<VV> Mercedes-Benz 300SL (Corvair)

[Rodney Spooner]

I just ran across this nice little gem in an article "Greatest Car -
Mercedes-Benz 300SL" from the editors of Driving Today.

http://driving.myfoxwausau.com/greatest/MB300SL/

Here's a snippet.

".Uhlenhaut's engineering ace in the hole was an independent rear
suspension. By 1952, many racing cars and not a few passenger cars were
fitted with an independent front suspension. Since that end of the car
didn't involve the transmission of power from engine to wheels, the shift
from a beam axle to an independent set-up could be made fairly easily. But
designing a workable independent rear suspension that could accommodate
power delivery while handling all the forces that were applied to racing
wheel/tire combinations was a conundrum. Most of the successful road racers
of the era used a live axle or DeDion set-up.

"Not Mercedes-Benz.The rear suspension the Mercedes-Benz engineers designed
wasn't particularly sophisticated in modern terms. In fact, it was in some
ways similar to the suspension that got the Chevrolet Corvair in so much
trouble with Ralph Nader in the 1960's. It used swing axles, located by
trailing arms, with coils as the springing medium. But this was in 1952, not
1964, and these were racing cars, so the rear suspension proved to be a
handling boon."

Another reason why the Corvair is such a great car.it has a touch of German
engineering. Who knows, maybe if GM had kept it production it would have had
gull wing doors.or lambo doors at least.

 

Rodney

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