Photographs (Carl Weese) of Drive-Ins that are Hanging On, Survivors of Another Time

Santa Fe Springs, CA

Wellsville, NY

Newberg OR

Montgomery, PA

Mount Zion, West Virginia

Henderson, NC

Oklahoma City

Riverside, California

Kansas City, MO

Fairborn, Ohio

Cars from Saxony, Germany and an Annual Driving Event

The Chemnitz region -- one of the most important geographical areas in the history of the automobile in Europe. What follows are a number of photographs from historic drives through Saxony during 2009, 2010, and 2011.  Can you identify the cars? A 190 Sl Mercedes and a Pagoda Sl are among the cars in the photos.

My favorite photo -- note on the right the excitement the little girl has as she looks into the car!

Why choose a Diesel Engine over a ICE when Buying Your Next Car -- a Contribution from Ivy Delfin

The benefits of choosing a diesel engine

When deciding on your new car, one of the things at the very top of your list is probably going to be the energy efficiency of the vehicle. Earlier, this may just have meant buying a reliable car that doesn’t cost hundreds to keep on the road, but our idea of energy efficient has also come to include how the fuel used in the engine impacts on the environment. Petrol engines have been the most popular kind of engines since the invention of the common car, but it’s a wonder why diesel has typically only been the standard for industrial vehicles up until this point when there are so many advantages to having a diesel engine.

Diesel engines are an internal combustion engine, just like regular gasoline engines, converting chemical energy in fuel into mechanical energy. The mechanics involve moving pistons up and down inside cylinders, these pistons are connected to the crankshaft where the motion of the pistons moving up and down create the motion that turns the wheels. Unlike a petrol engine, a diesel engine has no spark plug, it takes in air and compresses it before injecting the fuel, the heat created from the compressed air is what lights the fuel that gets the engine moving.

Diesel engines get amazing mileage, generally they are up to 30 percent more fuel efficient than regular petrol engines meaning you don’t have to fill up as often. It contains more usable energy than petrol, thus making it more fuel efficient; it works by turning heat into energy rather than expelling heat like a petrol engine. However it does not offer the same performance as a petrol engine due to the fact that the engine has to work harder to use the energy.

Diesel engines are also built to withstand higher demands on it’s use making them last a lot longer than their petrol counterparts; they can withstand higher compression so they generally can go much longer without needing a tune-up, unlike petrol engines, adding to it’s efficiency. On that note, a diesel engine’s impact on the environment is lessened by the fact that diesel engines don’t release fumes like petrol does, it is also harder to burn so it is safer and won’t explode as easily as petrol. Another environmental benefit is the ease of running a diesel engine on alternative fuel. Regular gasoline engines can only accept petrol, otherwise they must be heavily modified to accept a more eco-friendly fuel. Diesel engines love biofuels, so start collecting that vegetable oil and feed your car!

If you don’t already have a diesel engine, there are plenty of companies, like Industrial Diesels, that supply diesel engines to convert your current vehicle, otherwise look for a diesel engine or energy efficient vehicle for your next car, it could end up saving you hundreds, even thousands, in the long run.

Ivy H Delfin

Copywriter/Digital Marketing

E:   ivyhdelfin@gmail.com

Connect with me on Google+

America's Golden Age of the Automobile Lives on in Sweden!

Take a look at the video linked below. An amazing story of Europeans who love those American "dinosaurs in the driveway."  Why do they do this?  Is it because in the 1950s in America it was the last time for the young to have fun? And the Swedes have somehow perceived that, and by recreating the past, escape their own desperate present, and perhaps future?

http://www.tagesschau.de/videoblog/nord_nord_ost/oldtimer106.html

Rat Rod Cruise-In -- A contribution from Ed Garten

The creation of Ed. "Big Daddy" Roth

Lakeview Drive-In Cruise-In

RATS IN WINONA

While driving to business meetings in Minnesota last week, this writer spent a wonderful day and evening in the Mississippi River town of Winona, Minnesota, where he happened upon an evening cruise-in at Lakeview Drive-in, an eatery that dates to 1938.  But the centerpiece of this particular cruise-in seemed to be a preponderance of  what are termed as "rat rods."

The "rat rod"  is a style of hot rod or custom car that, in most cases, imitates (or exaggerates) the early hot rods of the 1940s and 1950s. The style is not to be confused with the somewhat closely related "traditional" hot rod, which is an accurate re-creation or period-correct restoration of a hot rod from the same era. Most rat rods appear "unfinished", regardless of their status, as only the vehicle's bare essentials are driven.

Rat rods were originally a counter-reaction to the high-priced "customs" and typical hot rods, many of which were seldom driven and served only a decorative purpose. The rat rod's inception signified a throwback to the hot rods of the earlier days of hot-rod culture-built according to the owner's abilities and with the intention of being driven. Rat rods are meant to loosely imitate, in both form and function, the "traditional" hot rods of the era.

The typical rat rod is a late-1920s through to late-1950s coupe or roadster, but sometimes a truck or sedan. Many early pre-World War II vehicles were not built with fenders, hoods, running boards, and bumpers. The bodies are frequently channeled over the frame and sectioned, or the roofs were chopped, for a lower profile. Later-era post-war vehicles were rarely constructed without fenders and were often customized in the fashion of lead sleds or low riders. Maltese crosses, skulls, and other accessories were often added.  Note that the "rat" seen in Winona, Minnesota on cruise-in night has "fake" rats clamoring in the truck bed and one appearing to emerge from the vehicle's gas tank.

Recently, the term "rat rod" has been used to describe almost any vehicle that appears unfinished or is built simply to be driven.  Chopped tops, shaved trim, grills, tail lights, and other miscellaneous body parts continue to be swapped between makes and models.

Frames from older cars or light trucks are sometimes preferred for rat rod conversions due to the chassis that is used for these types of vehicles-the chassis type provides a sturdy base for subsequent alterations. Older cars in poor condition are often advertised as candidates for rat rod conversions and, in some cases, the owner will purchase a custom frame, or design and build it himself/herself. In other cases, a rat rodder may use a small pick-up chassis, such as a Chevy S-10, to insert into an older car body, in order to create a vehicle that features the look of a classic rat rod, while also maintaining the reliability of a modern vehicle.

Rat rods often appear unfinished and, at most, primer-only paint jobs are applied; satin, or matte, black and other flat colors are also common. "Natural patina" (the original paint job, with rust, blemishes, and sometimes bullet holes, left intact); a patchwork of original paint and primer; or bare metal, in rusty or oiled varieties, with no finish at all are some of the other finishes that may be used-such finishes honor the anti-restoration slogan that "it's only original once".  Contrary to the aesthetic of many car builders, rust is often acceptable and appreciated by rat rod owners.

Interiors of rat rods can range from fully finished, through to a spartan form. Mexican blankets and bomber seats form the basis of many rat rod interiors, and most are designed to be functional without many comforts; although, this will vary in accordance with the owner's taste.

Though a variety of engines may be used, the most common engine type that is used in rat rods are: Flathead V-8 Ford, early Chrysler Hemi engines, or more modern small block V8 engines from any manufacturer (Chevrolet is a common choice of small block engine). Straight 8's, straight 6's and straight 4's are also fairly commonly used in the construction of rat rods-these engines may exhibit varying displacements and modifications. While diesel engines are occasionally used, these engines are rarely fitted with emission controls, as such a feature was not part of the original construction, or the feature was not required under special license.

Most rat rods are rear wheel drive, with an open driveline. The rear endss and the transmissions are typically passenger vehicle pieces.

My interest in "rat rods" was renewed this past spring while attending the Auburn Spring car auction and swap meet where I met the son and daughter-in-law of the late "Big Daddy" Roth, one of the major customizers and artists associated with rat car culture.

"Rat Fink" is one of the severa hot rod characters created by Roth, one of the originators of Kustom Kulture of automobile enthusiasts. Roth conceived Rat Fink as an anti-hero answer to Mickey Mouse.  Rat Fink is green, depraved-looking with bulging, bloodshot eyes, an oversize mouth with yellowed, narrow teeth, and a red T-shirt with yellow "R.F." on it.  Yes, I bought an R. F. tee-shirt from Roth's son and plan to wear it to swap meets and car enthusiastic events (see attached photo).

Roth began airbrushing and selling "Weirdo" t-shirts at Car Shows and in the pages of Hot Rod publications such as Car Craft in the late 1950s. By the August 1959 issue of Car Craft, "Weirdo shirts" had become a full blown craze with Ed Roth at the forefront of the movement.

Nonetheless, "Rat Fink" and "Rat Cars" have been closely associated since the late 1950s.  But who would have thought that the nice clean town of Winona, Minnesota, would be a hot-bed of rat rod culture?  Rats!!!!!

Society of Automotive Historians Call for Papers, Stanford University, April 10-12, 2014

Note the dates -- proposals due October 31,2013; Conference April 10-12.

AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY CONFERENCE

CALL FOR PAPERS



The Society of Automotive Historians is seeking proposals for papers to
be presented at its Tenth Biennial Automotive History Conference to be
held in Palo Alto, California, USA, from April 10 through 12, 2014.The
conference will be co-sponsored by the Revs Automotive Research Program
at Stanford University and will take place at the Vail Automotive
Innovation Facility on the Stanford campus.

The conference theme is *“The Evolution of Automotive Technology” *and
will focus on the continuing development of the motor vehicle and its
process of manufacture over a 120-year history.Although considered by
many to have reached a plateau a half-century ago, the industry and its
products seem in recent years to have entered a new phase of creative
development addressing again issues once thought resolved and responding
to new economic, social, and environmental conditions through
fundamental research.

Papers may address the search for an effective and portable source of
energy, one of the first issues confronted by automotive pioneer
designers and one that is being studied again from the point of view of
contemporary requirements. Papers may address the development of
standardized vehicle control systems, the arrangement of power
components or safety devices and the interface between the vehicle and
the driver, all of them under reconsideration in ways that have the
potential to fundamentally alter the relation between the vehicle, the
driver and the road.At the same time the industry, until recently
believed to be entering a phase of business consolidation, has expanded
to embrace many new producers, a process that could only be made
possible through innovations in production technology and international
trade agreements. Proposals for papers on automotive subjects unrelated
to the conference theme will also be considered.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Rudi Volti, Emeritus Professor of
Sociology at Pitzer College, Claremont, California.Professor Volti’s
fields of expertise cover technology and society, social bases of
economic structure and behavior, automobility, and the sociology of work
and occupations.

Following the conference, a certain number of the conference papers will
be selected for publication in /Automotive History Review/, the journal
of the Society.

The Society of Automotive Historians is a unique interdisciplinary
organization devoted to all aspects of automotive history – engineering,
design, economics, the lives of automotive pioneers and innovators, the
history of motorsport competition, the integration of motor vehicles
into modern life and the culture of cars.In its publications and
conferences, historians of technology, business historians and social
historians interact to share their knowledge and perspectives.

Proposals should include the title of the submission, names and
affiliations of presenters, chairs, participants, etc., together with
addresses, phone/fax numbers, email addresses of contact personnel,
proposed format (paper, panel, workshop, etc.) and a one-page abstract
describing the content of the presentation.Proposals must be received by
October 31, 2013; notification of preliminary acceptance is anticipated
by November 30.Proposals should be submitted by email to Arthur W.
Jones, Conference Chair, _nomecos@verizon.net._

First Internal Combustion Engine in Flight? Wolfert, Cannstatt, Germany,1888.

On 10 August 1888 Leipzig-based bookseller Dr Karl Wölfert took off in a motorised airship from the factory yard of the Daimler Motor Company at the Seelberg in Cannstatt for a flight to Kornwestheim. The drive system was the famous single-cylinder Daimler engine with an output of 2 hp (1.5 kW) which powered two propellers: one in a vertical position and the other horizontal.

Leipzig-based bookseller Dr Karl Wölfert undertook experimental flights with steerable balloons for many years. In 1896 Gottlieb Daimler supplied him with a 7-hp (5.1 kW) two-cylinder phoenix engine with a light alloy crankcase for his "Deutschland" airship. Wölfert completed several successful test flights. In June 1897 he crashed and was killed when the balloon caught fire.

Stuttgart – One of mankind’s oldest dreams came true on 10 August 1888: Wölfert’s motorised airship successfully completed the world’s first engine-driven flight with a combustion engine. The flying machine belonging to the Leipzig-based bookseller Dr Friedrich Hermann Wölfert, powered by a single-cylinder Daimler engine, flew four kilometres from the factory yard of the Daimler Motor Company (Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft) at the Seelberg in Cannstatt to Kornwestheim. Thus Gottlieb Daimler’s vision of motorising vehicles on land, on water and in the air became reality.

At 9.00 a.m. on 10 August 1888, a new era of aeronautics began in the factory yard of the Daimler Motor Company (DMC) in Cannstatt: an airship slowly lifted up above the company premises and flew off with an audibly clattering four-stroke Daimler engine in a north-westerly direction. It was the first successful engine-driven flight in history with a combustion engine as a drive for the propeller.

Even if the single-cylinder Daimler engine was still too heavy to be used over long distances, the flight in 1888 proved the suitability of the fast-running combustion engine as an aircraft engine. Later, DMC equipped numerous Graf Zeppelin airships with engines – from the Z1 in 1900 to the LZ 130 in 1938 which flew with Mercedes-Benz diesel engines. The combustion engine also established itself as a drive for propeller-driven aeroplanes meaning that engines by Mercedes-Benz and the previous brands conquered the skies.

On that Friday morning in 1888, the airship designed by Dr Friedrich Hermann Wölfert landed after four kilometres on the Aldingen parade ground near Kornwestheim where it was welcomed by the amazed officers. Despite the short distance covered, the flight was a success for the book-selling aviation enthusiast. Wölfert, who was two metres tall and weighed around 100 kilogrammes, did not personally steer his airship from Cannstatt to Kornwestheim; it was in fact the 30-kilogramm-lighter Daimler employee, Gotthilf Wirsum, who took the helm. Two days later Wirsum steered the hydrogen-filled airship from Cannstatt on another four-kilometre flight.

The dream of flying

Friedrich Hermann Wölfert, born in 1850, began to dream of building an airship very early on. After studying Protestant theology in Leipzig, he founded his publishing house there in 1873. In 1880, he joined forces with forester Georg Baumgarten in order to be able to pursue his love of flying. His inventions include amongst other things a robust suspension for the airship gondolas using ropes which were guided through the envelope of the toughened balloon to its apex.

In that same year, Wölfert and Baumgarten built a 26-metre long airship with a cigar-shaped body in Dresden. Contemporaries found it very difficult to understand this visionary aircraft. The “Dresdener Anzeiger” newspaper was also amazed at “the sight of this monster of an airship and its individual parts which are hardly in proportion to one another”. Whilst the aviation pioneers made progress in the construction of the gas-filled envelope and the control system, they had no reliable source of power.

Baumgarten powered his airship models with amongst other things a spring mechanism motor. During a test flight in 1879, one such machine with a 12.5-meter long body proved itself both movable and steerable against the wind. However, the “clockwork” unit was hardly able to serve as a reliable motor over longer distances. The attempts of French engineers to use battery-electric motors in the “La France” airship in 1884 did not bring about a solution either: the unit comprising an energy storage unit and a motor was much too heavy for the airship.

Wölfert looked for a light, powerful drive system for the newest development stage of his airship – he looked at various electric motors and gas engines but none of the machines seemed suitable. Then Gottlieb Daimler contacted him and recommended that he use the fast-running four-stroke petrol engine that he and Maybach had developed as a source of power for the airship.

Daimler saw Wölfert’s airship project as an opportunity to finally realise his dream of motorising vehicles on land, on water and in the air. His engine was already working reliably in the “riding car” from 1885 (the first vehicle in the world with a combustion engine and a forerunner of the present-day motorcycle) and the world’s first four-wheel motor vehicle presented in 1886. Furthermore, there was also the “Marie”, a motor boat, the four-seater trolley car and a tram (all in 1887).

However, he also wanted the engine to conquer the skies in a flying machine. Initially Daimler recommended his single-cylinder engine, known as the “grandfather clock” due to its form, to an Augsburg-based airship designer and even the Prussian war ministry as a drive system for an aircraft – but in vain. He recognised a new opportunity in the late autumn of 1887, after reading an article about Wölfert’s airships. Daimler invited the bookseller to Cannstatt and agreed that they build an engine-driven airship.

The “grandfather clock” learns to fly

The 84-kg engine was fitted into the gondola of the airship which hung under the cigar-shaped body and was made of wooden slats and ropes. Using a control lever, the pilot was able to apply the engine’s power to both the vertical (for longitudinal propulsion) and horizontal propeller (for controlling altitude). The 2-hp (1.5 kW) engine drove the propellers at speeds of up to 720 revolutions per minute. The airship was steered using a large rudder at the bow of the gondola which, like the two propellers, was covered with fabric.

Following the two flights from the factory yard of the Daimler Motor Company, the airship started on a third flight from the Cannstatter Wasen fair grounds in September 1888. In 1889, Wölfert presented a new airship in Ulm which was also powered by a Daimler engine. In June 1897, Wölfert’s newest airship, the “Deutschland” caught fire on a flight in Berlin and crashed killing both the aviation pioneer and his co-pilot.

A true-to-original reconstruction of the gondola – including Gottlieb Daimler’s engine – on exhibit in the Mercedes-Benz Museum recalls Wölfert’s 1888 airship.

Technical data:

Wölfert’s motorised airship with a Daimler engine
Cylinders: 1
Displacement: 603 cubic centimetres
Output: 2 hp (1.5 kW) at 720 rpm