-The standard open differential in most cars is a brilliant piece of engineering, allowing you to take the tightest turns without fighting your tires or tearing apart your drivetrain. But even if you understand implicitly how a car’s differential works, it’s kind of difficult to explain.
That’s why this instructional film from 1937 is so fantastic. It simplifies the car differential down to its most basic representation—three sticks of wood—to make a visual representation that’s immediately crystal clear. Once you’ve grasped the basic concept, it’s easy to comprehend the additional complexities of a working differential.
-This instructional is a classic production of the rambunctious former Olympic swimmer Henry Jamison “Jam” Handy—who, having been expelled from the University of Michigan after writing a sensationalized article in the Chicago Tribune headlined “Learn Sly Clupid’s Tricks; Students at Ann Arbor Take Lessons in Love Making,” could probably be described as the great-grandfather of clickbait.
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Handy, who never employed a desk at work and never had pockets in his suits as he found them “a waste of time,” went on to produce training and promotional films for soldiers, salespeople, factory workers, and most importantly, the auto industry. He died at the age of 97, having continued his daily swimming habit right up to the very end.
-Anyway, here’s how a car’s differential works, in old-timey narration with stone-simple visual aids. If this video sends you deep down the rabbit hole of elegant, informative Jam Handy educational films, well, at least you learned something on your internet journey today.
- -This story originally appeared on roadandtrack.com.
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