Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: Archival footage reveals Preston Tucker's novel military Combat Car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/17/video-archival-footage-reveals-preston-tuckers-novel-military/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/17/video-archival-footage-reveals-preston-tuckers-novel-military/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/17/video-archival-footage-reveals-preston-tuckers-novel-military/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Tucker Combat Car - Click above to watch video after the jump

Preston Tucker was nothing if not an innovator. While best known for the failed automaker that bore his name and the 51 iconoclastic Tucker Torpedo sedans his venture managed to push out before shutting its doors for good in 1948, that company was not the entrepreneur's first foray into the transportation sector. Way back in the mid 1930s, Tucker and famed engine builder Harry Miller began designing race cars for the Indianapolis 500 before Miller's death in 1943.

Upon returning back home to Michigan, Preston Tucker commenced designing an armored Combat Car for the U.S. military. Though the design was ultimately rejected, the vehicle featured a number of innovations and eventually led to the successful manufacturing contract to produce Tucker Turrets for the U.S. Navy.

Hit the jump for some awesome archival footage of Tucker's Combat Car in action along with such innovations as same-size swappable bulletproof windows, separately adjustable headlights (not unlike those slated for the Torpedo), a bulletproof and multi-chambered radiator, individually-braked wheels and the ability to traverse rough terrain with a top speed of 115 mph.

[Source: YouTube | Photo: US Army via Warwheels.net]

Continue reading VIDEO: Archival footage reveals Preston Tucker's novel military Combat Car

VIDEO: Archival footage reveals Preston Tucker's novel military Combat Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armymilitarymilitary techmilitary vehicleMilitaryTechMilitaryVehiclepreston tuckerPrestonTuckertuckertucker armored cartucker combat cartucker military cartucker torpedotucker turretTuckerArmoredCarTuckerCombatCarTuckerMilitaryCarTuckerTorpedoTuckerTurretU.S. armyU.s.ArmyWed, 17 Jun 2009 19:55:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. Army declares Arizona car dealer a no-go zone]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/11/u-s-army-declares-arizona-car-dealer-a-no-go-zone/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/11/u-s-army-declares-arizona-car-dealer-a-no-go-zone/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/11/u-s-army-declares-arizona-car-dealer-a-no-go-zone/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you believe the Johnston family, owners of Wildcat Mitsubishi in Tucson and Ideal Automotive in Sierra Vista, Arizona, they have a little communication and paperwork problem. If you believe the soldiers at the Army base in Fort Huachuca, the Better Business Bureau, the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions, the Arizona Transportation Department, the police department, and at least one civilian customer, the Johnstons have a much larger number of far more serious problems.

The Army base has banned personnel from patronizing the dealerships, alleging its soldiers have been abused. Soldier James Tuman traded in an SUV and a motorcycle and got financing from Ideal Automotive to buy a used car. When he tried to return the car because of mechanical issues, the Johnston's wouldn't give him his money back, instead saying he could buy another car on the lot. When he threatened to complain, they said they'd declare the car repossessed, which could hurt Tuman's security clearance. Tuman ended up with no money and no car.

Other complaints against Johnstons range from financing auto loans without a license and issuing temporary tags with the wrong VIN numbers. The Johnstons say they are sorting things out... but until the Army et al sort things out with the Johnstons, you might want to give Wildcat and Ideal a wide berth.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

U.S. Army declares Arizona car dealer a no-go zone originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arizonaarmydealerdealersdealershipdealershipsideal automotiveIdealAutomotivesierra vistaSierraVistawildcat mitsubishiWildcatMitsubishiMon, 11 Aug 2008 14:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Military makes stronger Humvee from balsa wood and foam]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/19/military-makes-stronger-humvee-from-balsa-wood-and-foam/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/19/military-makes-stronger-humvee-from-balsa-wood-and-foam/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/19/military-makes-stronger-humvee-from-balsa-wood-and-foam/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

TPI Composites has built a Hummer for the Army that is made of composite materials. The Hummer loses 900 pounds of metal body panels and parts, which are then replaced with parts fabricated of fiberglass, balsa wood, foam, and carbon, with resin as a bonding agent.

That 900 pounds is then put back in the vehicle in the form of extra armor where the truck most needs it: in areas that will protect it from roadside bombs. The composite truck has some quirks -- like a body that feels like sandpaper, and the fact that the fenders bend and some other panels are pliable. Yet even though it weighs the same as a traditional Humvee, the point is that it's better built to withstand the threat that kills more soldiers than any other.

AM General and the Army spent 18 months doing R&D on the vehicle. No tests have been carried out yet and the Army hasn't committed to buying any. But if substituting metal for composites and additional armor is shown to save lives, then the vehicle -- which costs more than a standard Humvee -- could make a lot of friends in dangerous places.

[Source: Gizmodo]

Military makes stronger Humvee from balsa wood and foam originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AM GeneralAmGeneralarmycomposite hummercomposite humveeCompositeHummerCompositeHumveehummerhumveetpiWed, 19 Sep 2007 13:31:00 EST<![CDATA[The US military may get its own hybrid bruiser]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/15/the-us-military-may-get-its-own-hybrid-bruiser/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/15/the-us-military-may-get-its-own-hybrid-bruiser/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/15/the-us-military-may-get-its-own-hybrid-bruiser/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The primary job of the US military's ground forces isn't to haul fuel, but you wouldn't know that by looking at the mix of cargo that it lugs around the battlefield. Approximately 70% of military vehicle cargo is fuel, which is no surprise considering that a large off-road truck may only get 2-4 MPG. Add everything up, and cost of getting that fuel to the front lines can top $600/gallon. 

Oshkosh has a solution, however - the Heavy Expanded Mobility Technical Truck, or HEMTT, fitted with the company's ProPulse hybrid drive system. The system uses a diesel motor to spin a generator in a series hybrid configuration, where no mechanical connection exists between the IC engine and the drive axles. Ultracapacitors are used instead of batteries to store energy. The ProPulse system packs 300 kilowatts (just over 400 HP) of electrical power - enough to lug 13 tons of cargo around, over, or through just about any terrain. Used as a stationary generator, the HEMTT can power several houses in event of a power outage.

The packaging of the hybrid drivetrain leads to better operator comfort, vastly improved serviceability, and a center of gravity that's lowered by over a foot when compared to a conventional drivetrain.

The system is currently in the prototype phase, and there is no definitive date for the system to enter active duty. The cost of the system is also unknown at this time. We just want to know when we can pick one up at a surplus auction.

[Source: AP via Yahoo!]

The US military may get its own hybrid bruiser originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 May 2006 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArmyhybridMarinesmilitaryOshkoshseries, ultracapacitorsMon, 15 May 2006 17:28:00 EST