The Research Safety Vehicle (RSV) program encompasses automobile safety, economy, resource conservation, and emissions appropriate for the U.S. economy in the late 1980's. The Calspan/Chrysler approach is based upon derivation of the RSV from a current, advanced, state-of-the-art production automobile. Adoption of a base vehicle approach provides a practical method for introducing incremental changes in vehicle design consistent with program goals and typical automotive production constraints.
The RSV is being developed within the framework of projections, specifications, and a preliminary concept developed in our phase I program. More salient aspects of that study are briefly reviewed in this report.
The Simca 1308, recently introduced to the European market, was selected as the base vehicle. In many respects, this automobile represents an advanced state-of-the-art engineering practice. Characteristics of the base vehicle that are pertinent to the study are discussed.
Design features of the RSV that distinguish it from the base vehicle are considered in detail. Major program development efforts have been expended in the areas of crash safety where extensive changes were made in the bumpers, body structures, and restraint systems. These features have been incorporated into a producible automotive design.
It is recognized that the RSV project includes four phases and the preliminary nature of the results obtained to date must be fully understood and appreciated. Nevertheless, these results seem highly encouraging in relation to performance characteristics that might eventually be incorporated into future motor vehicles.