A hood scoop allows air to flow into the engine compartment either to help cool the engine or to deliver cooler air to the engine air intake which can improve performance because cooler air is denser than warmer air. And engines like denser air.
I am sure this Aston Martin DBS below has a happier engine because of the scoop.
The air in the engine compartment is warmer than the ambient air outside the car because of the heat produced by the engine.
In this Ferrari above the designers moved the velocity stacks outside the engine compartment and put a scoop around them. The velocity stacks feed air directly to the carburetors. So, not only does this improve performance but it looks really cool.
Notice the similarity between the design of the scoop above and the one below? The one above is on a modified Iso Grifo, perhaps the only Grifo with the hood scoop from an Iso Rivolta GT, below.
Ram Air, branded by Pontiac, was an attempt to create something similar to supercharging without the complexity of supercharging.
The seals around the air intake, below, seal against the hood when it is closed forcing air from the scoop directly into the engine air intake.
Below is the scoop for the engine above on this classic Pontiac GTO.
Cowl induction hood scoops are placed facing the driver and are near the windshield like this Camaro below.
The Shaker Hood Scoop is built into the engine and protrudes through a hole in the hood. It is called a Shaker Hood Scoop because the scoop shakes when the engine is running.
The hood in the Mustang Boss 302, below, has a hole that the scoop fits through when the hood is closed.
Car designers have taken many approaches to hood scoop design both for function and for pure looks.
The Alfa Romeo below has tiny scoops compared to the size of the hood.
This Siata has a well proportioned scoop.
This Bizzarrini below has induction like scoops near the front and the hump near the windshield also allows air to flow into the engine compartment; a small cowl induction scoop. With the small size of the grill area this extra air flow helps with cooling.
Notice the size difference in the hood scoop between the small Datsun above and the big Ferrari V12 below.
Two scoops sitting side by side. Is there a purpose or is this done just for the unusual look on this Dodge below?
Here is a close up.
I am not sure that the scoop on the Thunderbird below is functional. Some American designers put fake scoops on just for looks.
Dodge always went their own way in design; two scoops flared out to the side.
No hood scoop is needed if there is no hood.
A Shaker Hood Scoop on a Hemi Cuda.
Below is a different look at the scoops on the Bizzarrini. The upper side vents allow air to flow out of the engine compartment.
In a future post I will write about what is probably the most unusual and famous hood scoop of all.
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