FUTURE motor-car development, Mr. Stout contends, will follow the functional art of bus and airplane development rather than motor-car precedents. The interior instead of the exterior, he believes, is the basic thing to be studied, pointing out that passenger room has been growing less and less. The car of the future, therefore, he predicts, will have an interior that extends out the full width of the car with no running boards, will have totally enclosed wheels, will have a unit frame and body, the engine in the rear, and either double or sliding doors.
The effect of rear-engine construction on ride, bounce control, braking, and traction on muddy and icy roads is explained. New body materials, such as plastics, are looked for on future cars to insulate them from the radiant heat of the sun, especially for roofs. Mr. Stout sees light-weight air-cooled engines in future cars, weighing not over 3½ lb per hp. The possibilities of rubber springs are discussed.
