Современное автомобилестроение. Сахарова Н.С. - 84 стр.

17 Сборник текстов для самостоятельного чтения
студентов
«Из истории европейского автостроения»

     17.1 Text 1

       The pioneer motorist

    Roger Bacon in the thirteenth century prophesied that ‘one day we shall endow
chariots with incredible speed without the aid of any animal‘, and was promptly
imprisoned for being in league with devil. The dream of a self-propelled vehicle
occupied inventive minds for many centuries. Sails, clockwork and kites were all
tried and failed. Steam-powered vehicles seemed to be the answer but their slowness
and tendency to explode were serious drawbacks.
    A new kind of engine was developed in 1860 by Lenoir using gas in an internal
combustion engine. The next step forward – the first petrol engined car, is shrouded
in controversy and false claims. The first person to build internal combustion vehicles
for sale to the public, and not purely experimental vehicles, was the German Karl
Benz. He ran his first car in 1885, the same year as Gottleib Daimler produced a high
speed, four – stroke petrol engine, the fore – runner of a modern car engine. Benz and
Daimler between them had found the solution to the centuries – old dream of a self –
propelled form of a private transport – a motor car. However the architect of the
modern car was Emile Levassor who realised that a vehicle had to be designed from
the outset to incorporate an engine and not with a motor super-imposed on to a horse
drawn carriage (minus the horse). The Panhard – Levassor of 1891 established the
layout for front-engine, rear-drive cars which remains till this day-radiator, engine,
clutch, gearbox, transmission and rear axle, in that order.
    The car was born in Germany, flourished in France, but was woefully neglected in
Britain. In France, pioneers were buying German Daimler and Benz engines and
fitting them into cars of their own design. The French forged ahead with suspension,
transmission, brakes and all other aspects of development. Motor racing began in
France with huge crowds of spectators turning out for every event. Across the
Channel, there was little incentive for British innovators due to the restrictive ‘Red
Flag’ Act. This law, first passed in 1865, required a mechanical road vehicle to travel
at a maximum of 4 m.p.h. with a person walking ahead with a read flag (the flag was
not required after 1878). This law was aimed at steam traction engines, but motor
cars were confined in the same category. In 1896 the law was repealed and a new
speed limit of 12 m.p.h. introduced. The few motorists there were, with their
imported cars, received this news with great rejoicing and an Emancipation Run was
held from London to Brighton on 14 November 1896. It was not quite a triumphant
parade since the weather was poor, a pedestrian was killed at Crawley and some
motorist put their cars on a train to Brighton!


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