MYTH BUSTER
Debunking the most common old wives’ tales
1 STREAMLINING BEGAN IN THE 1920s
Yes, it did proliferate during the Art Deco era of the 1920s and ’30s. But there had been experiments in aerodynamics before this, with a one-off Alfa (not yet Romeo) 40/60 featuring teardrop-style streamlining in 1914. Carrozzeria Castanaga of Milan built the Aerodinamica; its air-smoothed shape meant it did 8mph more than the standard model’s 78mph.
2 CURVED GLASS WAS A 1950s INNOVATION
It generally started to find its way into cars in the 1950s. Those that once had split front or rear screens – Morris Minor, VW Beetle et al – went over to one-piece items. However, the 1921 Rumpler Tropfenwagen not only had curved front and rear screens more than 30 years before most other cars, but also had curved side glass as well. A true innovator.
3 THE FIRST HATCHBACK WAS…
There’s always been keen debate on this, with cars like the Austin/ Innocenti A40 MkII Countryman/ Combinata and Renault 16 all getting mentions. However, step forward Citroën with its Traction Avant Commerciale of 1939, which had a split tailgate. Production stopped during the war, but the back door became a one-piece hinged panel when it restarted after the conflict.
4 THE FOLDING METAL ROOF IS A MODERN DESIGN
Despite retractable hardtops seeming to be a recent innovation, the idea was conceived as an option for a 1919 Hudson coupé. And while that didn’t come to fruition, Peugeot’s 402 Eclipse Décapotable of 1935 (above) did offer a folding metal roof that was even powered.