Hej Michael,
du har allerede fået forskellige svar på dine spørgsmål, men jeg synes der mangler ét, nemlig hvorfor "de skøre amerikanere" droppede den udmærkede V8´er. De er nok ikke så tossede endda, selvom der i en anglo-fil klub som denne er en udpræget holdning i den retning.
På den meget informerende "u-autoriserede roverside",
www.austin-rover.co.uk fortælles en anden historie om motoren.
Citat: "During the late Fifties, the US car industry turned to aluminium as a material to build their engines from. The reasons for this have been well documented, but primarily it was the quest for lighter weight and greater efficiency that led the producers to choose this route. One such manufacturer who embraced aluminium with both arms, and so developed a compact V8 for their Buick range of cars. The engine displaced 3528cc and because of its compact size and low weight, proved very easy to package. Of course, the late Fifties were not a time for the Americans to be countering profligacy, and this resulted in these benefits largely being overlooked by GM, and that fact made them susceptible to persuasion.
Within two years the American steel industry fought back: In the American "system" the steel industry wielded enormous influence within governmental circles and thanks in part to this "unfair advantage", along with improved casting technology and the emergence of thin wall casting techniques, many of the advantages of aluminium as a base material for engines were negated. As a result, General Motors reversed its policy of using aluminium in their new engines - returning to cast iron."
- Citat slut.
Ifølge dette skyldtes det altså lobby-arbejde fra stålindustrien, at amerikanerne droppede den bedst-lydende (og ind imellem ydende) motor.
Mange hilsener
Bo Helsted
medl. øsj. #7196. RR 1976 V8.