Unorthodox Four-Wheel Car

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18632, 16 February 1935, Page 9

Unorthodox FourWheel Car

GABRIEL Voisin, the renowned French car designer, is intent upon the const met ion of a revoliitioniry type of car, having a single wheel it front, and three at the back, two of which arc the usual driving wliee/k, while the third rearmost wheel lias i castor mounting. M. Voisin, it is stated', lias not yet built: a full-size car to those specificnions, but has carried out exhaustive I vind-tunncl tests with small models, it is understood that he is well satisied with the very uneon vent ional positioning of the four wheels, and in order to test public opinion has circulated among European experts an elaborate questionnaire, with photographs and drawings, to find what laws there might be in iiis theories. His novel design incorporates a •ndial engine, mounted' at the rear of the chassis, behind the normal backaxle assembly and in front of the lone, mstor-action back wheel. 11 appears that the only wheel to be governed by the steering is that at front, while thanks to castor action the single hind wheel will conform to all tlic changes of direction of the tar, and the two driving wheels, with differential gearing, will present no dillicultics.

It is said that the experiments conlucted to date indicate that such a uodel would be amazingly responsive iiid easy to manoeuvre, and that M. Voisin claims that such a car powered with a 145-b.h.p. radial engine 'ould be manufactured with a six seater saloon body, and the total weight not exceed 24cwt. It is also suggested that such a machine would be eminently suitable for complete, scientific streamlining, and bo capable of a maximum speed of well over 100 in.p.h.