Re: Packard versus the Rest

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2010/12/7 18:12:59

Chrysler corporation did wind tunnel tests for sure. The fins definitely aided stability at high speeds, like the feathers on an arrow or the tail fin on an airplane.

Andy Granatelli did a lot of racing in Chrysler products. He confirmed that the 1961 Chrysler was a lot steadier at high speed ( which could mean 140 - 200 MPH to him) compared to the 1962 Chrysler. They were practically identical except the 1962 was shorn of tailfins.

Other cars, not so much. It was rumored that the horizontal fins on the 1959 Chev actually hurt stability, by creating lift like an airplane wing but this was a myth.

The stabilizing effect came from vertical fins the higher and farther back the better.

You might also look at some English racing cars of the fifties like the Lotus 11 and Vanwall. They used fins for their practical advantages even though they had nothing but contempt for American styling.