Blind Alleys in Car Design

[warren t claim]

Sometimes even the big car manufacturers can get it wrong. Ford spent millions on the two stroke engine for the KA and Fiesta only for it to be canned at the last minute due to emission regs. Audi thought that it's Procon 10 safety system would be the way forward but the general public preferred airbags. Lotus had it's active ride suspension working well until they binned the idea.

 

What others are there?

[RoadworkUK]

I'll offer Honda and Mazda with Active four-wheel-steer, and go on to ask the following;

 

Why can't we have headlamps right across the front again, like the Mercury Sable and Pontiac Grand Prix? I've seen them in the 'States; It was like being in some parallel future where Betamax had been the winning format.

[Shep Shepherd]

Packard in the U.S. offered a sliding drawer glove box in its cars until well into the 1950s, which - as far as I'm aware - was never imitated by any other mainstream car manufacturer, despite being a pretty good idea.

[Guest]

Four wheel drive versions of ordinary road cars, be they cooking or otherwise. Look at all the variants the manufacturers brought out - only for them to sell in dismal numbers. If you read a mid to late Eighties car magazine they were convinced 4WD road cars would be the next big thing. Off the top of my head, I can think of:

 

Mercedes 4MATIC range

BMW iX range

Peugeot 405 GL and Mi16x4

Cavalier GL and Turbo x 4

Ford Sierra XR4x4 (although that was a much debated SVO development of an FF design)

Renault Quadra range

Alfa Romeo's 'Permanent 4' range

 

The only vaguely successful non sporting 4WD car I can think of was the original Panda 4x4. It wasn't really a performance or safety oriented option - it was aimed more at penny pinching green laners or farmers who needed a smaller car. Interestingly, when the Panda was resurrected, the 4x4 was too. Other than the most recent Honda Legend and the obvious Audi Quattro range \ Japanese and Italian rally reps, 'ordinary' 4WD road cars had pretty much died a death by the early 90's.

 

I'm guessing heavier fuel consumption and costly parts were to blame for their demise, along with ineffectual marketing that didn't convince buyers 4WD systems were worth the extra wedge.

[Felly Magic]

Aren't many Insignias 4wd as standard?

[Volksy]

I don't know about the 4x4 road car being a dead end, they seem pretty plentiful in Europe. Certainly in the more mountainous regions anyway, for example I hired a Octavia Wagon from Sixt last winter in Geneva and got a TSi 4x4. A huge amount of VW's out there were Syncros or 4motions, including my Transporter. Also the Jag Xtype was 4x4 also.

 

Citroens Activa suspension system is one that springs to mind.

[RoadworkUK]

Yeah, you can still buy a 4-Matic or iX of most Mercs and BMWs the other side of the ditch.

 

However; what I do miss is GRAFFIX down the side saying "FULL TIME 4WD" and "TURBO" and "INJECTION". Today, maybe the Insignia could be Graffixed up to say "DISAPPOINTING"?

[Cavcraft]

Allegro/quartic wheel interface.

[mouseflakes]

The rear-engined family car? Took a long time to die, but are there any left in production?

[Shep Shepherd]

The TATA Nano has a rear-mounted engine, but could it be described as a car?

 

[dollywobbler]

Citroen's hydropneumatic suspension. It's still brilliant, but they've spent the last 20 years trying to engineer it to behave like 'normal' suspension. Blind alley now reached as the current C5 rides bloomin' well on coils. Staggering well.

 

Wankel engine. Finally reaching the end of the road I understand.

[R9UKE]

 

Need I say more?

[morris_ital_lover]

Wankel engine. Finally reaching the end of the road I understand.

Yep when the RX8 bows out the Wankel will be assigned to the history books. Out of interest was there any actual performance improvement from the Wankel? All I have heard about them was that they were pretty heavy on the fuel.

 

I expect Ford's fancy grill on the new focus will be a blind alley foor the future.

[Albert Ross]

Animal shaped figureheads on the front...

[R9UKE]

All I have heard about them was that they were pretty heavy on the fuel.

 

And oil....

[Cavcraft]

Animal shaped figureheads on the front...

 

Could that be the much talked about Horsey Horseless?

[dollywobbler]

Smart is still rear engined, but not exactly a family car - but then nor is a Porka 911...

 

Wankel gives good power for a relatively small power unit - that's the appeal. Sadly, they were always a bit OM-NOMS on fuel. The Citroen CX was conceived with a triple-rotor powerplant in mind! I don't think Peugeot was very impressed.

 

Is there anything out there with a digital dashboard display these days? Vauxhall scored a blinder with their LCD displays. They still look amazing today.

[R9UKE]

Is there anything out there with a digital dashboard display these days? Vauxhall scored a blinder with their LCD displays. They still look amazing today.

 

Loads. Renault Scénic, Espace. Lots of Citroens. They all look shit compared to the GTE though.

[Cheggers]

Speaking of blind alleys in car design...

 

 

Avantime

 

 

That is all.

[hairnet]

sd1 where the dash was teh same either side for ease of rhd/lhd

 

no other makers did that........

[R9UKE]

 

Completely overlooked that one! A perfect example, I agree. I was watching a clip on the production of it, and the concept behind it was that it was for the children of Espace owners, who would want to stay true to their roots and feel well acquainted with a car they grew up with, but demand the styling of a Coupé. The French are mad bastards.

 

Here it is for anyone who gives a shit. It's in French with no subtitles.

 

[Albert Ross]

sd1 where the dash was teh same either side for ease of rhd/lhd

 

no other makers did that........

Land Rover still do... and have done since the start in 1947/8. Everything was done to make export models cheap to produce. So they centralised everything except the controls, bringing the speedo in front of the driver for the 1972 models, but making the first ones in mid '71.(Note: Range Rover also had the feature for the early models) The current Defender model still has this design in place, although a little less simple than it needs to be.

[dollywobbler]

sd1 where the dash was teh same either side for ease of rhd/lhd

 

no other makers did that........

 

As well as the afore-mentioned Land Rover there's the Morris Minor and Mini. I get where you're aiming at, as the speedo binnacle on the SD1 just swaps with the glovebox or something. I reckon other cars have done similar though, just can't think of any!

[dollywobbler]

Oh, something else that I'm missing. Headlamp wipers. A Volvo just doesn't look right without them!

[Guest]

 

Is there anything out there with a digital dashboard display these days? Vauxhall scored a blinder with their LCD displays. They still look amazing today.

 

The modern Citroen ranges are quite keen on them. Even my C4 has one:

 

 

It's translucent so you can see it even in direct sunlight. There's also a digital display for the revs on the pod over the steering column. In the phase 2 C4s they moved the rev counter over to the central pod, presumably to save a few quid. In the daylight the speedo is silvery white and changes to orange when the lights are switched on. The radio and rev counter display are always orange. You can also change the pod to read in KM\H if you mess around with some settings in the stereo.

[dollywobbler]

Well there you go. I'm glad digital displays live on. I know some stuff has LCD analogue-type displays, but they ain't digital.

 

I've got a real hankering for a 1980s Vauxhall now though. I don't really like performance though. Can you retro-fit the digital dash to a 1.3 Merit?

[Albert Ross]

Chrome horn rings, floor mounted dipswitches and/or washer pump squirterifiers.

One position seats.

Keep-fit front windows.

Manual locking.

Spare wheels.

Tool kits.

Accessible engine components etc.

 

I could go on and on and on.

[cms206]

sd1 where the dash was teh same either side for ease of rhd/lhd

 

no other makers did that........

 

As well as the afore-mentioned Land Rover there's the Morris Minor and Mini. I get where you're aiming at, as the speedo binnacle on the SD1 just swaps with the glovebox or something. I reckon other cars have done similar though, just can't think of any!

 

 

And, until they ceased production, the LDV Convoy. I believe.

 

 

Maybe.

 

 

Not technically a car either, but it fits the Autoshite vibe.

[Volksy]

Looking at WATs C4, I think this was the only car not to have the centre of the steering wheel turn.

[dollywobbler]

Single windscreen wipers. I know some sportscars just have the one, but I can't think of a modern family motor that does.

 

Here's a crap pic to demonstrate Citroen's love of the single wiper in the 1980s. It's a small pic, but look at those classy body kits! Even the 2CV gets one.