What is an S6 Engine?

[kylekosir]

Sorry if this post belongs somewhere else.
I was reading in one of my Formula 1 books and I noticed that some teams in the early 1950's used a S6 type of engine. Can anyone explain the technical benifits of this engine used then?

Thanks
Kyle

[johnw]

Straight (in line) six?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by johnw

Straight (in line) six?

I would say that is the one..... some people refer to them as 'S' for Straight, others as 'L' for (in)Line.

For instance looking at the very first WDC event at Silverstone in 1950, every car featured an inline engine of one format, (supercharged or not) capacity, cylinder quantity and type....

The Alfas were L(S)8 c 1.5 = Inline(Straight) 8 cyl, compressor (s/charged), 1.5 litre
The Maseratis were L(S)4 c 1.5 = Inline(Straight) 4 s/charged 1.5 litre
The ERA's were L(S)6 c 1.5 = Inline(Straight) 6 S/C, 1.5litre
The Talbot Lago's were L(S)6, 4.5 = Inline(Straight) 6 non supercharged 4.5 litre (The equivalency used was 1.5 litres for S/C or 4.5 litres for normally aspirated.)

The next meeting at Monaco featured the Ferrari V12 1.5 litre Supercharged models, becoming the first V engines in the 1950 WDC 'modern era'.... along with the V2 Cooper Jap 1.1 litre of Harry Schell. The next V engine to join F1 was not until 1951 at Spa when Prince Bira turned up with a Maserati powered by an OSCA 4.5 litre V12. The next was at the 1951 British GP when the beautiful but unreliable BRM V16 S/C 1.5 litre engine was entered in a couple of BRM P15's

Advantages of the straight / inline arrangement over V engines were principally they were less complex in those times, and easier to manufacture. They were also particularly smooth in operation.