Here is a link to an article on Zora Arkus-Duntov, from today's New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/a...f-corvette-feted-in-the-land-he-left.html?hpw It includes the development of the Ardun heads and some stuff I didn't know about the Corvette development.
Always loved vettes,When I was a kid I ead a book about him and it told you how to tell the different years...Great book.........And he is a genious
Once again Zora given full credit for the Ardun heads without any mention of George Kudasch,.. the actual designer. However Zora was a very talented man in his own right.
The Allard that Zora bought bew and put an Ardun engine in can be seen in the Elegance at Hershey thread.
This is not surprising, it all seems to be about 'handily forgetting' actual automotive and/or racing history and more often than not replacing it all with General Motors version of "what really, really, really, really actually did happened, cross my heart and throw 10 million $ of false advertizing on it Truth" -In the article I don't find it surprising that even after 50 years the mis-truths of GM are still being quoted as gospel according to GM. "Arkus-Duntov also helped develop one of the American auto industry’s first fuel injection systems. Its debut as an option on the 1957 Chevys gave G.M. bragging rights to an engine that produced one horsepower for every cubic inch of displacement. Of really? In 1927 the Delage engine a “thoroughbred masterpiece” produced nearly 2 hp per cubic inch. ...In '57, the 283 boasted 283 HP, in 1953, The Chrysler C-300 was the first production car to have 300 horsepower. It was the hottest thing on wheels at that time. It blew everybody away. .........."1957 Chevys gave G.M. bragging rights to an engine that produced one horsepower" One year earlier, (For 1956) the Chrysler 331ci was bored out 0.130 of an inch, to expand cubic inches to 354.06. Compression was raised in an altered set of heads to 9.0:1. The exhaust manifolds were changed. Overall, the 300B gained a rated horsepower of 340; and with a dealer-installed optional set of heads, compression was bumped to 10.0 : 1 which gave the Chrysler 300B a 355 horsepower rating. It also made it the first production engine to exceed one horsepower per cubic inch. Chrysler wasted no time to point that out. Again, Chrylser exceeded 1 hp per cubic inch a full year before the "57 Chevys gave G.M. bragging rights to an engine that produced one horsepower" ...not to mention the 1927 Delage in 1956, "Uncle" Tom McCahill was enthusiastic about the Chrylser 300, calling it "motorized dynamite, a connoisseur's car not meant for timid driving" and "Unmatched in a class by itself." Meanwhile, where were all these "God's Gift" Chev 283's when it came to places like INDY? -Chev was a non competitor among competitors. Thru all years involved, It was Chrysler against Ford with the odd Hudson thrown into the mix. The 283 was a legend in it's own mind and that's it. The Corvette, a poor handily 6 cylinder sports car was a non competitor anywhere and everywhere that a Ford, Chrylser or even a Hudson Flathead 6 showed up. About the only half-assed accurate statement I would trust in that whole GM ass kissing article would be the authors line on GM regarding the greedy fat bastard stock brokers: " (Duntov) may have soon thought he had made a deal with the devil. G.M. was in the business of making money, not fine sports cars. His ambitions were often thwarted by the stifling bureaucracy of G.M. He was “punished” for honoring a commitment to drive at Le Mans for Allard just weeks into his new job and was reassigned to work on drive trains for school buses". ...Perhaps Duntov would have gotten along better if he had followed in Alfred Sloan or maybe Harley Earls foot steps in helping to design fast peeling plastic coated fake chrome, transmissions that handily broke just after warranty - all of which saw the customer return to GM with wallets in hand... G.M. was in the business of making money, not fine cars. .
Even Zora the master had problems with HIS Ardun heads. Look up the last series of Talbot Lago, Zora was the last importer of Talbot Lago to the USA. It is all but a clone of the 'Vette after he got in the program...a real car guy, an immortal, in the same league with Shelby.. RIP both of them
As predicted, the official Chevrolet Hater of the Hamb posts his usual, predictable rant against Chevrolet. Try this on for size: In the history of NASCAR, Chevrolet has won the manufacturers championship 36 times, Ford 15, Hudson 3, Buick 2, Dodge 2, Olds, Plymouth, and Pontiac, 1 each. I wonder how Chevrolet won 59% of the manufacturers championships if they build such junk? https://www.google.com/search?q=cle...94,d.aWc&fp=db18ac8790cf96c3&biw=1024&bih=643
Had the honor of meeting him at the 1991 Superflow AETC, was very memorable. Here is his interview on Youtube
Why waste all that time and effort on some brand you hate? Time has proven the SBC a success. Where are all those other engines now?
The Jalopy Journal
