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1st production car with disc brakes?

BobSands

Jedi Hopeful
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Didn't know whether to post this on the TR page or not so,... forever I've been told that the TR3 was the first production automobile th have disc brakes, starting with TS13046 in 1956. Now, I'm hearing that something known as a Citroen DS had them in 1955. Anybody know the truth?
Thanx Bob
 
For a quarter ( standard bet) , what was the first car sold in any volume with 4 wheel disc brakes?
 
In 1967 thr Volvo 144-series sedan came with four-wheel disc brakes.
 
I was thinking of the Jaguar 3.4 sedan(and probably concurrently XK150) in late 1957 I guess the Ctype had them in 53, but a production run of around 50 cars is not exactly "available to the public"
 
Citroen DS did have them at its launch in 1955, and was most definitely a mass-production car. Inboard at the front. That sounds goofy until you realise that they never get wet, parts don't rust, and it's an absolute walk in the park to change the pads and to adjust the handbrake. The parking brake operates on the front calipers on a Citroen!
 
It was Crosley doggone it.

Here's a page from my Crosley shop manual that covers 49-52. They look like disks to me, and the car was a production item.

crosley.jpg
 
Here's an article from Wikipedia that has some history on the auto disc brake. The Crosley used them on the Hotshot in '49, but due to design problems, discontinued them in '50. The C-type Jag had them, but hardly a production car. Chrysler had a go at it next, but their design was strange and too costly of an option that it proved to be a no sell to the public. Next was The Citroen DS and the TR3, essentially at the same time, and finally successful. The disc brake was actually first developed in England in the 1880's, and patented in 1902, but it would take another 50 years to see any use.

So, if you qualify 'first' as also meaning successful on a prodution car, then Citroen and Triumph would have to be considered the 'first'. The Triumph system has turned out to be the model that is still in use on all cars today, so in my warped way of thinking, that is the FIRST as we know it.
 
I would agree that the Crosley Hotshot deserves the credit for being the first production car with them!!!
 
Well, after scobing around the internet a bit, if we consider the Chrysler system as disc brakes, then the 1949 Imperial had them the same year as the Hotshot! No only that, they were on all four wheels. I also see that they were standard on the Imperials, and not an option. Here's a description on how they worked...

1949 CROWN IMPERIAL, C-47: A unique, self-energizing, hydraulic disc brake was introduced as standard equipment on all 1949 Imperials. It had two flat pressure plates on which segments of brake lining were bonded. Braking action was obtained when the pressure plates were forced outward into contact with rotating brake housings.

I remember seeing a picture of them on the internet, but can't seem to find it. If I do, I'll post it.
 
Strange as it may seem, disk brakes were first invented in England in the 1890s; the first ever being patented by Frederick William Lancaster in his Birmingham factory in 1902, though it took another half century for his innovation to be widely adopted.
Modern style disk brakes first appeared on the low volume Crosley Hot Shot in 1949, although they had to be discontinued in 1950 due to design problems. Chrysler's Imperial division also offered a type of disk brake from 1949 through 1953, though in this instance they were enclosed with duel internal-expanding, full circle pressure plates. Reliable modern disk brakes were developed in the UK by Dunlap and first appeared on the Jaguar C-Type racing car.The Citroen DS of 1955, with powered inboard front disk brakes, and the 1955 Triumph TR3 were the first European production cars to feature modern disk brakes.The next American production cars to feature modern disk brakes were the 1963 Studebaker Avant, the 1965 Rambler Marlin and the 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Many early implementations for automobiles located the brakes on the inboard side of the drive axles, near the differential to reduce unsprung weight. Most today are located inside the wheels. Due to the unsprung weight, race cars favor mostly from the inboard design.

I think we owe the Britt's a debt of gratitude for giving us a better braking system witch also includes the Brabham racing team in conjunction with Dunlap, for their contribution of the carbon fiber disks used in race cars. They are not suitable for the normal passenger car as they require a tremendous amount of heat build up to work properly. The new ceramics are more suited for everyday driving.
 
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