Synopsis
This is the story of a remarkable engineering team as told by one of its members, Carl Breer. Breer, Fred Zeder, and Owen Skelton worked together for 35 years, first at Studebaker and then at Chrysler, bringing solid engineering principles to the design and testing of early automobiles. The Birth of Chrysler Corporation and Its Engineering Legacy begins with a look at Carl Breer's early years, giving readers a glimpse of his engineering adeptness, even as a youth. The book's focus then shifts to the Zeder, Skelton, and Breer engineering team. Through the eyes of Carl Breer, we see the trio at work first at Studebaker prior to World War I, and then, more importantly, in 1919 as they meet Walter Chrysler and become the engineering building blocks upon which the Chrysler Corporation was founded. The Birth of Chrysler Corporation and Its Engineering Legacy offers readers a 'behind-the-scenes' look at the many innovations developed by the Zeder, Skelton, and Breer team during Chrysler's early days, including hydraulic brakes, all-steel bodies, 'fresh air' heaters, and more.
It also describes the team's groundbreaking wind tunnel research which resulted in the developmen of the Airflow, an engineering tour de force that was so far ahead of its time that, unfortunately, the marketplace didn't respond well to it. The Airflow's design was so advanced that the aerodynamic principles upon which it was based continue to shape the design of today's cars.
