There are some unusual parallels between the aviation and automotive industries. When some cars use aero engines or when technology and pathways cross, aviation has impacted the automotive world.
In some cases, automotive engineers have simply stolen ideas from the world of aircraft and applied them to their creations! This list contains ten instances of when that happened and how those ideas were taken from the aviation world and applied to the automotive industry.
Saab’s Aviation Department
Saab actually stole ideas from itself and used them on its cars. The company may no longer produce automobiles, but it still makes aircraft, such as the Gripen, and its aviation engineers have utilized their knowledge to good effect in the past.
Saab aircraft engineers have applied their knowledge of aerodynamics to improve the acceleration of Saab’s cars. This can also help reduce the vehicles’ drag and increase their overall efficiency.
Napier-Bentley
The fearsome Napier-Bentley is a historic, one-off racing car built in 1972 by two enthusiasts, David Llewellyn and Peter Morley. It’s a spectacular vehicle, with its chassis constructed from two 4.0-liter Bentley side frame members, shortened and modified to fit a 10-foot wheelbase.
The car’s engine is inspired by aviation. Under the hood is a 550 horsepower 24-liter Napier Sea Lion W12 boat engine. This engine was based on the ferocious Napier Lion aircraft engine, which they would use to good effect for their own 1930s racers.
Napier-Railton
The 1933 Napier-Railton is the original machine that the 1970s Napier-Bentley inspired. Reid Railton designed the Railton to be co-commissioned by racer John Cobb, and Thomson & Taylor built the car. This monster of a vehicle holds the outright lap record at the now-closed now-closed Brooklands circuit of 143.44 mph.
Under the car’s hood is a Napier Lion W12 24-liter aero engine, producing a spectacular 580 horsepower. The Napier Lion was used in aircraft such as the Handley Page Hyderabad and Vickers Vernon, as well as other racing cars and boats.
1955 Ghia Streamline X Coupé
The striking 1955 Ghia Streamline X Coupé draws its design inspiration from aviation. It was built at the request of Chrysler executive Virgil Exner and designed as a show car that debuted at the Salone di Torino in 1955 before later touring Europe and the United States.
Its slim and sleek shape was inspired by fighter aircraft of the day, even down to the backset grille that looks like it could easily mount several machine guns. The full glass bubble cabin is another design feature taken directly from aviation, with the bubble canopy a staple of modern fighter aircraft.
Composite Materials
Composite materials play an essential role in both the aviation and automotive industry. They can offer advantages over regular materials, such as aluminum, by being not only stronger but also lighter, much like carbon fiber is for the automotive industry.
Composites are now regularly used similarly in the automotive world. Lightening a vehicle’s overall weight can improve its efficiency and reduce aerodynamic drag, yet composites do this without sacrificing structural integrity.
Extra Comfortable Car Seats
One innovation in the automotive world inspired by aviation might surprise you. When astronauts were first onboard the very first space station, NASA studied their bodies to make their lives up there as comfortable as possible.
This then filtered into the automotive world. Nissan, for example, would tap into NASA’s research to create a new driver’s seat, one that kept drivers and passengers as comfortable as possible. This new NASA-derived seat made its debut on the 2013 Nissan Altima, and the Japanese manufacturer utilizes this design to this day.
Lamborghini Egoista
Like Saab, Lamborghini has also considered aircraft aerodynamics in automotive design. Ironically, the Italian manufacturer consulted the Swedes when designing the radical Egoista, taking inspiration from a Cold War icon, the delta-winged Saab Draken.
Lamborghini looked at the aerodynamic performance of the Draken to create the Egoista concept car, while the overall design was also inspired by the Apache helicopter. Out of all Lamborghini’s concepts, the Egoista might be the most outlandish.
Aluminum
For decades, all that has dominated the aviation industry thanks to its low cost and many valuable properties. Aluminum excels with its strength and ability to withstand the elements, as well as its outstanding flexibility, which can assist in efficiency.
It is little wonder that automotive manufacturers have sought to use aluminum themselves. Tesla, for example, is one of the biggest users, with the body and chassis of the Model S built out of aluminum to increase efficiency and battery range.
NASA Tire Sensors
NASA has inspired further innovation within the automotive industry. Its tire sensors used on the space shuttles are cutting-edge, helping to quickly detect any drop in tire pressure and warn the pilot that they may encounter a puncture if they land.
This technology converts pressure into electrical resistance, generating real-time readings. The company NASA worked with created these sensors and then applied them to the automotive industry. Now, every car requires a pressure gauge on each tire.
Interior Design
Something that is perhaps more noticeable now is the impact that aviation design has on the interiors of the modern automobile. Lamborghini famously uses fighter jet-inspired “gun switches” to start its cars, but the impact extends beyond that.
Just look at the steering wheel of a modern Peugeot or the seats in a Ferrari supercar. Both manufacturers have taken fighter jet inspiration for both of those to improve the aesthetic in Peugeot’s case as well as the comfort in Ferraris.