Thread: Porsche Design

Originally Posted by RayG

PS... Fred, feel free to move this thread if you feel there is a better forum for it.

Ray, as you can see I have moved your thread to Motor Vehicles.

Great pics and great subject.

PS, didn't know we had greenies then

PS, didn't know we had greenies then
The only thing new under the sun is the history we have forgotten.

In my ignorance, I had no idea Porsche was involved with this car, but evidently it was produced as a collaboration between Auto Union and Porsche to compete with Mercedes Benz, Porsche was involved with the design of the supercharged 6 liter V16, as well.

The part where they had the Auto Union displayed was a darkened hall, and the flash doesn't really do it justice.

Very impressive bit of engineering for the 1930's (not sure I'd like to be driving it at it's top speed of 340k tho.... )
















Since I didn't manage an overview picture, here are a few good overall pics of the Auto Union type C on google
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=a...=1516&bih=1012

Regards
Ray

(not sure I'd like to be driving it at it's top speed of 340k tho.... )
Yes the only guy who could really handle it went straight from motor cycle racing and hadn't been brain washed by the handling of lesser cars.
Regards

Originally Posted by RayG

This little gem caught my eye..

The 1901 Lohner Porsche electric hybrid was one of the standout exhibits of the show, the design used wheel hub motors and charged the batteries from it's two internal combustion engines..

It's a snazzy design alright, looks very futuristic. But there's one fatal flaw. With any vehicle with suspension (I can't see any on this one) the unsprung weight would result in a very bad handling and uncomfortable vehicle. No mystery why the idea didn't catch on for road cars. Until we have true lightweight and powerful motors, a remotely mounted power source will remain the norm. Until then, putting motors in sprung wheels is a bad idea.

Jordan

[QUOTE=RayG;1548534]Hi All,

This one is for BT.. I eventually got a little free time to look through the Porsche Design Exhibition..

This little gem caught my eye..


I'll take the one on the right...I dont like the shape of the other one, and besides, it just looks like it will go a little bit faster

Great pics Ray

Originally Posted by nadroj

It's a snazzy design alright, looks very futuristic. But there's one fatal flaw. With any vehicle with suspension (I can't see any on this one) the unsprung weight would result in a very bad handling and uncomfortable vehicle. No mystery why the idea didn't catch on for road cars. Until we have true lightweight and powerful motors, a remotely mounted power source will remain the norm. Until then, putting motors in sprung wheels is a bad idea.

Jordan

I think you'll find it didn't go fast enough for that to matter.

I THINK (from my poor old memory) that that car was the first car built with the electric motor/IC driven charger combination. There had been electrics before, but not with an onboard regenerator.

More trivia: Indian built the first motorcycle with rear suspension, and the first (different model) with electric start. The latter failed due to the poor batteries of the time.

Thank you Ray,

I had been hoping you would visit the museum armed with a camera. That Auto Union is exquisite. There was a contemporary, probably a fellow competitor, of the AU at the National Technical Museum in Prague, a stunning Mercedes along side an equally beautiful 1931 51 Bugatti. I took a heap of photos of the Merc but didn't post them because I thought there would be little interest. Jordan might have seen them on his visit to the museum.

Any 917, 958 or 962s on display?

BT

Hey, check out the dovetails here ...



I would have been looking for the 356s ... I miss mine, sold nearly 2 years ago after an 11 years restoration (but replaced with another Porsche).

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by damian

I think you'll find it didn't go fast enough for that to matter.

OK, but I've read of conceptual designers that reinvented powered wheels for fast cars. Great on paper!