For 1955 Chevrolet was fresh and new. In this installment of Chevrolet's 1955 design story we look under the skin.
{In this second part of a three-part series on the innovative 1955 Chevrolet, David Temple looks at the chassis development of the all-new '55 Chevrolet.}
In the last issue, Old Cars detailed the development of Chevrolet's small-block V-8. Part 2 continues the 1955 Chevrolet design story by detailing the development of the car's chassis and additional electro-mechanical features.
In addition to a modern, optional V-8, Chevrolet developed a new chassis that marketing described as "Quadra-Poise Ride" through a "Glide-Ride Front Suspension," and "Outrigger Rear Suspension." The "Fingertip Facts" booklet for the 1955 Chevrolet explained the features of the new chassis this way: "From the new Glide-Ride Front Suspension to the location and construction of the seats… from the softer-riding tubeless tires, to the new Outrigger Rear Suspension, new designs and features have been incorporated… to assure better riding comfort, better roadability, and even greater stability. Its lower center of gravity, well-distributed weight, and wider tread combine to give a safer, road-hugging ride." Everything was designed with weight as an important consideration, though function and reliability were, of course, foremost in the minds of the engineers. Ed Cole noted, "The whole concept of the car was built around lighter components. We started, in other words, to get away from the heavier torque-tube drive and went to the Hotchkiss type. We went to a Salisbury-type axle instead of the banjo-type. And then we went to a ball-joint front suspension for weight savings and to a tubular frame." It all added up to the best chassis design to date for Chevrolet.
No comments:
Post a Comment