Today, the Vauxhall story rolls on to 1937 and the launch of the 10-4 H-Type saloon under GM. Compared with previous Vauxhalls, this was a more affordable car, with a 1.2-litre engine. That said, the H-Type was an innovative design with torsion bar independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes. It was also the first British example of unibody construction. One element of continuity - the Vauxhall bonnet flutes. Snapped: National Motor Museum. 1/2
The H-Type typifies the change of direction towards the mass market taken by Vauxhall under GM’s ownership after 1925.
I had initially assumed that its innovative features were the result of leaning on GM’s expertise. In particular I thought that its pioneering unibody/monocoque design would have relied on the know-how of GM’s famous US Fisher Body division. But in fact, the H-Type predates the first US-market GM unibody (the Corvair) by about two decades. 2/2
@davidwilkins 1203cc says the Reg for HPG-31, spot on
@MarSolRivas And PG means it was registered in Surrey, in the South of England!
Fred Lanchester invented monocoque construction?
@lionelb Not sure. I suspect that like a lot of these things, it depends on how you define it and there are competing claims! Without reading up I think I’m right in saying Lancia is usually credited with the first use on a production car.
That's what I've always heard too, Lancia Lambda in 1923.
The 1934 Chrysler Airflow was unbody.
Ford's first unibody was the massive 1958 Continental.
@Sir_Osis_of_Liver @davidwilkins @lionelb Ah, the era of “You don’t park it, you dock it”.
@michaelormsby @davidwilkins @lionelb
These were apparently the largest cars Ford ever built. Its successor 1961 Lincoln, one of the most successful designs out of Ford, was substantially smaller, though still enormous.
The largest car I've ever owned was a 1968 Buick Wildcat four door hardtop. It was a large car by any measure, but was dwarfed by the '58-60 Lincolns.