Some interesting history in this topic from racing events held in MN in the early 1900s... check out the 135hp FWD "Christie" race car at the fairgrounds in 1908!
Now here's an amusing fact... in 1908, the A.L.A.M. standard for calculating horsepower was:
(bore dia) x (bore dia) x (number of cylinders) / 2.5
There was no accounting for stroke, they just assumed a piston speed of 1000 feet per minute. I don't know if that's the same formula that was used to rate that 135hp monster, but that's the standard that automakers used at the time.
For comparison's sake, a Chevy 454, regardless of heads/cam/compression/etc would be rated at 57.8hp using that formula.
Some interesting history in this topic from racing events held in MN in the early 1900s... check out the 135hp FWD "Christie" race car at the fairgrounds in 1908!
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/333644.html?1357657002
Now here's an amusing fact... in 1908, the A.L.A.M. standard for calculating horsepower was:
(bore dia) x (bore dia) x (number of cylinders) / 2.5
There was no accounting for stroke, they just assumed a piston speed of 1000 feet per minute. I don't know if that's the same formula that was used to rate that 135hp monster, but that's the standard that automakers used at the time.
For comparison's sake, a Chevy 454, regardless of heads/cam/compression/etc would be rated at 57.8hp using that formula.
The old Twin Cities motor speedway is the one that always captures my imagination.
and the story of the one and only Minnepolis 500
The old Twin Cities motor speedway is the one that always captures my imagination.
and the story of the one and only Minnepolis 500