By Kurt Anthony Krug
Legal News
In his latest book, lawyer/ author Steve Lehto chronicles the “Aero Wars” between Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler Corp. from 1969-70.
“In the late 1960s, NASCAR racers had made the cars as fast as they could go with then-current engineering technology. Horsepower was maxed out. And the cars were becoming unsafe because of how unstable they became when they crossed over the 180 MPH mark,” said Lehto, 53, author of “Dodge Daytona & Plymouth Superbird: Design, Development, Production and Competition” (CarTech $39.95).
“Dodge Daytona & Plymouth Superbird” is Lehto’s 11th non-fiction book. He’ll be signing copies at Pasteiner’s Auto Zone Hobbies – located at 33202 Woodward Ave. in Birmingham – on Saturday, March 19, from 9-11 a.m.
“Chrysler and Ford both realized that the answer wasn’t more horsepower; it was in reducing wind resistance and finding ways to get the cars to hold to the track better. Ford’s answer was streamlined cars in 1969. In response, Chrysler put nosecones and wings on their cars – and these cars were the fastest of them all,” said Lehto, an alumnus of Oakland University and Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles.
According to Lehto, every car manufacturer that participated in NASCAR was always looking for a competitive edge. Ford and Chrysler altered the aerodynamics of their race cars – hence, the name “Aero Wars” – producing vehicles with radically altered grilles and tail sections, among other features.
“To build and design these cars, Chrysler brought in rocket scientists and turned them loose,” said Lehto. “What would they do if given a free hand at designing a car to go fast? Their results were outlandish – and fast.”
As Ford and Chrysler relentlessly tried to outdo the other, where was General Motors during all this? At that point, GM had abandoned NASCAR a few years earlier. According to Lehto, GM didn’t consider the PR value of a few wins on a racetrack to be worth all the effort.
At first, Ford was winning the “Aero Wars,” rolling out the Ford Talladega and the Mercury Cyclone. However, as Chrysler scrambled to get their winged cars – the Daytona and the Superbird – onto the tracks, it eventually up and, subsequently, passed Ford.
However, Chrysler’s victory was short-lived because NASCAR outlawed the cars.
At the end of the 1970 season, NASCAR adopted rules which all but outlawed the winged cars and other aero cars. They could still run, but had to use severely limited engines. Thus, this marked the conclusion of the “Aero Wars.”
“That’s the problem of competing in a sport which is actually a business run by a privately-held corporation that can change its rules on a whim. Imagine in one year if Major League Baseball simply outlawed the curveball, or if the NFL outlawed the forward pass because they felt throwing quarterbacks were becoming too dominant,” explained Lehto. “The rule change to outlaw a whole class of cars that actually were ‘stock’ – and built specifically to race in NASCAR – meant that the car companies could no longer predict what NASCAR would or would not allow. It changed the sport and the car companies actually withdrew much of their support for the events from this point going forward for a few years.”
This represented a change in the paradigm between NASCAR and the car manufacturers.
“There was a bit of a concern over safety but these cars weren’t unsafe in that sense. These cars were the fastest to ever race. A Daytona was the first to break the 200 MPH barrier on a NASCAR track. Some did wonder what might happen if a car got out of control at that speed and went into the stands. It never happened in NASCAR, but it did happen in other racing programs,” said Lehto.
The changes imposed by NASCAR alienated plenty of fans, including Lehto.
“I am not a big fan of the sport today, mainly because of how it has changed. And the cars in my book are the ones that instigated the change,” explained Lehto. “In the old days, NASCAR was raced by drivers in modified stock cars. The Daytona and the Superbird were the fastest ‘stock’ cars ever sold by the Big Three. NASCAR didn’t like the direction (in which) the sport was evolving and clamped down. When they outlawed these cars, they also made the conscious decision to get away from ‘stock’ car racing and turn it more into an event where all the cars would be fairly equal.”
He continued: “NASCAR never explained itself but many people think that the NASCAR owners felt that the sport was getting away from the direction they wanted it to go. The cars looked exotic and were being specially designed for racing. NASCAR wanted a return to the days when the cars on the tracks looked like the average cars on the road.”
According to Lehto, the Daytona and the Superbird were the pinnacle of design; both were the furthest anyone pushed the envelope in terms of creating an aerodynamic car whose sole purpose was NASCAR racing. Only 503 Daytonas and 1,923 Superbirds were built and sold to the general public. Both models are rare and quite valuable.
“A very nice condition Daytona sold last year for almost $1 million. Brand new, it cost around $5,000. And when you see one, you will know it. The huge wing on the back is something you cannot miss,” he said. “Look for them at the Woodward Dream Cruise. I always see a handful and make a point to talk to the owners if I can. The cars are quite special and the owners are all part of a fraternity, preserving this great slice of American automotive history.”
Lehto made it clear that you don’t have to be a NASCAR fan to understand or like his book. The book will appeal to people who like cars and innovation. NASCAR fans who read the book will be able to understand how NASCAR got to be the way it is today.
“Writing car books is a great way for me to mix my two professions. As well as being a writer, I am an attorney specializing in Lemon Law,” said Lehto. “So I talk to people all day long about their cars – defective cars, that is – and then research and write about cars also.”
For further information about Lehto’s March 19 book signing at Pasteiner’s Auto Zone Hobbies, call (248) 646-2886.
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