<VV> Mercedes swing axles (NO CORVAIR for the grumpybums among you!)

[Bill Elliott]

I think these are two different discussions.

One is on the quality of engineering of Mercedes versus Lancia, the other is on the build quality.

Hand-built cars are _not necessarily_ of better build quality than "production" cars, but they are generally made with superior materials and sometimes put 
together better. I've owned several hand-built (and semi-hand-built) cars and for the most part a production-built car is easier to work with.

I fully agree that that Lancia engineering was more advanced than Mercerdes (at least than the standard Mercedes), but not having any experience with 
the marque in the time period being discussed, I can't weigh in on build quality. I do know that once FIAT took them over build quality was horrible... just 
like FIAT.

And "build quality" means different things to different people. I think it was Alejandro DeTomaso (maker of DeTomaso cars and later Maserati) that said 
something to the effect that Americans had unrealistic expectations of their automobiles. Paraphrasing: "They expect a power window to go up and down 
100,000 times without a problem. Ours may only do it 10,000 times, but ours do so with style, grace, and class. Our automobiles are more than mere 
machines."

Corvair content: I have always found Corvairs to be of higher build quality than any of their US contemporaries. At least 1960-67....

Bill Elliott
Urbana, MD


On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 19:01:51 -0000, Alan and Clare Wesson wrote:

>Compare this:

>http://www.mbzponton.org/images/mb_ponton_feature_swing_axle.jpg

>with this:

>http://www.viva-lancia.com/aurelia/Ponte2.htm

>and then come back and tell me if you still think Mercedes engineering is 
>superior to Lancia!

>Cheers

>Alan 






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