<VV> Sylvia/Mini -- Corvair

Paul Rollins s_debaker at yahoo.com
Tue Dec 20 13:13:28 EST 2005


At 02:27 AM 12/20/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 22:52:47 -0500
>From: Padgett <pp2 at 6007.us>
>Subject: Re: <VV>Sylvia/Mini
>To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
>
> >Have you heard of the  "Mini"?
> >Mechanical - Yes - Styling, No.  The transverse FWD powertrain was
> >brilliant. The two-box look was sort of a squashed 30's Ford  Vicky!
>
>Actually no. Not sure about the 1934 "Traction Avant" but the 1949 SAAB 92
>had a transverse engine with FWD and innumerable motorcycles (and a few
>earlier minicars) had used a similar design. That the original Mini was a
>brilliant design ( I still have memories of hitting all three pedals with
>one foot and lived with an MG 1100 for about a year). But the Mini was
>really a "on the shoulders of giants" car and not really a breakthrough
>other than in advertising and "box on box" styling.
>
>Padgett


The Traction Avant had a longitudinal engine, with the transaxle ahead of 
it. Its real claim to fame was the first, truly-modern, unitized body.

The brilliance of Alec Issigonis' Mini driveline  was to integrate the 
transmission and differential with the engine to a degree not found in 
previous, mass-produced automobiles. He put the transmission inside the oil 
pan, with the diff attached to the side.

The Mini's transverse engine was supportive to it's real genius, which was 
the efficient use of space.  Issigonis achieved a ratio of usable volume to 
total volume -- about 90% -- in the Mini that no mass-produced car had 
previously approached. The modern MINI (BMW) is about 30% larger than the 
original Mini, with only about the same, usable, interior space as the 
original.

Volume efficiency also is one of the outstanding features of the Corvair, 
particularly when the spare tire is in the engine compartment, which seems 
to get almost no notice.

If Issigonis stood on anyone's shoulders, it would have been those of 
Corradino D'Ascanio, the designer of the Vespa motor scooter, which 
preceded the Mini by about a dozen years. Both designs had 
completely-integrated drivelines, full-independent suspension, unitized 
construction, and outstanding space utilization.

Paul  



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