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PAGE 18, WEITBY FRM PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRI 22,1992 by JiI Mclntosh Long road to satety I don't believe there>s a single automaker today who doesn't realize the value consumera put on safety. Seatbelts are constantly being - improved, airbag aaal but standard and some manufacturers -- moet notably Volvo -- make safety the onjy selling point in their advertismng. Sad ta, say, but it was't always so. Ail too often in the paut safety was at the bottom of the liat. Sometimes it was because of ignorance or lack of technology, sometimes because of styling nriorities or consumer Safety wasn't even considered when the' first 'horselesa carniages' started chugging inta the streets. Fortunately there weren't too many of them, and they didn't go too fast. Indeed, about the only safety device available was the 'Velodog pistai' sold ta, French motorisa in case they were chased. by vicious canines. Early cars were dangerous due ta, their construction. Windows were made of plate glass that broke inta deadly shards; many who might have survived minor collisions were kIlled when they fell into broken windshields, Two types of early 'safety glass' were introduced. in 1926. Stutz used thin horizontal wires running through the glass ta, hold it together. Another car, the ickenbacker, sandwiched a ceiluloid panel between two panes of glass. Improvements were rapid, and the 1928 Ford was the first car ta use safety glass in ail its windows. Toda, safety glass is mandatory, and the modern type crumbles into thousands of tiny pieces ta avoid injuries. Seatbelts may seem new, but an early version called a 'removable and *sutableguard' was patented- by Philip Schwartzmiller of Rochester, New York, in 1895. However, manufacturera didn't talcs them seniously for almost half ,a century and they taok even longer ta catch on with the public. Even today,. the validity of seatbelts raises controversy. Ford first ofi'ered them as an option in 1956 but less than two per cent of buyers ordered them. etr ihfat year, 1Jrorcrs ntr campaign focused on safety. Their cars featured a 'lifeguard design' that included double-gni door latches, padded dash and visors and a deep stéeing wheel. Ghevroet,'instead, stressed styling in their ade and clobbered Ford in the sales race. People just weren't ready 'r'safety first.' The public did -start ta think about safety in 1965 when consumer* advocate Ralph Nader published his famous book, Unafe at any Speed.' In it, he criticized such items as, sharp knobs gearshift patterns (many 1950s car have reverse at the bottom, rather than between park and neutral) and the sharp tailfins on 1959 Cadiilacs. The book became fanious mostly for his attack on the Corvair, Chevrolet's rear-engined car, that he claimed rolled over easily and required tire pressures too exact for the average motonist S~EPAGE 24 Touing Wagoni Subaru's Touring Wagon: practicality and performance By Glen Konorowsldi Bucking the trends has always been something the Subaru has been quite well known for. Their devotion ta fiat engines and four- wheel-drive vehicljs is nothing short ofaxnazing. Well this time Subaru has fami broken with tradition by fntroducing a performance wagon. Named the Touning Wagon, the car is based on the Legacy Wagon, while the mechanicais are ail Legacy Turbo. This blend of practicality and performance has produced one of the finest tauning cars I *have ever driven. Whether it's chul- dren, pets or just the kind of work you do, spac is something you just doiri>t get in a perfor- mance car. Looking at the Touring Wagon for the firit time, the only indica- tion one gets this car is perfor- mer are th(. mag wheels. The rest of the car is rather sedate, no bold graphies or wheel flairs that might give away Mt' true nature. The heart of any true _perfor- mance car is the engine. Subaru has transplanted the Legacy Turbo's 2.2-litre turbo charged ,e~ne into the Touring. Wagon. Thsfiat or horizontally opposed overhead 'cani four-valve-per- cylinder engi ne produces a very healthy 160%p; at 5600 RPM. But the real power comes from the low end tarque, which comes on like gangbusters at 181 Ibo. ft. of torque at just 2800 RPM. This adds up ta good low-end power, where most of us realiy want it. A, unique feature oflthis turbo engine is that it maintains the 8.7 pounds per square inch boost at any altitude. This may not sound like much for us here at sea level, but if you ever travel ta higher levels it really becomes a factor. By mntnn the air pressure on the turbo, the comn- puter makes for optimum perfior- manoe no matter what lieight SEE PAGE 19 ON THE ROAD Check this "NO HIDDEN COSTS" ValuePrice on Brand New 1992 In-Stock Jetta Sedans... .5 Speed Transmission *Power Steeri ng *Tilt Steering Wheel *Power Front Disc Brakes *AM/FM Stereo Cassette with 6 Speaker Sound (OnIy Metallijo Paint Extra!) SACEINL ENDOLSARIL 3OTHSIV *OWASCO VOLKSWAGEN INC. 1425 DUNDAS ST. EAST, WHITBY Experience the Owasco Feeling. Pro yen to serve y ou BEST since 1972 An «I CARE« and O.M.L. SERVICE AWARID WINN ER Ajax/Pickering/Tor. 683-3235 Oshawa/WhÎtby 668-9383 (l'I~ Extencied service hours Tues. and Thurs. until 7:3Opm "FREE« Service clinic Iast Thursday of every month by appt. Otfe ring Customer Satisfaction in Sales, Service,, Body Shop, Parts, Rentals(Canada. USA, Europe), ý35 MN. FROM TORONTO WNITT hy. 2 OMWA IU WA$CO f 1 * . gl = APPOINIMENT The Whitby Free Press is pleased to announce the appointment of Glen Konorowski as editorial and creative consultantfor the Auto Section. Glen is a member of the Automobile .Journalists Association of Canada (MJAC) and a member of the *Automotive Historians of Canada. He has written for ail major automotive pub- lications in Canada as well as for many newspapers. He is a longtime resident of Whitby.