten we did. On display were the 2006 Gen dees and me when we were all warned a eral Motors models, in effect a large day in advance that all photographic showroom for a dealership that carried equipment would be collected at the GM all the GM marques. Nothing more, Heritage Center (our preceding tour site) nothing less. There was much joking on and returned to us after we completed the way back to the Heritage Center of our visit to the Tech Center. There was the "insider" photographs that we might an air of excitement as we contemplated have taken wi th hidden cameras and

Michael l. Berger, President the futuristic designs and engines that we then sold at top dollar to Road & Track . believed we would see the next day, or Car and Driver. n 1965 1 journeyed to ew York something akin to the feeling that one I have tried to enliven what was in Ci ty to attend the 1964-65 World's used to experience when purchasing car reality a rather deadly couple of hours. I Fair. Back then, such fairs were big magazines to view photographs of the Why devote so much space to it? Be events, featuring awe inspiring, one-of-a partially disguised vehicles of the next cause 1 think it is indicative of a corpo kind exhibits. At this particular fair one model year. rate mentality that threatens to destroy of the most impressive exhibits was the That morning, in preparation for the house that Sloan built. After all, it General Motors Pavilion. I'm sure there the Tech Center trip, GM's Stu Shuster appears that General Motors cannot even were Ford and Chrysler buildings as gave a brief PowerPoint introduction. relate effectively to enthusiasts of the well, but the one 1 remember was GM's. Technically brilliant and flawlessly deliv product they manufacture. Given a col The GM Pavilion was the successor to ered, it curiously did not feature a single lection of executives from motor muse the wildly popular and influential GM car, but rather focused on the architec ums around the world, the best that GM Futurama exhibit at the 1939-1940 New ture of the Tech Center's campus, which could muster at its Tech Center was a York World's Fair. It could also be was built back in the mid-'50s and tribute to the 1950s architectural bril viewed as the culmination of the GM designed by internationally-acclaimed liance of Eero Saarinen. lt was almost as Motorama promotion, wherein General architect Eero Saarinen. I thought for a if the award-winning architecture sym Motors piqued the fancy of the buying moment that Mr. Shuster's speech writer bolized the height of GM's glory and they public by featuring "dream" and experi had confused his audience wi.th a meet had chosen to freeze that moment in mental cars, plus the latest production ing of the American Institute of Archi time. lf anything, it was a visual preview models, in eight traveling auto shows tects, but reasoned that this was back of an op-ed piece that appeared later that from 1949 through 1961. ground information that GM would month in The Wall Street]oumal. There The 1964-65 GM Pavilion featured rather present there than on the tour. in , freelance writer john Schnapp indicted futuristic cars, a trip to the moon and a Three hours later we had deposited GM for inadequate corporate governance, piece of road equipment that in one, con our cameras and boarded buses for our a culture of management non-account tinuous motion felled forest trees at its trip to the Tech Center, just a few miles ability, technological followership, brand front and laid a finished asphalt road at away. As we traveled from one campus proliferation and, most importantly, the rear, a technological feat that was building to the next, it was obvious that vision failure. awesome to this 22-year- old . In 1965 our tour guides shared Mr. Shuster's There is probably little we can do General Motors was lord of the automo enthusiasm for the architecture of the to reverse the downward spiral that tive world and created memories for me place. lt also became painfully evident threatens to drop General Motors behind that have lasted for over four decades. that we were not to be allowed to pass Toyota as the world's largest manufactur Recently, as part of the events con beyond the public lobby of each building. er of automobiles. After all, GM ignored nected wi.th the IX World Forum for Finally, as the last stop on the tour, our pleas and allowed Oldsmobile, then Motor Museums, 1 had the opportunity we were deposited at the Vehicle Engi the oldest continuously manufactured to visit the GM Technical Center in War neering Center, a recent (2003) addition American marque, to expire a few years ren , Michigan. It is there that GM cars of to the Tech Center campus and the "cor ago. Nonetheless, the possible demise of the future are conceived and developed. nerstone of GM's strategic plan to consol General Motors is a sad development, As one might imagine, in an age of in idate vehicle engineering functions for and one that we, as students of automo dustrial espionage, security is a major merly performed at several locations." tive history, should mourn. concern at that multi-building facility, or Surely here, 1 thought, we would finally -Mike Berger

January- February 2006 3 was hooked," she once recalled . "What could be more exciting than automobile history7 I told myself that one day I would know enough about it to tell everyone else how exciting it was. " In stark contrast to the yearlong stint she originally anticipated, Kimes would spend eighteen years at AQ, the last seven of which were served as editor. "Needless to say, I am thrilled and vigorously thank everyone involved for recognizing me for this significant award," Kimes said after the 2004 lAMA Lifetime Achievement recipient, longtime Forbes magazine automotive columnist jerry Flint, called her to the podium. Kimes Is Recipient of lAMA of Bruce and Genia Wennerstrom's "The automobile is the most Lifetime Achievement Award Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving & important invention of the last century, [Editor's Note: I received word of Beverly Chowder Society. indeed the modern age. othing else Rae Kimes receiving the International A highlight of the luncheon was a comes close. As early as 1913, The New Automotive Media Awards Lifetime "This Is Your Life"-style slide show that Yorh Times reported that, and I quote, Achievement Award for 2005 just as included images of pioneer auto hobbyist The invention of the automobile has lit joumal 219 was going to press. Follow Hemy Austin Clarh serving as the best erally changed the face of the earth.' ing is more complete coverage of the man at her wedding, Grand Prix champi 1913, mind you. Henry Ford's mass pro honor bestowed on her.] on Rene Dreyfus (Beverly helped him duction was in the birthing stage and On November 15th, an impressively pen his autobiography My Two Lives: Race already the universal impact of the auto diverse group of Beverly Rae Kimes's pro Driver to Restaurateur), and a 1930 Au mobile was recognized. fessional colleagues and admirers gath burn 8-125 Sport Sedan named "Ralph," "Even though people take the car ered at Sardi's restaurant in New York in which Kimes and her husband jim Cox for granted today and, except for the com City to hail her contributions yet again, have clocked more than 50,000 miles on mitted, don't give automobile history a this time as the 2005 recipient of Life CCCA and Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg second thought ... the automobile covers time Achievement honors from the Club tours. all the facets of history: industrial, techno International Automotive Media Awards. All-in-all, the afternoon presented logical, social, cultural and political. It's all lola, Wisconsin, SAH member and a worthwhile opportunity to reOect on pervasive. And biography? Think about it. Old Cars Weehly founder Chet Krause was the somewhat-unlikely path that had What other industry produced the fabu just one of many luminaries who traveled brought Kimes to her current position as lous characters of automobile history? great distances to witness the presenta America's most-honored automotive his What other saga could boast a cast like tion hosted by lAMA Executive Director torian. Having grown up in Wheaton, Henry Ford, Billy Durant, Alfred Sloan, Walter Haessner and his wife, Elaine, Illinois, she double-majored in journal Walter Chrysler, Charles Kettering, Henry which took place at the monthly meeting ism and history at the University of Leland and Barney Oldfield7" Illinois and earned herself a Master's at She pledged in closing that "It is Penn tate before heading to New York my mission to make people aware of all City, where she split the rent with an this, to persuade them to respect and aspiring actress and searched for a maga enjoy automobile history as much as I zine job that would allow her to write. do. I plan to spend the rest of my life In 1963, she landed a job as editorial spreading the gospel." assistant at a Oedgling year-old publica In addition to her Lifetime tion named Automobile Quarterly, even Achievement Award, Kimes also received though, as she conceded in her interview the lAMA's Best of Books honor for with editor cott Bailey, her possession of Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The a driver's license was the extent of her Dawn of the Automobile in America, pub automotive knowledge at the time. lished by the Society of Automotive "My first assignment was a history Engineers. Beverly Rae Kimes with Ralph of the Curved Dash Oldsmobile and I -Gregg Merhsamer

4 SAHJoumaiNo. 220 Obituary me no later than February 5th so that we Final deadline for registration is March LJK Setright may have a headcount and see whether 16th. Checks should be made out to (1931-2005) we qualify for a special price on the TGV S M- AAM Conference and sent to Leonard john Kensell Setright, probably For those who did not attend Studebaker National Museum, 201 South Britain$ best-known and certainly most Retromobile last year, you will find that Chapin Street, South Bend , I 46601. erudite motoring journalist, died the exposition has moved from Hall 2.1 Visa , MasterCard and American Express September 7th of cancer. He was 74. to nearby Hall 7.2 at the Porte de Ver payments are welcome. Registration may Most closely associated with Car sailles where wider aisles make the show also be made via the Studebaker Museum magazine, he took up writing in the more enjoyable. website, wwwstudebakermuseum.org. 1960s after doing his national service. -Taylor VInson Accommodations are the respon Educated in the law, he found he hated sibility of attendees and should be practicing it, and his aptitude for engi Engine of Change: arranged directly with the host hotel, neering made him an excellent technical The Automobile Holiday Inn City Center, 213 West writer. Educated in the classics, he was and Its Influence Washington Street, South Bend. Mention ~ont to season his prose with erudite Sixth History Conference the StudebakerMuseum to get the con allusions, interspersed with copious quo in South Bend, Indiana ference rate of $84.95 per night plus tax, tations in Latin or Greek. April 5-8, 2006 which is valid through March 16th. Call A talented musician, Setright was SAH and the National Association of + l (888)465-432 9 for reservations. The a skilled clarinetist and co-founded the Automobile Museums will jointly spon main hotel number is +1(574)232-3941 Philharmonia Chorus. A dedicated stu sor their sixth biennial automotive histo A mailing with complete informa dent of judaism, he practiced his religion ry conference from April 5 to 8, 2006, at tion and registration details is being sent to all of his life. He loved Bristol cars, fast the Studebaker National Museum in all members. Inquiries may also be direct driving, motorcycles, Honda engineering South Bend, Indiana. Entitled "Engine ed to the Studebaker Museum at +1(574) and Russian cigarettes. It is tribute to his of Change: The Automobile and Its 235-9714, which will handle conference standing (or perhaps to British regard for Influence," the SAH sessions will explore, registration. Museum Executive Director the profession of motoring journalism) among other things, the development Becky Bonham is general chair of the con that all the London dailies ran his obitu and impact of the automobile in the ference. Program chair for NAAM is Andy ary. The Daily Telegraph carried it with world. The conference will also feature Beckman of the Museum. Kit Foster serves the subhead "Motoring journalist, musi workshops directed toward museum pro as program chair for SAH; he may be cian, scholar of judaism and smoker." fessionals and several tours of area auto reached at +1(860)464-6466 or email -Kit Foster and local heritage resources. treasurer@ autohistory.org. Attendees will congregate on Reminder for Paris Wednesday evening, April 5th, for an Just Out As announced in the last]oumal, the lOth opening reception at the museum. Con I've been collecting annuals for several anniversary of SAH dinners in Paris for ference sessions are planned for Thurs decades, and plenty of interesting members and guests will take place on day, April 6th and Saturday, April 8th. ones have come around. Recently, a new February 9th. ee Issue 219 for details. Friday April 7th is reserved for tours to one from Poland has been published and By the time you read this, mem local points of interest, automobile col I had to get a copy. These fellows have bers resident outside the United States lections and heritage sites. been doing this for the Polish market will have made their reservations with Concluding the conference will be since 1991 and realized that the rest of Laurent Friry by january 23rd, and paid a social hour and keynote dinner on the world would like one, too. him 89 euros. His e-mail address is Saturday evening, featuring a presenta The 2005-2006 edition of World of [email protected], and his tion on renowned football coach Knute Cars (Media Connection SP Z O.D.Mod home address, 22 rue d'Antony, F-91370 Rockne and the Rockne automobile. linska l75A PL 03-186 Warszawa, Po Verrieres le Buisson. Those coming from Cost of the conference, which land) is the first in English.The annual the United States should have contacted includes registration, refreshments, tours claimed coverage of 60 countries, l ,400 me ([email protected]) for the final price and meals on Thursday and Saturday, is makes, 8,000 models with 3,500 photos. of the dinner ($108.50) and mailed a $250 for members of SAH or NAAM and I was not disappointed, as it is well put check, to my order, at 1314 Trinity $285 for non-members. Early-bird rates together and very up to date, having in it Drive, Alexandria, VA 22314. of $215/$240 will be available until models that are just coming to market now. Members wherever resident who February 27th. A one-day rate of $100 is I counted 211 British specialist and intend to attend the dinner and would available, as well as a full registration for kit car makes, all with a picture or more. like to go to the Le Mans museum on spouse, including meals, of $175. A fee The staggering array of Chinese cars and Saturday, February llth, should contact of $50 will be charged for the tour alone. continued on page 6

January-February 2006 5 time and space available, and some effort When Heaven Was at the Comer to convey a sense of the times and cir cumstances being written about. of Sycamore (or Maple) and Main The result won't often rise to the By Pete Whittier levels reached by the masters so often n the"Letters" section of a major car magazine, a reader writes of Tom McCahill's road and for so long, but excitement will tests for Popular Mechanics magazine and of his sizing trunks with his own body Wait always show through. It was rarely better I the McCahill era ended only thirty years ago. Tom of course wrote for Mechani.x shown than in the morning of the auto Illustrated and his friend jim McMichael was his trunk tester. Every car person knows that. age in Ned jordan's "Somewhere West of In a recent write up in another the beginnings of what, the text tells us, Laramie" advertisement. Ever make a magazine the author describes the trans- was his car consciousness. point of heading out "west of Laramie7" verse mounting of the V-8 engine in the Some who have been happily I did, a few years ago, just to see what it original Olds Toronado. But all the old afOicted with the syndrome and graced looked like. 1-80 never looked better, pictures and not-so-old memories recall a with gifts as writers have built careers rolling out toward the horizon as other • north-south engine placement. The '60s communicating on our shared interests roads must have in jordan's time. weren't that long ago. with us less gifted mortals. For others not Any wordsmith who can connect In the "Auctions" column of of this persuasion, whose work is voca to that kind of sensibility will always have another buff book, the reporter notes tion more than fascination, well, it shows. company at the showroom window. • that "jaguar XK120s are surprisingly For this kid that showroom was at small inside." Why the surprise7 The 120 the corner of North Maple Avenue and SAH News continued from page 5 jag was "small" mainly in driver's leg Main Street at the end of the block I trucks is documented. Each listing tells room because the engine was set well lived on in East Orange, New jersey, which models are produced at that loca back in the chassis for better balance. in early june 1948, where behind the tion and some of the history of the com Legroom went up when the engine was soaped up windows of a newly built pany In the back are charts of specifica moved forward in the XK1 40. This is dealership awaited the new 1949 Ford. tions of the mass produced models and well known. In due course my father took note of my another section with sales statistics for What do these excerpts have in interest and upped my allowance so that each country. It will likely be more useful common7 (a) Their writers didn't have I could afford the 50 percent price in to the future auto historian than many of copy editors with long memories. (b) The crease to switch from Blackhawk Comics its competitors. writers are younger than their subjects. to Mechani.x Illustrated. I got my copy direct from the pub (c) They contain trivial errors not worthy Three years later I was reading lisher's web site, www.worldofcars.pl for of comment, picked up by readers with Harry Bennett's We Never Called Him about $28.00 including postage. The cur way too much time on their hands who Henry, and fifty-four years after angry old rent price is 16.48 Euros. It took about know nothing of space limitations or Harry entertained me I read whatever six weeks and came by registered mail. deadlines. automobilia I can get my hands on, not -john E Lloyd The answer is (a), for sure; (b),very ing the obvious: there are too few good possibly; and (c), then why do they call old editors to go around. SAH Awards Reminder them "buff' books7 It's because car buffs Compensation comes from read April 15th is the deadline for nomina expect an exceptional level of expertise ing the masters who are still writing: tions for books, magazines, articles, to be reflected in everything that gets Michael Lamm, USA Today's jim Healey, organizations and people worthy of being into print in the books. David E. Davis, Jr., Peter Egan, Denise honored in 2006. You will find the chair If that level is lower today, I'd sug McCluggage, Brock Yates, Patrick Bedard, man and address for each award in gest it's because many automotive jour joseph White of The Wall Street journal journal 219. The deadline for the Student nalists have much less first-hand knowl and (insert your favori te here). They all , Writing Award is june lst. edge of what they are writing about and in their own ways, combine meticulous nowhere near the enthusiasm of their respect for facts and their readers' intelli Get Your Review Here seniors. gence with superb writing. Automotive History Review No. 44 (Fall They don't, in other words, have It may not be fair to expect 2005) was posted to non-residents of the the "Sycamore and Main" syndrome. younger journalists to communicate so U.S. on November 3rd. One has been That's short for "When Heaven was at the well or to write about the past as though returned with its label missing. The issue corner of Sycamore and Main," the lead they had been there. They should, how was destined for the UK!Western Europe. of a magazine ad for a 1938 Packard. It ever, recognize the limitation when it If you live there and have not received depicted the view from a showroom out matters, and compensate. That means your copy, please e-mail Taylor Vinson at to a young boy looking in , experiencing deeper and more careful research for the ztv@comcast. net.

6 SAH)ouma1No. 220 Turnpike continued from page 1 competition and its not-so-free funding. modern experiments in "congestion pric cops, hopefully-! can make the trip in Now, with the Interstate System running ing"- adjusting tolls to traffi c f1 ow- are 10 hours. The savi ngs go well beyond into walls of politics, congesti on, finance but a copy of an original ploy of the New time: the roads are sa fer, the traffi c f1 ows and public transit , it is to New j ersey and j ersey Turnpike. Back in 1951 the AAA free of stop lights and there are no direc not the Highway Trust Fund that innova wailed and moaned that the northern tions to follow but a simple arrow point tion turns. The turnpike is back. portion of the road was more expensive ing north. There are, however, a couple States with existing turnpikes are by the mile than the lower half. Of stops on the way, for homage must be re-committing to them and others have course it was, went the state's unspoken delivered to certain roads, tunnels and found order in road fees as the way reply, for therein lay more demand. bridges that defy the politics and funding through the dilemma that is the modern Those ninety or so minutes I give of national roads. Where tolls exist along highway and how to pay for for it, espe the Turnpike on my way to Maine 1-95 it is by legal exception to the origi cially for sorely needed new ones. There's account for a good part of the five-plus nal system's rule banning them or a mat a re-revolution going on. Maybe Con hour savings in my trip over what my ter of coming out of pre-existing to ll gress will catch on in five years. Or mother used to take. It furthermore ~ads or new projects that the federal maybe we'll all be riding a bus. Either means that the gasoline tax is that much system could not accommodate. In New way, states are headed back to the 1930s less in New j ersey and across the land. j ersey, though, it's an altoge ther different and '40s, when the failures of federal aid Hate it , laugh at it , curse it-and use it game. At the top of Delaware the freeway inspired the turnpikes of Pennsylvania, and ge t used to it. The turnpike is com splits northwest towards Philadelphia Connecticut, New jersey, Florida, Maine ing your way. • and from there dumps the traveler upon and others-roads that were as impor either Trenton or Route 1 towards tant to building the nation as the Princeton. There's not a northbound blue Interstate System itself. Book Reviews continued frmn page 9 and white sign until just before the One wonders where it'd have gone and the close links between company, George Washington Bridge, whereupon had the New jersey model prevailed work and staff. The index is most helpful. it's 1-95 again , straight to Mai ne. across the nation. The Turnpike remains This thorough chronicle of the New j ersey, you see, didn't want innovative and customer friendly, with DaimlerChrysler works at Untertiirkheim the federal competition to its golden some of the best traffic management and certainly is not a book for the casual road, the world-famous, hated, envied, information and danger warning systems reader who might be interested in one or cursed and beloved jersey Turnpike. You in the world. And while critics complain the other Mercedes models. For those want a quick ride through the state, you that the per-mile fee is far and away who want to learn about the background take the state's road. And you pay dearly higher than what gasoline excise taxes and working men and women connected for the honor, these days $6.45 for a translate to per vehicle mile, the fact with automobile production of the past one-way run paid in cash. While New remains that whenever you pump gas 100 years, however, it is a mine of infor j ersey's was not the first state-wide toll you are not paying for the New jersey mation. With hundreds of illustrations road, New j ersey's was far and away the Turnpike. You only pay for it when you and information on many aspects of pro most successful. From its first opening of use it. And as for the tolls themselves, for duction it offers an insight into the fasci a 40-mile stretch in 1951 the road all the problems in its introduction, EZ nating world of the automobile industry. exceeded all expectations. As a financial Pass is the default modern way. And -Ferdinand Hediger instrument, with bonds underwritten by tolls, the road paid magnificently, and After 40 years of researching American Automobile history the author thought she knew every subsequent subscription for expan a good bit about it. That is, until she started sion, operations or repairs has been writing this book ten years ago, and realized devoured by Wall Street. Traffic volume, The Dawn of the Automobile in America how much she was learning. What subject could of course, outpaced plans from the get possibly be more interesting than the one that go, as the road's success has from day fascinates us? one created more demand. 544 pages, $39.95 plus $4.00 s/h U.S. (outside U.S. And so it has been ever since please inquire) PA residents, add $2.40 tax. and in defiance of the Interstate System. .Uest l3ocl\ vt ttl€ 'Ymr :lf)Oj While New jersey has played the federal llltaTIJt.iacd LJtanvtive ""e:Jb wctnl~ game with such routes as Interstates 295, Direct checks to 78, 278 and the l-95 designation of the OSFA, 107 Avenue L, Matamoras, PA 18336. upper Turnpike (that, too, a whole other To use your credit card, phone (5 70)491 - 2707 or (212)737-0016 story), the state has stood by its fee-based or e-mail [email protected]. roads and protected them from the "free"

Janua ry- February 2006 7 Ferraris. Imagine the Tifosi not waving flags at Monza or Imola to celebrate another Ferrari victory, because there isn't yet a Ferrari Grand Prix team." Other random samples: "Monza's banking was rough and could beat you up. Worse yet, the 412 MI cockpit was so hot that new openings had to be cut in it after almost every track session .... The Boo I< track was so rough all the drivers were being thrown around the cockpit. This Revie\Ns might have been the first time I ever used a seatbelt in an open race car ... not for safety, just to stay anchored in the seat. " .. Ferrari, A Champion's View, by Phil The final chapter, "Big Rig, Driving a "A Sicilian snuffed his cigarette out Hill, photography by john Lamm, 2004, Ferrari Transporter," is another departure, in my face just before his friend smacked ISBN 1-85443-212-5. Hardbound, 191 which resulted from a stint behind the me on the back of the head with a board. pages. Dalton Watson Fine Books Ltd, massive wheel of a fully restored 1957 If Benoit Musy hadn't shown up with his England and USA, www.daltonwatson. Ferrari transporter. "This might seem a pistol, I don't know what would have com. UK£45, US$80 little odd," Hill writes, "but in addition to happened, and all because the Ferrari my team members, there were other 500 Testa Rossa was so quick." World Champion racer, writer and vehi Ferrari drivers I held in high esteem: the "You'd treat a wide, flat airport cle restorer Phil Hill has driven and raced men who drove our race car transporters. hairpin with plenty of run-off area in a an awful lot of Ferraris. Long-time friend It was a job with tremendous responsibil different manner than a tight, tree-lined and collaborator john Lamm has pho ity, one that was highly regarded at the course. On the former you can gain valu tographed most of them. This beautiful factory . just think what a disaster it able tenths of a second lap after lap as book focuses on the sports racing cars would have been if a race transporter, you edge your way to that one time (not the single-seaters) from the one sur laden with· three race-ready Testa Rossas when you bobble, slide a little farther on viving (is it really a Ferrari7) 815 of the or Grand Prix cars, had ever crashed. the flat expanse of concrete and lose a two built for the 1940 cross-country There were times in the 1950s when such few tenths with no penalty other than Mille Miglia through the car Hill calls a disaster could have endangered the time ... so in the end there was a net "the only modern sports racing Ferrari," existence of the Ferrari factory " gain. You never gain, however, if you hit the 333 SP of 1994. Not surprisingly, Those who have read 34 years a eucalyptus tree. " the book's dominant color is RED. worth of HilVLamm collaborations in the Though an engineer by education Nineteen lavishly illustrated chap pages of Road & Track can be forgiven for and (some) experience, I never enjoyed ters are devoted to generations of racing wondering whether they are actually writ reading the textbooks and there is at Ferraris: "Barchetta," "250 MM," "The Big ten by Hill (who is listed as a contribut times too much technical detail for my Fours," "250 TR," "The Dinos," and so ing editor) or ghost-written by Editor-at taste. But readers not enthralled by nuts on. While some artists' paintings are Large Lamm. 'These stories are not ghost and bolts can skip those passages and praised as realistic enough to be mistak written," Lamm asserts. "In fact, Phil revel in the wonderfully related driving en for photographs, these pages are rich knows more about the English language experiences. Hill does not just describe with Lamm photos so spectacular they than I do. They are very much his words these technically and aesthetically beauti could be paintings. The breathtaking 250 ... Phil's stories as told by him." ful machines, which most any decent Testa Rossa shots on pages 108-111 are The result is a wealth of always author could do. He has the rare ability prime examples. interesting, oft -engaging prose: "Forget to put his readers in their cockpits to One short, poignant chapter deals everything you know about Ferrari," share the sights, sounds and sensations. with death-a frequent visitor to top begins the chapter "Corsa Spyder, the He sometimes even lets them drive. rung racing in the 1950s and '60s-pri First Ferraris." "Forget the six-figure price With forewords by Road & Track marily that of Hill 's early hero, Alberto tags, the social level of the clientele and editor-in-chief Thos L. Bryant and Ascari. This 1955 tragedy elevated Hill the magic of the name. Pretend the world General Racing, Ltd. chairman Steve into an opportunity for a Le Mans 24- has yet to hear a Ferrari V-12 ripping its Earle and a Lamm Introduction on Hill Hour drive in a new 121 LM-the same way up a rev counter. Pretend that no the man and his many impressive LeMans that saw the worst racing acci body has ever seen the beautiful Pinin achievements, this big-format tome is a dent in history. farina bodywork that has graced so many hefty investment at US$80. But it's a

8 SAH}ouma1No. 220 beautiful browse for the photos alone which for most was their automobile. The first chapter covers the begin and a fascinating, entertaining read guar With its studio system well established, ning of the automobile industry in the anteed to be a treasured addition to any the industry was well suited to serve up a Stuttgart area. From the invention of the gas one's book collection. plethora of designs to dazzle the eye. Har engine through the early motor-coaches and -Gary Witzenbu rg ley Earl started the parade with the 1955 automobiles, the devastating fire of 1903 Motorama; Ford's Stylerama followed . and the construction of the new works in Interestingly, Chrysler was the only one of UntertD.rkheim, and the booming growth Future Retro: Drawings from the the Big Three to employ a professional of production leading up to the First World Great Age of American Automobiles, illustrator in its design studio. War there is much new information. The by Fredelic A Sharf 2006, ISBN: 0-87846- The preponderance of renderings author, as in all the other chapters, pays 690-8 Softbound, 8 x 10-1/2 inches, shown are General Motors, but Ford, special attention to the working conditions, more than 50 illustrations in full color. Chrysler, American Motors and Packard the professional education and training and MFA Publications (Museum of Fine Arts, are represented, and there are concept the works organization. Boston), 485 Huntington Avenue, for-concept's sake proposals, some of The next chapter deals with the B8ston, MA 02115. $19.95 them wonderfully outrageous. rapid development of the company, espe This splendidly produced book is a cially in producing aero engines for mili This is a book for students of American trip back to one of American automobile tary planes up until 1918. Interesting automobiles of the '50s and '60s to revel history's most colorful eras. It is very insights into the production space and the in. The title deftly says what it's about. much recommended that you take it working places are provided along with Books on American automobiles of the -Beverly Rae Kimes illustrations. After difficult times dealing period are rife ; rare is the volume that with the hyperinflation in Germany there examines design only. And even amid comes the merger with Benz to form the that small number, this book is unique. DaimlerChrysler Werk Untertiirk new Daimler-Benz AG in 1926. Believing that their design draw heim, by Wilfried Feldenkirchen. 2004. Chapter 3 covers the period up to ings had no intrinsic interest, automobile ISBN 3- 613-02448-9. Hardbound, 280 1945. In the beginning there were con companies routinely destroyed them at pages, about 300 illustrations in b/w and siderable economic difficulties, which the end of the rnodel year. A limited color, German language. Published by reached their peak in the crisis of the number of these original renderings sur Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart, Germany. early 1930s. Production dropped to vive, however, and Fredelic A Sharf has Price about $36. below 3,000 units in 1931. When the made it his mission to find them. All of azi government took over, things the illustrations in this book are from his While there are many books available on changed and by 1935 more than 15,000 collection, and much of what you will the various Mercedes-Benz vehicles, there cars were delivered and production near see here you've never seen before. so far has been little published on the ly doubled once again by 1938. Future Retro begins with a fine subject of their production, the staff, the During WWll the vast percentage essay by Sharf entitled "Designing economic and social environment. This of production was for the army, navy and the American Dream" and ends with two book addresses this in describing the air force . In addition to the traditional never-before-published manuscripts on main works in Unterturkheim near products there were big engines for air the subject by Richard Arbib that were Stuttgart. It contains a vast amount of planes, ships and tanks. The employment discovered following his death. information going back to the founding of forced foreign labor is also mentioned. Prior to 1927, except for Loco days of the company. In five main chap In 1944 about 70 percent of the works mobile, the American automobile indus ters the development of the works is very was destroyed by allied bomber attacks. try in general regarded a car's body as an competently described and nicely illus Reconstruction and growth make afterthought. Harley Earl changed that trated with many hitherto unpublished up the content of the next chapter. After with An &: Colour, which soon had a pictures, graphs and reprints. a slow start production boomed, reach design studio for every company within In the Foreword Dr. Harry Nie ing its peak in the 1960s. About 175,000 GM. Ford followed with a single studio mann, responsible for the historical cen engines were annually made and this fig for all cars, trucks, even tractors. Chrys ter of the company, points out the huge ure doubled by 1970. ler's design department mimed GM even importance of the Unterturkheim works, The final chapter shows the devel to the spelling of "Colour." which covers an area of more than 500 opment of the works Untenurkheim up By the late '40s, forgetting the long, acres and provides working places and until 2003. Apart from the modernization terrible war was very much on the Amer income for a staff of about 2l ,000 peo of the cars as well as the production meth ican mind, and what better way to do that ple. Every year the engines, gearboxes ods, the author offers interesting informa than with exciting new products which and axles for more than one million vehi tion on the organization, the staff politics Americans coveted, the most exciting of cles are produced. continued on page 7

January-February 2006 9 specifi c company The engine was a U.S. government initiative , the name Liberty being the first ever to be registered by the government. Vincent was a leading light under Deeds, along with Elbert Hall from the Hall-Scott Motor Car Co. Packard, Lincoln (set up by the Lelands for the purpose), Ford, GM (in their Cadillac and Buick Divisions) and Nordyke & Marmon turned out a total of 20,478 engines. A number were also built by the Trego Motor Corp., but were judged sub-standard. Hendry should read the mono graph published by the Smithsonian in their Annals of Flight series (The Libaty Engine, 1918-1942, 1968). It was utterly True History Should Be nal model of Rolls-Royce car, although remarkable for the way America turned Warts and All placed in a chapter on the Royce proto out so many and so quickly, although it We note Maurice Hendry's letter, "Magic of types. As to registration plates, those might have benefited from further devel a Name-Fact and Fiction ," in the Sept used on the Royce cars present a com opment first. ember-October 2005 SA H journal and plex saga, now fully resolved. (See The Austrian Alpine Trials: No R-R feel that some comment would be in Edwardian Rolls-Royce 1994.) Alpine Trials team was entered in 1912, order. Hendry criticizes the caption for as Hendry states; the year was 1913. lt is The original book Magic of a Name the Vimy of Alcock and Brown in that it quite possible that both assertions he was written, as Hendry states, for Rolls reads "First across the Atlantic" when in quotes about the Ghost on the mountain Royce as a company give-away It was fact the US Navy accomplished this. He passes were true-further depression of placed in bedrooms in the company's fails to note that the text on page 128 the accelerator pedal might have had no guest house near Derby and distributed opposite states quite clearly that it was additional effect under certain driving among visitors to the company It was the first direct crossing. The indirect cross conditions. never intended as an objective analysis ing by the U.S. Navy was not relevant as Mercedes and the R-R Eagle aero and its style belongs to the 1930s. For the chapter is about the prize offered by engine: The Mercedes welded cylinder this reason, a successor was commis the Daily Mail for a direct crossing. jacket was an influence, although not the sioned in the 1950s, but a Board mem Hendry might have added that the only one, on what Royce chose and ber took umbrage at it and almost all U.S. Navy used three Curtiss flying Royce ensured that no German patents copies were burned. More recently, a boats, flying from Newfoundland via the were infringed. All but the cylinders and three-volume corporate history was com Azores, and supported below by 27 valve gear evolved from the "Silver missioned, using the original title. destroyers and three depot ships. The Ghost" engine, with its "state of the art" For all its faults , Nockolds' Magic Curtiss NC4 alone succeeded, departing bottom end technology; the Mercedes of a Name established a cornerstone of Newfoundland on May 16, 1919 and still incorporated the mistakes Royce had understanding. He had little to build on: landing at Lisbon eleven days later. She eliminated in 1906' Pembertons The life of Sir Henry Royce, flew on to Plymouth Sound on june 1st, Curtiss D-12: The Curtiss D-12 Morrisss Two Brave Brothers and the writ landing close to where the Mayflower was a very fine engine, used in Ameri ings of Massac Buist being about the best had set sail in 1620. America tends to ca's Schneider Trophy seaplanes of the there was. So let us look at some of overlook both achievements, fixing on 1920s. It was designed as a response to Hendry's concerns. the much later flight of Lindbergh. the Hispano Suiza V-8 , which Henry M. Capti ons: The picture opposite The Liberty engine was not de Crane was building under license at page 34 is of the surviving Rolls-Royce signed by Packard. jesse Vincent of Crane Simplex. john Willys, boss of two-cylinder 10-h.p. car which was Packard did propose that the output of Curtiss, wanted to create something bet taken for a drive by Royce late in his life. engines would be far greater if America, ter and the outcome was the D-12. It is not captioned the "original" Royce unlike Europe, agreed on a single design. Hendry is wrong in suggesting car as Hendry suggests. It is not even Colonel Edward Deeds saw that minds Rolls-Royce copied the D-12. Richard stated to be a Royce. The caption reads would only be focused on such a project Fairey, the British aircraft designer and "Originator and original." It is the origi- if the government ran it rather than a manufacturer, wanted to make engines

10 SAH Journal No. 220 as well as airframes and took a license limousine on a PI ... chassis for Sam develop, as well as guns, and the Meteor for the D-12. He used one in his Fox Mclaughlin of Canadian Buick. When tank engine. Other factories such as R-R bomber which could outrun any fighter the car arrived it was much admired by Crewe and Hillington, Ford at Trafford the RAF then possessed. The British gov GM officials, and it appears to have Park and both Packard and, later, Conti ernment already had Bristol, Napier, occurred to several of them (0. E. Hunt nental Motors in the U.S. were designed Siddeley and Rolls-Royce making and Henry Crane, and probably A. P to produce Merlins in large numbers. engines; they didn't want Fairey as well. Sloan) that the coachwork on Cadillacs Among them, Packards achievement of Rolls-Royce was working on an X-16 for example lacked a certain something' 55,523 engines was remarkable. called the Eagle XV1 when the British So Briggs was hired and in the following All did a magnificent job. Ford was Ministry contracted them instead to years he fought hard to improve the GM very good on crankshaft balancing and design a monobloc V-12 in july 1925. vehicles in all sorts of ways, working valves. Packard taught R-R how to cad Design was completed by the end of the with the various divisions and residing at mium plate without hydrogen embrittle year and the first FX (Falcon X) ran on the Proving Ground." ment and so on and, yes, Allison bearing March 3, 1926. It is true that the Gov It is almost beyond question that technology was licensed, but no source erl;)ment sent a D-12 (no 252) to Derby details of the testing of the Phantom, was judged better than any other. Alec for Rolls-Royce to examine but not until as related by Olley, came from Briggs Harvey-Bailey ran Defect Investigation on months later, in july/August 1926. The whom he had known since 1914. GM UK Merlins and jack Broadbent on U.S. D-12 may have spurred the Government cars from 1928, and American cars in built engines and this was their experi into funding a new class of Rolls-Royce general, had a spate of problems with big ence. Many of the mods introduced by engine, but it had little direct influence ends and journal bearings, resulting from Packard were Derby instructed. Some on what became the Kestrel. a series of causes, not just one. That was were to adapt to U.S. ancillaries and oth Hendry should read the Smith what created the interest in Detroit. The ers to American volume production sonian Annals of Flight volume The Curtiss cure, inter alia, was introducing pressure capability. Hendry is wrong in stating D-12 Aero Engine, by Hugo T. Byttebier, lubrication as used on the Phantom. that Packard engines all had an epicyclic 1972. Byttebier states, "The FX was an In his life's chronology Olley wrote supercharger drive gear. Single stage two entirely new project, starting where the on February 3, 1958: "September 1930, speed engines built by Packard for the D-12 had left ofr'; the concluding words talk in Detroit with [Ernest] Seaholm, RAF, and V1650-1 engines for the in his book are "No D-12 ever roared in chief engineer of Cadillac, about joining USAAC, used the Rolls-Royce gear based anger. That engine was foreordained by Cadillac as chassis engineer. General on the French Farman design. Two-stage Fate to be the peacetime American link Motors had completed [their] speed loop two-speed intercooled engines had the between the French lightweight engine at Milford Proving Ground in 1928. epicyclic gear, both for the RAF and building of World War I and British Sustained speed had run out big ends on USAAC. The best explanation offered is supremacy in aero engines during World every GM car. Only car which could that the epicyclic gear better matched War II. America may well be proud of maintain 80 mph indefinitely was a American production capability. Pack the achievement." Rolls-Royce Phantom supplied originally ard$ design was based on that used on The testing of Mclaughlin's for Sam Mclaughlin of Canadian Buick. Wright aero engines, which were being Phantom I in 1928 at GM 's Milford Hence Rolls-Royce cars had very high produced in quantity. No one in a posi Proving Ground: Again we find that standing with GM (and have maintained tion to judge has ever suggested that Hendry refutes the story. One of us had it ever since)." See Chassis Design , Princi either gear was superior to the other. extensive correspondence with the late ples and Analysis, Based on Previously Bendix Stromberg: the Bendix Maurice Olley, and a letter in our posses Unpublished Technical Notes by Mawice Stromberg fuel injection carburetor was a sion dated March 18, 1966 throws light Olley, by William F and Douglas L. Mil real bonus on fighters because it was not on the subject. liken (SAE, 2002) p.32-33. "g" sensitive. The Merlin had been devel During Wo rld War I Rolls-Royce Merlin: The Merlin presents a com oped the way the British government was greatly encouraged in launching the plex story Derby was its home, a vast job wanted it, with an SU carburetor and Eagle engine by the British Admiralty, bing shop which had turned out every car mods that gave it negative "g" capability, notably in the person of Commander and aero engine (the U.S. Springfield but the Bendix coped with zero "g" too. Briggs, head of the aero engine section. plant excepted) since R-R left Manchester. It was used on UK-built 60 Series Let us quote from the letter: It developed and built all the latest high Mertins. Hendry is wrong, however, in "After WWI Comdr. Briggs left the performance variants for the RAFs fight stating that this unit was fitted to all Naval Air Service and for several years ers, taught all others how to build and Packard Merlin engines. A Bendix fuel worked with R-R on 'rationalizing' the overhaul Merlins and, at the same time, injection system (different from the custom coachwork on R-R cars ... he had the Vulture, Griffon, Eagle 46H24, Bendix Stromberg) was used on the V- supervised the construction of a Barker Crecy and several jet engine prototypes to 1650-11, and Merlin 300 and 301.

January-Fe bruary 2006 11 Massive Technical Assistance: of cars, from all price ranges and from est in the centrifugal supercharger. They Returning to cars, Hendry tell s us of the many countries. had been experimenting with various "massive technical assistance" gi ve n to R Whether this truly arose from types of blowers on the Bentley, then in R by GM between the wars. There was a Henry Royce's purchase of a Buick in its "Silent Sports Car" period but a bit lot of mutual interchange, especially after search of inspiration for the 20 hp cars I underpowered. Their first inclination Maurice Olley joined the Chevrolet cannot say It is matter of record , howev was to fit the Graham blower to a Division . Then, as war approached , there er, that Rolls-Royce purchased an Essex Bentley for experimentation, then decid was much help give n by Oll ey in sourc touring car on March 15, 1921 . Hudson's ed to order a separate supercharger unit ing parts for experimental cars when spunky little companion car was a bit from Graham. Graham's assistant chief Bri tish plants were up to their ears pre rough for the luxury automaker's taste. engineer Floyd Kishline was so en paring for war. Beyond that, it would be Royce himself wrote in his evaluation, thralled by this attention that he sent interesting to learn what else may have "This car has nothing to teach us " It was one free of charge. Hives was "very happened. sold that same july enthusiastic" about the centrifugal blow Buick did adve rtise th at 'The sel f- Years later, however, Hudsons and er: "This type of supercharger is likely to • styled makers of the best car in the Terraplanes were received more warmly be standardized on quite a number of world always have a Buick in their sta R-R engineers were amazed at the man cars in twelve months time. " ble. " Often true, but the Experimental ners of the 1933 Terra plane eight, find The Graham was subjected to the garage also had Peugeot, Mercedes, His ing it smoother than their own 20/25 standard Rolls-Royce evaluati on. After pano-Suiza, Bugatti, Graham-the list model. A '34 Terraplane six drew similar driving impressions from staff members it goes on. praise: "There seems to be a good deal in was disassembled and each of its parts As to "abandoning magneto igni the American saying that a pound of rub weighed. Upon reassembly, cars were usu ti on and adopting the Delco system ," ber is worth a ton of theory. " This inter all y sold, but the Graham was kept a bit both magneto and battery systems were est was not regarded as industrial espi longer. Hives wrote, "With regard to sell fitted on all UK-built Silver Ghosts. In onage. Stuart Baits, Hudson's chief engi ing the Graham, we do not want to part 1906 the battery system used a trembler neer, recall ed that his company hosted with it until we have a better example of a coil, but this gave way to coil and con Rolls-Royce personnel in Detroit for up supercharged car available. None, so far denser many years before World War I. to two months each year. as I know, is in existence at present." "Boss" Kettering at Delco did phenome Equally telling are the remarks on The Terraplane that was under nal things for the motor car, but his high the supercharged Graham eight pur evaluation at the same time had served its tension ignition system did not predate chased in April1934. They were purpose. "We want to dispose of the Royce as far as we know. impressed wi th the blower. Arthur Sid Terraplane, however, and should like to True history should be "warts and greaves, Rolls' London managing director obtain in its place one of the latest 120 all" and in that sense we differ from the wrote, "This is another example of a very Packards." We now know, of course, single perspective offered by Nockolds, excellent American car with an 8-cylin what came of that li aison: Rolls' first as Hendry$ letter asserts. For that reason der engine. independent front suspension . we wonder about the absence of context 'The springing seems to be very As it happened, the Graham in his comments, as well as his many good, also the steering, brakes, clutch, etc. designed supercharger did not find its errors of fac t. Has he followed in the "The supercharger seems to work way onto any production Bentley Rolls fo otsteps of Nockolds in this regard? sati sfactorily and comes in automatically Royce chose the simple expedient of bor -Mike Evans, Emeritus Chairman, at a certain engine speed so that the ing the engine out to 4.2 liters. Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, Derby owner cannot abuse its use. It does not WO. Bentley may have said that Tom Clarke seem to make any undue noise such as the 20 hp Rolls was "essentially a Buick" we were told was a sine qua non with a Given what I know of him I suspect it Rolls-Royce vs . the Yanks supercharger when we were trying to was not meant as a compliment. Mauri ce Hend ry, in his characteristica lly evolve one for the early Bentley" I am indebted to SAH members erudite and exhaustive letter about Ernest Hives, head of R-R's experi james Fack , for acquainting me with the Harold Nockolds' book Magic of a Name , mental department at Derby, was similar "American files" at the Henry Royce makes reference to the "longstanding R-R ly impressed: "As requested, I was able to Memorial Foundation, Hunt House, practice of buying a Buick every year for give this car a short run last night, and in Paulerspury, Northamptonshire, Eng technical evaluati on." The casual reader comparing it wi th our Phantom II one land, and to Philip Hall, the chief execu may attach particular signifi cance to this appreciates that there are a number of tive, for access to the collection. In interest in the "better automobiles" built features about this car from which we quirers with similar interests will spend by Buick In fact, Rolls-Royce Ltd . had a have a lot to learn." many happy hours there. habit of carefully evaluating many makes Rolls-Royce had a particular inter- -Kit Foster

12 SAH Journal No. 220 Concepts of Range and Marque immense. In the middle of the 1930s there engines before and during World War I. The letter of Fred Summers regarding the was an impressive number of different Beginning in 1935, the suffix Grand commercial policies of Renault ("A models, but in fact things were more sim Sport was used for 6- and 8-cylinder cars Template for Success" )oumal 219) calls ple than appeared at first sight. with the normal chassis; the name "Stella" for several remarks. For example, the model range for was reserved for the long chassis. I am totally in accord with him 1934 was composed as follows: Two 8- The juvaquatre was not introduced when he talks of the quality and the cylinders the Rei nastella (7 125 litres), until 1938. robustness of the French auto industry. the most luxurious, and the Nervastella It is wrong to say that the names On the other hand, I regret to have to ( 4.825 litres), of a more affordable price. Monasix, Vivasix, Nervahuit and Reina say that if French vehicles are in fac t the (The Reinastella had gone out of produc huit were "used after 1934." In fact, most popular imports in Germany their tion in july 1932 but continued to be Monasix and Vivasix we re names used sales in japan are, alas, infinitesimal. But listed because of a stock of unsold cars. from 1928 to 1931. Nervahuit was used above all, I am not in accord with the One 6-cylinder: the Vivastella in 1931 only. There was never a car called parallel he has made between the distri (3 620 litres) the Reinahuit; the name was planned , but b~ion systems and policies of the model One 4-cylinder, middle size: the not used, for the Reinastella , introduced range of Renault and those of General Primaquatre (2 120 litres) at the 1928 Paris Salon. Motors, confusing a little the concept of One 4-cylinder, small size, the Renault neve r used a three-speed range and that of marque. Monaquatre ( 1.463 lit res), replaced in transmission with overdrive but generally As far as I knQw, there has always the course of the year by the all-new a three-speed with direct drive. Only been within each GM marque several Celtaquatre. some Reinastellas and Nervastell as had ranges of models, even if each marque For each of these models, there four-speed gearboxes with the fourth had its own character, increasingly luxu existed a multitude of variations, in func speed an overdrive. rious, from Chevrolet to Cadillac. tion and finish, wheelbase, body type There was no Nervastell a in the One is able to find today the same (sedan, limousine, cabriolet, coupe, etc.) 1940 range. Perhaps Mr. Summers drove hierarchical system in the Vo lkswagen Moreover- and it's here that things a 1939 model. Group (VW, Skoda, Seat, Audi, Lambor get a li ttle complicated-Renault created The term "La Regie" no longer iden ghini , Bentley, Bugatti) or at Fiat (Fiat, additional models by mounting the tifies the company. In 1945, the Societe Alfa-Romeo, Lancia, Maserati). motor of one on the chassis of another, des Usines Renault was nationalized and With the French manufacturers, always to respond in the best possible became Ia Regie Nationale des Usines things are different. Automobiles Citroen way to the needs of its customers. In Renault, or, colloquially, "La Regie ." became part of Peugeot SA in 1974. The addition to the models listed above, one However, the term was dropped when Talbot name was revived by PSA at its also found the Reinasport: motor of the Renault became once more a company of 1978 purchase of Chrysler's European Reinastella and chassis of the Nervastell a, private shareholders several years ago. operations and used on various Simca and Nervasport: motor of the Nervastella and - Claude Rouxel Rootes descendants. At PSA there remain chassis of the Vivastella, Primastella: old [Editor's Note: Claude Rouxel has writ two strong marques, Peugeot and Ci troen moto_r of the Vivastella and lengthened ten extensively on Renault for Automobilia (Talbot ceased to exist in 1986, contrary chassis of the Primaquatre, Vivaspon: and other French publications. He was to the letter), and two sales networks, but new motor of the Vivastella and chassis awarded the Nicholas-joseph Cugnot the production of the two marques are on of the Primastella and Vivaquatre: motor Award as co-author of the best book in a the same level and directly competitive: of the Primaquatre and chassis of the language other than English for Renault their ranges are parallel. At Renault, there Vivastella. des automobile de prestige (2002). ] is only one marque and one sales network But I don't see how one is able to with several ranges: Twingo, Clio, Megane, say that the Reinastella was the Cadillac, Interesting and Challenging Scenic, Laguna, Vel Satis, Espace, etc., the Nervastella the Buick, the Vivastella Jim Crabtree's call for a history of our each being available in a great number of the Oldsmobile, the Primaquatre the hobby ("Writing the History of Our Hob models. Pontiac, the Monaquatre the Chevrolet. by," )oumal 218) is both interesting and In the case of Renault between the To which marques would one assign the challenging. Chall enging very possibly to two world wars, the formula was the same: Reinaspon or the Vivaspon or the the point of impossibility. there were very diversified ranges, but it Vivaquatre, etc. 7 There is a saying, "For most people would be wrong to want to absorb each of Other comments on the letter: history is restricted to what happened in them within a single GM marque Renault There were never Renault passenger cars their lifetime. " In my opinion there is intended to meet all the needs of the coun with a V-8 engine; all the 8-cylinder cars more than just a grain of truth in this. try (hence the slogan Renault, ]'automobile we re straight eights. On the other hand, Mr. Crabtree wonders if Barney de France,) and its catalog was therefore Renault produced V-8 and V-12 aviation Pollard was the first collector. If his 1939

January-Fe bruary 2006 13 date is correct, l can recall a number of Encourage the Passion web. I know what a big project this would people who predated him. jim Crabtree wrote most thought-provok be, struggling as I am with my own web D. Cameron Peck and his friend ingly about several aspects of automotive efforts, but putting the contents of past Maj or Lennox Lohr (curator of the history I'm responding on the topic of the AHRs on the web would be of immense Museum of Science & Industry in work that car history hobbyists do to benefit, especially because it would reduce Chicago) started extensive collec tions in research and record the histories of the cars the duplication of effort that inevitably the 1930s. in which they're interested. occurs otherwise. A Mrs. Barnhart had a mansion at I see no reason why enthusiasts with -Karl Ludvigsen 47th and Drexel with a coach house an interest in car history, perhaps because stuffed with two Argo electrics and five they fancy a particular marque or era, Writer Out of Tune Pac kards ranging from the mid-1920s to shouldn't carry on with their research and with Aims of SAH the late 1930s. The cars were saved by a writing just as they do today My reasoning I was appalled to read the outburst by Chicago cop before the mansion was is simple: there's no substitute for their pas james Crabt ree (to which you gave so torched by more recent residents of the sion, their enthusiasm for a subject that much space). It appears to me that the • area. He sold the Argos to Harrah. causes them to go far beyond the call of writer is totally out of tune with the aims Sergius Ll oyd , a farmer near mere duty to find out all they can about a and obj ects of SAH and is therefore prob Genoa, Illinois, never traded in his old car, company or person. ably in the wrong club. l know that l am cars so over the years cars from the '20s No one else can match this passion. not alone in this opinion and l have no to the '40s accumulated in one barn and Certainly not the academics, certainly not doubt that you will receive similar letters behind it. One, a '20s Willys-Knight, professional writers, who have to consider to mine. had so many spiders livi ng in it a fumi the time that they spend on their manu As one who has devoted his ga tor was needed before a restorer scripts. In fact such professionals- among working life to recording the doings would touch it. whom l count myself--Dften count on of obscure small manufacturers (and On the east coast Henry Austin the work done by enthusiasts for the managed to make a reasonable living Clark bought his fi rst piece of literature detail that they need. For example, l doing so) l know that fortunately there and his first old car (a Model T fo r $1) couldn't have written my new book on are plenty of enthusiasts out there in 1929. V- 12 cars without help l received fro m (including SAH members) who enjoy Jim Crabtree's characterizati on of private researchers and clubs dealing with what l produce. Barney Pollard's "unpatriotic act . Hudsons, Lincolns, Packards, Tatras, If Mr. Crabtree feels so strongly cheated the WWll sc rap drives of a lot Pierce-Arrows and Daimlers, to name only that the area he mentions is neglected, of badly needed metal" is , in my opin a few. perhaps he should write it himself. ion, balderdash. The entire country This isn't to say that we should - Mic hael Worthington-Williams was loaded with junkyards full of cold-shoulder the academics, some of worn and wrecked cars that the gov whom are SAH members. In fact I'm The 77lst "Mobile" ernment could have commandeered often dumbfounded to read academic The ignominious pimpmobile (Billboard had there been an urgent need. Since works on the motor industry that would item journal 218) became the 771st real no new cars we re being produced at have benefited greatly fro m access to or imaginary vehicle name with a the time all the metal they would have writings by SAH members. Thus l think "mobile" prefix or suffix in a historical consumed was being directed to the it's important and very good news that A- Z list l have kept up to date through war effort. SAH is increasing its links wi th historical the years. I have read that much of the bodies that command the attention of The illustrious Cugnotmobile is rati oning, scrap drives and tire confisca academics. We want to be sure that the probably the fi rst wi th such a designation. ti ons were instituted less on the basis of efforts made by enthusiasts get the visi These names emanate not only war producti on needs and more on the bility that they deserve. from the U.S. but also fro m Germany, basis of making the populace keenly This reminds me that we need to France, Great Britain, etc. They include aware that there was a horrific war going find ways to get SAH writings onto the production vehicles (Locomobile), news on and this was something they could worl d-wide web. Increasingly this is the media designations, entertainment world do to help source used by academics to track down offerings , comic strips, prototypes, con Jim Crabtree's idea regarding the references that may help them in their cept cars and coined words by authors history of the hobby is a very good one. work. I'm embarrassed to say that when and designers. About 15 new ones are The M CA was founded in the mid-'30s. I wrote the V-12 book I didn't go back added to the list annually as they reflect Maybe their records would be a good and look through the Automotive History a creative panorama of our emerging place to start. Reviews, though l certainly would have transportation culture. -Bill Snyder accessed their texts if they'd been on the -Geo rge W Green

14 SAH Journal No. 220 Looks Like an Orient to Me cept was revived for new assembly plants The photo on the back cover of journal at South Gate, California, in 1936 and 218 looks very much to me like an Linden, New j ersey, in 1937. Both plants Orient Buckboard. The wire wheels, tiller assembled Buicks, Oldsmobiles and steering, seat design, cylindrical fuel Pontiacs. In 1945 these two plants and tank, rear-mounted engine and the lever four other assembly plants were com on the righthand side all say Orient to bined to form the Buick-Oldsmobile me, as made by Waltham Mfg. Co , of Pontiac Assembly Division, which existed Waltham, Massachusetts. What makes until the creation of General Motors Information Wanted On the Auto anyone think Beckel made it himself/ Assembly Division (GMAD) in 1965. Redbug made in New Bergin, ew -Michael Worthington-Williams -john Perala jersey. This was a small electric vehicle. David Kolzow 1486 - 95th Street, GM's B-0-P Plants Coincidence or Grave Robbing? Hampton, lA 5044I, (641)456-3300 ln journal 218 (Letters "Asking Ques After reading Pete Whittier's "Asking [email protected] tiQlls") Pete Whittier asked if the GM Questions" I have this question: Who is "BOP plant" at Linden, New jersey, ever taking credit for designing Chrysler's new Information Wanted We have discov made Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs models as far as styling is concerned? ered two unique items from circa 1934: a at the same time. B-0-P plants were ded I looked at the Dodges and Chryslers large plaster model of the Ford Rotunda icated to making all three lines of cars. driving by me and swore it was 1952 all as it appeared at the Chicago World's The B-0-P plant idea grew out of a over again. Fair (66x30x9 inches) and a lifesize plas Depression era expedient to help strug Briggs Cunningham originated the ter bust of Henry Ford. These came from gling General Motors dealers. The Buick styling concept l see over 50 years ago. a disintegrating warehouse north of Oldsmobile-Pontiac Sales Company was He died recently and now Chrysler rein Detroit that was being razed. They were created in 1932 to allow single-line deal carnates it. Is that coincidence or grave the only automotive items among thou ers to offer a second line of GM cars. robbing? sands of architectural castings found . This venture ended in 1933, but the con- -Don Chew This was the 70-year storage place of a long-gone company called J l Jungwirth of 58 Broadway in Detroit. We want to know if these were displays, test casts for his insider's history bronze molds or what. E-mail for several T details the development pictures of each in jpeg. Dan Bower of the now-legendary Royal [email protected] Bobcat GTO, from the (810)743-3297 people-including Milt Schornack, the mechanic who raced for Royal Pontiac Verification and Information Wanted and was largely responsible Found: the world's first outboard motor for the custom Bobcats- in London, Ontario. Owned by an elder to the fabled midnight test ly gentleman for 55 years, who doesn't runs on Detroit's Woodward want to sell it. It was built by two stu Avenue. Fourteen chapters, dents at a college in Wisconsin as a with photographs of vintage patent model. The students' names were GTOs, the infamous Ca r & johnson and Evinrude. Is this something Driver road test photos against a Ferrari GTO, and more, the outboard world has been looking chronicle a car that changed for7 lam concerned for its fate. Pictures the Detroit auto industry for available. Dan Bower (810)743-3297 the next decade. [email protected]

l 9l pp. $29.95 softcover Periodical Wanted The Chronicle (Fall 58 photographs, index ISBN 0-7864-2053-7 2005 1997 issue), a publication of the Auto motive Hall of Fame. l collect everything jordan and this one eludes me. McFarland James H. Lackey 110 Deer Run Road, Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640 • Orders 800-253-2187 · FAX 336-246-4403 • www.mcfarlandpub.com Huntington, WV 25704 (302)429-1180

January-February 2006 15 FIRST CLASS PRESORT U.S. Postage JgH,r..rl~ ,l PAID Issue 220 January-February 2006 Hartford, CT The Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Permit inSI 37 Wyndwood Road West Hartford, CT 06107

This is a 1912 Cadillac coupe, taken circa 1935. Inside are Art Twohy and his son, Dick Twohy. Two years after this photo was taken, Art would become one of the founders of the Horseless Carriage Club and hold the first ·meeting at his home in Los Angeles. Art had about a dozen vintage cars at one time and rented many to the film production companies for use in Hollywood movies in the '30s. Art was a also a wholesale lumber broker-note the small sign "Twohy Lumber Company" hanging from the door. Steve Twolry collectimr