Addressing traction issues. An American innovation
In recent times, we've become adept at navigating winter road conditions. We possess various tools to ensure safe winter driving, including winter tires, tire chains, and road sand to prevent slipping. However, in the 1960s, Chevrolet approached winter-related problems uniquely and extravagantly.
Automotive supplies available during that era might surprise you. A simple review of old catalogs reveals a plethora of unusual offerings – a vinyl record player in a jostling car was merely the tip of the iceberg. Onboard coffee machine? Certainly feasible. Foot-operated radio station changer? Absolutely. In the 1960s, the only restriction for designers' fanciful ideas was their own creativity.
Chevrolet was no exception to this trend. In 1969, the company developed the Liquid Tire Chain Traction Dispenser, often called liquid tire chains, for customers struggling with winter driving. The mechanism was straightforward – a driver would enter the car, press a button, and a polymer solution from a can covered in cautionary warnings would be sprayed onto the tires. It's worth noting that during this era, a heated rear window was a luxury add-on.
Chevrolet only offered the V75 Liquid Tire Chain as a tire accessory for its entire range of cars – excluding station wagons and El Camino pickups – in 1969. Of the 2,600 customers who opted to install the aerosol cans, despite their price tag of $22 (approximately $150 today), 188 chose to purchase a Chevrolet Camaro. It is widely recognized that this car has a traction problem with its rear axle, even on dry surfaces.
Remarkably, liquid snow chains – polymer-based products – are still for sale today! A quick internet search reveals we can acquire approximately 6.76 fluid ounces of liquid traction in a spray for a few dollars. Nonetheless, it's generally advisable to rely on a proven set of winter tires and maintain wisdom at the wheel.
