Table Of Contents: (1) Around The Corner (1937) – Great film discussing how the differential rear axel system invented for automobiles works in detail – 9 Minutes (2) Automotive Service (1940) – Vocational film showing the daily work of an auto mechanic. Lots of really good footage of electrical repair and body repair work – 10 Minutes (3) Down The Gasoline Trail (1935) – Follows the life of a drop of gasoline as it passes through a car. Great narration and animation make this film especially fun and interesting – 8 Minutes (4) Facts on Friction (1940s) – Fun Chevrolet auto safety film that explains the importance of friction and all the ways it helps to keep us safe while we travel – 9 Minutes (5) Free Air (1937) – Explains how a carburetor works to mix gasoline with air to produce energy. Includes a great scientific experiment that shows how much air a car uses to travel 1/4 of a mile – 10 Minutes (6) Over The Waves (1938) – The importance of shock absorption to automobile safety. Shows in detail how the double action shock absorber works on cars to keep the body of the car level and under control – 9 Minutes (7) Something For Nothing (1940) – A wacky and bizarre film that discusses perpetual motion and scientifically explains how a pistons work to increase fuel efficiency – 9 Minutes (8) Vacuum Control (1940s) – Scientific film about vacuum technology and its importance to automobiles. Explains how vacuums work within levers, gear shifters, and pistons to help cars run more efficiently, safely, and easier for drivers to operate – 9 Minutes
Included Films:
Down the Gasoline Trail
Down the Gasoline Trail
Produced: 1935
Length: 7 Minutes
This Jam Handy production was made to sell Chevrolets (now vintage Chevrolets), but it is a promotional video that is ostensibly an educational video. In order to teach us about the inner workings of the superbly designed Chevy engine and explain how an engine works, the production team combined clever animation with real footage of different parts of the engine to produce an entertaining and humorous film about what happens to gasoline when it is pumped into a car. A great example of black and white cartoons, one animated drop of gasoline acts as the tour guide through the gas line, fuel pump, manifold, and into the cylinder where he is blown up in order to power the car. At this point, he grows little angels wings and flies off, secure in the knowledge that hes lived the best life possible for a drop of gas, which is fueling a Chevy, of course. Theres some nice footage of old Chevy cars which along with the amusing black and white cartoon characters make this a fun promotional video.
Around the Corner
Around the Corner
Produced: 1937
Length: 10 Minutes
Ever wonder about the mechanics of a wheel turning? Around the Corner takes a close look at the axels of cars, bikes, and wagons, and teaches viewers the technical aspects of turning a corner. At the start of the film, a parade of motorcyclists ventures around in circles, proving that the outside wheel turns faster since it has a longer distance to go in comparison to the inside wheel. With detailed explanation and simple presentation, Around the Corner shows how a wheel operates when it needs to turn, a concept that is easy to learn.
Automotive Service
Automotive Service
Produced: 1940
Length: 10 Minutes
Today millions of buses, trucks and cars travel the highways from coast to coast. The number of cars on our city streets offers proof that for millions of people automotive transportation is almost as much of a necessity as a house. With such need comes the need for a good all round mechanic that can ensure our cars, our livelihoods stay in top shape. Automotive Service, takes an investigative look into what makes a good mechanic, well, good. He must know how to make all repairs on the engine as well as knowing brakes, electrical systems, and must even be a top notch machinist just to name a few of the skills he must possess. Complete with mechanics at work in their shops this film is an informative and historical look at the automotive industry in the 1940s.
Facts on Friction
Facts on Friction
Produced: 1940s
Length: 9 Minutes
In modern busy traffic, on congested streets, on the crowded highway or in speeding along on the straight open stretches, the safety of men, women, and children depends upon brakes. With every increase of speed the perfection and necessity of brakes, and therefore friction, becomes more important. Without friction and its use in brakes we couldnt go nearly as fast without the risk of injury or worse. Facts on Friction, a promotional piece for Chevrolet brand brakes, works to explain how much the average car owner depends upon friction, complete with working models and animated sketches. Packed with information from the 1940s, this film is certain to answer all your questions about friction showing how it works for the automobile and for the automobile owner.
Free Air
Free Air
Produced: 1937
Length: 10 Minutes
How often do we take the air we breathe for granted? How often do we think about how a lot of things we depend upon, like fire, needs air to work? Free Air, takes a look at what we so often take for granted showing how air is essential for many of our inventions, like the carburetor. A carburetor needs the exact right mixture of air and gasoline in order to produce energy and power our cars. This informational film shows many scientific experiments about air including how much air a car uses to travel 1/4 of a mile. A great look at air and classic automobile construction, Free Air, is a free look into the many things we take for granted, including air.
Over The Waves
Over The Waves
Produced: 1938
Length: 9 Minutes
Roller coasters and carnival rides that twist, turn, and shake a person are great at the carnival but when it comes to an automobile a person wants a smooth, stable ride. Automobile engineers know that in a car a person wants a level ride that does not break their backs every time they travel down the highway. Instead of trying to make every road in America level, which would be impossible, they built in springs to the cars design that allow for a smoother, more enjoyable ride. Over The Waves, uses a working model of a scaled down tire and a tracer pen on paper to illustrate how bumps in the surface of the road affect a cars performance and how a soft spring works better than a hard spring to take out the effects of the bumps. It shows scientifically, how engineers are working to make cars more enjoyable. A historically significant film, Over The Waves, shows how the automobile has progressed and achieved the engineering feats that now come standard in todays car.
Something For Nothing
Something For Nothing
Produced: 1940
Length: 9 Minutes
A wacky and bizarre film that discusses perpetual motion and scientifically explains how a piston works to increase fuel efficiency.
Vacuum Control
Vacuum Control
Produced: 1940s
Length: 9 Minutes
Think that vacuum control only applies to the appliances that help clean the house? Not so! This 1938 gem explains how the principle of vacuum control is creating safer, easier to drive automobiles. Vacuum Control, takes the watcher through all the uses of the vacuum including drinking through a straw and explaining how thunder is the result of a vacuum but the true information lies with vacuum gearshift in brand new Chevrolet motorcars. As per the time, this serves as an informational, scientific, advertisement for automobiles.
