Book Reviews, November 1982, November 1982

“Turbocharging Lk Supercharging” by Alan Allard. 192pp. 9W x 6,” ;Patrick Stephens Ltd., Bar Hill, Cambndge, CBI SEL. £8.95 In view of the notable increase in turbocharging of not only racing car but of private car and commercial vehicle and diesel engines, a book devoted expressly to the subject in opportune. Alan Allard is well qualified to write such a book, because for many years, since in fact the cessation of car manufacture by his famous father’s Allard Motor Company, this Company specialised in supercharging proprietary car engines and fitting supercharging sets, in association with Chris Shorrock and his well-known Shorrock superchargers.

The author reminds as that Sydney Allard used Marshall superchargers on his 52 Allard soon after the war and that he and his father drove supercharged Ford Anglia 105Es in the 1960 and 1961 Monte Carlo Rallies. But probably it was with the Dragsters pioneered by Sydney in this country and afterwards driven so successfully by Also Allard dun they became acknowledged experts. Alan’s World record for the two-way s.s. 1/4-mile of 9.3 see., made in 1967 with his engine on only seven of its eight cylinders was a traumatic experience, describes] in the book. It was with what was most likely the first GMC 6-71 supercharger, imported from Los Angeles in the early 1960s, for adaption with Hillborn fuel infection on the Chrysler brew-head engine of the Allard Dragster, the first big projectile of this kind outside the USA, that much of the technique of applied boost was learned.

However, the book is not only about how to fit a turbocharger or a mechanically-driven supercharger to an engine. It covers the history of forced-induction to the i.c.-engine, it includes a brief introduction to supercharging (but you should learn how to spell “Duesenberg”, Alan!), and subsequent chapters deal with volumetric and thermal efficiency with notes and illustrations about different types of supercharger — roots, vane, centrifugal and turbo — and methods of driving superchargers, low-pressure supercharging, induction systems and engine cooling, turbocharging and supercharging for maximum boost, how to turbocharge small diesels, together with additional chapters about manufacturers’ systems (including Lotus, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Mercedes-Benz. and BMW 745i), trends and developments (Mlard thinks most if not all diesel engines will be turbocharged within the next ten years) and useful names and addresses.

The book is full of learned information and graphs and the many very good illustrations should delight drag followers and other users of souped-up motor cars. It is topical, especially now that Fiat / Lancia are back with a mechanically-driven supercharged catalogue model. — W.B.