1952 Buick Skylark
The world’s first all-aluminium production engine was used in the Buick Special and Oldsmobile F-85 of 1960, and was also offered as an option in the Pontiac Tempest, normally powered by a heavy cast iron four-cylinder. The advantages in weight reduction and efficiency that resulted from the use of aluminium in preference to iron for major castings such as the cylinder heads and block had fascinated engineers for years. Although several concept cars had been produced with aluminium engines in the 1950s, when it came to the crunch in which cost was of paramount importance, a more conventional specification went into production.
The new Buick finally made it in 1960 after careful analysis revealed that there were bigger potential savings in a bodyshell and suspension that did not have to support so much weight than in the extra cost of making such a jewel of an engine.
The major problem with the biggest and heaviest component, the cylinder block, had always been how to provide a cylinder wall that was compatible with hard-wearing pistons and rings. Although intensive research had gone into possible solutions such as high-silicon alloys, metal spraying and plating, none were as reliable as old-fashioned cast iron. Then Lancia and BMW in Europe demonstrated that such engines could work with wet-sleeve designs produced in low volume. The General Motors engineers were interested, but decided that such a system would never be foolproof and would suffer sealing problems while being serviced by amateur mechanics. It was also very expensive.
However the concept set their casting department thinking and it was not long before they came up with the idea of machining cast iron liners internally in the normal manner and leaving them with a rough finish on the outside. These liners were then inserted in the aluminium casting’s mould so that when the alloy cooled and shrank they were permanently fixed in place with no sealing problems. The same process was used for sinking cast iron valve seats into the cylinder heads.
The rest of the car built around this 3.5-litre V8, which weighed only as much as a 1.5-litre cast iron engine, was fairly straightforward. It had a three forward gear transmission and live rear axle within a 2.845-metre wheelbase and had a maximum speed of 169km/h.
The Special grew a little larger in 1961 and was joined by a vinyl-topped Skylark coupe which looked a good deal better, so much so that most people have forgotten that it was the first mass-produced car to have such a gem of an engine. Not that there was anything wrong with the engine. Quite simply, advanced technology fever had such a firm grip on the General Motors’ casting works that they quickly discovered more accurate ways of working with iron. The pace of achievement over those years was such that they reduced iron blocks to an altogether more realistic weight.
Racing people favoured the Buick engine for all manner of applications, especially competition boats where weight was exceptionally important. It just so happened that a weekend racer’s Skylark engine was standing in the corner of a shipping company’s office when a salesman from the British firm Land Rover dropped by to discuss using their rugged engines in hire boats. As he stumbled against this delightful little V8, he realised it was just what Rover needed to give their ageing saloons a new lease of life. The rights to produce this redundant engine were bought for a song, together with an ace American development engineer to improve it. In revitalised form it went on to power everything from sports cars to Range Rovers – the best engine British Leyland ever had.
