The Ford Barn

TDO · 12-04-2015, 03:52 PM

Not ford related but was a safety test in 1934. not sure how much I believe.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/bFl5pE...yer_detailpage

Hope this comes out right.

ericr · 12-04-2015, 04:29 PM

no denying Chrysler had a great reputation for engineering on those days, what always hurt them was off-beat styling.

any speculation as to why the flags were flying half-mast that day?

700rpm · 12-04-2015, 04:50 PM

I always liked those air flow body designs. Hard to find one nowadays.

updraught · 12-04-2015, 05:09 PM

"The driver straps himself in.... "

SeaSlugs · 12-04-2015, 10:58 PM

wow very neat, and no todays cars would crumple as they are designed to crumple so YOU don't crumple in an accident.

PC/SR · 12-04-2015, 11:34 PM

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We had a 35 and 48 Plymouth as a kid because my Dad liked the Chrysler engineering. Style not so hot. I heard/read that Walter Chrysler said a car should be designed so a gentleman could wear a hat while driving.
I did like the 55-59 products. But it always seemed to me that the interiors were "cheap" ie, seat covers inferior and not so comfortable, the interior material lower quality stuff. Even bought an AMC Javelin over a Challenger in 1970 for that reason. Did like that car. As everyone on this forum says about some car, Wish I had it now!! To keep it A related, I was messing around with A's in those days.

old car guy · 12-05-2015, 12:07 AM

Can not reply on the airflow but I have had a 1934 dodge and desoto. And they were tough as nails. They both ran good and had been sitting for years,and the body work to repair them was tough because of the strength of the metal just did not want to give. And the glas was just as described , wish I had kept them both. You could fit a army in side of them.

Barry B./ Ma. · 12-05-2015, 09:06 AM

My first car was a 1935 Plymouth sedan and it was a rugged well built car with a nice interior. I have a Chrysler PT Cruiser now that reminds me of the Chrysler Airflow but I wouldn't try driving it over a cliff.

eagle · 12-05-2015, 10:22 AM

I would say there was a bit of editing done to that movie short. Whats the sense of a car surviving a run off a cliff if the driver is dead? Or a rollover where the door flies open and the occupants fall out? However, the objective was to show the toughness of the car, not its safety. My dad had a 40 ford coupe that rolled, all it needed was paint afterwards. Or so goes the story anyway...

Tomy Turbos · 12-05-2015, 12:18 PM

Regarding the Chrysler Airflow, it was in many ways far ahead of its time, with its emphasis on aerodynamics and safety. But it didn't look like what people thought a car should look like and was therefore fairly unsuccessful despite the marketing campaign. Such is often the case with new ideas -- it takes time for them to be embraced. I recall British Comedian Michael Flanders quoting his Aunt as saying 'If God had intended Man to fly, he would never have given us the Railways'. (This was said as part of an introduction to his song 'The Slow Train').

E.L. Cord made cars that were ahead of their time as well, but his looked COOL. I can't really say the same for Walter's stuff, particularly the Airflow. Yet the car is still very much deserving recognition.

As far as improvements to safety, I think at some point we have gone too far, what with Volvo's 'Pedestrian Airbag' and all. And bear in mind that I was for many decades one of the 'Give me something made of STEEL, something that the neighbor's cat can't dent by walking over it' school of thought. That is, I was until I saw the 1959 vs 2009 Crash Test video. There is simply no mistaking that the technology triumphs. But just like the Airflow, it triumphs at the expense of styling.

See for yourselves.

Tomy Turbos · 12-05-2015, 12:20 PM

Then there's THIS.

'I wouldn't be caught dead in a Benimoto!' has a certain irony.

mhsprecher · 12-05-2015, 12:53 PM

I have wondered about a Smart car, especially if it got tangled with a semi. I would not buy one unless I lived in Europe or maybe San Francisco ( for parking). I don't want to be in a crash in any of my antiques or my Miata. my F150, maybe.

The Model A was the first low priced car to have safety glass in the windshield due to an accident on the test track where a Ford engineer was badly injured, so Henry specified safety glass for the windshield.

I believe Airflows were unibody, as was the Lincoln Zephyr, which probably was influenced by the Airflow.

gz · 12-05-2015, 07:01 PM

Here is an unfortunate picture of a very recent accident involving a friend's 1933 Auburn 12. Something in the front end failed, he lost control and collided with a semi truck. Remarkably, my friend escaped with only very minor cuts and bruises.

Tomy Turbos · 12-05-2015, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gz

here is an unfortunate picture of a very recent accident involving a friend's 1933 auburn 12. Something in the front end failed, he lost control and collided with a semi truck. Remarkably, my friend escaped with only very minor cuts and bruises.

ouch!

todd3131 · 12-05-2015, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gz

Here is an unfortunate picture of a very recent accident involving a friend's 1933 Auburn 12. Something in the front end failed, he lost control and collided with a semi truck. Remarkably, my friend escaped with only very minor cuts and bruises.

I'm really glad your friendis ok. I have been there when I was hit in my roadster 25 years ago .

Does he know what he is going to do with the car yet ? Even in this stat it is pretty valuable.

12-04-2015, 03:52 PM	#1
TDO Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Enterprise, WV. Posts: 460	How would todays cars stand up. Not ford related but was a safety test in 1934. not sure how much I believe. https://www.youtube.com/embed/bFl5pE...yer_detailpage Hope this comes out right.

12-04-2015, 04:29 PM	#2
ericr Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 1,542	Re: How would todays cars stand up. no denying Chrysler had a great reputation for engineering on those days, what always hurt them was off-beat styling. any speculation as to why the flags were flying half-mast that day?

12-04-2015, 04:50 PM	#3
700rpm Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 5,913	Re: How would todays cars stand up. I always liked those air flow body designs. Hard to find one nowadays. __________________ Ray Horton, Portland, OR As you go through life, keep your eye on the donut, not the hole. Last edited by 700rpm; 12-04-2015 at 06:15 PM.

12-04-2015, 05:09 PM	#4
updraught Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Australia Posts: 1,974	Re: How would todays cars stand up. "The driver straps himself in.... "

12-04-2015, 10:58 PM	#5
SeaSlugs Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central, IL Posts: 3,968	Re: How would todays cars stand up. wow very neat, and no todays cars would crumple as they are designed to crumple so YOU don't crumple in an accident. __________________ 1929 Model AA - Need long splash aprons!

12-04-2015, 11:34 PM	#6
PC/SR Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Santa Rosa, CA Posts: 1,280	Re: How would todays cars stand up. Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) We had a 35 and 48 Plymouth as a kid because my Dad liked the Chrysler engineering. Style not so hot. I heard/read that Walter Chrysler said a car should be designed so a gentleman could wear a hat while driving. I did like the 55-59 products. But it always seemed to me that the interiors were "cheap" ie, seat covers inferior and not so comfortable, the interior material lower quality stuff. Even bought an AMC Javelin over a Challenger in 1970 for that reason. Did like that car. As everyone on this forum says about some car, Wish I had it now!! To keep it A related, I was messing around with A's in those days.

12-05-2015, 12:07 AM	#7
old car guy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: tampa fl Posts: 194	Re: How would todays cars stand up. Can not reply on the airflow but I have had a 1934 dodge and desoto. And they were tough as nails. They both ran good and had been sitting for years,and the body work to repair them was tough because of the strength of the metal just did not want to give. And the glas was just as described , wish I had kept them both. You could fit a army in side of them. __________________ old car guy

12-05-2015, 09:06 AM	#8
Barry B./ Ma. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southbridge, Ma. Posts: 1,614	Re: How would todays cars stand up. My first car was a 1935 Plymouth sedan and it was a rugged well built car with a nice interior. I have a Chrysler PT Cruiser now that reminds me of the Chrysler Airflow but I wouldn't try driving it over a cliff.

12-05-2015, 10:22 AM	#9
eagle Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Eagle Bend, MN Posts: 2,027	Re: How would todays cars stand up. I would say there was a bit of editing done to that movie short. Whats the sense of a car surviving a run off a cliff if the driver is dead? Or a rollover where the door flies open and the occupants fall out? However, the objective was to show the toughness of the car, not its safety. My dad had a 40 ford coupe that rolled, all it needed was paint afterwards. Or so goes the story anyway... __________________ "There are some that can destroy an anvil with a teaspoon and shouldn't be allowed to touch anything resembling a tool."

12-05-2015, 12:18 PM	#10
Tomy Turbos Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 52	Re: How would todays cars stand up. Regarding the Chrysler Airflow, it was in many ways far ahead of its time, with its emphasis on aerodynamics and safety. But it didn't look like what people thought a car should look like and was therefore fairly unsuccessful despite the marketing campaign. Such is often the case with new ideas -- it takes time for them to be embraced. I recall British Comedian Michael Flanders quoting his Aunt as saying 'If God had intended Man to fly, he would never have given us the Railways'. (This was said as part of an introduction to his song 'The Slow Train'). E.L. Cord made cars that were ahead of their time as well, but his looked COOL. I can't really say the same for Walter's stuff, particularly the Airflow. Yet the car is still very much deserving recognition. As far as improvements to safety, I think at some point we have gone too far, what with Volvo's 'Pedestrian Airbag' and all. And bear in mind that I was for many decades one of the 'Give me something made of STEEL, something that the neighbor's cat can't dent by walking over it' school of thought. That is, I was until I saw the 1959 vs 2009 Crash Test video. There is simply no mistaking that the technology triumphs. But just like the Airflow, it triumphs at the expense of styling. See for yourselves.

12-05-2015, 12:20 PM	#11
Tomy Turbos Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 52	Re: How would todays cars stand up. Then there's THIS. 'I wouldn't be caught dead in a Benimoto!' has a certain irony.

12-05-2015, 12:53 PM	#12
mhsprecher Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Takoma Park, MD Posts: 2,818	Re: How would todays cars stand up. I have wondered about a Smart car, especially if it got tangled with a semi. I would not buy one unless I lived in Europe or maybe San Francisco ( for parking). I don't want to be in a crash in any of my antiques or my Miata. my F150, maybe. The Model A was the first low priced car to have safety glass in the windshield due to an accident on the test track where a Ford engineer was badly injured, so Henry specified safety glass for the windshield. I believe Airflows were unibody, as was the Lincoln Zephyr, which probably was influenced by the Airflow. Last edited by mhsprecher; 12-05-2015 at 01:00 PM.