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Best Engineered Car of the 20th Century
1920 - 1929: 1924 Chrysler Six
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1925 Chrysler Six. Photo courtesy of DaimlerChrylser Walter P. Chrysler Museum.
Interior of 1924 Chrysler Six. Photo courtesy of DaimlerChrylser Walter P. Chrysler Museum.
Engine of Chrysler Six. Photo courtesy of DaimlerChrylser Walter P. Chrysler Museum.
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Walter P. Chrysler wanted the Chrysler Six to be a light vehicle, seat five passengers, and be economical to own and operate. He wanted it to be a model of durability and performance. Production for the first year was 32,000 units, which at that time was the largest number ever of a new American vehicle launch. The car was known as the Chrysler B70 within the company but as commonly occurred in those days, the car took the name of the engine, thus it became the Chrysler Six to the public.
The car was equipped with a six cylinder "L-head" engine with Ricardo combustion chambers. The turbulent heads used for the combustion chambers made the engine quieter and more powerful than other competitive units. Top speed was almost 112 km/h (70 mph). The compression ratio was 4.7:1, which was thought impossible till then since the norm was 4.1:1. The 3.3-L engine delivered 51 kW (68 hp)
at 3000 rpm and 184 N•m (136 lb•ft) of torque at 1000 rpm. The block was cast iron with a bore of 76.2 mm (3 in) and a stroke of 120.4 mm (4.74 in). It used solid lifters and had seven main bearings. The engine was equipped with aluminum pistons and forced lubrication. The carburetor was either a two stage ball and ball type or a Stromberg, both with centrifugal air cleaners.
The vehicle was equipped with four wheel hydraulic brakes, which was unique for a car of that price range since others cars of that era still had mechanical brakes. The brakes were Lockheed brakes that were redesigned for
automobile use.
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