Thread: What vehicle....

Originally Posted by JDNSW

New Question:_

What car in 1927 was the first front wheel drive car to use CV joints, and what type of CV joint?

(Hint, there is a Landrover connection)

John

Think I know this one... the 1927 Tracta.

It featured cv joints designed by Jean-Albert Gregoire, and similar cv joints were used in the first of the Landies, as well as other vehicles.

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Originally Posted by Disco_Fever

Think I know this one... the 1927 Tracta.

It featured cv joints designed by Jean-Albert Gregoire, and similar cv joints were used in the first of the Landies, as well as other vehicles.

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Bingo again.

I have in front of me the autobiography, "Best Wheel Forward" J.A.Gregoire, London 1954, translated by Charles Meid.

He seems to have been a remarkable man. The Tracta joint saw widespread use in Germany in the 1930s and in Britain and USA during WW2. It was largely superseded by the Weiss CV joint from the 1950s, as production techniques for that type made it cheaper (the Tracta joint needs no special tooling and does not demand high precision manufacture - the Weiss joint demands very accurate manufacture and is only cost effective with special purpose designed and built machines). Interestingly, although the first Citroen Traction Avant cars used Tracta joints, after the first couple of years they changed to double Cardan joints, and retained these until the CX in 1975, again probably as these were now cheaper, although the transverse engine may have meant there was not room for the double Cardan.

Gregoire lost most of his royalties from Germany as the major user (DKW) had friends in the National Socialist Government. Trying to negotiate a deal with Bendix in the USA while in occupied France, he was swindled. His royalty agreement in the UK (also Bendix) was basically torn up (on the excuse that the quantities were vastly greater than envisaged), although after protests in 1947 he eventually got a significant payment.

There is an Australian connection - the Hartnett car, which started production after Hartnett was sacked by GM for refusing a transfer to Detroit, was a Gregoire design. There is also a Landrover connection - this car failed after the body panel contractor (PMC) abrogated the deal to press body panels.

John