Hi Tim,

I don't know if you were addressing the question to the list or to David. My
guess is Citroen Traction Avant (first practical production front wheel
drive?) I'm sure there many other obscure vehicles during the days of REO and
Stanley Steamer. I just don't know them.

OK, here's a little semi subject related claim by Fiat during a campaign
against VW in 1972. They are making claims as to why the Fiat 128 is a better
car than the VW Super Beetle:

    "The most obvious difference between the Fiat 128 and the Volkswagen
Super
     Beetle is the engine.

    Ours is in the front -- theirs is in back. We have front wheel drive --
they have
    rear    wheel drive.

    Front wheel gives you better handling because the wheels that are moving
the
    car are also the wheels that are turning the car.

    Front wheel drive also gives you better traction on ice and snow. ( as
proof, last
    year, the Fiat won the Canadian Winter Rally, which is run over ice and
    snow the likes of which we hardly ever see in the States.)"

You'll notice that Fiat doesn't mention that (the contemporary argument at
the time) traction in FWD cars was that the engine weight is over the drive
wheels. Wait, isn't the VW's engine over the drive wheels as well ... hmmmmm.

I agree that the main reason front wheel drive is used by manufacturers is
for packaging reasons. That is, no prop shaft, flat floor, all drive
mechanicals can be installed as a unit. The rest of it WAS ad hype. Of
course, improvements were made to FWD platforms to be competitive and/or
exceed RWD performance. That came after the fact.

Yah dah, yah dah, yah dah! = ).

Happy Monday,
BenT
Citadel Properties.
San Francisco
(650) 994-7253

'87 GL Vanagon
'88 Fox Wagon
'89 Jetta GL
'80 Rabbit pick-up
'83 323i BMW E-30 (gray market)
'81 323i BMW E-21 (gray market)
'72 911 Targa (soon to be parted out)
'76 914 converted to 914-6 configuration
'79 Mercedes 280TE (gray market)
80 Mercedes 300TD