|
|
Racing at that time gave rise to a number of significant design improvements of cars. In general, these improvements are as follows.
1. Introduction to the 1896 spike in place of pneumatic and solid rubber rail. It is hard to overestimate the significance of this improvement, without which there is high speed, especially in the mediocre roads. In 1895, the first time participated in the race car "Lightning" on the air spikes, built one of the pioneers of Michelin tire industry. Tyres held on the rim of the twenty-safety mackerel, had a diameter of 65 mm profile and kept up to full deterioration mileage of 150 km.
2. The introduction of chain and belt drive instead of the prop shaft. Belting precluded the use of powerful engines.
3. Application of an electric ignition instead of glow tube.
4. The adoption of balanced four-cylinder engines instead of one-and two-cylinder. This concerns mainly the class of heavy vehicles. Development of basic motor parameters given in Table. 2.
5. Lengthening the base car (the distance between the axles). The first cars had a short base, and in appearance resembled horse-drawn carriages. Cars gradually acquired their characteristic elongated shape necessary to obtain stability when driving at high speed.
Beginning in 1898, management is giving way to handle permanent steering with the wheel.
Electric cars and cars that run on compressed air, turned out to be impractical and unreliable, for this reason they are rejected by about 1902-1903 years.
Steam cars suffered the same fate. The last major success of the steam car is a 1906
Despite the reduction in specific weight, its total mass has increased steadily due to the use of more powerful engines. The increase in weight entailed a series of unpleasant events, and especially rapid tire wear, durability leaves much to be desired. The mass of cars in the Paris - Berlin in 1901 already exceed 1500 kg.
Given these circumstances, the ACF in 1899 decided to base the classification of the maximum mass of cars and introduced the two main categories: 1) vehicles weighing up to 400 kg, and 2) vehicles weighing over 400 kg.
This classification is used in practice to race the Tour de France and Paris - Toulouse - Paris. In 1901, the classification of the mass was further developed by introducing the third category in order to better equalize the conditions of the race for a variety of competitors: the cars of up to 400 kg from 400 to 650 kg and over 650 kg. |
|