Delmar "Barney" Roos

Delmar G. "Barney" Roos (born in the Bronx 1888, died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 13, 1960) was an American automotive engineer who served as Studebaker's head of engineering from 1926^[1]:p237 to 1936^[1]:p247, specialising in straight-eight engines. He later worked for the British Rootes Group in the design of Humber, Hillman and Sunbeam Talbot cars. During World War II, he returned to the USA and co-designed the famous Willys Jeep, experience which was later applied in advising the British Motor Corporation (BMC) on constant-velocity joint design for the Mini.

Education and early career

Barney attended Manual Training High School, Brooklyn, New York, then studied for degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering at Cornell University. He also gained distinction as a photographer—one picture he took of a three-horse fire-engine team was syndicated throughout the world^[2]—and as an athlete (winning the intercollegiate and national fencing championships).^[1]:p248 He has been described as tall, well built and handsome—and a brilliant conversationalist on art, drama, economics, politics and science.

On graduating in 1911, he joined General Electric and worked under Sanford Alexander Moss on steam, gas turbine and centrifugal compressor development. In 1913 he went to Locomobile as assistant research engineer. In 1919, he was assistant to Pierce-Arrow's David Fergusson and succeeded him briefly as chief engineer in 1921 before rejoining Locomobile as chief engineer. After an intermediate stint with Marmon in 1925, he succeeded Guy P Henry as Studebaker's chief engineer in 1926.

He was married to the former Frances Schreiner. They had one daughter.

Work at Studebaker

Barney Roos joined Studebaker just as that company's Detroit, Michigan operation was being transferred to South Bend, Indiana. He had to oversee the relocation of the entire engineering department and personnel into a new building. He was still able to redesign the Standard Six and Big Six engines and make many other changes to the 1927 model range.

Roos had considerable experience of eight-cylinder engines, having designed the Locomobile Junior Eight and the Marmon Little Eight. Neither was outstanding but the extensive basis of experimentation gave rise to the soundly-based Studebaker straight-eights, beginning with the President Eight, announced in January 1928.^[1]:p238

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Hendry, Maurice M. Studebaker: One can do a lot of remembering in South Bend. New Albany: Automobile Quarterly. pp. 228–275. Vol X, 3rd Q, 1972. 
2. ^ Faber J Great news photos and the stories behind them Courier Dover Publications 1978, ISBN 0-486-23667-6, 9780486236674, pp 22-23

Further reading

• Hartwell D The Mighty Jeep American Heritage Magazine, Vol 12 No 1, December 1960

Persondata
Name	Roos, Delmar
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1888
Place of birth
Date of death	February 13, 1960
Place of death