How To Build A Car, By Car And Driver

[Johnny Acree]

Overly simplified, but OK
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news...rom-invention-to-launch/ar-BBnaMqc?li=BBnb7Kz

 

[RUCRAYZE]

72 months seems reasonable. By my calculations, EM passed it awhile back

 

[Sethodine]

But then again, this is the sort of timeline used for the existing automakers. How long does it take for a car start-up to get its first product out the door? The only other (successful) example in recent history is the Tesla, and even that had Elon Musk's name and money to help it off the ground. Elio will be the first truly "from the ground-up" automaker since a LONG time.

 

[Coss]

But the Mustang wasn't a ground up build; the 64 1/2 Mustang is a Falcon with new sheet metal; the drive line is all Falcon, that's why it was a really strange size V8 (like a 260). It wasn't till the 65's were in full swing that they had the 289.
All of the suspension was Falcon.

 

[archer5013]

72 months seems reasonable. By my calculations, EM passed it awhile back

That's for companies which HAVE the money to fund a new automobile development.
THAT is a critical step that was left out of this (Car & Driver) sequence, right from the very beginning ...
without which little else can even begin to proceed.

The Ford Mustang took (only) five years.
Elio has nonetheless proceeded without very much money for a while longer.

 

[BlioKart]

But the Mustang wasn't a ground up build; the 64 1/2 Mustang is a Falcon with new sheet metal; the drive line is all Falcon, that's why it was a really strange size V8 (like a 260). It wasn't till the 65's were in full swing that they had the 289.
All of the suspension was Falcon.

Yep the 1979-2004 Mustangs are pretty much based off of the Fox platform(slightly updated in 1994 as SN95) which is also used in other ford cars like the Fairmont.

I believe only S157/S550 2005-16 Mustangs have had a dedicated chassis

 

[Coss]

Yep the 1979-2004 Mustangs are pretty much based off of the Fox platform(slightly updated in 1994 as SN95) which is also used in other ford cars like the Fairmont.

I believe only S157/S550 2005-16 Mustangs have had a dedicated chassis

A lot of car makers build multiple cars off a single platform; the Dodge/Chrysler LX Platform is the 300, the Magnum, the Charger, and the Challenger.
In the Jeep line that new Jeep Renegade is based on a Fiat platform; same one they do the 4dr 500X on. When it was around the Nitro and the Jeep Liberty. GM used to use common parts through so many lines it was crazy; they had a lawsuit when someone figured out the Pontiac 350 was no longer a Pontiac motor; after the lawsuit I think they started calling it the GM Corporate 350 and no longer built motors specific to the different lines (Pontiac, Olds, Chevy etc.).

 

[BlioKart]

A lot of car makers build multiple cars off a single platform; the Dodge/Chrysler LX Platform is the 300, the Magnum, the Charger, and the Challenger.
In the Jeep line that new Jeep Renegade is based on a Fiat platform; same one they do the 4dr 500X on. When it was around the Nitro and the Jeep Liberty. GM used to use common parts through so many lines it was crazy; they had a lawsuit when someone figured out the Pontiac 350 was no longer a Pontiac motor; after the lawsuit I think they started calling it the GM Corporate 350 and no longer built motors specific to the different lines (Pontiac, Olds, Chevy etc.).

Yea the 300/charger etc.. platform is actually based on the W211 Mercedes chassis E Class

 

[pistonboy]

The Elio will be truly dedicated to itself and no one else. How many other vehicles are half the width and seat two people in tandem.

 

[Ty]

But the Mustang wasn't a ground up build; the 64 1/2 Mustang is a Falcon with new sheet metal; the drive line is all Falcon, that's why it was a really strange size V8 (like a 260). It wasn't till the 65's were in full swing that they had the 289.
All of the suspension was Falcon.

As an owner of a 1965 Mustang and then, much later, a 1960 Falcon, I can tell you they were very similar under the hood. The 260 didn't show up in the Falcon till 1963. My 1960 Falcon had an enemic straight 6 that put out about 85 hp. I heard you'd have to stop and shift into first just to make it up hills. Anyway, I bought mine without an engine for $100 in 2009. It left my shop with a C4 transmission from a '65 Mustang and a 302 from a '86 Mustang that I put a carburetor set-up on effectively making it an '85 engine. It would have been fun if I could have kept the front tires facing the same direction...