Streamlined Trucks

There are a couple of threads mentioning streamlining so I thought I would have a look.

Way back they were looking at streamlining and produced hundreds of aerodynamically efficient designs. What happened? They ditched any progress in that area and started building square boxes with huge flat frontal areas, square corners and as many airflow destroying protrusions and angles they could build in.

Anything moving at speed (aircraft, boats, trains, even bicycle racers, swimmers and of course race cars) has been constantly searching for the perfect airflow to blend into efficiency and function. Not trucks! They all know a fully streamlined truck could be as much as 20% more fuel efficient than the chromed brick s...houses in vogue for the last 50 years and only now are they starting to fiddle around the edges of taking up where they left off in the 1930's.

More of them.

And more again

and again

And even tippers.

Anyone got a pic of the Norman Ross Discounts AEC 8 wheeler?Mid 60s...late 60s.

Good Subject lang

Think way back wen

Guess n they weren't into Save n fuel like they do today
they mighta been more into advertising n appearance as in the modern look
Sum ot those pix above aint slippery in the air as like today
n todays beasts it they can deliver 5% better fuel economy
duz th@ meant they have 5% more munee in there poket
answer probly no
cya

They are starting to fiddle around with efficiency but I think the problem is trucking people would rather go broke burning fuel than buy a gay truck. It will take a while to convert efficiency into widespread acceptance. I reckon the bottom Volvo is the way it will go - not too extreme but tidying up existing styling fashion.

I can remember back in the 70's Volvo said they improved fuel efficiency by about 5% by rounding the corners on their COE trucks.

I believe it went into production so some (very small) steps have been taken.

Langs quote
I think the problem is trucking people would rather go broke burning fuel than buy a gay truck.
Yep I agree, not a fan of KW anteaters.