Contrarian Weight Theory Application

“An example of this is his estimation of the comparative strain on engines caused by road and rail travel. At the time, it was thought that roads caused greater strain than the rail- way, with its smooth surface and easy gradients. Bugatti soon saw that the contrary was the case; that bends in roads brought a reduction in speed which eased the engine, whereas the unbroken high speed of a train imposed a constant strain. He was, of course, quite right, and instead of treating it as of small importance, he decided to overcome it by giving his railcars much greater power than had previously been cus- tomary. He thus showed the way to (mechanical) wisdom, and since then has been generally followed.”

“handle. A theory generally accepted at the time was that the heavier the weight, the better the car would hold the road at speed. Bugatti, however, thought the opposite; and by the particular arrangement of his chassis proved that he was right.”