During the "veteran" period, the concept of the car as a whole did not change. Designers continued to improve the design of the body and components. A steel sheet instead of wood was used for bodywork production. But it was during this period that Ford embodied the concept of the bodywork in the T model, which became the prototype of modern models.
3. Vintage - from 1918 to 1930
A revolutionary innovation in this period was the model Dodge TA. It was put into production in 1919. The car had a fully enclosed steel case, which was produced by The Budd Co. Two years later, the principles of technology were developed for mass production of closed bodies, which allowed to reduce labor input and improve quality.
The technological achievement was the development of spraying painting using nitrocellulose varnishes. The development belongs to Du Pont and General Motors. In 1925, as a result of close cooperation between Citroen and The Budd Co., a model 10 CV was created - a machine with a closed steel body.
In the early 1920s, engineers began to take an interest in aerodynamics. The purpose of this work was to reduce the resistance to oncoming airflow while driving. Edmund Rumpler became one of the pioneers who actively used the laws of aerodynamics in the development of the bodywork. His car Tropfenwagen, presented in 1921 in Berlin, became a real sensation - it was like a drop of water. In 1979, the German concern Volkswagen decided to test this car in a wind tunnel. The resistance coefficient Cx was 0.28. In comparison, the same result was obtained by Mazda engineers when they created the Mazda 3 model in 2012.
The Bugatti 32, designed for racing in 1923, has an even lower coefficient of resistance - only 0.23 Cx. This is a lower value than the modern BMW i8, which has a Cx of 0.26.
A breakthrough in the field of bodybuilding was Lancia Lambda. Mass production of the model began in 1922. The traditional longitudinal frame was replaced by a spatial steel support structure, which made the machine stiffer and lower.
In 1928, The Budd Co. divided the bodywork into separate elements. Forming technology was introduced for the production of the bodywork, which accelerated the production of the cladding and reduced the number of components. Manufacturers also developed point and line welding techniques.
The first radios were sold in 1930. They were produced by Motorola.
4. "Classic" - from 1931 to 1947
Stages of car body development
During this period, the concept of a cheap car for people and a self-supporting steel body were further developed. In 1934, Citroen showed the Traction Avant model. It was a front-wheel-drive vehicle, where the front part of the body was made so that the engine together with the cooling system and chassis became a single whole. Therefore, they were installed as a single module.
The vehicle stood out among the competitors by its inclined rear surface, which became the boot door. It was equipped with a spare wheel. This solution extended the owner's ability to transport things, so the concept quickly gained the customers' acceptance.
Another famous French car of this period was the 2CV model, which was put into production in 1936. However, because of the Second World War, the production of the car was stopped. Production of the model was resumed only after the end of the war. The car was produced until 1990.
The Italians in 1936 presented a tiny Fiat 500 called Topolino. German engineer Ferdinand Porsche also worked on the "people's" car - the car and presented under this name Volkswagen at the Berlin Motor Show in 1938.
The concept of stiffness is embodied in the model. The upper part of the body was screwed to the relief plate of the floor. Due to the compact size and specific design of the model was called "Beetle". This cult creation of German engineers was produced until 2003. During the whole period of mass production 21 529 464 copies came off the conveyor belt.
The continuation follows...