Will the GHIA Outperform the Volkswagen?

This analysis is verified by our acceleration tests which gave a definite edge to the Ghia over the '55 Volkswagen (see Table B). Among other things, the better acceleration does suggest a richer carburetor charge in the Ghia. (The VW carburetion system is slightly changed for the Ghia as indicated in the engine photo.)

	Top	Hill	Climbing	Brake	0-50 MPH
	Speed	1st gr	3rd gr	HP	Accel
Advertised value	72 mph	34%	10.5%	30.0 hp	22.0 sec.
Our test value	71 mph	38%	9.0%	29.5 hp	20.1 sec.

Although many motorists talk about wanting good fuel consumption, few people seem to put fuel economy high on their car shopping lists. Maybe it's because they pooh-pooh fuel economy : as a way of really saving money with a car. The fact is you can save a sizable amount in a year -- enough for a week's vacation perhaps -- if your car takes its gas in sips instead of gulps.    Say, for comparison's sake, that you drive an American make of car 10,000 miles in a year's time and that your overall mileage for all kinds of driving is 11.8 mpg (see Table A). At that rate, you'd use 854.7 gals. in a year. And at, let's say, 30< a gallon, your yearly gasoline bill would be $254.24.    Fuel costs on the Ghia are a different story. Its overall gas mileage is 28.1 mpg. So if you drove 10,000 miles, you'd use 355.5 gallons. And you would spend $106.65 for it at 304 a gallon.    Thus, driving a Ghia instead of the average domestic car would save you $147.59 per year in gasoline alone. If the American car required premium gas, savings would be even greater.

Nobody in here under the hood but the gas tank, spare tools and luggage apace. Air-cooled engine is in the back. Space is shallow at the rear since general front seat legroom runs in beneath it. Tank filler pipe is made wide to allow visual checks of gas level. Car has no fuel gage.

Standard 36-horsepower, air-cooled, , flat-four opposed engine rides in rear compartment. To lower the deck in helping with Ghia's streamlining, the (A) air cleaner has been taken off the car top where, it rides in the VW and connected by a (B) long tube to the (C) carburetor. The air bleed let was also changed. Other parts' include (D) fuel Pump, (E) distributor, (F) crankcase oil Dip stick, (G) sparkplugs, (H) battery, and (G) engine mount braces.

Braking is a test in which the Ghia thatches its VW cousin in going to the head of the class.    Brake pedal effort did not double in 12 fast consecutive stops on either the Ghia nor our test Volkswagen. The VW pedal pressure varied from 50 to 52 lbs. over the 12 stops. On the Ghia (see brake-fade test on test chart) pedal pressure started at only 34 lbs. and rose to about 38 lbs. This lesser effort could be due to softer linings or less "cooking" of the brake linings on the Ghia.

Electric windshield wipers run at one fairly slow speed, but they overlap in center to eliminate blind spot usually found on domestic cars. Instruments include, left to right: Choke knob (top) ignition switch, speedometer, hood release knob (shows beneath horn button), clout, light switch, wiper switch. White knobs at far right and left control ventilators; radio fits in center.

Many comments made about the Volkswagen in our previous test apply here too.    Some things have been improved. Vision-obstructing posts are slimmed to a minimum. Visibility out of the glassy sides, front, and back is far better than through the VW's smallish windows. The windshield is 47.2 in. wide, 16.1 in. high; the rear window is 43.3 in. wide; 16.9 in. high.    And here's warming news for cold-climate drivers. This coming winter season you'll be able to buy a new gasoline heater for your Ghia VW that fires up faster than the built-in heater which is now standard equipment. Price, about $116.28.    Some things have remained about the same. Those air-cooled four opposed cylinders in the trunk still turn out the same horsepower as on the regular sedan (36 hp). And during fast acceleration the engine still cries loud enough to make you think that you're being shadowed by a couple of power mowers. But it does seem a bit quieter than the '55 Volkswagen we tested.    Then, too, at least one thing has been made worse, namely, back seat headroom which has been squashed down to allow the sleeker styling. No wonder this back bench is sometimes referred to by VW clansmen as "the mother-in-law's" seat. The fact is, the Italian designers of this body probably feel they were making a concession by having a back seat at all in a sports-style car.    There are many advantages to owning a small foreign car like the Ghia - especially if it's built as the Ghia is.

TECH TALK

WHY does the fuel consumption for all cars (mpg) decrease rapidly at high speeds? The answer is that the resistance offered by the air, and by the road, increase with speed at a rapid rate. A typical formula for level-road horsepower without wind is Road HP = V/375*(0.012*W + 0.034*C*d*A*V^2) in this equation: V = miles/hour; W = weight of car .(lb); C = drag coefficient: d = density of air lb/ft^3); and A = largest cross-section area of car (frontal area)    For usual values of the drag coefficient (0.52) and the density (0.07), you can round out the equation to: Road HP = V/375*(0.012*W + 0.00125*A*V^2)    Here, the first term, 0.012 W, represents the rolling resistance (friction), principally caused by the tires; up to 60 mph, this term is essentially independent of speed, The second term is the atmospheric resistance or friction on the car body. Note that it increases as the square of the speed. Suppose the equation is plotted:    At low speeds (20-30 mph) it is the weight of the car that requires power; at about 40 mph, the roiling and the atmospheric resistance are about equal; but at 60 mph the atmospheric resistance is double the rolling resistance! (For American cars: 4000 lb., 25 ft^2 area).    The typical form of the horsepower curve for the engine and gear train is also shown in the figure. Note' that the intersection "A" represents the maximum speed of the car. (Of course, a good tail wind will nudge this higher.) More available engine power at high engine speed also gives a higher speed.    But the true engineering approach for efficiency is to reduce the drag coefficient (C) of the automobile by streamlining and, also, to reduce the frontal area (A).    Although the foregoing equations are approximations, let us use them to calculate the top speed of the Ghia. W=1785 lb, A=20 ft^2, and HP =29.3 (axle horsepower according to our tests) Thus: 29.5=V/375*(0.012*(1785) + 0.00125*(20)*V^2)    The calculated answer is thus 72.5 mph. Our actual test result was 71 mph. And VW's claim for the Ghia is 72 mph. The closeness of our calculated answer attests that these approximate formulas are not too inexact at the low top speed of the Ghia.    Note, too, in the figure, that the maximum brake horse-power developed by the engine can be attained at top speed only if point "A" coincides with the maximum-hp point. The rear-end gearing in most cars causes this to be true. But maximum car speed often occurs with the engine over its power peak (the case shown in the figure).    A tail wind brings down the resistance curve and "A" shifts to higher speeds. A head wind raises the resistance curve and point "A" shifts to lower speeds.    Incidentally, don't confuse the calculated top speed value given above with the MPH we list under Performance Factors. This MPH, corresponds to the advertised peaking speed of the engine - and it is j calculated from the advertised peaking speed and the 'rear axle ratio., It can be either greater or less than the maximum top speed obtained by test. If it agrees, then you, know you have essentially the right rear axle for top speed.