Body Engineering - Past, Present and Conjecture as to Future 390167
THE development in constructional design which appears to be nearest at hand is the so-called unit construction, Mr. Allen believes. Rear-engine mounting is inevitable, he reasons, if cars are to become more blunt of nose and more tapered at the tail, but the change-over will evolve slowly. Speculating on future body materials and processes, he first takes up the possibility of molding the complete body in large sections of some plastic material, giving his views on the improvements that must be made in the plastic materials and necessary changes in production equipment and processes.
The three major periods - past, present, and future - are considered separately in the light of their influence upon:
1.
The body engineer himself, his development, his ever-changing responsibilities and opportunities.
2.
Constructional design and probable reasons for adopting each successive type of construction used.
3.
Styling and contour changes, illustrating trends affecting outward appearance.
