https://archive.is/20140620063048/h.../02/use-of-aluminum-in-autos-debuted-in-1902/ Here are the facts ! Marmon was one of the leaders in aluminum in their cars , using it for bodies and anything else they could think of ! .. A short article but a shocker to many !
Magnesium is also one of those metals which was used to lighten weight in cars in areas where a lot of strength wasn't needed for a lot longer than many think. The VW Beettle used it in the 1930s!
The body panels of aluminum were 1/4" cast aluminum ! Vanadium, titanium ,magnesium and a few others are very dangerous in fires. I met a fellow who said he learned his lesson with vanadium when it burned a hole through the table of his Bridgeport milling machine .
Aluminum certainly does have its place. The only concern I have is where it meets steel. Those 2 metals hate each other and react accordingly. And most of us have experienced it at some point in time when trying to remove an aluminum wheel from a steel hub.
Ford uses a lot of it where weight can be shaved off and strength isn't important. Valve/cam covers is a common one.
