JUST what goes on in the development of a new model at Chevrolet from the time requirements are set until it goes to the dealer, is told by the authors. They explain that the engineering department is divided into three major groups-designing, production, and testing, and they outline the jobs in the department from that of the chief engineer down to those of young men without specific titles who are receiving special training which will qualify them for advancement in engineering.
This discussion is made specific as the authors “high-spot” some of the problems of car design and development from a technical as well as a timing point of view, in bringing out the 1937 model which, they say, represented the greatest change in any year to date.
They note that every unit of this model, except the front suspension wheel unit, was redesigned completely. Decision to produce it in its final form, they report, was made about the time that its predecessor, the 1936 model, was started in production, adding that this decision could be made only because it was based upon designs of various major units that had been on the drawing boards and on test since early in 1934.
The part played by the various engineering sections and their personnel receives particular attention, as does the cooperation between the sections. The authors also tell how G.M.C, facilities, such as the General Motors Research Division, and the Proving Grounds at Milford, Mich., and Phoenix, Ariz., tie up with this development work.