COMING SOON: THE $4,000 THROWAWAY CAR

Automakers are attempting to reduce the 36 man-hours it now takes to build a car and thereby reduce the cost of producing, and, ultimately, the cost of buying a car. This process of reducing assembly time, simplifying the car components, and streamlining the entire process is called time frame construction (TFC). The process will allow the building of smaller assembly plants, using fewer components and easing the cost and time of transporting subassemblies and thus reducing manual labor. This goal to build a 10-hour car has to be accomplished without sacrifice in the qualities customers expect in cars. Some of the proposed details of the 10-hour car are summarized: the wheel-tire-hub-brake rotor will be one piece; suspension units will be similar to those on Fiats; and turbocharger will use ceramic turbine and compressor shells encased inside a stamp steel. General Motors is working with a Japanese maker to develop a 10-hour automobile.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00324558
• Corporate Authors:

  Hearst Magazines

  224 West 57th Street
  New York, NY  United States  10019
• Authors:
  • Frank, L
• Publication Date: 1983-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 4 p.
• Serial:
  • Popular Mechanics
  • Volume: 159
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Hearst Magazines
  • ISSN: 0032-4558

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Assembly lines; Automobile industry; Suspension systems; Turbochargers; Vehicle components
• Old TRIS Terms: Automobile assembly; Time frame construction
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00373940
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-034 162
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 30 1983 12:00AM