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Vintage April 1956 Motor Trend Magazine Desoto Olds Test.

EDITOR................. Walter A. Woron

Managing Editor....... Pete Molson

Executive Ed.......Don MacDonald

Detroit Editor...Jim Lodge

...........Al Kidd

Sports Editor.....

Classic Car Editor....Bob Gottlieb

Staff Writer.................Paul Sorber

ART STAFF

Director........

Asst. Director..........

Production......

Photo.......

.Al Isaacs

.Don Fell

Yvonne Hull

Bob D'Olivo,

Al Paloczy, Colin Creitz

PUBLISHED MONTHLY

the new cars

general

CONTENTS APRIL 1956.

VOL. 8 NO. 4

cars to come

classic cars

custom cars

foreign cars

PUBLISHER................R. E. Petersen

General Manager.Lee Ryan

Business Manager....... Ted Johnson

Circulation Mgr....... Gordon Behn

ADVERTISING

sports

technical

Coordinator.................Jack Preston

..Jim Going

Dick Jones

road tests '56 OLDSMOBILE 88...

'56 DE SOTO.

Manager....

Production...

ADVISORY STAFF

Engineering Editor.......John Booth

Technical Advisor Doug Moreton

..Al Kidd 22

Jim Lodge 34

SPOTLIGHT ON DETROIT.

..Jim Lodge 10

I HAD A DREAM.....

....John Booth 18

Set back 5 years by the last war, Detroit's

engineers and designers are bringing about a

steady evolving of the American automobile

TWO FOR THE ROAD... Jonathan Claver

A modern Darwin's predictions on the evolution

of the Homo Sapiens into 2 distinct species

TAKE THE SURPRISE ELEMENT OUT

OF DRIVING......

Sherman Martin 44

DRIVING AROUND WITH WALT WORON......

Our "maiden" ride in the newest sensation of

the automotive world the Citroen DS-19-and

a supercharged Plymouth

X-RAYING THE FIREBIRD II..Don MacDonald....28

Hollywood 2.3361

TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

departments EDITORIAL ............ 6

GLOVE

AUDITED

COMPARTMENT .. 7

FROM THE REAR

SEAT

LETTERS

PAID

DUESENBERG

CLASSIC COMMENTS.... Robert J. Gottlieb 43

THE BEAUTY LINGERS ON.....

NIMBLE ROADENT

ABC

DRIVESCRIPTION:

'56 BENTLEY

........Don MacDonald 26

A CAR IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING...... 52

THE CONSERVATIVE BRITONS.

MEMO PLEASE IMPORT THIS ONE..............

MOTOR SPORTS...

.......Al Kidd 38

THE GREAT GEARBOX SWINDLE Paul Sorber 32

THIS DIESEL WHISPERS.........

CAR OWNERS

LIBRARY

DUNCAN HINES

SUGGESTS........

MOTORING

ACCESSORIES.... 68

SELL 'N'

..........

..........12

the cover In this issue MT makes a thoro study-both external

and internal of GM's experimental Motorama crea

tion, the Firebird II. The X-ray view on the cover is

a rendering by Charles Davison of Detroit.

SWAP ADS.......... 71

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A new 3-speed automatic transmission will soon be

available on the big Imperials and, within a few

months, on other Chrysler automobiles. Operated by

5 pushbuttons at the left of the driver, there are 3

forward ranges (1 Low and 2 Drive) plus the usual

Neutral and Reverse. The 1st range is used in all

accelerations from a stop, and a device automatically

shifts from 2nd to 3rd range even if the Low button is

held in, thereby preventing over-revving of the engine.

Flooring the accelerator or pushing the Low button

will cause a downshift to 2nd range below 70 mph

and to 1st range below 25 mph. Pressing the Reverse

button over 12 mph will cause a shift to Neutral

----------- 3 -----------

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE

Valve-in-head design, 265-cubic-inch displacement,

3.75" bore x 3.0" stroke, 225 h.p. at 5200 r.p.m.

Torque 270 foot-pounds at 3600 r.p.m. Special

high-lift camshaft, high-speed valve system with

mechanical lifters. Deep-ribbed cast aluminum

rocker covers. 12-volt electrical system.

TRANSMISSIONS

Choice of special high-performance 3-speed close-

ratio Synchro-Mesh (2.2:1 low and reverse, 1.31:1

second, 1:1 high) with high-capacity 10-inch coil-

spring clutch, or optional Powerglide special auto-

matic transmission with floor-mounted range selec-

tor. Rear axle 3.55:1 ratio standard, 3.27:1 ratio

optional with 3-speed transmission.

INTERIOR FEATURES

Vinyl-covered bucket seats with safety belt optional

at extra cost. Ash tray and glove compartment

between seats. Instrument panel with vinyl-covered

top is standard with speedometer, tachometer, am-

meter, fuel level, oil pressure and coolant tempera-

ture gauges.

COLORS

Onyx Black with Red interior and Black or White

top; Venetian Red with Red interior and Beige

or White top; Cascade Green with Beige interior

and Beige or White top; Aztec Copper with Beige

interior and Beige or White top; Arctic Blue with

Beige or Red interior and Beige or White top;

Polo White with Red interior and White or Black

top.

In addition to solid colors, the indented side

panels are available painted to contrast or harmo-

nize with over-all body color as follows:

INDENT

BODY

Black.

Copper.

Green.

Silver

Beige

Dark Green

Dark Blue

Beige

White.. ... Silver

Blue.

Red.

----------- 4 -----------

TE SOMETIMES WONDER what cars would be like now

kissing

World War II had never happened. Would

cousins of the Motorama dream cars shown on these page

actually be ole production stuff, with the dreams advanced

shut down during the 3-year period from mid-1942 to mid

1945. so also did creative thinking.

themselves as targets for others on Guadalcanal or in North

Stylists were practicing on the rifle range or perhaps offering

Africa. Engineers were designing tanks and a myriad other war.

time necessities. Nobody cared or thought about any car other

than a Jeep or 6 by 6.

When it was all over, the stylist dusted off his sketch pad,

the engineer his slide rule, and the buying public expected

miracles. They were not forthcoming-let's face it. Tooling,

which was all new for many '42 models, had hardly been broken

in. That year, for example, Ford produced only about 20,000

units. The object was to turn out transportation, and the easiest,

quickest way to do it was to dust off the 1942 design and give

it a 1946 title.

The only all-new cars to make their appearance in any quan-

tity were the Kaiser-Frazer offerings, and, in 1947, the Stude.

Daker. Competitors of the latter even criticized the upstart from

South Bend for trying to upset the equilibrium of the comforta-

ble seller's market.

Most companies knew that the need for transportation (no

elling, styling, or engineering effort really required) would

how signs of ending by 1948 and be over by 1950. Stylists

nd engineers, working 2 to 3 years in advance, were in most

ases ready with what would normally in peacetime have been

ne 1945 model.

----------- 5 -----------

Oldsmobile's Quadri-jet (4-barrel) car-

buretor is an important factor in the

T-350's 240 hp. The disc at left is a

new air valve that operates the second-

ary venturis for better performance in

all speed ranges: closed at low speeds,

they open for maximum acceleration and

high speeds. For improved breathing,

the carburetor is mounted on the new

T-branch manifold; both of which have

greatly enlarged air passages. Cylinders

are numbered from front to rear, even

on the right and odd on the left. Firing

order, conveniently shown on the mani-

fold, is given as 1-8-7-3-6-5-4-2

MOTOR TREND/APRIL 1956

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The numerous refinements instituted in the '56 Jetaway Hydra-Matic can be seen

in the above illustration. The former front friction clutch and bands have

been replaced by a torus unit (F.U. drive and driven torus) and 2 sprag clutches

(front and rear sprag clutches), thereby eliminating band adjustments and effec-

tively smoothing out shifting pulsations. In 1st and 3rd gears, the 2nd coupling is

empty, and the front planetary gear produces part of the gear reduction. Then, in

2nd and 4th gears, the F.U. (2nd) torus unit fills with fluid to effect these shifts

and, incidentally, blend all the changes into a continuous flow of power to the

rear wheels. At left is another view of the 2 (main and F.U.) torus units.

The changes have resulted in a decidedly better transmission in that there seems

to be much greater smoothness in operation, combined with a more rugged design

----------- 7 -----------

DODGING PLATOONS OF TAXIS and elevated pillars in

a $12,000 Bentley saloon (especially someone else's) was

frankly a novel and somewhat worrisome experience. But for

once I can say I drove a cloud and really mean it since the

new Bentley "S" sedan is mechanically and dimensionally

identical to the equally new Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. For

the 1st few minutes, I drove as gingerly as you would sit down

in a genuine Louis XIV chair.

Within minutes, tho, I had every confidence that I could

do anything with the car. It is not so much what it does but

how it does it that is so amazing. Factory representative

Norman Miller (who was with me), stated flatly that Rolls will

not tolerate noise from any component of their cars.

He was not exaggerating; the relatively small (297-cubic-

inch), F-head, 6-cylinder engine is one of those rare ones you

think has stalled when it is idling. Without being able to

time it on city streets, my guess is that the approximately

140-horsepower (Rolls never has published this specification)

unit will move the 4100-pound car from 0 to 60 mph in

about 13 to 14 seconds.

Altho not publicized as such, Silver Clouds and Bentley

S's have standardized on Hydra-Matic, built under license by

----------- 8 -----------

IN 2 SHORT GENERATIONS the Firebird has made im-

pressive strides towards becoming an inhabitant of your

garage. The 1st (MT, Aug. '54) was a projectile-like affair

with an inordinate thirst for fuel and room only for its

driver (usually Mauri Rose). The current one carries 4 people

comfortably with economy about equal to a Buick Roadmaster.

Firebird I was obviously impractical, especially when com-

pared to the contemporary Plymouth turbine car. Few people

realized, however, that this was deliberate. It was styled like

a land-locked jet airplane to emphasize the fact that, in GM's

opinion at least, turbine-powered passenger cars were a long

way from production.

Firebird II should be considered a progress report; its

styling, roadable chassis, simple controls, economy, and room

for the family indicate that the turbine is closer than ever,

but still 5 to 10 years away. It is also a test bed for a baker's

dozen new ideas, ranging from electric door keys (which

work) to an automatic pilot system (which doesn't work as

yet). Some of these will be on production cars long before

gas turbines are.

BODY FEATURES

There are actually 2 Firebird IIs in existence. One, with a

Fiberglas body, is the engineering test car that was used to

make the "Highway of the Future" movie featured in Motorama.

It can be, and has been, driven on public highways.

The show car is complete in every respect, and identical

except that the body was painstakingly formed from titanium.

This metal is fairly plentiful on the North American continent,

but there is a handful of toiling craftsmen in the Firebird

styling studio who at the drop of a hat will tell why it has

not been used much commercially, never before for a body.

It works about as easily as spring steel, and you can

vigorously apply a coarse metal file for half an hour before

the surface is scratched. Remember that the whole outside

surface of the Firebird is "brushed," another word for deliber-

ately applied scratches. Welding and bonding techniques had

to be invented, as there was no previous experience that

would apply. The resulting structure is nearly as light as

aluminum, nearly as strong as steel, and one that is impervious

to corrosion.

28 MOTOR TREND/APRIL 1956

----------- 9 -----------

DE E SOTO SALES tell a story that con-

forms nicely to some of our conclu-

sions on the "Why buy a DeSoto?" ques-

tion. Sympathetic critics might say that

DeSoto has seemed destined to play a

somewhat subdued role, often overshad-

owed by fast-selling Plymouths, chrome-

and-color Dodges, or Chrysler power. But

a turning point came in '55, when DeSoto

dropped its once-venerable, now-vulner-

able 6-cylinder engine, took on "Forward

Look" style, a competitive power boost,

and gave sales a shakeup.

Here's what happened: Plymouth went

from 5th place in '54 to 4th in '55; Dodge

held fast to hotly-contested 8th place, and

Chrysler moved up one important slot to

take over 9th place in '55. But DeSoto

came up with some earned runs to move

from 13th place to 11th to gain the most-

improved-player award on a vastly im-

proved team. And our '56 test car revealed

why this should be another successful year.

Test car: Fireflite "Sportsman" 2-door

hardtop, equipped with power steering,

power brakes, electric window lifts, deluxe

radio, hot-water heater, special leather up-

holstery. PowerFlite automatic transmis-

sion is standard on all Fireflites.

EASE OF DRIVING

Power-assisted or standard-steering De-

Sotos rate praise, particularly when the go-

ing gets rough; steering wheel fight from

front-wheel movement is at a minimum.

The biggest difference between the 2 steer-

ing systems is found in the number of

steering wheel turns needed to move the

34 MOTOR TREND/APRIL 1956

WK0632

----------- 10 -----------

COURTESY THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM

A new sports car, the Gregoire, is outstanding for

its most unusual features. The frame structure is one

piece of cast aluminum, is claimed to be extremely

rigid, and allows for mounting a variety of body

types. Front wheel drive, wit power provided by

a 130-hp, 134-cubic-inch, flat 4-cylinder engine,

gives tremendous traction, particularly in view of

the 2 to 1 (front to rear) weight distribution. Vari-

able rate suspension adjusts for differences in load

so as to provide the best possible handling charac-

teristics at all times. The pleasantly styled body by

Henri Chapron seats 3 side by side, and also gives

commodious baggage space both in the trunk and

behind the seats. Production plans are unknown at

presstime; this car is listed as a prototype

----------- 11 -----------

With so much legend surrounding Duesenberg, it's sometimes difficult to separate

wheat from chaff. What is fact and not fiction is that it was American, with

chassis and engines only built by brothers Fred and August Duesenberg for up

to $11,500. All bodies were custom built (for $3500 and more), as in the case

of the convertible victoria by Rollston (above) and "saloon" by Murphy with 4

doors cut into top (below). Monstrous (420-cubic-inch) SJ engine was a dual

overhead cam 8 with closer to 207 horsepower than the claimed 265. Even so,

it hit 89 mph in 2nd gear, clocked 116 mph in high

----------- 12 -----------

Rittk

Renault's new rear-engined 5-CV Dauphine

boasts a 51.5-cubic-inch engine (basically a 4-

CV engine with bigger bore and valves) produc

ing 30 hp. The car is longer and wider than the

4-CV, and the weight distribution has been

changed by moving the spare tire and gas tank.

Tested in secret on the island of Corsica, the

newborn Dauphine attained an honest 70 mph

and handled beautifully thru the mountains

East Germany's Wartburg P-311 is a 5-passenger

sedan with a water-cooled 3-cylinder, 2-stroke

DKW-like engine producing 38 hp to drive the

front wheels thru a 4-speed transmission and

free wheel. Maximum speed is near 78 mph

PEUGEO

EUGEOT CAAN

----------- 13 -----------

The Fiat Multipla is Italy's extremely economical and ver-

satile thing (car-bus-truck?) that seats 6 as a bus or, with

the seats folded down, carries 770 pounds of freight on a

19-square-foot area. Using many Fiat 600 sedan parts, such

as the 38.7-cubic-inch, 22-hp, 4-cylinder engine and 4-

speed transmission, the Multipla cruises at 50 mph with a

full load, giving better than 48 miles per gallon. Easy ac-

cess to the interior is provided by 4 doors; a small radiator

in the front heats incoming fresh air. Coil springs at all 4

corners give the tiny car excellent handling characteristics

----------- 14 -----------

HREE ENTIRELY new British Fords

have been announced-new in the sense

that they are different from the previous

models. True, they are longer, wider, and

more powerful, but they betray a certain lack

of originality in conception: sort of newly

made suet puddings of the type the British

love so well. If foreign sales are of impor-

tance, there is bound to be some disappoint-

ment, at least as far as the U.S. is concerned.

As far as looks go, one might just as well

buy a '55 Ford as the '56 Zodiac shown here.

The Zodiac is the most luxurious of the Brit-

ish Fords and is 2 inches longer than the

178.4-inch Zephyr. Both of these cars are

head-valve engine producing 86 hp at 4200