| Rothhammer1 |
| (.400 member) |
| 03/03/19 11:52 AM |
|
Re: The GI Thompson-in-WW2... .by Bruce N. Canfield
|
Quote:
I'm no expert, but this doesn't look like a "V" pattern engine. It looks like an inline 4.
That photo is of a WW2 era Willys prototype, doubtless with the 134 'Go Devil' engine (a great engine, I can attest).
The 'Mighty Mite' M422 had an AMC built air cooled aluminum V4. I poked around a bit and found that the (alleged) reason they were not used for passenger vehicles was due to "low horsepower output", yet they were rated 55 horsepower. The 1960 - 1969 version of the venerable Volkswagen Beetle ran a 40 horse air cooled engine and sold like hotcakes in the U.S. and worldwide. Imagine if AMC had designed and built a lightweight competitor? A junior Rambler so equipped may have saved AMC?
Here's an article about the M422: M422A1
The engine bay of an M422A1 'Mighty Mite':
