The Chevrolet Cadet Was The Genesis Of Modern Suspension Design
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Form the Chevrolet Camaro, to the Cadillac XT5, to the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the MacPherson strut is ubiquitous. However, what most don’t know is that this nearly ubiquitous suspension design was first developed in a post-war compact known as the Chevrolet Cadet.
On May 15th, 1945, then-GM President Charles Wilson announced plans to create an all-new mass-market economy car with small proportions and a $1,000 price tag. The project was dubbed Chevrolet Cadet, and Earle MacPherson was appointed as development chief.
MacPherson brought a wealth of innovative ideas to the project, blessing the Cadet with a number of advanced features and impressive engineering. Built as a completely new vehicle from the ground up, the Cadet was surprisingly mechanically advanced and definitely ahead of its time.
Outside, the Cadet featured skirted wheel fenders at each corner, which housed skinny 12-inch tires to help it achieve enough steering angle to actually turn.
The drivetrain configuration was a traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive setup, but MacPherson also investigated more novel configurations, such as a rear-mounted engine and front-wheel drive. Eventually, a front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive were determined as the way forward, as it would help to lower costs for the advanced, yet presumably inexpensive people’s car.
Providing the motivation was a 2.1L inline six-cylinder, which produced around 65 horsepower. While certainly underpowered by today’s standards, 65 horses was about right for the small, lightweight Cadet. Thanks to its unibody construction and relatively compact dimensions – the Cadet’s wheelbase measured in at 108 inches, the Cadet weighed just 2,000 pounds.
MacPherson Strut Suspension
However, the truly revolutionary thing about the Cadet was its MacPherson strut suspension. Found at each corner of the new Chevy, MacPherson’s design included an upright shock mated to a coil spring, all of which was contained in an individual “tower.”
The MacPherson strut design quickly proved its worth. Not only was it surprisingly robust and inexpensive to produce, but it also saved on space, a critical element to the design’s future success.
Chevy ended up building several Cadet prototypes, and early testing proved hopeful. Despite the diminutive exterior dimensions, the Cadet’s four-passenger interior was quite spacious. What’s more, the MacPherson strut suspension provided impressive handling characteristics.
Unfortunately, Chevy soured on the project and eventually gave it the ax in 1947, citing a “materials shortage” in a press release. It’s also believed that the highly technical Chevrolet Cadet would end up eclipsing its intended $1,000 target had it entered production.
Regardless, the impact of the Cadet’s MacPherson suspension can still be felt today. Providing fully independent wheel articulation, low weight, space-saving packaging, and economical cost, the MacPherson strut remains a staple of modern car design. And it all started with the Chevrolet Cadet, a post-war compact that very nearly made it to production.
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I would never have guessed that those images were of a Chevrolet! (It’s kind of homely.)
This was to compete with the lower priced smaller cars after the war like the Kaiser. But as we saw the economy took off and everyone was not as tight on money as expected.
The low price cars all went away.
Also the new design was not as cheap to make. It was kind of like the Corvair engine that while it was for a cheaper car was more expensive to build than the V8
As time went on and more struts in production the cost came down.
Like many things GM is first but often too early with production of some things till cost and computers caught up.
Wow, being a Chevrolet fan (and GM fan) my whole life (I’m 68), I never heard of this vehicle before. Interesting as a concept, and years ahead of the widespread use of MacPherson suspension; who knows what might have happened/evolved.
These studies began in 1937 under Lou Thoms with fears of an economic downturn from a “Roosevelt Recession”.
There were several evaluations under Project 195-Y-13, a 4-cyl 4-link coil rear suspension, 195-Y-15 6-cyl, beam front axle, 195-Y17 6-cyl 112″ wheelbase. All three prototypes had a 2.1-litre engine but the first was 4-cyl, the others 6-cyl. The need to beef up the transmission of the 4-cyl engine offset any extra costs of a smoother 6-cyl. Of interest is Project 195 – 25 which was the Holden prototype.
Further details can be found in the book “On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International”.
MacPherson left GM for Ford UK where his strut was first applied in the 1950 Zephyr and Consul.