Chapter 3: The Beetle is About to Emerge

  The first vehicles to be powered by an internal combustion engine were the first gasoline-powered automobiles, which were invented in 1885 by German engineer Karl Benz and almost simultaneously by Gottlieb Daimler.

  Although gasoline-powered cars appeared in the 19th century, they really entered thousands of households in the 20th century.

  The first mass-produced car appeared in 1908, and the Ford Model T, the first four-wheeled automobile to be produced on an assembly line, was born in the United States. The term "mass production" began to mean that it could be used by more people, and as production technology matured and costs continued to decrease, it would gradually become a part of more people's lives.

  As the world's first mass-produced car, the Ford Model T changed the traditional horse-drawn carriage style and added innovative and improved functional configurations, making it the best personal transportation tool in cities at that time. In the first year of its listing, 190,000 vehicles were sold. If it continued to follow the historical development path, by the time the Model T retired from the assembly line in 1920, a record of producing 15 million vehicles would have been created.

  Human society is always in a state of continuous development and progress, any recorded creation implies that it can continue to be created and rewritten. The car that broke the myth of the T-type car was also an epoch-making car, its classic was on par with the T-type car, and only the Beetle sedan from Volkswagen Germany could gain such honor.

  "Sturdy and durable, not luxurious, mass-market price. This car will definitely gain enough market share after its release and will be a strong competitor to the Ford Model T. If our American Motors Company wants to truly establish itself in the automotive industry, choosing it is absolutely the right decision!"

  "Well, that's a reasonable point. However, what we need to consider is not just as simple as confirming the production of the Beetle. Even if you've already got detailed drawings, from the chassis to the screws and nuts, as long as we have the ability to process according to the drawings, we can quickly manufacture a prototype. But what do we have now? Nothing, right?" Zhang Yusheng looked at the large stack of drawings on the table, feeling both like laughing and crying.

  In Zhang Yu-sheng's plan, he hoped to achieve a double harvest of talent and profit through automobile manufacturing, but the current situation is not optimistic. Firstly, Zhang Yu-sheng only has one clothing company providing funds, even if the clothes sold are high-end and profitable, but once the car project starts, the amount needed is not just a simple thousand or hundred dollars, the production of an engine alone does not know how much trial materials will be consumed, and those costs are all based on a large budget.

  Secondly, even if they had the drawings, Zhang Yu said that many things were not compatible with the capabilities of modern mechanical processing equipment, and the processing accuracy could not meet the requirements. Moreover, even if they had the manufacturing equipment, the two people who lacked manpower should establish an automobile enterprise belonging to the Chinese people.

  Finally, an automobile company needs to build a large number of plants, install various machines and equipment, stock up on various materials, and even consider the feelings of employees. After all, it is not possible to build an automobile factory too far away from the city, making it extremely inconvenient for employees to eat, dress, live and travel.

  All sorts of problems need to be considered, and when Zhang Yusheng's plan was put into practice, he suddenly found that the problems faced were far more than expected. "Let's think about it again, there must be a way to solve these problems, definitely!" Zhang Yusheng leaned on the table, looking at the patterns made up of various lines, although his knowledge was shallow, but he also knew the charm and wealth contained in them. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can win every battle! We've only been thinking about our own difficulties, what about Ford? Didn't I get a car back for you and spend several hundred dollars on it?"

  Similarly, Zhang Yu, who was also scratching his head and ears for various problems, only realized that things might take a turn for the better after being reminded by Da Ge. "I studied the car you bought back, which is known as the most unforgettable beautiful strange thing in human mechanical industrial history, and it has many advantages, of course, there are also disadvantages."

  "First, let's talk about its advantages. I'd like to know how this car can achieve sales of 15 million units, with each one selling for $100, that's a sales achievement of $1.5 billion! After deducting costs, the profit is indeed substantial!"

  "Hehe, actually if we can make better cars, I guarantee one car will sell for over a thousand dollars and earn more money!" After pumping himself up, Zhang Yu returned to the previous topic: "As for its advantages, it's the simple and convenient structure, flexible use of a large number of technologies that have been accepted by society. In other words, as long as someone understands a bit about mechanical power, they can repair any minor problems with the car."

  "A 2.9L four-cylinder monobloc engine, mounted at the front, provides 20 horsepower, allowing the vehicle to reach a top speed of 72 km/h (45 mph). It can run on either gasoline or ethanol, with an estimated fuel consumption of 7.8-9.4 liters per 100 kilometers for the standard T-type car. How expensive is gasoline these days? Compared to the cost of riding a horse-drawn carriage, driving a Ford is incredibly cheap. Other features include 3-inch front and 3.5-inch rear wooden wheels with a standard wheelbase of 56 inches. The radiator, acetylene headlights, and many small parts are made of brass, while high-quality vanadium steel is also used extensively throughout the vehicle. Even if some parts need to be replaced occasionally, it's still acceptable for consumers. After all, how expensive can wooden things be?"

  "So, with all these advantages directly giving it a low cost, this makes it have an unbeatable advantage in price compared to its competitors, so it can serve as a practical tool for the masses and quickly enter American ordinary households."

  No need for Chang Yu-sheng to remind him, Zhang Yu immediately started talking about the weaknesses of T-type cars.

  Its biggest drawback actually comes from its advantages, and the problem lies in its cheapness. Think about it, how can a machine that uses conventional technology have performance that transcends time? I can combine our future production with competing cars to tell you about its disadvantages.

  "First, this car uses a hand-cranked starter handle to start up, which requires ignition delay, otherwise it may damage the starting device or be injured by the flying starter handle. So as long as we develop an electronic starter with strong practicality in terms of ignition, we can surpass it in this aspect.

  Secondly, as mentioned earlier, due to the 10-gallon fuel tank being placed under the front seat on the car's chassis, another design consideration was made for American farmers' usage needs, and an improved carburetor that can use ethanol as fuel was equipped. Since the fuel relies on gravity to flow from the fuel tank to the carburetor, when the T-type car has less fuel, it cannot climb steep slopes. The usual solution is to drive up the slope in reverse. I ask you: who wants to drive such a car on the road and have to back up every time they encounter a slope? So, this is also one of our major breakthroughs."

  "Thirdly, the car has no water pump, and engine cooling is achieved through natural circulation based on the principle of thermal siphoning. Hot water rises to the top of the engine into the radiator when it cools down and returns to the bottom, re-entering the engine. Although this circulating cooling method is adopted by most automobile manufacturers, even after equipping with a water pump, but as long as we came up with the invention of cross-flow radiators, haha! How to make money doesn't need me to say more."

  "Moreover, the T-type car uses rear-wheel drive planetary gear transmission. Simply put, it also has three speed modes: one high-speed, one low-speed, and one reverse. There is no clutch pedal, shifting gears is done through three pedals on the floor of the driver's cabin, and the accelerator is controlled by a handle behind the steering wheel. This driving method seems very unusual to you and me, but it is indeed a simple driving mode. We can only simplify the operation of the clutch and finally gain some advantage."

  "The T-type car has a non-independent suspension system with transverse elliptical springs on both the front and rear axles, with the front axle being forged as one piece; its right pedal is connected to the transmission system's drum brake through a band, causing the rear axle to stop rotating, while the handbrake acts on the outside of the drum. This is also its braking system. In these two aspects, we need better suspension and braking systems. Now American roads are not smooth cement or asphalt roads, but rough dirt roads that become bumpy once damaged. The result is a ride as uncomfortable as riding a horse-drawn carriage. But if we introduce better cars that allow passengers to ride in comfort, won't they win the favor of many consumers?"

  After hearing this, Zhang Yu suddenly realized that difficulties were no longer difficult. Thinking of the Ford Group, one of the world's top ten automobile industrial companies in later generations, with its main business being automobile production and its business scope covering electronics, aviation, steel, and military industries, a comprehensive transnational monopoly industrial group, was about to be "destroyed" by his own hands, Zhang Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

  "Right, I remember that the cars of this era only had a black paint job! The old movies I've seen have cars that are all uniformly black, but I've heard that different consumers actually have different preferences. Women probably don't like the solemnity of black, maybe red or green would add more character to the product. And inside the car, you can also match certain accessories, such as a car fridge, radio, windshield wipers, and small heaters for lighting cigarettes. Not only pursuing perfection in terms of vehicle performance, but also creating a masterpiece from the details, this is the only way to achieve the ideal of 'one car, multiple profits'. Zhang Yu Sheng, who had calmed down, gradually opened up his mind, constantly connecting his past experiences with his current predicament, and stepped onto the correct path of solving problems instead of just complaining."

  "Well, that's correct. The test results confirm that the Ford car you bought uses plant-based paint, they applied linseed oil to the body surface layer by layer with a brush, and such painting work takes about a week. The Dupont nitrocellulose coating combined with spray technology, which was invented in 1924, will be an absolute match to deal with this weakness. By the way, have you got any leads on those patent matters I asked you to investigate?"

  "Not a single clue, the patent for gasoline and diesel engines is not even registered with the US Patent Office, if you want to get it, you have to go to Germany, but I'm not free to go there unless you send me. But all this fuss just for a few patents, why don't we try to come up with something ourselves first? Besides, I've gained an unexpected benefit, I've only now realized that in the future, we might not lack money to spend on good things." Zhang Yu Sheng said with a smile that was about to bloom.

  "What I need is talent and patents, nothing else interests me!!" Zhang Yu heard that the patent thing was not going well, so he sat down with a pencil in his mouth, slightly sighing, ready to listen to what unexpected gains his big brother had.

  "All the patents I applied for have been approved, and I've taken down everything from camisoles to G-strings. The zipper patent invented by Swedish man Whitcomb Judson in 1893, as well as the snap hook invented by Johan Vaaler in 1899, I've got them all packaged up and they're cheaper than a truckload of cabbage. As a result, my clothing factory must expand immediately to meet the demand for more products. In short, you may not understand the saying 'a diamond lasts forever, but one is enough to go bankrupt', but small things can also create great wealth."

  "These little things are only for you to focus on, when can you get the patent for crankshaft and other things? You'll be able to live off the royalties for a lifetime! Zhang Yu is a science student, so he's definitely interested in inventions, but he's more inclined towards heavy industry. As for his brother registering patents for things like bras, it really opened his eyes. "You go ahead and focus on your money-making plans, I won't bother you for the next two or three weeks. The remaining drawings will be enough for us to work through a few all-nighters." After laughing, Zhang Yu realized that maybe his brother was right. A life without women is unbearable, but a life without money is even more miserable. Zhang Yu didn't want to end up in a situation where he ran out of funds at a critical moment, that would be terrible."

  Zhang Yusheng started to busy himself with his own affairs, while Zhang Yu opened the light brain and found all the electronic book materials downloaded from the Gongda Library during his university days. The quick smart system soon found more relevant information about the beetle for him.

  In the 1930s, Adolf Hitler wanted to produce a people's car that was affordable for the average citizen. He assigned engineer Ferdinand Porsche to complete this task. Hitler's requirements were: it had to be able to carry two adults and three children, reach a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), and not exceed a purchase price of 1,000 Reichsmarks. A savings plan was also introduced to make the car more affordable for ordinary people.

  Ferdinand Porsche had already drawn up plans for a people's car during the early 1930s, which was initially to be based on the Type 32, but which had been rejected by the German auto industry. The project was reactivated in 1934 by Adolf Hitler, who insisted that it should be a people's car capable of transporting three children along with their parents and luggage at a maximum speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).

  It occurred to him that the Ford Model T was already on the market, and once Ford introduced the assembly line production process into actual production, he believed it wouldn't be long before the entire United States would be filled with the shadow of the Model T. So Zhang Yu was busy with his own work while also hoping that Ford's brain wouldn't be too bright during his visit to the slaughterhouse, and that he wouldn't think of applying the assembly line method to car production too soon.

  Of course, pinning the hope of survival on the enemy is not Zhang Yu's habit, nor is it an awakening that a strong person should have. So Zhang Yu has been urging himself to speed up and let everything start from May 10th, 1909, blowing the horn of pursuit!