Car Knowledge

[FastMerc]

Who knows what car company and what country invented the front wheel drive car? :)

[whitey]

Who knows what car company and what country invented the front wheel drive car? :)

Germany.....im guessing, as for company i will say Mercedes

[Comin' in Hot]

I'm pretty sure Cord was the first one to put it into production.

[whitey]

No Googling allowed!
And whoever guesses right, ill fix their lcm for free....:eek:

[Comin' in Hot]

No Googling allowed!

Was I right?

[Bluerauder]

Who knows what car company and what country invented the front wheel drive car? :)

Different answers for invented, patented, or successfully commercialized. CORD came rather late to the game in the late 1930s. However, front wheel drive had been around since Graf & Stift in France between 1895-1898.
BSA of the UK had the first successful commercial application in 1929. Excerpts of articles below ...

"Experiments with front-wheel-drive cars date to the early days of the automobile. According to various sources, sometime between 1895 and 1898 Gräf & Stift built a voiturette with a one-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine fitted in the front of the vehicle, powering the front axle. It was thus arguably the world's first front-wheel-drive automobile, but it never saw mass production, with only one copy ever made. In 1898, Latil, in France, devised a front-wheel-drive system for motorising horse-drawn carts."

"In 1898/9 the French manufacturer Société Parisienne patented their front-wheel drive articulated vehicle concept which they manufactured as a Victoria Combination."

"J. Walter Christie of the United States patented a design for a front-wheel-drive car, the first prototype of which he built in 1904. He promoted and demonstrated the vehicle by racing at various speedways in the United States, and even competed in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup and the French Grand Prix. In 1912 he began manufacturing a line of wheeled fire engine tractors which used his front-wheel-drive system, but due to lack of sales this venture failed."

"The next successful application of front-wheel drive was the supercharged Alvis 12/50 racing car designed by George Thomas Smith-Clarke and William M. Dunn of Alvis Cars of the United Kingdom. This vehicle was entered in the 1925 Kop Hill Climb in Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire on March 28, 1925. Harry Arminius Miller of Menomonie, Wisconsin designed the Miller 122 front-wheel-drive racecar that was entered in the 1925 Indianapolis 500, which was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1925. Alvis Cars introduced a front-wheel-drive commercial model of the Alvis 12/50 in 1928, but it was not a success either. "

"The first successful consumer application came in 1929. The BSA (Birmingham Small Arms Company) produced the unique front-wheel-drive BSA three-wheeler. Production continued until 1936 during which time sports and touring models were available. In 1931 the DKW F1 from Germany made its debut. Other German car producers followed: Stoewer offered a car with front-wheel drive in 1931, Adler in 1932 and Audi in 1933. In 1934, the very successful Traction Avant cars were introduced by Citroën of France. The Cord 810 of the United States managed a bit better in the late 1930s than its predecessor one decade earlier."

[Cheeseheadbob]

Sweden - Saab?

[whitey]

Different answers for invented, patented, or successfully commercialized. CORD came rather late to the game in the late 1930s. However, front wheel drive had been around since Graf & Stift in France between 1895-1898.
BSA of the UK had the first successful commercial application in 1929. Excerpts of articles below ...

"Experiments with front-wheel-drive cars date to the early days of the automobile. According to various sources, sometime between 1895 and 1898 Gräf & Stift built a voiturette with a one-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine fitted in the front of the vehicle, powering the front axle. It was thus arguably the world's first front-wheel-drive automobile, but it never saw mass production, with only one copy ever made. In 1898, Latil, in France, devised a front-wheel-drive system for motorising horse-drawn carts."

"In 1898/9 the French manufacturer Société Parisienne patented their front-wheel drive articulated vehicle concept which they manufactured as a Victoria Combination."

"J. Walter Christie of the United States patented a design for a front-wheel-drive car, the first prototype of which he built in 1904. He promoted and demonstrated the vehicle by racing at various speedways in the United States, and even competed in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup and the French Grand Prix. In 1912 he began manufacturing a line of wheeled fire engine tractors which used his front-wheel-drive system, but due to lack of sales this venture failed."

"The next successful application of front-wheel drive was the supercharged Alvis 12/50 racing car designed by George Thomas Smith-Clarke and William M. Dunn of Alvis Cars of the United Kingdom. This vehicle was entered in the 1925 Kop Hill Climb in Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire on March 28, 1925. Harry Arminius Miller of Menomonie, Wisconsin designed the Miller 122 front-wheel-drive racecar that was entered in the 1925 Indianapolis 500, which was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1925. Alvis Cars introduced a front-wheel-drive commercial model of the Alvis 12/50 in 1928, but it was not a success either. "

"The first successful consumer application came in 1929. The BSA (Birmingham Small Arms Company) produced the unique front-wheel-drive BSA three-wheeler. Production continued until 1936 during which time sports and touring models were available. In 1931 the DKW F1 from Germany made its debut. Other German car producers followed: Stoewer offered a car with front-wheel drive in 1931, Adler in 1932 and Audi in 1933. In 1934, the very successful Traction Avant cars were introduced by Citroën of France. The Cord 810 of the United States managed a bit better in the late 1930s than its predecessor one decade earlier."

Googled: disqualified

[whitey]

Was I right?

I have no idea, but youre a winner regardless. Free lcm fix for you!

[FastMerc]

Well Charlie your encyclopedia answer is always appreciated. Well according to the Auburn museum it was Cord in 1929 into production and offered to the public.

[Bluerauder]

Googled: disqualified

Yeah, I was "Googling" when you posted the rules. :o ;) :lol:

Still not sure what answer he is looking for because invented and put into successful production by a company are different by 31-35 years with several iterations in between.

[whitey]

Its ok charlie, maybe next time youll get a free lcm fix;)

[Zack]

Don't care what anyone says that may be correct.

Toronado is correct answer
:D

[whitey]

Don't care what anyone says that may be correct.

Toronado is correct answer
:D

Sharknado?

[Bluerauder]

Well Charlie your encyclopedia answer is always appreciated. Well according to the Auburn museum it was Cord in 1929 into production and offered to the public.

Then the question was not worded correctly .... from the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Automobile Museum website here is the wording for the 1930 CORD L-29 .....

"A few artifacts on exhibit in this gallery include:

• 1930 L-29 Cord chassis - See under the skin of the first successful American production front-wheel drive car."

Museum Site link here >>>>> http://www.automobilemuseum.org/about-the-museum/galleries-exhibits/hall-of-technology.html

It specifies American, successful, and production. From a historical perspective, CORD was actually some 30 years behind the "invention" of front wheel drive and several other countries including France, Germany and the United Kingdom had "limited" production runs before CORD got involved.

[whitey]

This thread just put me to sleep...

[Bigdogjim]

Who ever invented front wheel drive should be toss out of the game!

[1Marauder]

Cadillac did it best!!!

[L.Mark]

Sharknado?

Zacknado!!!

[88CuttyClassic]

Olds did it best and first in the modern era. Speaking with many olds guys from all parts of the company over the years, they all made a point to say those early tornados never came back to the dealership for transaxel service. They were VERY stout.

[Ken]

Who ever invented front wheel drive should be toss out of the game!Best Answer! Should get the free lcm fix.

[massacre]

Zack,

http://cdn3.volusion.com/ynuet.magfe/v/vspfiles/photos/50829-6.jpg

[1Marauder]

Olds did it best and first in the modern era. Speaking with many olds guys from all parts of the company over the years, they all made a point to say those early tornados never came back to the dealership for transaxel service. They were VERY stout.



You are correct! My apologies,,, olds did a great job with FWD.

[L.Mark]

Zack,

http://cdn3.volusion.com/ynuet.magfe/v/vspfiles/photos/50829-6.jpg

HOLY SNIKEY'S!!!!

Haven't seen that one, but did see a mustang that was done to for AWD...didn't look as good though...:D