Here is a vintage ad from a magazine. This was originally posted on another site by a guy that sells vintage ads for a living. It's hard to read the words in the photo, so I'll transcribe for you. The ad is for Pure Gasol<wbr>ine, and they had a test to see how far you could<wbr> drive<wbr> on a gallo<wbr>n of gas. Grant<wbr>ed this is on a race track<wbr>, so condi<wbr>tions<wbr> are very smoot<wbr>h and even.<wbr> The winne<wbr>r in the 131-<wbr>200 Cubic<wbr> Inch class<wbr> was H.F. Thoma<wbr>s in his Rambl<wbr>er Ameri<wbr>can. He manag<wbr>ed 51.<wbr>281 miles<wbr> on one gallo<wbr>n of gas! This test was condu<wbr>cted in 1960. Even the Chrys<wbr>ler Crown<wbr> Imper<wbr>ial with 413 cubic<wbr> inche<wbr>s (<wbr>About<wbr> 6.8 Liter<wbr>s) manag<wbr>ed 21.325 MPG! Now to be fair,<wbr> moder<wbr>n cars have a lot of safet<wbr>y featu<wbr>res and comfo<wbr>rt featu<wbr>res that were not prese<wbr>nt in the 1960 model<wbr>s. But we are also 50 years furth<wbr>er along<wbr> in engin<wbr>e, fuel manag<wbr>ement<wbr>, rolli<wbr>ng resis<wbr>tance<wbr> reduc<wbr>tion,<wbr> beari<wbr>ng desig<wbr>n, tire desig<wbr>n, light<wbr> weigh<wbr>t metal<wbr>, etc. Plus, cars are much, much lighter than the cars of 49 years ago. Can we serio<wbr>usly not make a car that comfo<wbr>rtabl<wbr>y gets 50+<wbr>MPG?<wbr> WTF?
My wifes PT Cruiser is lucky to break 24 MPG. It gets 19 or 20 around town. My V8 S10 truck gets 25 on the highway. My 66 big block Caprice wagon with the air on will get 20 on the highway.
A lot of people give me crap about my "carbon footprint" in my 62 Chevy C10, but they drive a Ford Expedition that gets half the gas mileage. Weird.
I remember those tests/competitions. They accellerated at a snails pace, coasted, ran them hot, you name it. Not at all typical of real driving, but interesting nevertheless.
That's something I just don't understand... I'm sure they could do 50mpg but then the oil companies wouldn't line their pockets with dough. I think that's why they keep it down. I was really thinking about getting the Jeep RT cherokee with the hemi in it... but it gets like 8 and 10 mpg?? My hemi truck gets 16mpg... I don't understand that!!!
I've thought the same thing too. I have an old ad for a Henry J, I think the advertised MPG was around 30 or so. I imagine gasoline has changed a lot since then too. It was probably a lot better quality. I think getting better gas miliage is great for reducing the amount of polution, but if every car in the world got 100mpg, they'll just raise the prices to keep up the profit margins.
We also have to take into consideration that this ad was posted by the gasoline company, trying to sell THEIR product over the competitor's. That may have some bearing on their 'data'. Remember, this is the same era in which we saw ads stating that most doctors suggest smoking Camel cigarettes for "throat protection". Either way, my old beater truck gets better mileage than a lot of the newer ones with computers and EFI. That just doesn't seem right.
I don't even measure the milage in my Model A-ain't much when the 4 BBL kicks in. I used to get 37 when I had my '77 Honda CVCC and it would scoot (still have one up on blocks in the barn) and I get 47 with my lead foot in my wife's Prius.
I catch a blast for driving my suburban everyday to work, BUT, when it was down I got to drive a new focus, my big ole arse in that little car and I saved about $4 a day, no kidding, I can put $5 in the Focus drive to and from work and in the 'burban I can do it in $9(gas prices with in $.30).....Ill pay the extra $4 for the comfort, and the fact that I can carry anything I want. You hear the imports tooting thier 35 mpg, heck my buddies old 80s Escort got that! And I agree, if the cars get better mileage, the oil company execs will still boost the prices to meet thier bottom line and to keep the investor happy!
Cool add. I wish I could buy "pure gasoline"!!! Gas is shit now. especially in So-Cal. On the Roundup trip last year I had my daughter calc. gas milage. It got way better after all the L.A. gas in the tank got used up.
I use my 64 as a daily driver(350 SBC,4bbl edelbrock,700R4) A lot of people ask how the mileage is and my answer is "Who cares?" Its just fun to drive.
You can thank the federal gov't (let's not forget the liberal leftist California gov't) for all that. You can't fix it by bitching about it. You've got to pull your head our and fight it. It can be fought, and we can win.
One thing to remember, also, is that manufacturers took this competition, and the Mobil Economy Runs, VERY seriously...cars were prepped in various ways, and drivers did a great deal of practice. Ford, and probably other makers as well, did many runs at their own facilities in preparation for these events. Even then, economy was an important selling point...and for every R-code Galaxie sold, Ford probably sold ten or more 223 six cylinder Custom 500s, or baseline 260s.
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