Retro Stories by David Burrell
– – –
Automotive folklore says that the Buick Y Job of 1938 was General Motors’ (GM) first concept car. But that’s only half right. It was the first concept car shown to the public.
During the early 1930s GM developed a number of concept cars, but never let them go beyond the protection of the high walls of its proving grounds and styling studios.
The Albanita is one such car. Built in early 1933 it combined every new technology idea GM could reasonably fit into one automobile.
For a start, it had all round independent suspension. Now, that might not sound like much these days, but in 1933 it was very advanced engineering, at a time when most cars still had solid axles and leaf springs.
The testing convinced GM executives that independent suspension, at least at the front, was a must-have for improved ride and handling. It was then progressively implemented across the entire GM passenger car range.
The chassis was another innovation. It comprised a central, thick steel backbone pipe, from which two long forks extended at each end. The pipe was 12 centimetres in diameter. The engine and front suspension were attached to the front forks and the rear assemblies hung off the rear forks The drive shaft went through the centre of the pipe.
The testing quickly demonstrated that it was not strong enough for a passenger car, and GM retained their ladder chassis until the late 1950s.
The body was also experimental, being all steel, in an era when most cars still had a canvas patch in the centre of the roof, because steel presses were not big enough to stamp out a one-piece roof.
The Albanita’s styling followed aerodynamic principles and was the first car GM tested for wind resistance and airflow.
Quarter vent front windows were also tested. In the 1930s, long before car air conditioning was even practical, quarter vents were considered a major advance in passenger comfort.
The engine was positioned well forward in the chassis to maximise passenger space and bring the rear seat passengers withing the two axles. The car was powered by a Ford V8 because GM’s experimental V8s were not available at the time.
Legend has it that a couple of Chrysler executives saw the Albanita being driven to GM’s Milford proving grounds. They wrongly assumed that GM was about to release an aerodynamic model and brought forward the launch of their Airflow range.
The Albanita name was given to the car to honour one of the engineers, Harold Albinson.
The car no longer exists, and records about it are scant. These few images survive.
