Tomorrow Meets Today (excerpt)

[music] [music] >> This is the license plate [music] of a car that belongs in the world of tomorrow. It is still a dream car, still in the process of creation that all of our cars go through before they become realities. This process [music] of creation is one of the most extraordinary things in modern industry. We call it [music] engineering. The origin of a new car has always been attended [music] by a great deal of secrecy, but we decided to open our doors and show people how our stylists and engineers [music] go about it. Most of us don't think very much about the creation of the things we see. We look at the finished product, admire it, >> [music] >> take it for granted. We forget that every detail of these beautiful, complex [music] machines had to be imagined first in the minds of men and fashioned by men's hands. Otherwise, they would not exist. We should remind ourselves how many special skills and talents, how many millions of dollars, how much forward planning goes into the engineering >> [music] >> of a modern car. >> [music] >> No one man could do it, and no one phase of the work is more important than another. There are divisions of the work, [music] but there are no barriers between the men who work. They look down a common vista. They dream toward the same end. They work together, with each man contributing whatever he is able to do best. The car is the sum total of all their efforts. Well, here we are at the big engineering show. Lots of interesting things [music] to see. Let's go over here and find out how this story of creation begins. What happens first? >> Dreams come first. And each dreamer sketches on paper the [music] car he sees in his mind's eye. Our advanced styling studio, their flow of ideas is given free reign [music] and never ceases. The artist's inspiration, perhaps a jet fighter, the wing of a bird in flight, or the eyes of some insect greatly magnified. Periodically, we screen all the drawings. The most promising ideas are carried into the next phase, a more finished airbrush drawing, and a small model [music] that gives the idea three dimensions. Larger clay models are made from the designs that survive. What we're looking for at this point [music] is a bold new style idea, an overall conception. Just the same, these 3/8 scale models are made with meticulous precision and as much [music] detail as possible. Each one is a miniature car of the future. >> [music] [music] >> They are cast in plaster. They are painted. And even the chrome [music] parts are simulated. All this careful finishing is done for a good reason. The usefulness of a particular idea not be realized for years. We are dealing with the future. And so the ideas must be given permanence. These models are put into a reservoir of advanced styles to be drawn out and used as we need them. You may see some [music] of the features of these cars on the highways in the too far distant future. >> We're glad to have all the ideas we can get. [music] Because right now we're actually starting to design a new car for production. So let's get out those drafting instruments. [music] Let's start to nail this down. Here we are. This is what we call a package drawing. Not much on looks, but it's our Bible. [music] The overall dimensions are there and from now on they'll have to be respected. We've begun to work on a fixed schedule now. We're concerned with the entire outer appearance of the car that's actually going to be manufactured. And the stylists have to stay within the framework of these specifications. The artists study the specifications and come up with new designs. Tool and [music] cost engineers study these designs and their suggestions are incorporated in the corrected scale drawings [music] with every detail carefully rendered. >> [music] >> These scale drawings have to be flawlessly accurate. One rendering like this may take several days to do. From these, top management selects the most appealing designs. >> [music] >> A full-size rendering of the car's exterior [music] is the next step. But after all, you can only tell just so much from this because it is not three-dimensional. So what we do is build a full-size clay model of the car. We're in the final stages of exterior styling now. >> [music] >> And management watches this model closely to see how it shapes up. >> [music] >> Decision, the model takes form. The expert hands of the modelers work the clay into harmonious contours, the way a sculptor fashions a beautiful work of art. And when it's finally [music] finished, the illusion of a real car is so perfect, you'd think you could open the door and step inside. But, this is just the exterior. The car [music] of tomorrow must have new interior styling, too. New fabrics for upholstery that will harmonize with the exterior. A wide range of colors to suit many tastes. The most modern textiles chosen for beauty and durability. Trends change, and we have to anticipate what the style trends will be several years from now. Hundreds of samples are examined and tested. And when we have finally decided what fabrics to select for our instrument panel, it will be beautifully styled, but deceptively simple [music] in appearance. A 40 items must be taken into account in designing panels like these. Complex electrical instruments are housed behind them. And the design must go hand in hand with the engineering. >> [music] >> Modern instrument clusters have greatly complicated the engineering of a control panel, but their compactness has added to driving comfort and pleasure. Here's a new radio being tested for our car of tomorrow. >> That's for a lighter breakfast, and this is the kind that everyone should eat. Everyone should eat food, cereal. >> Insulation of sound is important. The car must ride quietly. >> [music] >> The effectiveness of sound deadening materials is tested and recorded. Measured by an electronic device so sensitive, a handkerchief will affect it. Spark plugs and wiring are tested underwater. >> [music] >> Batteries are subjected to sub-zero temperatures. >> [music] >> The whole electrical nervous system of the new car is engineered to make it ultra-efficient. Accessories like lamp devices are extremely important, for they involve safety. Requirements differ in various states, and our new designs have to conform with both these and federal laws. These lights are the last word in functional design. Well, you're beginning to see for yourself that creating a new car is [music] a pretty complex proposition. >> [music] >> Behind the creation of any new car lies research. Here, we're working out a problem in heat transfer. We have a new idea for a radiator that will need less critical material and be more effective. We speak the language of mathematics, but these complicated equations help us to find new and better ways of making things. Here's an exhibit showing the difference between [music] a standard type radiator and a new one we designed using a horizontal baffle in the top tank. We've pioneered the field in this development. This long snouted affair is a radiator wind tunnel we use to measure heat dissipation and air flow resistance. This is another type of wind tunnel used to simulate air resistance at [music] various driving speeds. Part of our business in research is to keep looking >> [music] >> for better ways of testing things. We've developed wonderfully precise equipment for [music] these tests like this carburetor flow stand and it pays off. The more how things work, the better able we are to improve them. Our data will be passed along to the engine designers. Not only human but mechanical brains will help them in working out their experimental designs.