Bendix SWC

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bendix
'Steel Wheel Corporation'
Studebaker National Museum May 2014 053 (1934 Bendix) .jpg

Bendix SWC at the Studebaker National Museum

SWC
Presentation year: 1934
Vehicle fair: no
Class : Middle class
Body shape : Sedan
Engine: 2.8 liters (64.1 kW)
Length: 5182 mm
Width: 1525 mm
Height: 1600 mm
Wheelbase: 3048 mm
Empty weight: 1615 kg
Production model: without

The Bendix SWC , also known as Bendix Sedan and Steel Wheel Corporation Sedan, is a working concept vehicle for a light, solid and streamlined mid-range automobile that was developed under great secrecy by the Bendix Aviation Corporation from 1932 to 1934. The single piece was created as a carrier of ideas and also served as a demonstration object for the manufacturer's technical components. Series production may have been considered, as well as license production by interested manufacturers. Neither came about after the vehicle was shown to American customers in 1934 and completed a tour to well-known European automobile manufacturers in 1935. The Bendix SWC was not presented publicly at consumer shows or car shows. The project was not pursued after a new management led by General Motors took control of Bendix . The vehicle is preserved.

history

By 1930 Bendix Aviation Corporation was a major supplier to the automotive and, on a very small scale, aviation industry. Vincent Hugo Bendix had turned his production company into a group to which almost 130 companies were temporarily affiliated. He had gained experience in automobile construction at an early age. His production of high-wheeler automobiles ended in 1909 with a failure. He then built up his empire with the Startix starter he developed , the breakthrough of which came with the introduction by Chevrolet in 1914. Brake systems based on the patent of the French engineer Henri Perrot (1883–1961), with whom he founded the Bendix Corporation , were added later . The demand for Bendix brake systems was huge. When the Peerless Motor Car Corporation in Cleveland (Ohio) gave up automobile production at the end of 1931, he saw this as an opportunity for a new attempt and acquired the equipment that was no longer required for the planned production of a smaller and inexpensive family car. Bendix chief engineer Victor Kliesrath took over the technical management . Work on a prototype began in 1932. Alfred M. Ney , a young engineer who had worked at Packard under Kliesrath around 1925 , was commissioned with the construction and was given the rare opportunity to design a modern and innovative car from scratch. The car was not completed until 1934 after the concept had been compromised. It cost US $ 84,000.

'Steel Wheel Corporation'

Bendix took a considerable risk with its auto plans, and not just because of the current economic crisis. Bendix Aviation was one of the largest independent suppliers in the industry, and the start of automotive production inevitably meant that the company would compete with good customers. Confidentiality was therefore particularly important. In order to distract any industrial spies, a wrong track was laid: With the Steel Wheel Corporation or "SWC" for short, a company was invented that supposedly stood behind this project, but actually either didn't exist or was set up specifically for this project. This is how the prototype got its name. They even went so far as to put appropriate logos on the bonnet, on the dashboard and on the hubcaps.

Because of the difficult economic environment, Bendix was now forced to rethink and postpone its production plans. They were never realized. According to another reading, Vincent Bendix was from the beginning about using the prototype to demonstrate the technical possibilities of the group and to offer automobile manufacturers a complete vehicle that they could reproduce under license. In such a case, Bendix Aviation could have generated income from both license fees and the sale of the required components. However, this approach can only have developed - after the company's own production plans had collapsed. After all, this explains why there were also technical adjustments to the vehicle later, such as the retrofitting of leaf springs to support the rubber bearings or the electropneumatic pre-selection gear Bendix Electro-Vac .

development

Ney drew the construction plans according to his own presentation, alone and for reasons of strict secrecy in the seclusion of a country house near Lakeside ( Michigan ).

In the early stages, a weight of 1500 to 1700 lb (680-770 kg) was targeted. According to Ney, he spoke to a good friend, the Auburn chief designer Alan H. Leamy (1902–1935), who had also designed the Cord L-29 . Ney tried to win him over to the project, which failed because of Vincent Bendix's resistance.

For the actual construction of the prototype, a workshop was set up in St. Joseph (Michigan) after six months . Ney's small team now consisted of a second engineer, a Swiss named Fred Thomer , the chief mechanic of Kliesrath's boat racing team Ottavio Capra , the mechanics Nathan Byer and Charles Lair , the car upholsterer Ed Hupp , who had been brought in by Studebaker , and the designer William F. Ortwig . He had worked for Fleetwood or Fisher , depending on the source .

design

DeSoto Airflow Series SE (1934)

At first glance, the similarity between its design for the SWC and that of the Chrysler Airflow or its slightly smaller version DeSoto Airflow SE from 1934, which were developed at the same time and whose shape is the result of intensive tests in a wind tunnel, is striking . It is underlined by the use of decorative parts of the DeSoto Airflow SE , in particular the radiator grille, bumpers and headlight surrounds.

However, the resemblance of the design to that of the Airflow is coincidental and unlikely to be known about each other. Both vehicles were created in their own environment of strict secrecy. Bendix feared the project could upset customers. According to Ney, only a very small number of people were informed at Bendix Corporation. At Chrysler, the main goal was to prevent details of the advanced, new model from being leaked to the public too early.

Ortwig later confirmed that he had no knowledge of airflow when he designed the SWC . Ortwig's achievement is all the more astonishing as its design, unlike that of the Chrysler Airflow , has not been tested in a wind tunnel.

Customer demonstrations

After the first successful driving tests with the unbodied chassis, Vincent and Kliesrath pushed for a quick completion, although Ney demanded more development time in order to remedy some identified defects.

The car was offered to some American customers for replica in the course of 1934. Without the SWC , Ney, Vincent Bendix and Kliesrath visited the Paris Motor Show , which at that time was still taking place in the fall. It was not until November 1934 that Capra followed with the Bendix SWC , which made minor adjustments during the crossing to Southampton . Ney and Capra started a European tour in London. The car was then presented to those responsible from Bentley , Alvis , Citroën , Peugeot , Renault and Bugatti and moved on its own axis. Ney later recalled that it was very comfortable to drive.

Premature end

However, there was also a weak point in the design: the vehicle had become significantly heavier than originally planned. The rubber blocks of the suspension could not cope with the resulting additional load and broke easily. Finally, an interview at Fiat had to be canceled because one of the homokinetic joints on the drive shaft broke during the journey to Genoa . The car was brought to Le Havre by train and sent back to the USA with the Bremen .

The real reason for the abandonment was a dramatic change in circumstances at home. Bendix and Kliesrath had been ousted by representatives of the main shareholder General Motors , including Ernest R. Breech (1897–1978), who later became chairman of the Ford Motor Company . The background was the serious financial difficulties of the Bendix Aviation Corporation . In 1929, before the worst economic crisis of the 20th century, Bendix shares were trading at US $ 104.37. In 1933 it was worth exactly US $ 100 less at US $ 4.37 and General Motors , with a substantial 25% stake and also a major customer, was prompted to intervene. Kliesrath lost his influence and there was a power struggle with Vincent Bendix, which he lost in 1937. The SWC project ended immediately.

technology

It has already been mentioned that the Bendix SWC has front-wheel drive. The construction follows well-known principles that had been developed from the end of the 1920s and had already gone into series production in the USA in two new models, the Ruxton Model C and the Cord L-29 . Both production cars have eight-cylinder in-line engines; the Cord one from Lycoming and the Ruxton one from the Continental Motors Company . But that also ends the similarity of the two series cars with the Bendix SWC .

  • Ruxton Model C Sedan (1929)

  • Cord L-29 Phaeton Sedan (1930)

  • Citroën 7 CV Traction Avant 7A (1934)

Innovations from the Bendix SWC

Bendix SWC at the Studebaker National Museum

Not all elements of the Bendix SWC were new inventions. However, their connection to a highly innovative overall concept is unique.

  • Front wheel drive
  • Homokinetic wide-angle joints system Bendix-Weiss
  • Independent wheel suspensions all around, suspension with rubber blocks, later transverse leaf springs
  • Hydraulically operated brakes system Bendix
  • Brake booster (probably Bendix-Kliesrath system )
  • Ventilated brake drums all around
  • Aluminum drop center rims; Hubcaps with openings for brake ventilation
  • Low pressure tires
  • Bendix Startix starter
  • Water cooling using the latent heat process
  • hanging pedals system Bendix
  • Streamlined body
  • Internal ventilation system
  • Clock in the steering wheel ( Jaeger )
  • Vacuum-electric gear shift Bendix Electro-Vac (retrofit)

engine

The in- line engine , like that of the Ruxton , was bought from Continental . But it was a much smaller version with only six cylinders . They are technically similar, robustly constructed and, with their upright valves, designed not for high performance, but for longevity. However, the engine of the SWC has been revised in several ways.

The data of the original engine are not available; possibly a Continental Series 25A . It was almost certainly designed - like almost all Continental engines for road vehicles of that time - as a two-valve engine, as is also demonstrated for the SWC . This is described as 169.5 ci (2778 cm³) displacement with a 3 inch cylinder bore and 4 inch piston stroke (73 × 102 mm), special pistons , a modified camshaft and a compression ratio increased to 8.0: 1 . In this form it delivers 86 bhp (50.7 kW) at 4000 rpm and has a maximum torque of 142 ft. Lb. at 2400 rpm (211  N m ). A Stromberg EE-1 downdraft twin carburetor is planned . The brand had belonged to the Bendix Group since 1929. The electric starter is of the Bendix Startix type .

The engine block is made of gray cast iron . The crankshaft and camshaft each have four bearings. A special feature is that the engine is largely clad with sheet metal panels that have a "tenon grind" pattern and also cover the ancillary units of the engine. An aluminum air filter housing in the form of a cylinder head cover, attached above the “hot box” described below, gives the false impression of hanging valves .

Water cooling

The following important information is missing from this article or section:
After evaluating the available sources, there is no conclusive picture of how this cooling works. Further technical explanations are required.
Help Wikipedia by researching and pasting it .

The engine was also adapted to the water cooling developed by Ney . The motor has a flat aluminum plate at the top. Above this is a container known as a “hotbox”, whose mode of operation corresponds to a capacitor . The cast iron vessel is screwed to the engine block with stud bolts together with the cover plate. It is half filled with water, which heats up until it evaporates when the engine is running . The water pump feeds cooling water through a line and a perforated metal pipe in the upper part of the “hotbox”, whereby the steam condenses . This circuit cools the engine. A conventional water pump is required, but no fan.

Electrical system

Typical of the time, the car has a 6-volt system and a Bendix Startix starter . The ignition distributor is located under the above-described housing for the air filter on the "hotbox".

drive

Dashboard of a Cord 812 SC (1937) with Bendix Electro-Vac preselector . The gearshift lever sits on the side of the steering column on a boom

The power is transferred to the front wheels. The motor is set back and installed rotated by 180 degrees. This means that the transmission sits in front of instead of behind the engine together with the final drive and differential in a cast aluminum housing screwed to the engine between the front wheels. In US English, such a power transmission is called a transaxle . In German usage, the term transaxle is only used for this type of gearbox if it is separate from the engine, i.e. installed on the rear axle.

In conjunction with the short bonnet, this means that the engine protrudes slightly into the passenger compartment.

The vehicle has a single-disc dry clutch with asbestos coating . It is operated hydraulically . The transmission input shaft is guided through the hollow output shaft

The synchronized in the top two gears Warner - three-speed transmission with reverse gear and countershaft originally ratios of 2.82: 1 in the first, 1.60: 1 in the second and directly with 1: 1 in the third gear. The reverse gear was reduced to 3.83: 1.

It is unclear whether this remained the case when a Bendix Electro-Vac electropneumatic preselector gearbox was retrofitted at an unknown point in time . With preselector gearboxes, gears are automatically engaged when the clutch is depressed. The gearshift lever in such gearboxes is just a small electrical changeover switch. Bendix supplied automakers with these types of gearboxes ready for installation. Customers included Auburn for the Cord 810 and Hudson for some of the brand's upscale models.

The axle drive is designed as a 4.29: 1 worm gear . At the ends of the half-shafts are homokinetic Bendix-Weiss joints . Similar to Rzeppa joints, Bendix-Weiss joints transmit the driving forces via rotating balls.

The SWC is one of the first vehicles to be equipped with hanging instead of standing pedals for gas, brakes and clutch. This device is also a product from the Bendix delivery program.

chassis

The concept for the SWC envisaged a combined structure for chassis and body, in which the body structure and chassis together contribute to stability. A kind of space frame was planned . Such a construction was also used for the Airflow and continuously improved as the Unit Frame & Body Construction . Unit bodies were the most widely used solution at Chrysler until they were replaced by self-supporting bodies in 1959 .

The project was under increasing time pressure. When it became foreseeable that the deadlines could not be met without compromises, the conventional design with a load-bearing chassis and a body made of sheet-metal wooden framework was used instead of the space frame. The chassis consists of a tubular frame forked at the front and rear with cross members at the front and rear. All the wheels of the SWC are individually suspended , a design that was progressive at this time.

The lower wishbones of the front suspension are not attached to the chassis, but to mountings on the engine block and the gearbox. This drive block rests on rubber bearings at the front and rear, which are arranged in a line with its center of gravity; there is no rigid connection between the drive and the chassis. Therefore, torsional vibrations of the drive are not transmitted to the car body. The motor has limited freedom of rotation around the longitudinal axis to about 2.5 cm.

The rear suspension also has double wishbones , but these are shorter than on the front axle. The springs were initially rubber blocks that were subjected to compression, later the rubbers and the upper wishbones were replaced by transverse leaf springs .

steering

The vehicle has Ross steering with a worm and steering finger. The steering column is in two parts. The upper part with a fashionable “ banjo ” steering wheel hangs under the dashboard and protrudes into the passenger compartment at an ergonomically favorable angle. It is connected via a universal joint to the lower part, which is vertical and transfers the steering movements to the steering gear, which is attached to the chassis underneath. The steering is geared down at 13.5: 1. The turning circle is 46 feet (14 meters).

Wheels, tires and brakes

Ney assumed that the suspension would also have to be supported with special low-pressure tires. When General Tire came onto the market with the jumbo balloon tire at that time , the expected custom-made product became superfluous. At the time, the SWC required unusually small rims with a 14 inch diameter with a tire pressure of 8 psi (0.55 bar).

Wheels and brakes form a system. There are slots on the hubcaps that direct cooling air to the brakes and each of the four drum brakes has five trapezoidal cooling holes. The actuation of the hydraulically operated brakes is also facilitated by a brake booster .

body

Ortwig had drawn a streamlined, modern and largely straightforward structure. The car is designed as a four-door touring sedan with four to five seats and a steeply sloping hatchback . "Touring" back then stood for a trunk integrated into the body of the car. The front is strongly arched, the radiator grille is curved and tilted backwards. The windshield is in two parts, the windows both inclined and angled against each other. The spare wheel is stowed in its own compartment under the trunk.

The planned partially self-supporting construction could not be realized due to time constraints. Instead, a body had to be produced for the SWC using the traditional composite construction method, i.e. with a wooden frame and sheet steel paneling. The bonnet, fenders, doors and wheel covers are made of aluminum to save weight. The backrest of the rear bench seat can be folded down to access the trunk from the inside, which is accessible from the outside behind a flap. The Jaeger watch, which is attached to the steering wheel hub, is more of a gimmick .

Some design details were only solved last. The decision to take over the radiator grille, headlight surrounds and bumpers from the DeSoto Airflow was probably made by chance shortly before completion. Ney later explained in an interview that it would have made no sense to have trim parts made just for this one car. But that may have contributed to the fact that the car was misunderstood as an Airflow copy. Other, less conspicuous components from other manufacturers were also used. These include the two glove compartments from a Cadillac or the instrument panel in the middle of the dashboard, which probably belongs to a Nash LaFayette .

The body was built on the premises of the Robinson shipyard in Benton Harbor . The work on the Bendix SWC was entrusted to dismissed specialists from the Studebaker Corporation , which had suffered badly in the economic crisis and which had become insolvent in 1933. The company was saved, but many employees lost their jobs.

As it turned out, the initially targeted vehicle weight of 1500 to 1700 lbs (680–770 kg) could not be maintained by a long way. The fact that the finished vehicle finally weighed 3650 lb (1615 kg) was due not least to the unplanned extra weight of the conventional body.

Specifications

Bendix SWC (1934)
Data Bendix SWC
Engine: 6-cylinder in-line engine (four-stroke)
cast iron engine block
based on Continental Series 25A
Crankshaft bearings 4th
Displacement: 2778 cm³ (169.5 in³)
Bore × stroke: 3 × 4 inches
73 × 102 mm
Valves: 12
Valve control: SV
power 86 bhp (64 kW) at 4000 rpm
Max. Torque:  142 ft lbf (211 N m) at 2400 rpm
Compression: 8.0: 1
Mixture supply: Downdraft twin carburetor Stromberg EE-1
two-channel intake manifold
electric fuel pump
Exhaust gas routing: Cast iron exhaust manifold
simple exhaust system
Cooling: Water cooling
hotbox based on the principle of latent heat
water pump
Electrical system: 6 volts, battery
Starter: Bendix Startix
Ignition: Ignition coil Delco Remy
Drive: Front engine, longitudinal
front drive with differential and half-shafts.
2 constant velocity universal joints system Bendix-Weiss per half-shaft
Transmission: Mechanical three-speed gearbox with reverse gear warning , synchronized
electropneumatic pre-selection gearbox Bendix Electro-Vac ; Lever on the steering column (retrofitted)
Gear reduction: 1st gear 2.82: 1
2nd gear 1.60: 1
3rd gear 1.00: 1
reverse gear 3.83: 1
Coupling: Single-disc dry clutch , asbestos covering , hydraulic actuation
Differential: Worm drive, reduction 4.29: 1
Chassis: Three-part steel box frame, front and rear subframes
Front axle and wheel suspension: Front wheel drive; Half shafts with Weiss universal joints

Independent wheel suspension with lower A-arm, leaf spring above; Friction shock absorbers

Rear axle and suspension: Independent wheel suspension with lower A-arm, leaf spring above; Friction shock absorbers
Steering: Ross steering with worm wheel and steering finger
reduction 13.5: 1
turning circle 14 meters (46 feet )
Brakes: Hydraulically operated four wheel drum brakes
Drum diameter 8 inches (20.3 cm)
Brake pads 144.0 square inches (929 cm²)
Handbrake: unknown
Bikes: 14 inch special drop center rims , custom-made, screwed to the drum brake
Tires : General Jumbo Balloon
tire pressure 0.55 bar (8 psi)
Length: 5182 mm (204 in)
Width: 1525 mm (60 in)
Height: 1600 mm (63 in)
Wheelbase: 3048 mm (120 in)
Front track: 1327 mm (52.25 inches)
Rear track: 1314 mm (51.75 inches)
Body: Touring Sedan , 4-door, 4/5 seats
Mixed construction,
sheet steel paneling; Engine hood, fenders, doors and wheel cladding made of aluminum sheet,
integrated trunk, accessible from outside and inside
Petrol tanks: two of 30.3 liters (8 US.liq.gal ); total 60.6 liters (16 US.liq.gal)
One of the tanks is housed in each of the front fenders. The filler necks are located in front of the radiator and are accessible when the bonnet is open.
Weight: 1615 kg (3650 lbs )
Top speed: 185 km / h
Costs: US $ 84,000.00

Unless otherwise noted, this information was taken from Michael Lamm's report "FWD Bendix SWC" in the November / December 1971 issue of Special Interest Auto .

Appreciation and whereabouts

After Vincent Bendix was sacked and Kliesrath was put aside, there were no more supporters of the project. The new management saw no need for this and the General Motors representatives on the board had to get the lurching Bendix Group on track and ensure that the production of parts and components ran smoothly. There was no interest in highlighting a truly modern vehicle from an “outsider” that was more innovative than anything the powerful corporation had brought onto the market in recent years. The team that designed and built the SWC , however, seem to have had few illusions about the vehicle's inclusion in Europe. The second engineer, Fred Thomer, wrote in a letter to the SIA in 1972 :

“The European auto men are just as proud of their own engineering as Packard or Duesenberg ever were, ... What designers of ability like Ettore Bugatti thought of the SWC we can only guess. The St. Joe [sic] crew was a real international bunch: French, Italian, German, Polish, Austrian and Swiss. We could have told [Bendix and Kliesrath] that their scheme had no chance of success - but we had a lot of fun working on it! "

“ The European car people are just as proud of their developments as Packard or Duesenberg always were… We can only guess what capable designers like Ettore Bugatti thought of the SWC. The St. Joseph crew was a really international bunch: French, Italians, Germans, Poles, Austrians and Swiss We could have told [Bendix and Kliesrath] that their plan was futile - but we had a lot of fun working on it! "

The SWC appears to have been shut down shortly after its return. In 1967 Bendix employee Gene Wadzinski found it parked under a tailor-made cover in a small barn on the former Bendix test site. He was given permission to get the vehicle ready to drive again in his spare time. While it is well preserved, but was not in a really running order, as the reporter Ross MacLean of Special Interest Auto , insisted to drive it for the 1971 published articles.

Because of the circumstances of its creation and the associated secrecy, as well as the loss of interest after the change in leadership at Bendix Aviation Corporation , this vehicle has remained relatively unknown. Nevertheless there were reports about it again and again, the so-called SIA article by Lamm, one in Automobil Revue , issue 35/1984 and one each in the online magazines Hemmings Motors News (by David La Chance in October 2008) and by Zwischengas from May 2013.

The Bendix SWC has an entry in the standard work by Kimes and Clark, Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 , Edition 1996. The vehicle is now in the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend (Indiana) in the USA.

Aerodynamic designs of the 1930s (gallery)

  • Chrysler Airflow Sedan Serie CU (1934)

  • Adler 2.5 liter "Autobahn" Sedan (1938)

  • Cord 810 Westchester Sedan (1937)

  • Lincoln Zephyr V12 Sedan (1936)

  • Peugeot 402 Berline long (1937)

  • Tatra 77a (rear engine, 1936–1938)

Remarks

  1. ^ According to research by the Special Interest Auto magazine for their report on the car in the November / December 1971 issue. This article by renowned automotive historian and journalist Michael Lamm is one of the primary sources for the article here and of particular value because SIA was able to speak to direct parties like Ney and Ortwig.
  2. ↑ When the SWC project started in 1932, Chrysler had not yet decided on the design of the new model.
  3. ↑ During a test drive decades later with the unrestored and actually not suitable for testing car, the results were less positive. LaChance quotes the tester as saying that the SWC was difficult to drive and the self-resetting of the steering was inadequate; the car was found to be "a little scary" to drive. The test journalist was aware of the unrevised condition of the mechanics, admitted little experience in dealing with front-wheel drive vehicles and still passed the test drive.
  4. ↑ Michael Lamm was the editor of Special Interest Auto . The report is available online; see. following chapter "Web Links".
  5. ↑ , is not available, but can be called up from Zwischengas via Pay-Wall

literature

Web links

Commons : Bendix SWC  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 , 1996, p. 116 (Bendix Highwheeler).
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac LaChance: The Internationalist.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Lamm: FWD Bendix SWC. In: Special Interest Auto, Nov./Dec. 1971, p. 40.
  4. ↑ a b c Conceptcarz: 1934 Bendix Sedan.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Lamm: FWD Bendix SWC. In: Special Interest Auto, Nov./Dec. 1971, p. 44.
  6. ↑ a b c Lamm: FWD Bendix SWC. In: Special Interest Auto, Nov./Dec. 1971, p. 41.
  7. ↑ a b c d e Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 , 1996, p. 116 (Bendix SWC).
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Lamm: FWD Bendix SWC. In: Special Interest Auto, Nov./Dec. 1971, p. 45 (specifications).
  9. ↑ a b c d Lamm: FWD Bendix SWC. In: Special Interest Auto, Nov./Dec. 1971, p. 42.
  10. ↑ http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/805552-0-1200.jpg
  11. ↑ a b c Lamm: FWD Bendix SWC. In: Special Interest Auto, Nov./Dec. 1971, p. 43.
  12. ↑ a b Double-declutching : The bustling Vincent Bendix and his wonder car.