Stirling Engine Electric Car

[stokester]

Going through some boxes of items Mom sent home with me I found a few Boy's Life magazines from the late '60s, early '70s.  I remember the 10-speed bikes becoming popular and I cut out numerous ads for them along with a GM ad for their electric concept car.  Reminds me a bit of the design of the Volt where the engine is used to generate electricity for the drive motor and charging of the batteries.

This one used the Stirling engine in an Opel Kadett body with lead-acid batteries.

[muddy]

Interesting. Never heard of it. Probably was just like when GM tried making diesel engines....

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[goodfellow]

Bravo Nick - I had forgotten about that publication. I also was a Boys Life subscriber for many years, and well into my late teens. I recall that the Opel Kadet was used as a "mule" for many experimental engines; including the Wankel IIRC.

I wonder what ever happened to that Sterling engine concept; seemed like a great idea.

[stokester]

Bravo Nick - I had forgotten about that publication. I also was a Boys Life subscriber for many years, and well into my late teens. I recall that the Opel Kadet was used as a "mule" for many experimental engines; including the Wankel IIRC.

I wonder what ever happened to that Sterling engine concept; seemed like a great idea.

Yea, Boy's Life was full of things young boys would be interested in.  I will post in another topic some of the bicycle advertisement of the day which included Raleigh, Schwinn, Huffy, Fuji, Sears and Murray with Bendix offering a stick-shift.

Regarding the GM project, I suspect the battery technology significantly lagged the engine capability and shelved the project.

[vssjim]

I had a "Bendix Black Ball" shifter and remember buying it from Nochmans bicycle shop on Lee Hwy in Arlington, Va. when the original shifter broke. A three speed sting ray. Bendix like many others back then had their hands in many things.