Rolf Mellde
Encyclopedia
Rolf Mellde was an engineer specialized in engine
s and a car racing enthusiast.
His grandfather August Johansson built one of the first cars in Stockholm
and sold it to Lars Magnus Ericsson
. His father, Evald Johansson, taught car mechanics at a school in Stockholm so it was natural that Rolf Mellde would work in the same field. Already at the age of ten he drew turbo compressors and diesel engine
s.
After finishing his basic education he studied thermodynamics
for two years at the Stockholms Tekniska Institut (STI) under Folke Mannerstedt (race driver and engine designer) and Nils Gustafsson.
His first job was at Bergbolagen in Lindesberg
that made engine powered inspection trollies. After that he worked two years at Skandiaverken in Lysekil
working with two stroke boat engines. Then he started working at SAAB
in September 1946 and was put in charge of engine development.
In Skarpnäck
in 1948 he started his competition career in a DKW
. When he became head of testing he suggested that SAAB should participate in automotive competitions to show what the engines could do and in 1950 SAAB entered the Rikspokalen
and won big. Up to 1961 and the final Rikspokalen SAAB won five times.
In the 1960s it became harder to sell two stroke cars and Rolf Mellde went ahead with his idea to test a four stroke engine. They had tested several four strokers and the one that was best was the Ford V4
. The engine was put into a test car: the board
was invited but none of them wanted to test drive the car. Tryggve Holm even thought the idea of a SAAB with a Ford
engine was absurd. Lars Brising refused to state his opinion. The Saab management instead wanted him to continue working with the Saab 99
.
Having no luck he talked with Marc Wallenberg who used to drive a Saab 92
. Marc talked with his father and Rolf got the go ahead with the V4
engine. Even before the go ahead, Rolf had secretly visited Ford in Detroit and asked both Don Fray, then head of Ford US, and Fray contacted Robert McNamara
, head of Ford, and he had nothing against selling the engine to Saab. The price would be the same Ford charged their own daughter companies.
The switch to the V4 was done under great secrecy. Just before the factory closed for the summer 1966 a number of workers were asked if they were willing to work on some 96s that had "faulty brake
s". 40 persons volunteered and then Svante Holm explained that the real reason was that they would take the unsold cars and refit them with V4 engines. 600 cars were rebuilt and the V4 Saabs became a big hit and outsold the two-strokers by a factor of three.
Shortly after Curt Mileikowsky came in from ASEA
, but it turned out he knew nothing about cars and Rolf decided that after 25 years at SAAB he had done his share and left to work at Volvo
instead. At Volvo he saw what was to be the replacement of the Volvo 140
, a huge car powered by a cast V8 engine
. Rolf quickly formed a group to work on the new 200-series, Jan Willsgård designed a new front and the V8 was changed to an inline
4. At Volvo he worked to improve safety and also worked on an experimental front wheel drive taxi cab. In 1979 he led the project team on the light component project (LCP) that produced the LCP2000 concept cars displayed at motor shows around the world in 1983. The car featured a very light diesel engine with direct fuel injection
that gave very good fuel efficiency
, only 0,03 litre/km.
Rolf Mellde died in March 2009, 86 years old.
http://www.automotorsport.se/news/17547/rolf-mellde-har-avlidit--pionj%C3%A4r-inom-bilindustrin/ (Swedish)
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
s and a car racing enthusiast.
His grandfather August Johansson built one of the first cars in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and sold it to Lars Magnus Ericsson
Lars Magnus Ericsson
Lars Magnus Ericsson was a Swedish inventor, entrepreneur and founder of telephone equipment manufacturer Ericsson ....
. His father, Evald Johansson, taught car mechanics at a school in Stockholm so it was natural that Rolf Mellde would work in the same field. Already at the age of ten he drew turbo compressors and diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s.
After finishing his basic education he studied thermodynamics
Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is a physical science that studies the effects on material bodies, and on radiation in regions of space, of transfer of heat and of work done on or by the bodies or radiation...
for two years at the Stockholms Tekniska Institut (STI) under Folke Mannerstedt (race driver and engine designer) and Nils Gustafsson.
His first job was at Bergbolagen in Lindesberg
Lindesberg
Lindesberg is a locality and the seat of Lindesberg Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 8,752 inhabitants in 2005.- History :Lindesberg has centuries old history, being the center of an old mining district. The earliest known traces of a town are in the foundations of the 14th century stone...
that made engine powered inspection trollies. After that he worked two years at Skandiaverken in Lysekil
Lysekil
Lysekil is a locality and the seat of Lysekil Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 7,568 inhabitants in 2005.The picturesque coastal town of Lysekil is a major tourist destination during the Swedish summer period from June to the end of August.Lysekil is known as originator of the...
working with two stroke boat engines. Then he started working at SAAB
Saab Automobile
Saab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden...
in September 1946 and was put in charge of engine development.
In Skarpnäck
Skarpnäck
Skarpnäck may refer to:*Skarpnäck borough in Stockholm, Sweden*Skarpnäck metro station, a Stockholm Metro station*Skarpnäck parish, a Church of Sweden parish in Stockholm, Sweden*Skarpnäcksfältet, a subdistrict in Skarpnäcks Gård district, Skarpnäck borough...
in 1948 he started his competition career in a DKW
DKW
DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW...
. When he became head of testing he suggested that SAAB should participate in automotive competitions to show what the engines could do and in 1950 SAAB entered the Rikspokalen
Rikspokalen
The Rikspokalen is a motor rally that takes place in Örebro, Sweden. In the past, it was considered to be one of Europe's toughest rallies.Roughly translated, the name means "National Cup"....
and won big. Up to 1961 and the final Rikspokalen SAAB won five times.
In the 1960s it became harder to sell two stroke cars and Rolf Mellde went ahead with his idea to test a four stroke engine. They had tested several four strokers and the one that was best was the Ford V4
Ford Taunus V4 engine
The Taunus V4 was a V4 piston engine with one balance shaft, introduced by Ford Motor Company in Germany in 1962. The German V4 was built in the Cologne plant and powered the Ford Taunus and German versions of the Granada, Capri and Transit...
. The engine was put into a test car: the board
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
was invited but none of them wanted to test drive the car. Tryggve Holm even thought the idea of a SAAB with a Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
engine was absurd. Lars Brising refused to state his opinion. The Saab management instead wanted him to continue working with the Saab 99
Saab 99
- Development :On April 2, 1965, Gudmund's day in Sweden, after several years of planning, the Saab board started Project Gudmund. This was a project to develop a new and larger car to take the manufacturer beyond the market for the smaller Saab 96...
.
Having no luck he talked with Marc Wallenberg who used to drive a Saab 92
Saab 92
Saab 92 is an automobile from Saab. The design was very aerodynamic for its time, and the cW value was 0.30 . The entire body was stamped out of one piece of sheet metal and then cut to accommodate doors and windows. Full-scale production started December 12, 1949, based on the prototype Saab 92001...
. Marc talked with his father and Rolf got the go ahead with the V4
V4 engine
A V4 engine is a V form engine with four cylinders and three main bearings.-Automobile use:Lancia produced several narrow-angle V4 engines from the 1920s through 1960s for cars like the Lambda, Augusta, Artena, Aprilia, Ardea, Appia, and Fulvia....
engine. Even before the go ahead, Rolf had secretly visited Ford in Detroit and asked both Don Fray, then head of Ford US, and Fray contacted Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
, head of Ford, and he had nothing against selling the engine to Saab. The price would be the same Ford charged their own daughter companies.
The switch to the V4 was done under great secrecy. Just before the factory closed for the summer 1966 a number of workers were asked if they were willing to work on some 96s that had "faulty brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s". 40 persons volunteered and then Svante Holm explained that the real reason was that they would take the unsold cars and refit them with V4 engines. 600 cars were rebuilt and the V4 Saabs became a big hit and outsold the two-strokers by a factor of three.
Shortly after Curt Mileikowsky came in from ASEA
ASEA
Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget was a Swedish industry company. It merged with the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie in 1988 to form Asea Brown Boveri...
, but it turned out he knew nothing about cars and Rolf decided that after 25 years at SAAB he had done his share and left to work at Volvo
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
instead. At Volvo he saw what was to be the replacement of the Volvo 140
Volvo 140
The Volvo 140 Series is a range of automobiles which was produced by Volvo Cars of Sweden from 1966 to 1974. The range comprises the Volvo 142 2-door sedan, the Volvo 144 4-door sedan and the Volvo 145 5-door station wagon....
, a huge car powered by a cast V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
. Rolf quickly formed a group to work on the new 200-series, Jan Willsgård designed a new front and the V8 was changed to an inline
Straight engine
Usually found in four- and six-cylinder configurations, the straight engine, or inline engine is an internal-combustion engine with all cylinders aligned in one row, with no offset...
4. At Volvo he worked to improve safety and also worked on an experimental front wheel drive taxi cab. In 1979 he led the project team on the light component project (LCP) that produced the LCP2000 concept cars displayed at motor shows around the world in 1983. The car featured a very light diesel engine with direct fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
that gave very good fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is...
, only 0,03 litre/km.
Rolf Mellde died in March 2009, 86 years old.
http://www.automotorsport.se/news/17547/rolf-mellde-har-avlidit--pionj%C3%A4r-inom-bilindustrin/ (Swedish)