The Motor Age - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

The Motor Age

J.M. Syken

Course Outline

Through the viewing of archival/documentary film/s produced in the 1930s/40s/50s by the Chevrolet Motor Company, we will examine the rise to prominence of the automobile industry in America. This will include an examination of the vital role the industry played in the nation’s economic growth, post-WWII suburban expansion and infrastructure development (i.e. roads and bridges).

As well, the technologies involved in building the “modern automobile” will be of particular interest/focus. How mechanical systems are designed/operate including the internal combustion engine, manual transmission, suspension system, brakes etc. will be featured. Also, the materials used in the construction of an automobile, the fine measuring tools/devices used to ensure accuracy and the principles of aerodynamics (i.e. streamlining) adapted to car body design are especially interesting and informative.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Understand/appreciate the nature, importance, organization etc. of the American auto industry starting in the mid-1930s through the early 1950s;
Understand/appreciate the operations of automobile production plants;
Understand/appreciate the materials used to construct the component parts of an automobile;
Understand/appreciate the precision instruments used to measure the accuracy of the manufacturing process;
Understand/appreciate the design/operations of the drive-train including engine and transmission;
Understand/appreciate how the suspension system of a car works;
Understand/appreciate how aerodynamic and structural principles are adapted to the design of the car’s body; and
Understand/appreciate the characteristics of a car’s performance.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers, contractors and other design/construction professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into the history and technology of the American automobile industry.

Course Introduction

The course incorporates the viewing of several archival/documentary films broken down as follows;

Part 1 – Industry
Part 2 – Materials & Measurement
Part 3 – Power
Part 4 – Engine
Part 5 – Transmission
Part 6 – Brakes/Safety
Part 7 – Suspension
Part 8 – Aerodynamics
Part 9 – Body & Frame
Part 10 – Performance

Part 1 examines the auto factory: its operations, organization etc. and the importance of the industry to the nation. Part 2 examines the various materials used in the construction of a car and the fine instruments used to ensure accuracy and proper operation. Part 3 examines the nature, origins etc. of the internal combustion engine and its predecessors. Part 4 examines the operation of an internal combustion engine and Part 5 examines the operation of a manual transmission and rear-axle differential. Part 6 examines the operation of hydraulic brakes and other safety features. Part 7 examines the development of suspension systems and Part 8 examines how aerodynamic body design was developed. Part 9 examines the construction of the frame and body and Part 10 examines influences on performance.

Course Content

Part 1 – Industry;
TITLE: From Dawn to Sunset – Part 1 (ONLY) (1937)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/FromDawn1937
DURATION: 08:58
TITLE: Master Hands (1936) – Part 1
LINK: http://archive.org/details/MasterHa1936
DURATION: 04:56
TITLE: Master Hands (1936) – Part 2
LINK: http://archive.org/details/MasterHa1936_2
DURATION: 06:47
TITLE: Master Hands (1936) – Part 3
LINK: http://archive.org/details/MasterHa1936_3
DURATION: 05:24
TITLE: Master Hands (1936) – Part 4
LINK: http://archive.org/details/MasterHa1936_4
DURATION: 10:12
TITLE: Key to Our Horizons (1952)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/KeytoOur1952
DURATION: 10:46
Part 2 – Materials & Measurement;
TITLE: Tough Friends (1938)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/ToughFri1938
DURATION: 10:42
TITLE: Precisely So (1937)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0557_Precisely_So_19_29_22_00
DURATION: 19:13
Part 3 – Power;
TITLE: This Nation’s Power (1940)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/ThisNationsP
DURATION: 08:27
TITLE: Get Going ((1938)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0762_Get_Going_04_29_26_00
DURATION: 07:19
TITLE: Horsepower (1937)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0792_Horsepower_M00251_03_31_16_00
DURATION: 08:57
Part 4 – Engine;
TITLE: Down the Gasoline Trail (1935)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/DowntheG1935
DURATION: 07:57
TITLE: Free Air (1937)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/FreeAir1937
DURATION: 09:39
TITLE: Water Boy (1936)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0799_Water_Boy_08_01_01_00
DURATION: 12:15
Part 5 – Transmission;
TITLE: Spinning Levers (1936)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0762_Spinning_Levers_04_45_20_00
DURATION: 09:45
TITLE: Vacuum Control (1938)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/vacuum_control
DURATION: 11:08
TITLE: Free and Easy (1940)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0792_Free_and_Easy_M00825_03_49_23_00
DURATION: 08:32
TITLE: Around the Corner (1937)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/Aroundth1937
DURATION: 09:30
Part 6 – Brakes/Safety;
TITLE: Facts on Friction (1934)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/facts_on_friction
DURATION: 09:29
TITLE: Inside Information ((1941)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/InsideIn1941
DURATION: 07:58
Part 7 – Suspension;
TITLE: Spring Harmony (1935)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0383_Spring_Harmony_M07000_14_36_13_00
DURATION: 09:19
TITLE: Take it Easy (1936)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0762_Take_It_Easy_04_36_51_00
DURATION: 08:19
TITLE: Over the Waves (1938)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/OvertheW1938
DURATION: 09:19
Part 8 – Aerodynamics;
TITLE: Streamlines (1936)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/Streamli1936
DURATION: 06:49
TITLE: Taking the Air (1941)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0792_Taking_the_Air_M00958_03_09_36_00
DURATION: 08:17
Part 9 – Body & Frame;
TITLE: Four Square (1937)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0762_Four_Square_04_01_00_00
DURATION: 07:58
TITLE: The Inside Story (1950)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/inside_story
DURATION: 11:47
TITLE: Here’s Looking (1939)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/HeresLoo1939
DURATION: 08:34
TITLE: White Magic (1940)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/WhiteMag1940
DURATION: 07:36
TITLE: On the Air (1937)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/OntheAir1937
DURATION: 09:55
Part 10 – Performance;
TITLE: Chevrolet 1935 Friction (1935)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/Chevrolet1935Friction
DURATION: 01:25
TITLE: All in One (1938)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/AllinOne1938
DURATION: 11:02

Course Summary

One of America’s great contributions to the world was its auto industry which was, at one time, the envy of the world. From fledgling beginnings in the early 20th Century, by the 1930s the auto industry was a major player in the economy of the United States employing millions both directly and indirectly. With engineering prowess and the industrial infrastructure to back it up, the automobile with its complex parts/operations spurred technological advancement in a way that no industry before or since has. To modern Americans, their car is one of their most prized possessions. To the depression-era factory worker it was a means to support their family in hard times. To the returning vet, it made the affordable house in the suburbs and the job in the city possible. Nothing transformed America more in the 20th Century than the automobile.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-I8GDklsN4
(Film - "Taken for a Ride" - 56:24)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YYSdD9vypI
(Film: Manufacturing Dodge Motor Cars - 1917 - 27:41)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQW6j4Xhrfo
(Film: Road to the Future - 04:59)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP0BCufFId0
(Film: Exploding Engines: 23:33)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-7ZmsBXBOk
(Film:The Bodybuilders - Building an Automobile Body - Fisher Body Division of GM (1970) - 25:33)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACWMbeXd31s
(Film: Up From Clay [1959] - 30:40)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SBNoikKuMI
(Film: Chrysler Years of Progress - 1924-1941 - 30:28)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMlPonSrqVo
(Film: The Rouge - 29:03)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuiJyWAW2Pk
(Film: Ford Steel on the Rouge - 18:44)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4noZ0OaSyFc
(Film: The Story of Lubricating Oil - 22:04)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EHshqHpIzE
(Film: The History of American Vehicles - 51:32)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7-MJl-1RzM
(Film: A Car is Born - -26:34)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.