Happy Thanksgiving from RWP

Ah, the good 'ol days. This 1929 Oldsmobile (featuring the "New Viking 90º V-Eight" engine) delivered these turkeys to President Hoover for pardoning.

Photo courtesy of http://www.shorpy.com

What Lies Beneath: Audi UFO Brakes

If you hang around foreign car mechanics for long enough, particularly those familiar with VW/Audi, you may very well hear the term “UFO brakes” come up – and most likely with a hint of disdain. This gem of 1980s automotive technology has nearly all but been forgotten and is mostly regarded as a curiosity now, however, it raised quite a few eyebrows when debuting on Audi’s V8 sedan of 1988. Technically, these “UFO brakes” are called internal caliper brakes. The rotor is carried on the hub by a flying saucer like casting which allows the caliper to grab the rotor’s surface from the opposite angle of a typical disc system. Confused yet?


Official Audi technical illustration of the set-up:

Rotor:


The concept may seem overly complicated, but the Germans had some decent reasoning for the design. Audi wanted to improve the braking in their sedans, which were becoming increasingly faster, yet wanted to retain a 15-inch wheel size. Rear brakes on these cars maintained a conventional disc brake design, but the front wheels were treated to a totally new and unique ATE built system. By mounting the caliper inside of the rotor, the rotor itself can be larger since there doesn’t need to be a gap between the rim for the caliper to wrap over it. While the actual surface area of the rotor doesn’t change significantly, the swept area of the pads increases with diameter. Not only does this make it mechanically easier for the brakes to slow the spinning wheel, but also allows heat to dissipate off the rotor more quickly. Well, that was the idea anyway.



Below: Configuration of typical disc brake set-up (A) and internal caliper set-up (B) with caliper in red and rotor in gray*

A:

B:

The problems with the UFO brakes ultimately became too much. They warped easily, particularly in stop-and-go traffic when the rotors were not allowed to cool down thoroughly. They were also very complicated, much to the dismay of Audi mechanics and the car owners paying the bills. Audi (at least in the US) started recommending to it’s customers an aftermarket replacement of the UFO brakes with more conventional Girling dual-piston calipers and traditional rotors years later. This however, requires completely changing the front assembly due to different caliper mounting points. Many cars equipped with the UFO units have been converted, but the originals are still out there. Unfortunately, one can expect to pay $200 per rotor for replacements and a caliper rebuild will likely cost a small fortune as well.

Above and Below: Caliper and rotor mounted to strut, shown from side and behind


The Audi V8s all sported the UFOs, as well as the C3 generation 200 and even the first “S4” badged car which was based on the C4 generation 100, also known as “Ur S4”. By 1995, the controversial concept’s services were no longer deemed necessary and the internal caliper system faded into the automotive history books.


Above: Audi 200, Below: Audi V8


* Vector illustrations by I.R. Rothwell 2009

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Ian, allow me to add this photo snapped at the junkyard:

Can you (door) handle it?

Recently, I've been researching a new article for the "What Lies Beneath" segment on this blog involving Audi. In the process, I dug up some photos of Audi's 1991 Quattro Spyder concept car. While certainly a great styling exercise from the boys in Inglostadt (shame they never got it to production), there's one rather vintage detail that stuck out to me...


Lets take a closer look at that door handle...


...and again on the green version...



That should look familiar to you Porsche aficionados out there. They're nothing more than orange painted Porsche 914 door handles...




Apparently VW/Audi still had a few laying around the parts bins from the 1970s and put them to good use. Neat huh?

Latest car spottings.

I had an article on Simca-Abarths lined up but neglected to bring the information I gathered back with me so that article will have to wait until the next time I'm in France.

Instead, here are some interesting cars I photographed along the way:

Saab 96 carrying a full load of people on the freeway.. I actually saw it pass some cars:

Citroën Ami 8 break in Lancon:

Seat 131 Panorama in Barcelona, same as a Fiat 131 but built in Spain:

What's left of a Citroën C3 Pluriel:

Citroën Visa in Carro, it has become a permanent fixture behind a bar of sorts. Kind of a shame these cars have no real following:

Lastly, a Spanish Polo owner with a sense of humor:

I motocicli di Maserati

The Maserati brand is well known the world over for high-end sports cars. While many of us know about the famous "Birdcage" or the Merak or even the infamous Biturbos of the 1980s, few have heard about Maserati's two-wheeled ventures.


Adolfo Orsi was quite the Italian industrialist in the 1950s. Along with owning steel mills and foundries, he also owned Maserati sports cars. The Maserati name was used on spark plugs, batteries, and other auto components made under Orsi's "Fabbrica Candele Accumulatori Maserati" division, and after the purchase of motorcycle company Italmoto in 1953, Maserati motorcycles appeared.
Not wanting to develop a completely new design, the Maserati bikes were largely the same as their Italmoto predecessors, but carried the name an trident of the automobiles. They were not large in displacement, but a range of 50cc to 250cc engines powered the machines.
As financial difficulties hit Orsi and Maserati, they were left with no choice but to dump the motorcycle branch. 1960 was the last year for these bikes. Around 10 models of mopeds and motorcycles were made from '53-'60.
Addio, vecchie bici!

Ronan's list: five cars I like but shouldn't.

Following Ian's example, here's my own list of cars I like but shouldn't.

1. Honda CRX (1983-1991)

Sporting a profile slightly reminiscent of an Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato, the CRX was launched as a smaller, sportier version of the Civic. It quickly gained a cult following for its road handling qualities. The addition of the VTEC to the choice of engines was appreciated by those who wanted extra performance.

Pros: fun to drive and good gas mileage.

Cons: clean, stock ones are getting tough to find.

Verdict: I'd own one.

2. International Scout (first generation, 1961-1971)

Designed by International Harvester as a rival to the Jeep CJ series, this Indiana-produced truck was amongst the first batch of SUVs. Some of its powerplants were derived from IH's truck powerplants and they were known for being particularly robust.

Pros: not bad looking for an SUV, more adept for Utah winters than a 25 year old Mercedes diesel.

Cons: I can't imagine IH parts are easy to find.

Verdict: I'd own one and would likely only drive it in the winter.

3. Citroën Visa (1978-1988)

Designed to replace the Ami 8 and the Dyane, it was an overall dull car that people bought to get from point A to point B. They didn't age well and issues were common. My uncle had one and complains about everything from door handles breaking to intermittent starting issues. It did spawn the highly-successful C15 utility vehicle.

On a side note, the base version used an evolution of the 2CV's flat twin displacing 652cc.

Pros: economical, cheap (possibly free) to buy.

Cons: you're not guaranteed to get to your destination with clean hands.

Verdict: I'd own one to tinker with.

4. Trabant (1957-1991)

East Germany's people's car, notorious for its plastic body, its two-stroke engine and the consequent supernova of smoke that follows it whereever it goes. Delivery time for these could sometimes take years but nowadays they're more or less readily available in Germany.

Pros: historic vehicle, novelty of owning a two stroke car.

Cons: lackadaisical acceleration.

Verdict: I'd own one and claim it's a hybrid: it runs on gas AND oil.

5. Lada Niva (1977 - present)

Very little has changed since production started in 1977 and is one of the most basic, eletronics-free new cars you can buy in Europe. It has a loyal customer base in mountainous regions but it's a bit odd to see in cities. These can be ordered new to run on natural gas.

Pros: can probably literally climb up a wall.

Cons: "made in Russia" is very good if you're talking about vodka but not so good if you're talking about cars.

Verdict: I'd own one, provided it's not powered by natural gas.

Ian's List of: Some cars I like and probably shouldn't

Here at RWP we’ve always been advocates of the “lesser cars” (see Great Automotive Failures). This has prompted me to share with you a few cars that I must admit I like and probably should not. They’re not historically considered great cars; most of them known for being quite bad really. Nevertheless, in no particular order:

Audi 5000 (1982-1988)

At the top of Audi’s lineup in the mid late 80s was the 3^rd generation of the 100 (known as the 5000 in the States). The base model cars were reasonably equipped, roomy, front-wheel-drive only, and were powered by a 2.3 L 5-cylinder. The performance was not stellar, they’re notoriously tricky to work on for a car of their vintage, and despite pioneering the modern aerodynamic sedan look, are not terribly attention-getting stylistically speaking.

That being said, I like them for their relative simplicity compared to modern cars, but a pretty decent level of refinement. They’re inexpensive to buy as well, and (if properly maintained) fairly economical. I’ve worked on them extensively over the years as well, so perhaps this has given me an un-natural fondness for the insipid Audis.

Cons: a little complex, finicky if not maintained well, kind of a German Oldsmobile

Pros: refined, practical, solid-bodies, fairly efficient, you can tell people you have an Audi…

Verdict: I’d own one.

Sterling 825 / 827 (1987-1991)

It seemed like a good idea; Honda’s expertise with old-world British motoring charm. Well, it didn’t work out. Austin-Rover’s Sterling line (they remained Rovers outside the US) sold over-ripe bananas, and unfortunately, many of the cars lasted about as long. The build quality proved to be quite horrid and despite a more sporting character than it’s Acura Legend cousin, consumers opted out. The whole line of Sterling cars sold about 35,000 units in 5 years.

All that being said, they’re still an interesting oddity. If I had enough disposable income to maintain an un-loved and un-reliable Ango-Asian auto, I’d keep it around just to say I had one and preserve a little bit of history. Who knows, maybe if it ran, it’d be fun to drive.

Cons: a 1980s English-made car and therefore unreliable, brand specific parts are hard to find, nobody knows what the hell it is.

Pros: apparently they drive nicely, Honda-made engine, it’s different

Verdict: I’d like someone else to own one

Yugo GV / GVL / GVX (1986-1991)

Yes, that’s right – a Yugo. Based on the Fiat 128 and built in Yugoslavia. Granted, they’re low on features, refinement, and overall quality, but I’ve heard many stories about owners maintaining them well and getting nearly 200,000 miles out of them with minimal drama. They’re cheap to buy and run, they’re economical with their small engines and manual transmissions, and they’re almost a collector’s item now… The GVX even had a 1.3 litre engine and a five speed!

Cons: made in Yugoslavia, bad reputation, probably not very safe

Pros: economical, potentially reliable, inexpensive

Verdict: I’d own one

Renault Encore / Alliance (1983-1987)

Another good idea gone bad (see our other article here). With their partnership with Renault, AMC managed to take a decent car in Europe – the Renault 9 & 11 – and crappily assemble them in Wisconsin. Like the Yugo, they have a bad reputation, but they’re so simple and easy to maintain, it’s not that big of a deal. They’re also pretty economical with a manual transmission and fairly roomy for their size. Maybe if you’re ambitious you can scrap the AMC designed American-market interior for the French one, as well as the other detail parts and you can have yourself an 11… but then it’s probably not worth it.

Cons: made in America, ugly and cheap AMC interior, not very refined

Pros: cheap to buy and run, Renaults are cool right? , they’re different at least

Verdict: I’d consider owning one

Chevrolet Corvair (2^nd Generation 1965-1969)

A lot of people have a special fondness for Corvairs. The VW and Porsche guys can get into them for their air-cooled flat-six mounted in the rear. The restyle in 1965 looked pretty good too and they even managed to fix some of those pesky suspension problems that Ralph Nader complained about so much.

While yes, they are Chevrolets and therefore and unfortunately made by General Motors, they’re an interesting classic to have if you’re not so much of a Eurocentric auto critic as myself. They have a good following as well and maintaining one shouldn’t be very difficult.

Cons: it’s a Chevrolet

Pros: unique idea from the Americans, well styled, better than the original Corvair.

Verdict: I’d probably want someone else to have one for me.

Check back for future lists, including: "Cars I Don't Like and Should", "Cars I Absolutely Hate", "Best Looking Cars Ever Made" and more!