A discussion about the FF layout - “Practical cars are beautiful”

A 4WD with functional beauty

Interviewer: Now I would like to chat a little about 4WD vehicles. Around when did you start thinking about their development?

Kageyama: This would be around when the Subaru 1000 was launched. I was impressed by the release of the 4WD sedan by Jensen Motors, who are now Subaru dealers operating out of the U.K. It gave us incredible inspiration and we were determined to follow suit. However, rather than just thinking that we could build a 4WD vehicle by merely providing power to all four wheels, we were determined to apply this functionality to each part of the vehicle. *The Subaru 1000 was an incredibly functional car and this was continued with the Leone. It was just a matter of time until we pushed on into 4WD design.

Interviewer: Is it right to say that functional beauty is a very important part of making a car?

Kageyama: Yes, you could say that. In the same manner as something like suspension bridges, right. The curve of the bridge is a beautiful parabola without waste. I believed that there was no use making a 4WD unless it had functional beauty.

Interviewer: I see. This can be seen in the 4WD power system which is beautiful even without its cover. Its beauty comes from simplicity.

Kageyama: That’s right. Although it cannot be compared with vehicles such as Jeeps as the main purpose is not off road driving, when trying to make a car with an emphasis on high speed performance that can be used for both on and off road driving, there is no other layout that could be considered.

Interviewer: It is quite rare to find four-wheel independent suspension used in 4WD vehicles and one interesting feature is that handling and stability is improved as the speed increases.

Kageyama: The main reason for this is because we have a relatively front-heavy FF layout. The wheelbase also plays a large role in this. Alec Issigonis, the designer of the Mini has always said that a heavy front end contributes a lot to handling and stability.

Interviewer: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this interview.

Extract from Cartopia Vol. 83 (Issued May 1st 1979)



More...