Packard headlights

[BadDog]

Element. Yuck! Seems like the other is a Scion?

[Lew Hartswick]

Element. Yuck! Seems like the other is a Scion?

Yea I think that is pair. :-)
...lew...

[Tuckerfan]

I disagree. There are a number of contemporary examples of highly streamlined vehicles from that era. One in particular, the Tatra T77 (1935) has a coefficient of drag of only .212, a number to be proud of and in the same class as the most aerodynamic cars available today.

Another was the Dymaxion (1933), designed by Buckminster Fuller. It had a drag coefficient of .25, also a very respectable number.

Yet another was the unusual Rumpler Tropfenwagen (1921) with a very low drag of .28.

I thought the Dymaxion's COD was .19, but outside of the Dymaxion, the Briggs, and the Chrysler Airflow, nobody in the US was seriously considering streamlining at the time, and Chrysler was the only one of the Big 3 to be doing it. The Airflow sold so poorly that it killed the idea of a radically streamlined car for decades, which is a shame. The Airflow actually was a pretty good car. Chrysler had a promotional film where they showed the car being pushed off a cliff, then when it landed (on it's wheels), a guy walked up, climbed into the car and drove off.

[Rustybolt]

When I was in high school I had an opportunity to work on a 1938 Packard touring car restoration for the father of a friend. The headlights were round. Like other headlights of that era.

[Evan]

but outside of the Dymaxion, the Briggs, and the Chrysler Airflow, nobody in the US was seriously considering streamlining at the time,

I still disagree.

1936 Cord



The 1938 Phantom Corsair

[BadDog]

Ahh, the Cord. One of my all time favorites. As they say, so far ahead of it's time...

[A.K. Boomer]

Wow that phantom corsair is amazing for any era... never seen a pic of that.

[Evan]

There is another car from that time that looks like a batmobile for Darth Vader. I have a pic on a postcard somewhere but can't find it and don't remember the name.

[wirewrkr]

Evan are you sure you're not thinking of an older Tatra than the one you showed? one of Hans earlier cars actually reminded me of the Batmobile the first time I saw one. Cant remember where the book is, around here somewheres. They made some unique autos, Quite fetching actually, and there was actually a settlement paid to them by VW in the early sixties (I think) for some supposed stolen designs by Ferdinand and his designers.

No one brought it up but the VW (aircooled) bugs were also a aerodynamic design.
Robert

[Your Old Dog]

I creased a motorcycle face shield once out of "looks" and found out at 100mph when you turn your head it acted like a rudder.

ROFLAMO !! David, how the hell did you survive your youth?