Is your car better designed aerodynamically to be driven in reverse rather than forward?

[Joe in Canada]

A different topic as to were the cars of the teens 20s and 30s better aerodynamically designed driving in reverse than forward. This test was done at the Oshawa campus that has one of the most advanced car testing facilities and they actually did this test.

This is interesting showing the evolution of aerodynamics with a car. 

These are club members cars who were asked for the loan of the cars for the test.  They also give a great club tour of the facility when asked. 

 

Scroll down to the driving .ca  video and enlarge.

https://driving.ca/feature/1934-chrysler-airflow-aerodynamics-backward-wind-tunnel-test

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Joe in Canada (see edit history)

[JamesR]

 

Quote

Is your car better designed aerodynamically to be driven in reverse rather than forward?

This question reminds me of the old post-war Studebaker jokes. 😄 Interesting article. Thanks for posting.

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Edited August 10, 2023 by JamesR (see edit history)

[DFeeney]

The picture speaks for itself

[Pfeil]

5 hours ago, DFeeney said:

The picture speaks for itself

Your radiator is going to have a hard time of it.

[plymouthcranbrook]

A brick either way.

[TexRiv_63]

I have no real idea but the appearance would suggest a wash.

[wayne sheldon]

Aerodynamics is interesting stuff. Working in communications systems and custom building specialized large antennas for systems, we had to factor in "wind loading"  to make certain that systems would not fail in high winds. Sort of automotive aerodynamics tossed on its ear? And, oh, some stories I can tell!

The effect of the air on an object goes up exponentially with speed (whether the object is moving, or the air is moving, the effect and computations are basically the same). Forty mph was often considered a "tipping point" for speed. The difference between ten and twenty mph was negligible. Twenty to thirty, not much difference. While thirty to forty mph might begin making a notable difference, necessary changes to structure were still minor. However, get above about forty mph? Each additional ten mph will require some serious considerations to supporting structures!

Basically, below forty mph, aerodynamics on automobiles really doesn't much matter. And prior to 1930, very few people actually ever drove at over forty mph.

 

My hobby interests have always been with the earliest cars up to around 1930. As such, I have studied early cars, including racing cars, a lot. I always found early racing car designs to be very interesting. Alexander Winton built a power-house of a racing car in the late 1890s. Large wheels out in the open, but the chassis and engine were made low and mostly covered by sheet metal. At the back, the driver sat proud and high like he was sitting in a dining room chair! One of the fastest cars in the world in its day, and the driver himself was the one of the most significant wind drags.

About 1901, Henry Ford built his first real racing car. "Sweepstakes" was a great looking car, and I wish I had a picture of it I could share. Unfortunately, the only couple pictures I do have are still claimed as property of Ford, and I do not have permission to share them. The driver sat high and proud! The Winton at that time was considered one of the fastest cars in the world! And Henry Ford driving "Sweepstakes" beat the Winton in an official grudge match!

A bit later, Henry Ford built two more racing cars, nearly interchangeably alike. Both were among the fastest cars in the world at the time. if I recall correctly, one of them broke the mile in under fifty seconds mark! In 1904, after some improvements rebuilding the car from a crash, Henry Ford himself set a world speed record of 91.37 mph in the rebuilt 999. That record stood for a whole two weeks! (Things were changing fast in those days!)

 

Henry Ford and Barney Oldfield in 999.

 

1905 Ford six cylinder racing car with Frank Kulick at the wheel. A bit more aerodynamic?

 

About a year later, Frank Kulick was nearly killed when this car blew a tire at speed on a test run.

They were poised to retake the world's land speed record with this car, however, after that crash, the official attempt was never made.

The car had been unofficially clocked at land speed record speeds.

 

By then, some racing cars were beginning to get serious attention to aerodynamics and wind drag. But it was another decade before regular automobiles began seriously cutting back on the wind drag.