ADVANCES IN VEHICLE AERODYNAMICS.

This brief conference report includes bar-graphs and curves showing the trend of the drag coefficient of European passenger automobiles from 1974 through 1981 (bar-graphs for 1974, 1977, 1979, and 1981 only), and reports ways suggested for further drag reductions. One speaker judged that, for mass-produced cars, a drag coefficient of 0. 30 is within close reach while even 0. 20 appears to be attainable in the not-too-distant future. This 30 to 50 per cent reduction in air drag may be expected to bring a 10 to 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption. No other measures, such as a reduction in weight or an improvement in power train efficiency offers a comparable prospect. Another paper described the world's largest automotive wind tunnel (General Motors) and emphasized that in addition to the effect of aerodynamic drag on fuel economy, GM was also concerned with engine cooling, heating and ventilation, gust sensitivity, wind noise and window cleanliness. Another paper considered the contribution to drag reduction of many major and minor features. The aerodynamics of trucks and buses was discussed in another group of papers. Basic studies in aerodynamic research and computational methods were also reported.