For the February 1953 issue of Popular Mechanics, Automotive Editor Arthur R. Railton and Detroit Automotive Correspondent Siler Freeman interviewed three American engineers and designers after they returned from European auto shows. The following quotes are a response to the question, “Are we going to keep getting cars that are bigger and longer? Is there no market for the small car in America?” (Go here to read the full interview.)
Edward Macauley, Packard chief engineer in charge of styling
“In my opinion, the American public never will accept an undersize car. By undersize, I mean any car substantially smaller than the cars as we know them today and there is much proof of that. It has been tried so often without success.”
William Graves, Packard vice president of engineering
“Also I think it is fair to say that the cars aren’t going to get any bigger either. We now have cars with an overall length that takes up most of the garages in use and I don’t see that even our biggest cars can get much bigger.”
George Walker, independent designer
“I definitely agree with you on that. And you don’t have to make them any wider because you have comfort now. Six persons can go from here to Duluth or to California and enjoy themselves. But we are bringing them down in height to give a new proportion. We are no changing the riding location, which is now cradled, to give a shorter hood so you can get comfort without elongating the car any more. You don’t have to have a long wheelbase like you used to, to get maximum riding comfort.”
RE:SOURCES
- Railton, Arthur R. and Siler Freeman; 1953. “American Engineers Look at Foreign Cars.” Popular Mechanics. February issue: 121-123, 302, 306, 308.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Nash Rambler (1953)
Also see ‘Could the 1956-57 Lincoln have saved a dying Packard?’
Very interesting Steve, thanks for posting. On one hand they seemed to have a decent handle on what most Americans at that time wanted in a car. On the other, they were completely dismissive of mass market European cars and all things small, including the handling benefits that they offered.
The trio also missed the change to ever longer cars. The beautiful 1927 Tudor house with attached garage that we moved into in ’67 included a clumsy bump-out that had hastily been added to fit those extra long cars.
Graves’ less than glowing comments about torsion bars was curious given that Packard went on to offer Torsion-Level within two years. And there was no talk of V8s. Perhaps the Packard folks told the interviewers that that subject was off limits.
One thing that most of us forget is that in 1953, except on a few parkways and toll turnpikes (Pennsylvania), most Americans did their inter-city driving on two-lane roads. 50-to-55-miles-per-hour was considered normal highway traveling speeds (plus most vehicles were not air-conditioned, so windows were rolled-down except in inclement weather). The post-war modern Chrysler, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Studebaker and Ford Y-Block V-8s were maybe loafing at 55-m.p.h., but cars were still very much what they had been in 1949. Vehicle suspensions were for a variety of road conditions and while suspensions were evolving with ball joints and boulevard riding comfort, they still were being developed for what was to come after 1955. The Interstate highway public works program under the Eisenhower administration (1956) changed everything, and with it, the American automobile. By 1955, concept cars from Ford, Chrysler and G.M. were longer, lower and wider and hinted at levels of performance that would not be realized until 1961 with horsepower approaching 400 h.p. Still, even today, it appears that the ideal wheelbase for a six-passenger sedan is 115-inches, and for a luxury car, around 120-121-inches, although Cadillacs, Lincolns and Imperials had wheelbase lengths over 125-inches and up to 133-inches, which today seems excessive. I wonder if the sales failure of the Hudson Jet in the marketplace doomed the small car (although it was too expensive) in the U.S. until the 1959 Studebaker Lark and 1960 Ford Falcon hit the showrooms. The 1950 Rambler and later iterations were available in 1953, but apparently were not considered to be a significant entry into the overall automotive to be a trendsetter at that time.