Blind Alleys in Car Design

[Volksy]

but I can't think of a modern family motor that does.

 

 

Have Mercedes ditched the single wiper now? With it's weird jumping action. XJ40's had single ones also.

[Guest]

but I can't think of a modern family motor that does.

 

 

Have Mercedes ditched the single wiper now? With it's weird jumping action. XJ40's had single ones also.

 

As did Isuzu Piazzas. They also had the washer jet built into the wiper arm.

[j-j]

CX had a single wiper from '74.

 

Digital dashboards and electronics were almost inevitable but what about the PRE-electronic digital dashboards! I'm talking about the Mercedes-Benz Heckflosse with its colour changing graph, the GS, CX and BX with their magnified, perma-lit drum speedos and the Oldsmobile Toronado with a similar drum type speedo but horizontal. There's something about these aborted works of art that I adore.

[j-j]

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

Wasn't there a concept pontiac from the 80s that did that? The current C5 model has this too.

 

I think the Wat-spec C4 has a great dashboard

[KruJoe]

Have Mercedes ditched the single wiper now? With it's weird jumping action.

The 190D we had was ace for that, it poked right up almost to the corners of the screen, it mesmerised me!

 

 

What about faired-in back wheels?

 

 

I was just thinking they had gone, but many eco-chariots have 'em, perhaps reflecting those 1980's electric concept cars.

[Negative Creep]

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

 

 

 

There's that small Mitsubishi thing as well

[KruJoe]

Is it called "i" ? There may or may not be an electric one, too.

 

I've always thought it's a shame that the Smart For4 (is that its name?) has a conventional layout. It looks good but would have been more interesting had they stuck with the RR setup.

Maybe manufacturers are now too scared to try something like that for a family car, for fear of today's motoring public not knowing how to drive them, then being buried under an avalanche of litigation and bad press as the numpties roll them/back them into ditches/kill children etc etc etc.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Aren't sunroofs extinct nowadays (apart from full-length canvas/glass ones, that is)? They seemed a really popular feature on late 1980s/early 1990s cars, although I still can't understand their raison d'etre...

[Felly Magic]

The Skoda Fabia/Octavia/Superb have the boggo standard tilt/slide sunroof as options. I even think the Mundane has a sunroof as an option still.

[STUNO]

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

 

 

 

There's that small Mitsubishi thing as well

 

That small Mitsubishi thing has 1 windscreen wiper as well !

[garethj]

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.

Even back in the '60s people were saying the same. There was always some confusion over engine cc depending on whether they counted one chamber or all three, but if you count one chamber the Wankel engine promised the power of a 2 litre from 900cc. Critics said they also had the thirst of a 2 litre so it was the answer to a question that nobody asked

 

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

Because I'm old, sad and miserable, when I saw the advert for that I instantly shouted "Jensen 541" at the TV

[alf892]

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

Wasn't there a concept pontiac from the 80s that did that? The current C5 model has this too.

 

I think the Wat-spec C4 has a great dashboard

 

 

loads of 30s, 40s and 50s stuff had the steering wheel centre not turney feature!

[M'coli]

IIRC the Aygo/C1/107 has a single wiper.

[roc24vIII]

IIRC the Aygo/C1/107 has a single wiper.

 

Indeed it does.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Animal shaped figureheads on the front...

 

Could that be the much talked about Horsey Horseless?

 

It is indeed, although the wooden horse wasn't just for show. In addition to housing the fuel supply, the inventor claimed it would be the only car on the roads which wouldn't frighten horses.

[scaryoldcortina]

back to blind alleys, what about gearbox in sump designs? Stuff like transverse A series and PSA suitcase engines where the engine oil also lubricates a gearbox housed directly below the crank.... Are there any current designs using this system?

 

The other one that springs to mind is hydrolastic/hydragas. Did it die with the metro?

[Volksy]

The MGF carried on with Hydragas, isn't it still made somewhere?

[morris_ital_lover]

I think when the F became the TF the Hydragas went the way of the F.

[M'coli]

Has anyone mentioned the air cooled engine yet? I believe even Porsche has abandoned it for the latest model of 911.

[garethj]

Has anyone mentioned the air cooled engine yet? I believe even Porsche has abandoned it for the latest model of 911.

True, it’s emissions regulations that killed it off. Just too difficult to keep exactly the same temperature around each combustion chamber which you need for precise injection amounts.

[dollywobbler]

The MGF carried on with Hydragas, isn't it still made somewhere?

 

As Mr Ital says, Hydragas died with the F. The TF uses coil springs as Dunlop allegedly got all huffy about unit prices for Hydragas displacers. (presumably because MG Rover weren't going to build as many).

[Timewaster]

Hopefully these:

The stupid key cards, not Lagunas.

 

 

 

 

Actually Errr............

[warren t claim]

Hopefully these:

The stupid key cards, not Lagunas.

 

 

 

 

Actually Errr............

 

agree 100% on the Laguna key cards. You can't even put them on a proper key ring and you have to empty your pockets to see if you're carrying it as opposed to your usual "pat down check".

[R9UKE]

You can't even put them on a proper key ring and you have to empty your pockets to see if you're carrying it as opposed to your usual "pat down check".

 

You could always do as the previous owner of one of mine did and drill through the bottom corner of the card, swearing at the French while you do.

[Volksy]

I thought that the point of the later ones was that you didn't need to take it out of your pocket. A Scenic I had would sense the key card and open when you pulled the door handle, and the Start/Stop button would also fire the engine up without plugging the card in. Unless of course it was broke, which it probably was..

[fiatdaft]

Thats the keyless entry option,not all have it.

[Timewaster]

But what is the point?! I have never ever thought

"I like my car, but I really hate having to twist the key when I want it to go - If only there were a solution!"

 

How about sun visors that bloody work, or wipers that clear more than 50% of the screen, or screens that don't mist up..

You know, USEFULL inventions instead of crap like automatic lights or rain sensing wipers.

 

And another thing - bloody thermostatic heating! a stupid solution to a problem that didn't exist.

Set 20 degrees, Get blasted with cold air untill the engine warms up......

Engine is warm, blasted with nuclear hot air until car reaches 20 degrees...

Fan is still on, blasted with cold air until car dips to 18 degrees...

Blasted with nuclear hot air untill car reaches 20 degrees..

And so on.

 

Sorry. Ranted on a bit there.

[406V6]

Front hinged bonnets.

I was about to say suicide rear doors (hinged on the rear door) but they've made a comeback !

starting handle

Gauges like an ammeter and oil pressure

Column gear change

Three speed manual gear box. Probably 4 speeds have gone now as well

Chrome bumpers

Wing mirrors

Opening quarter light windows

Spoilers on mainstream cars

The electrically heated front screen is almost a blind alley as it has barely appeared outside Ford group cars.

 

Glad to see that digital dashboards have pretty much gone. I had a GTE years ago and hated the dash.

[fiatdaft]

Digital dashes are very common,column gear's are coming back (new x5)

[dollywobbler]

But what is the point?! I have never ever thought

"I like my car, but I really hate having to twist the key when I want it to go - If only there were a solution!"

 

How about sun visors that bloody work, or wipers that clear more than 50% of the screen, or screens that don't mist up..

You know, USEFULL inventions instead of crap like automatic lights or rain sensing wipers.

 

And another thing - bloody thermostatic heating! a stupid solution to a problem that didn't exist.

Set 20 degrees, Get blasted with cold air untill the engine warms up......

Engine is warm, blasted with nuclear hot air until car reaches 20 degrees...

Fan is still on, blasted with cold air until car dips to 18 degrees...

Blasted with nuclear hot air untill car reaches 20 degrees..

And so on.

 

Sorry. Ranted on a bit there.

 

Buy my Rover. I was very impressed that unless you ask for Demist, it resolutely refuses to put the fans up until the engine is actually warm enough to provide some warm air. Someone's actually thought about that.

 

I'm very much saddened that a handbrake operated by a lever could end up being a blind alley. Electronic ones are just ridiculous. It's like replacing your front door with a switch. When pressed, an old man with Alzheimers comes out of a little hut, and spends half an hour trying to open the door with an electric corkscrew. Progress. Pah.