This color promotional film is brought to you by Packard and was made in 1956. It deals with Torsion bar suspensions on automobiles and shows the Packard Clipper, Packard Patrician, and Packard Carribean models.
Opening titles: WIth the compliments of your Packard dealer, Packard presents THE SAFE ROAD AHEAD (:20-42). Cars race on a track. Torsion bar suspension is discussed. One of the inventors talks with a couple about it. Old cars are shown and what was wrong with them is mentioned (i.e. Packard Model T 1902, Packard circa 1905) What is the true price for comfort? Photo of the 1932 Packard Light 8 Coupe (:43-4:45). Old highway footage. Problems of packing the trunk and having too many people, the Packard Clipper is pitching up and alignment is off. Packard Clipper models are driving and weight shifting is discussed and shown (4:45-6:27). Highway footage. Cars drive along. An animated car is shown dealing with bumps. How the torsion bar suspension figures into this (6:28-8:01). A scale model is shown with the torsion bar suspension and explained. A torsion bar suspension, also known as a torsion spring suspension, is any vehicle suspension that uses a torsion bar as its main weight-bearing spring. One end of a long metal bar is attached firmly to the vehicle chassis; the opposite end terminates in a lever, the torsion key, mounted perpendicular to the bar, that is attached to a suspension arm, a spindle, or the axle. Vertical motion of the wheel causes the bar to twist around its axis and is resisted by the bar’s torsion resistance (8:02-10:12). Packard Proving Grounds sign. Some Packard Patricians (looks like a 1956 model) are shown using the torsion bar suspension in different scenarios. The main advantages of a torsion bar suspension are a soft ride due to elasticity of the bar, durability, easy adjustability of ride height, and small profile along the width of the vehicle. This is discussed. Packard Patricians are shown driving over bumpy terrain (10:13-13:01). Engineers have created a push button automatic motoring, a driver shows this (13:02-14:42). Overdrive with low economy automatic engine is next discussed and shown, its has torque for steep hills. The Packard Patrician is driving fast on an incline and on an open track(14:43-16:48). The Conventional differential uses two side gears inside the differential case. Each gear is splined to accept an axle shaft. Twin traction is now a possibility. A Packard Carribean gets into and out of a muddy hole in the road (16:49-18:50). People exit a house and head for their Packard automobiles. The woman drives the Packard Carribean model They leave and cruise down a quiet street, they arrive at their destination where a few other Packard models are as well (18:51-21:11). End credits (21:12-21:21).
Packard was an American luxury automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Detroit-built Packard in 1956, when they built the Packard Predictor, their last concept car.
Packard bought Studebaker in 1953 and formed the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. The 1957 and 1958 Packards were actually badge engineered Studebakers, built in South Bend. Packard’s last major development was the Bill Allison–invented Torsion-Level suspension, an electronically controlled four-wheel torsion-bar suspension that balanced the car’s height front to rear and side to side, having electric motors to compensate each spring independently. Contemporary American competitors had serious difficulties with this suspension concept, trying to accomplish the same with air-bag springs before dropping the idea.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
