1905 Christie racecar - photos

[Altair]

Built by the American engineer J. Walter Christie, the 1905 Christie racecar was the first front wheel drive car. It had a transverse V-4 engine with the crankshaft-mounted spur gears driving the front wheels.
















Previously:

1966 swamp buggy racing video
Lowbuck racing simulator - GIF
Parachute fails on drag racing car - GIF
NHRA Funny Car engine explosion
Slow motion dragster GIF

[skibo]

I have seen pictures of this car before, what a Monster it must have been to drive, being front wheel drive, and all that weight on those skinny front tires! Even today with the craze for "front wheel driven cars" I do not under stand it, it's much easier to push than pull a car, rear wheel drive has much better traction and handling! I'll bet this old car handled atrociously in the corners! Along with the weight it looks as though there isn't much room for the tires to properly execute their movement to steer very well. I see there is a double tires on the right side up front, probably to help in steering this Monster! I wonder why the engine and such was not in the rear ahead of the rear wheels or between, at least it wouldn't hamper the steering so much? The Millers of old Indy racing in the Thirties and early fifties were front wheel drive along with the Novi's but they went to rear wheel drive with much better traction and steering in 1956! You got'a to laugh at the early engineers and inventors, that's what got us where we are today!