Getting a HANDLE on your Car!

I continue to be interested in how designers improve aerodynamics of
vehicle bodies over the decades, from windshield and rear window rake
to flush glass to the roundness of the transition from front bumper to
quarter-panels. Composite/organic headlamps, that integrate with the
body, replaced the round sealed beams of the 60s and square sealed
beams of the 70s.

Has any reasearch been done on the aerodynamic drag of different
exterior-door handle designs http://www.cartype.com/pages/2724/the_handle
??

I definitely prefer what I call the "refrigerator" handle design which
has appeared on most makes of car and truck since m/y 2000. The
second and third examples in the above link(on Acuras) exemplify this
design. Disappearing is the "flush" or recessed handle(scroll down,
several Audi, Caddy, and Chevy examples of this design) which I always
thought was more aerodynamic, but less ergonomic.

Just thought I'd breach a topic taken largely for granted by car
users, and muse it's contribution or reduction to aerodynamics of the
vehicle.

-ChrisCoaster

On Jul 12, 10:06*am, ChrisCoaster > wrote:
> I continue to be interested in how designers improve aerodynamics of
> vehicle bodies over the decades, from windshield and rear window rake
> to flush glass to the roundness of the transition from front bumper to
> quarter-panels. *Composite/organic headlamps, that integrate with the
> body, replaced the round sealed beams of the 60s and square sealed
> beams of the 70s.
>
> Has any reasearch been done on the aerodynamic drag of different
> exterior-door handle designshttp://www.cartype.com/pages/2724/the_handle
> ??
>
> I definitely prefer what I call the "refrigerator" handle design which
> has appeared on most makes of car and truck since m/y 2000. *The
> second and third examples in the above link(on Acuras) exemplify this
> design. *Disappearing is the "flush" or recessed handle(scroll down,
> several Audi, Caddy, and Chevy examples of this design) which I always
> thought was more aerodynamic, but less ergonomic.
>
> Just thought I'd breach a topic taken largely for granted by car
> users, and muse it's contribution or reduction to aerodynamics of the
> vehicle.
>
> -ChrisCoaster

Another factor that influences door handle design is that I believe
some ECE reg requires that door handles have a loop with both ends
attached to the structure of the door (I'm paraphrasing, and didn't
look up the actual reference) if you notice, it is only American and
Asian cars that use the "flap" style door handle, which I loathe (due
to a flaky power lock on my previous Impala, I would always peel back
my fingernails when trying to open the LR door, forgetting to visually
check if it had really unlocked first... eventually I started
pressing the "unlock" button 4-5x before trying the door, but even
then sometimes it wouldn't work. The newer model Impalas use door
handles that appear to be in line with ECE regs.)

All my German cars have had handles with a loop, either the squeezy
trigger kind (older VWs, Porsche) or ones where you actually pull the
loop out to unlatch the door (VW Corrado, VW GTI 1.8T - and also the
new (2008) Impala even though it's not German. Handles on the Impala
look similar to the Malibu, which I believe is based off an Opel so
that makes sense.)

nate

On Jul 12, 10:24*am, N8N > wrote:

>
> Another factor that influences door handle design is that I believe
> some ECE reg requires that door handles have a loop with both ends
> attached to the structure of the door (I'm paraphrasing, and didn't
> look up the actual reference) if you notice, it is only American and
> Asian cars that use the "flap" style door handle, which I loathe (due
> to a flaky power lock on my previous Impala, >
> nate- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
_______________

Easier for ol' Biff to stick his cane through, eh?

LOL!

-CC

1947 Ford, Biff's car? Back to the Future.(I love those Back to the
Future movies) It had real Good door handles.
cuhulin