The biggest (only?) fringe benefit of my job is what I learn. Decades of perusing old books and magazines don’t begin to add up to the collective knowledge and perspective that TTAC’s commentators provide. Case in point: I wrote the Illustrated History of Automotive Aerodynamics because I’ve always been smitten by streamlined cars ever since I saw a Tatra as a young child. And I thought I had all the slippery bases pretty well covered. But thanks to a late comment by NeilBlanchard, I’ve been introduced to what is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable aerodynamic cars ever, the 1938 Schlörwagen. It was originally tested at Cd 0.186, but a later test by VW in the seventies of a model resulted in a Cd of 0.15. Either of these values put the “pillbug” at or near the top of the list of the most aerodynamic concept cars ever built, like the Ford Probe V of 1985, with a Cd of .137.
Built on the chassis of the rear-engine Mercedes 170H, it was substantially faster as well as 20% to 40% more fuel efficient than its donor car. The Russians took the Schlörwagen as war booty and conducted tests as a propeller driven vehicle (below). It represents a state of aerodynamic efficiency in league with the most aerodynamic cars being considered today, such as the Aptera. Thanks Neil; and the article has been duly updated as well as my knowledge.
Don’t tell me…Schlorwagen means “suppository” in German…
I like the panoramic windows and how the roof line is mostly straight until you get to the very back end of the car.
Far better looking than the probe although that seating position sure looks odd..
Is that the 2014 Prius?
Amazing.From the front it looks like a shade.
Surely they didn’t have curved glass in 1938 , so presume the windows were plastic.
And aircraft canopies were made of what?
It reminds me of the book The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and the black spaceship the rock band Disaster Area engage for their elaborate stage shows, which usually ends with the black spaceship diving in to the nearest sun and making it explode. In the book, it’s described as a very black and slippery spaceship, with a black interior, black lights, black instrument panel and black diods to tell you that you just pushed a black button. It’s so black and slippery it’s hard to focus you eyes looking at it. But that car may be the most slippery shape I have ever seen.
While perhaps not “aerodynamic enough” to fit into the illustrated history, due to it having an upright grill, I feel that due to its makers aeronautic background (the man actually producing airplanes himself), I have none the less just recently fallen in love with the Avions Voisin Aerodyne and feel it worthy of note in this context.
http://www.carsinpictures.com/gallery/11111/Voisin-C25-Aerodyne.html
You’re very welcome, Paul!
Now, if we can find the actual car, or build a replica…
Sincerely, Neil Blanchard
Here is my collection of pictures of the Schlörwagen, which is virtually every picture I could find:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/NeilBlanchard/library/Schlor%20Pillbug?sort=3&page=1