Book Reviews, August 1953, August 1953

Book Reviews • •

“Out of the Crucible.” Reprinted by Jack Carmody (19 pp., 74 in. by 10f in., J. Carmody, 542; Rockdale Drive, San Francisco 27, California.)

Many of the catalogue and magazine-article reprints hailing from the U.S. A. are () f only passing interest, but this art-paper reproduction of Out of the Crucilde,” an article by B. M. lkert in Motor Age of 10/7/24, is far more valuable. It sets out to compare the differences between the stock and racing Duesenberg cars, asserting that 75 per cent, stock parts were used in the 122 cu. in. Indianapolis and board-truck Duesenbergs. One of these cars won the 1924 500 Mile Race at 98.24 m.p.h., driven by Joe Boyer. These ears had twin o.h.c. straight-eight engines, the camshafts operated by a gear train, two ball main and a plain centre main bearings, a wheelbase of 8 ft. 4 in. and hydraulically-operated rear brakes. They peaked at up to 5,200 r.p.m. in supercharged form.

The model-A 260 en. in. stock Duesenberg differed mainly in having a single o.h. camshaft driven by vertical shaft and bevel gears, all plain main bearings, a wheelbase of over 11 ft., and four-wheel brakes, also hydraulically-operated, which it had had since 1.920. The article reprinted describes the more subtle differences between the racing and stock cum so that it is worth filing as a sort of extension of Pomeroy’s ” Grand Prix Car.” Particularly as Jack Carmody has added his Own brief history of the racing and stook Duesenbergs, from the 1912/13 Mason racing cars with long vertical rockers operating horizontal o.b. valves from a base camshaft. After World War I this engine became the Rochester-Duesenberg and was used in a number of American sporting cars, including the Revere, of which Carmody owns a 300 cu. in. model-C. giving 72 b.h.p. at 2,600 r.p.m. The prototype production eight-cylinder Duesenherg of 1920 used these 14 in.-long horizontal rockers, reminiscent of early Lanchester and 1911 Deluge racing engines, but the actual production versions had the o.h. camshaft valve gear. Incidentally, the racing Duesenberg of 1923/24 had a duralumin chassis frame, pioneered in England by the original f.w.d. Alvis.

This reprint contains many photographs and engineering drawings of components of the 122 en. in. racing and model-A passenger Duesenberg cars. Carmody has added pictures of 1915 and 1921 racing engines. There are also pictures of various versions of the Model-A and of American racing drivers Jimmy Murphy, Joe Boyer, Tommy Milton, Eddie Rickenbaker„Ralph de Palma, Ralph Mulford, Howard Wilcox, Eddie Hearn. Eddie O’Donnel, L. L. Corum and Peter de Paolo, recalling an almost legendary period of American racing.

Jack Carmody has issued this reprint as a Duesenberg ” fan ” and to prove that the Model-A is more nearly related to the triumphant racing Dueseys (remember they won the French G.P. at Le Mans in 1921) than the later, much fabled Model-J. We wish him well with it.—W. B. *

“Leaf Spring Design.” by Alan Hodgson (60 pp., 53 in. by 83 in. Richard Berry & Son, Birmingham Road, West .Bromwich, Staffs. Free to Senior Executives.)

This is a technical discourse on leaf spring•deSign, available, if you have the right credentials, from the Publicity Department of J. Brockhouse & Co., Ltd., or Richard Berry, the well-known spring manufacturers. It serves to emphasise the merits and correct applicattie of ” cart” springs in this age tif coil and torsion bar.

Those interested in reinforced glass-fibre plastic (yes, chum, fibreglass) will find the ” Polyester Handbook” (62 pp., 5 in. by 8 in.) a valuable publication, providing a technical approach and data on a fascinating subject. It is available from : Scott Bader & Co., Ltd., Polyester Division, 109, Kingswit■,-, London; W.C.2.