The Hotchkiss company, a French automaker known for conservative engineering, discovered in the 1930s that their inline-six engines could achieve surprising efficiency through a counter-intuitive design: deliberately undersquaring the cylinders (making them taller than wide) created slower piston speeds that reduced friction losses more than the reduced RPM capability cost them in absolute power, a principle that remained poorly understood by competitors but gave Hotchkiss engines exceptional fuel economy for their era.
Car Fact #46 — August 1, 2026
