Until about 1910, very few cars were equipped with closed bodies; the open body—touring car or roadster—represented prac tically the entire automobile production. Makers of closed bodies still clung to the traditions of the horse-and-carriage days; bodies were built to individual patterns and almost entirely by hand.
In 1910, an important body manufacturer obtained an order from a quality car manufacturer for 150 closed bodies. The body manu facturer had begun to apply chassis methods of standardization and volume production to the manufacture of both open and closed bodies, and had thus brought about more economical body manufacture. The entire automobile industry watched the experi ment with close interest. Many doubted whether closed bodies so produced would be successful. Many more doubted if sufficient demand existed for 150 closed cars. However, the closed cars were successful from the owner's viewpoint and from that of the manufacturer, who the next year increased his order. These closed cars, driven not only in the large cities of America but in many of the smaller centres, proved the practicability of the closed automobile. They marked the definite beginning of a turning to the closed car. (X.) The design of automobiles was, in 1940, a specialized art. It was not enough to have some one draw an attractive picture of an automobile which was pleasing to the eye. It had to be designed so that it actually could be built, had ample room, was comfort able, and had lines pleasing to the majority of the public. It also had to conform to the prevalent style. Therefore, it re quired a man who was familiar with all the fundamentals of the automobile; who knew the requirements of the public ; was familiar with production methods and costs of materials.
Only then could a design be made which was commercially prac tical and reasonable in price. The body designer in 1940 had little to do with wood, for practically all bodies were made of steel.
Therefore, he had to be familiar with the possibilities of pro duction with this material. Besides the structure of the body proper, he had to be familiar with all other component parts, en compassing an enormous variety of materials. He had to be well versed in their methods of manufacture, cost of the raw and fin ished material, and the quality of the article produced.
It did not take many years of experience for the body engineer to come to the conclusion that the art of carriage building must undergo a considerable change. In the early motor vehicles, which did not have great speeds, the old time carriage building was ac ceptable, but as speeds increased other designs had to be adopted.
Practically all motor cars had a chassis frame on which the en gine with all its components was secured; such items as springs, steering mechanism, and so on, were placed according to needs.
The body was only a shell for protection against the elements. However, this body had to be made strong enough to withstand twists and shocks, and had to be securely fastened to the frame.
Early automobiles were generally of the open type or with a fold ing top. These were abandoned in later years and by 1936 the closed body type had almost entirely displaced the open bodies.
The carriage body designer of old had to change his viewpoint to meet the newer problems presented. It was not sufficient to know how to join wood properly; it was necessary to learn the funda mentals of the motor car and its propelling mechanism, to ascer tain where strength was necessary. An entirely new field of en gineering was opened up, and the body engineer became an important member of the automobile industry. It was his re sponsibility not only to design pleasing lines but to produce a body which had strength, low weight, quietness, and which would be of economical construction.
Bodies have been built of wood, or wood and steel panels; the latter being called a composite body. The great numbers of auto mobiles produced yearly required immense quantities of wood, and the quality soon deteriorated. The scarcity of good wood and the inferiority of the wooden body brought about the change from the wooden to the all-steel construction. In 1940 practically all bodies were made of steel, which had proved to be a more logical material than wood, encompassing safety, strength, economy in production, and at the same time giving greater freedom in design.