2023-05-21 19:00:00
In the General Motors group, we have been practicing innovation for a long time. For example, as early as 1939, the world’s first 100% automatic gearbox was marketed, via the Oldsmobile subsidiary. We also invented the style office, the Art & Color department in 1927, under the impetus of the avant-garde Harley Earl. The Second World War was just over when Chevrolet started working on a cheap car, targeting the already large middle class in the USA at the time. This model also had to be economical with raw materials, which were scarce in this still uncertain period. It is a certain Earl MacPherson who is in charge of the project, called “Light Car”, supposed to lead to the Chevrolet Cadet, a small station wagon at $1,000.
As it is a question of clearing a maximum of living space in a contained template, we show cleverness. Thus, if we do not retain front-wheel drive, too expensive to develop, we separate the engine, located under the front bonnet, from its gearbox, housed under the front passengers. Original ! But less than suspension. Indeed, this places the upper part of the shock absorber inside the spring, the lower part being fixed on the wheel hub carrier. The whole, while vertical, pivots if necessary.
This is the famous MacPherson strut, universally used in the automobile because it is very compact, solid, inexpensive and has interesting advantages in terms of suspension geometry. It’s not the first vertical system, but it’s the most successful. In addition, the Cadet benefits from an extremely rare refinement of its time: independent running gear at the front and rear, to free up space in the boot while improving road handling. In the same vein, anxious to reduce the unsprung masses and save space, MacPherson uses only 12-inch rims (which will require small brake drums). This is reminiscent of the Issigonis Mini!
The engine, supersquare, must be a 6-cylinder 2.1 l of 65 hp animating the rear wheels via a three-speed manual gearbox, while the clutch benefits from a hydraulic control. Modern at the time! The whole, using a monocoque structure, is light (one ton) and packed with an aerodynamic body, a bit heavy visually but rather advanced at the end of the 1940s. The Cadet is planned for a cruising speed of 112 km/h, again, an asset.
Unfortunately, if MacPherson is fully invested in the project, constantly asking for more time to carefully develop his ideas, he must constantly fight against the accountants, who want to produce the car as quickly as possible. And the question of cost price, much more than innovation, is the obsession of GM decision-makers, including the big boss, Alfred Sloan. The opposite of those of Citroën! The prototypes of the Cadet behave extremely well, both in handling and in comfort, even if the braking remains a weak point. However, number 2 of GM believes that too much technology is provided for such a small car, which is estimated to break even at 300,000 copies annually. To achieve this, we began the construction of a large factory accommodating some 10,000 employees!
The financiers realize that the planned sale price of $1,000 cannot be met, and in marketing, there are doubts that the commercial objectives will be achieved. We also understand that we will be able to sell at least as many cars that are bigger, more expensive and easier to design, and therefore more profitable than the Cadet, because the public loves it. Also, in 1947, when the Cadet was almost ready, it was sent to oblivion. Embarrassed, MacPherson went to Ford, where his famous suspension was finalized and installed in production cars, first the English Consul at the end of 1950. Then, all the manufacturers were inspired by it.
We can deplore that a car as interesting and advanced as the Cadet has never seen the light of day. On the other hand, GM had fantastic years with its “full-size” cars, while manufacturers producing compact machines, such as Nash or Kaiser, all disappeared after joining forces. Has the considerable success of the modest VW Beetle in the USA given GM executives any regrets? We’ll never know.
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