> Given the British propensity to resist change in design.....
(A) Who gave the world the transverse mounted front wheel drive power
unit/drivetrain? The naturalised British (Alec Issigonis) - in the mini
(B) Who gave the world the disc brake on cars? The British
(C) Who gave the world the Harrier Jump-Jet? The British
> it is likely that levers were used "because they always had been used".
Rubbish. Over a span of less than seventy years, British cars manufacturers
have used at least five types of shock absorber in different makes
1. Coil springs within shackles which are bolted to the spring and chassis
respectively. Standard used this type.
2. Friction plates on the dumb irons
3. Lever arm
4. Compression tube
5. Hydrolastic. This latter was incorrectly known as Hydrolastic
suspension. The suspension was in truth rubber, with the hydro units acting
as the dampers.
How long did it take to design a car before the days of CAD/CAM? Most
Britsh motor manufacturers were back in car production within one year of
the May Armistice and all they could offer was an update of pre-war designs
- quite apart from getting the factories back from wartime output of
products that in many cases were far removed from vehicles. Moreover, much
of this was done in factories that had been so badly damaged as a result of
enemy action that its remarkable we were able to produce anything at all!
May I, with the greatest respect, suggest you do some basic homework before
going into print and making such sweeping statements in castigating a
nation's competence on certain technical issues?
John Macartney
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