<VV> relative price of FWD, then and now

[djtcz@comcast.net]

> Adolph Hitler commissioned a "peoples car"........Ferdinand Porsche  responded with the VW Beetle.....the "All Time" leader in production until  recent 
> years[?] The "air Cooling / rear overhung engine...independent 4 wheel > suspension" are still the "pinnacle" of technology / layout....in automobiles 
> 
> Bureaucrats have legislated out air cooling [ emissions ] and "bean 
> counters" have determined the CHEAPEST way to build cars [FWD] 
> 

Sometimes the truth varies with time.
I can't say if, why or how FWD might be cheaper than RWD with fully amortized tooling in 2005, but here's a fairly authoritative opinion that FWD was the high-priced spread in 1957, and Chevy chose the Corvair Rear engined, RWD layout because IT was "cheaper."

There was some time spent rather briefly, looking at, or investigating, front engine and front drive. This of course was pretty discouraging. This turns into a fairly heavy automobile, turns into a fairly expensive automobile 
 
http://www.vv.corvair.org/Library/benzinger.htm