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November 2007 - Posts
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November 30th, 2007 by Shenron
Cadillac is the highest of the high class vehicles sold by General Motors, with Buick being second to it (as another GM class and brand of vehicle line). The Cadillac Company was created from the burning remains of the HFC (Henry Ford Company) and the company was dissolved. Intent on liquidating the plant in 1902, the two fiscal backing investors Murphy and Bowen asked an engineer named Henry Leland to price the items to be sold – instead he convinced the two to keep going, and use his new engine. Thus they renamed the company and it got the name Cadillac. Within a decade it was already making finely engineered vehicles that were the epitome of luxury vehicles and actually set the standards for many things, such as being the very first to use electric starters on the engines which replaced the often arm-breaking engine crank – followed by being the first to use the V8 engine in 1914, not to mention using electricity to light the lights rather than a lantern using fire. Later in the 20’s they decided to use a designer to make the car look nice first, then incorporated shatter-resistant glass a year later, followed by automatic transmissions instead of manuals, and a V16 engine.
In 1909 it was incorporated into GM and then suffered extreme low sales in the depression of the 30’s. After this they bounced back by changing their often racially segregated auto sales by allowing anyone to buy a Cadillac (hard to imagine that could happen – but it was the 1930s) after these policy changes and other changed Cadillac remained the only automobile brand to earn a profit in the depression – and sped up production while reducing costs by being the very first to use Phillips Screws and Drivers. Today Cadillac remains on the cutting edge and as one of the highest quality auto brands in the world on par with the oft coveted Rolls Royce.
Posted in Cadillac, Car Brands | |
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November 29th, 2007 by Shenron
David Buick founded the Buick Company in 1902, and in 1904 it was taken over – he was bought off and died two decades latter, none the richer for his effort. His main claim to fame is, however, that he developed a new kind of engine head called the “Overhead Valved” engine. What made this such a revolutionary invention was that is placed the camshaft inside the cylinder block, and then used rods above the head to engage the valves. These engines are smaller, less complex, and reduce service time in the event of a breakdown – however there is a limitation on the rpm it can produce and the design flexibility in the cylinder head. However, Buick’s little company lived on and soon became the biggest manufacturer of vehicles in America; having succeeded in all of these elements the mastermind William C Durant called his new conglomeration of companies “General Motors”. Buick was marketed and produced in the beginning of this conglomeration as the high entry level luxury vehicle that only Cadillac could beat (as Cadillac was meant as the higher up name and vehicles).
Currently Buick is one of the oldest names in the world for cars, but its close cousin and fellow GM brand Oldsmobile has been cut and killed – and many fear the same fate lies in store for Buick in order to cut costs… besides that though the Buick has been the second class luxury vehicle (second to the number one Luxury brand Cadillac) produced by GM for the richer but not opulent price range of buyer. They began consolidations in 05 of their lines a full century after Buick was founded, killing off the Regal and Century, and then replacing those two with the LaCrosse. Then they killed off the Park Avenue and slapped on the Lucerne last year – and further cut more vehicles this year with the discontinuations of their two SUV lines – Rainier and Rendezvous so that next year they could bring about their newest line for SUVs called the Enclave.
Posted in Car Brands, Buick | |
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November 29th, 2007 by Shenron
Bugatti was founded by an Italian man named Ettore Bugatti, and his little car company was known as one of the best car manufacturers for motor racing in the world having taken many land speed records and won many grand Prix races across Europe – and also winning the first Monaco Grand Prix. This success lasted the company all the way to 39 with consistent showings at rallies and races, culminating with the 1937 and 1939 win of the Le Mans.
They were originally designed to be super vehicles fused with art and with precision, having finishes done by hand on even the engine block, and even the most mundane safety wires being worked through the vehicle in a visually stunning manner. Between 1921 and 1939 Bugatti’s wont more than forty race events and were considered the best in the business. Tragedy struck with Ettore’s son was killed in one of his cars while testing it in 1939, soon after the income that was being made dried up and then World War 2 came along. They lost the factory, the land, and were decimated. Then another son, Roland Bugatti, tried to bring it back in the 50’s, to no avail – but he did not give up.
In the 80’s Bugatti had largely been regulated into airplane parts and other such things, with the previous decade having seen Bugatti and another company Messier being combined to make Messier Bugatti, however in 87 an Italian named Romano Artioli bought Bugatti and formed a new company named Bugatti Automobile SpA. Following this the new company built a new factory in Italy and new designs were on the table. It was a new super-car, touted as the most technologically advanced vehicle of the time ever created and made, then as if it couldn’t seem better Artioli bought Lotus, the other big racing name – but recession doomed the effort, and in 95 they discontinued production. For a while the name lay dormant, until a most familiar name came along and bought the company and the rights to use Bugatti. Volkswagen. Currently they are producing prototype super cars and preproduction super cars that can reach over 250 miles per hour – and many more will be built for the collector and luxury markets soon.
Posted in Bugatti, Car Brands | |
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November 28th, 2007 by Shenron
Like any other sport, Formula One racing is governed by its own set of rules and regulations continually shaped throughout its history. Because of this, it is inevitable that certain terms may have been developed to pertain to some of its specifics. These may not be grasped nor understood by new enthusiasts. Listed as follows are some of the important terms often misunderstood and misused in F1 racing.
Contrary to popular notion, the term “clean air” in F1 racing does not pertain to safe and fresh breathing air. On the other hand, clean air is a term used to identify the air encountered by the leading car in an ongoing race. Clean air is considered to be an advantage for the leading racecar since this air is not yet affected by turbulences possibly caused by other racecars. As such, it gives the best aerodynamic grounds for the leading racecar.
If the race is bound to reach its end but the driver suddenly realizes that his fuel would not be enough to last until the race is finished, he would then have to “splash and dash”. This means that the driver would have to enter his pit so that the pit crew could put only a small amount of gasoline in his car, just about enough to let the car finish the race. The refueling does not have to be full tank. It got its name as “splash and dash” since the car gets only a splash of gas and must afterwards dash off towards the finish line.
A “stop-go penalty” may also be enforced during an F1 racing. In this penalty, the driver is then required to stop for ten seconds inside his pit area before going back to rejoin the race. During the ten-second penalty, nothing may be done to reinforce the racecar’s needs such as refueling or tire changes. It is plainly a time-out penalty without any other benefits.
Another known penalty is called the “drive-through”. As it speaks for itself, the driver simply needed to drive-through at his pit area within a regulated speed before rejoining the race.
During an F1 race, “stewards” are the event’s three highest-ranking officials who are mainly responsible in making decisions about the race and the drivers. “Marshals” are the ones in charge of making sure that race runs smoothly and safely. Apart from the race drivers, they are responsible for the safety of the spectators, which is why they are often seen waving different color-coded, flags from time to time.
On an F1 racing weekend, each teams’ motor homes and transporters are kept in an area called as the “paddock” wherein only authorized persons are permitted to reach. Another off-limits area to the public is the “parc femme”. The parc femme is a special fenced area where racecars are kept after completing the qualifying race. Even team members are strictly prohibited from the area so that alterations on the racecars would be prevented. On the race day itself, each race team together with their necessary equipment is placed in the “pits”. This is where the racecars make their “pit stop” for necessary car changes during the race.
F1 races also have “pit walls” which houses the team managers, owners, and engineers as they monitor the ongoing race.
On the racetrack, another important term often used is the “chicane”. A chicane is a section on the race track which helps slow down cars by using a series of coners that alternate direction as a car drives by. This is an important safety feature used on F1 racetracks.
Brushing up on these terms would surely help any new F1 fans enjoy the sport more as they encounter different possibilities while watching the action unfold right in front of their very eyes.
Posted in Formula 1 | |
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November 27th, 2007 by Shenron
BMW is an acronym of one of the world’s most famous car brands that manufactures luxury cars, performance cars, motorcycles, and has several subsidiaries (Mini and Rolls-Royce) and has been in business since 1922, however it can been seen as being older dating back to 1916 with the two founding fathers of the company – Gustav Otto and Karl Rapp, along with three others who actually took BMW and ran with it through many difficulties: Max Friz, Joseph Popp, and finally Camillo Castiglioni. They originally began with engines for aircraft, then moved on to motorbikes and finally automobiles the same year the roaring 20’s came to a crashing end.
Their first crisis came in 1918 with World War I coming to an end, and the demand for parts, motors, and services ceasing immediately causing BMW to shut down. During the forced closure the company (under the stewardship of Popp) went right back to manufacturing consumer goods meant for a non-military market and soon had engine lines for many different things that needed them (you know, boats, cars, motorbike, the whole thing) until brakes became their mainstay, and they almost became wholly owned by the company they manufactured for… but then came Camillo Castiglioni – who bought back the engine making areas and the patents, and the trademark which were considered ‘insignificant’ for a VERY large 75 million marks.
After doing this he (Castiglioni) took his current airplane engine manufacturer BFW and renamed it to BMW, and the rest follows a pretty straightforward path. They got business from the Russians for engines (The Red Army actually), followed by great incomes from this. Friz and Popp secured the future of the company, and then the motorbikes were manufactured – giving BMW a massive amount of fame, followed by automobiles. The Second World War ravaged BMW and lead to a new kind of crisis – the plants were destroyed, the assets in the east were taken by the Soviets, and they were banned from building anything for three years. Finally just as things seemed better 1959 reared its ugly head – they almost were sold to Benz. Instead there was a change in heart, and the man with the chips Herbet Quandt bought 50% of BMW and flipped the company around. Four years later and the company were again in the black. Today they are constantly expanding and growing.
Posted in BMW, Car Brands | |
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November 26th, 2007 by Shenron
Formula One is considerably the most popular motor sport in the world. Majority of its event guidelines and regulations pertain to the construction and design features of its racecars. The cars must be designed in such a way that speed would be fully maximized as it makes it way onto the race track without compromising the safety of its driver. Failure to comply may result to elimination, thus making F1 racing also quite popular for its strict guidelines and procedures.
Aerodynamic design plays a key role in generating maximum speed and fuel efficiency for these racecars. Racecar aerodynamic designs are similar to that of jet fighters. However, unlike the latter, F1 racecars must be able to create down-force. Down-force is used to keep tires on-track during high-speed racing and most especially, when approaching corners. Aside from that, down-force also enables a better airflow around the car, which effectively eliminates drags, which can lessen speed and fuel efficiency. Modern-day F1 race cars are now equipped with aerodynamic down-force to ensure maximum efficiency which can even test limits and racing boundaries.
The part of an F1 racecar that houses the cockpit and is utilized as the central part of the chassis is called the monocoque. It is also onto the monocoque wherein the car’s engine and front suspension are mounted, in effect making it as an important part of the racecar. To keep it protected, most of the monocoque is built through the use of carbon fiber. To ensure additional safety conditions, the cockpit is also enforced with its own safety features.
Due to its racing conditions, Formula One racecars must have powerful yet lightweight engines.
Under FIA regulations, engines must be able to endure more than one race weekend. Consequently, engines must both be made durable and high-performing since engine failure is the main cause for early race termination in F1 racing.
Aside from the engine, the suspension system of the F1 racecar is also vital. Usual passenger vehicles derive comfort from suspension but in F1 racecars, the driver’s comfort is the least concern. The suspension systems in F1 racecars are designed to effectively combine aerodynamic down-force, engine power, and tire grip. These suspension systems are adjusted manually to be able to meet the specific needs of different race circuits.
Transmission is also looked into upon designing Formula One racecars. In contrast to usual passenger vehicles, F1 racecars are all made with just manual transmission. Though modern-day transmissions are highly automated and easier to manipulate, they still remain manual, which the driver had to adjust from time to time depending on his own racing conditions.
Since racecars speed off at such top-notch acceleration, effective means of slowing these cars down are also of utmost consideration. F1 racecars are equipped with disc brakes, which is quite similar to that of streetcars. However, F1 vehicles have brake discs composed of carbon fiber to help decrease weight while maximizing durability during increased temperatures. These brakes are used alongside specially compounded brake pads, which have been proven effective during extremely high-temperature conditions.
Last, but certainly not the least to be considered, are racecar tires. Only one company has been approved by F1 as its official tire distributor in the year 2007. In Formula One, racecar tires are made up of a special high nitrogen mixture of air to maintain tire uniformity and durable tire pressure.
Posted in Formula 1 | |
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November 26th, 2007 by Shenron
Well, you may now be asking… “Formula 1? What does this have to do with Car Tuning?”
The answer is quite simple, I am targeting car lovers, and not only tuners! I know many of the information around here is about tuning, modification, styling, etc, but a car lover is a car lover, and he’ll be interested in anything related to speed, so here it goes, a Formula 1 category has been created and we’ll try to keep it organized, up-to-date and accurate as all the others around! 
If not another, here’s a good reason for everyone to start loving formula 1. 
Posted in Formula 1 | |
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November 22nd, 2007 by Shenron
Virtual car tuning is where you take a picture, of let’s say, and ordinary car like the Honda Civic, and then using a picture editing tool, program or suite, like Adobe Photoshop, or Paint Shop Pro, you edit it and tune it to the way you desire. Many methods can be used to accomplish the final effect. In this I will overview the main three I have seen used in virtual car tuning.
First and foremost I have seen what I like to call “organic” editing, where the car in question is used to make all the modification that the virtual car kit would have – basically using many of the tools available from smoothing, blurring, and blending modes to just sampling the color and painting in new layers the creative car tuner can make that old Honda look really tripped out. Some people are quite good and can create spoiler effects and new rims, along with adding sleeker headlights and tail lights, and tinting the windshields.
Some of the best virtual car tuning experts can create a car that looks so totally different you would not believe it was the original – and not a single part has come from another image.
Second to that are those who are probably the most common, but likely lesser skilled, they are the inorganic. They take other cars and use cut and copied pieces – then blend them together. Basically if they were doing a Lamborghini kit they would take a similar picture of a Lamborghini and then copy huge chunks to the Honda civic, blend it, and pass it off as original. Although not specifically wrong or morally incorrect it is somewhat inorganic and unoriginal – although there are exceptions that stand out.
This kind of virtual car tuning is what you will see most often on armature forums.
Finally there is the third method. This is basically where the person in question takes a car, puts a new background on it, and then changes some colors. I consider this a hack job when it comes to virtual car tuning. Either newbies or jerks do this, and it is almost as common as the inorganic method. Since this is neither organic nor inorganic I call it crapganic – because really not but one in a million look better than pure cow excrement.
I’ll toss this in, as the leetest of the leet method, and that is the virtual car tuning pro that uses vector image formats to create a realistic car. These guys are the best of the best, being able to take a vectored image and make it look like the real thing, basically the only other people who are good at this are those who design the cars themselves. There are also those who are exceptional at car tuning using 3D models in programs like 3DSMAX and others – these are not quite the same as tuning an image but can create, in often cases, working models that can be used in some games. Personally I find this category the best, and one place where you can see this is at a fan site for a game called Mafia: City of Lost Heaven found here: mafiamods.org. Some of the game modders here have made car models so realistic (as seen by the screen shots) it puts the original car models to shame.
On conclusion if you want to be a good virtual car tuning master you need to learn how to use those blending mods, and optimally practice until you don’t need to cut from other vehicles and you can manufacture the parts you need yourself. Well, just keep on truckin’.
Posted in Car Tuning, Virtual Tuning | |
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November 21st, 2007 by Shenron
In 1919 a man named Walter Owen Bentley founded an automobile manufacturer that also carried his name with it – Bentley motors.
Walter had been a well known innovator during the First World War, and came up with a solution to the vibration caused by early aircraft engines by pioneering the use of rotary engines in aircraft and manufacturing them. However, these engines also created a gyroscope-like effect and made handling somewhat more challenging for those who did not know how to maneuver their aircraft with it. In the late 20’s and early 30’s Bentley was acquired by Rolls Royce and thus they brought the Bentley lines into their manufacturing plants as highly desireable luxury vehicles that were some of the best in their respective classes, along with also being a very formidable power car used in races. Before Rolls Royce bought Bentley they raced many vehicles and were the champions of England for a time.
In the 80’s Bentley started to break away from the Rolls Royce dominated lines and began to come about with their own higher performing vehicles and luxury vehicles. The most common of the Bentley lines during the RR era was likely their Continental which was seen in the 50’s and 60’s, then later in the 90’s until the line was finished off in 2003. In 1998 a wind of change blew and Rolls Royce, along with Bentley, was acquired by Volkswagen after a bidding battle with BMW.
In more recent happenings the Bentley lines of vehicles have been selling very well with ever increasing demand for their high luxury convertibles, limousines, and at one point had a waiting list of over a year for their vehicles that were in such demand. At times they had to use two facilities to satisfy the demand and since then have upgraded their main facility in order to prevent the huge lines for cars they have seen in the past.
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November 20th, 2007 by Shenron
Back in 1962, when the Ferrari was the car to beat, a man named Raymond Loewy designed a new kind of car, and slapped on an Italian name. Of course, the car was manufactured by Studebaker in Indiana, but the original intent was there to make a car that was better. The more recent Avanti automobile itself was a vehicle made, and sold, in the USA, and was a descendent of the Studebaker Avanti that was first manufactured in 1963, until 1964. The name itself means forward in Italian and the car was created (design wise) in just five weeks by Loewy. The Avanti itself was a sharp new looking concept, however rather than be an expensive new investment all they needed to do was take an old Lark (the lark convertible to be precise) frame and then mount the vehicle on that – then they took a V-8 from stick, modified it and added performance enhancers, and finally sealed the deal by using it in their showrooms. Why would Studebaker do this? Was it greed, to cut costs? Recycling? Neither – it was because Studebaker had run into hard fiscal times and needed something to help the company make it. Ingeniously all these parts proved to be reliable and well built, detracting nothing from the vehicle line’s quality. The care was by far, with the enhanced engine, more powerful than the Mustang at the time, and remained so until Ford upgraded their engines to the 302 cu2.
Unfortunately for the car, the problems Studebaker had resulted in the shutdown and decommissioning of the plant that produced the vehicle, leading to its untimely demise. The other plant Studebaker owned was still producing their other car lines, however nothing quite lived up to the Avanti. The Avanti name was then bought by a man named Nate Altman, along with his business associate Leo Newman – but they bought more than just that. They bought the body molds, they bought the parts, they bought the toolds, and the South bend factory (well a part of it) so that the Avanti would stay in production. Production continued by what can only be called extreme detail, as each one was hand built by the employees until 1987 – each batch was very small and throughout the years the engines were updated – but the main frame and basis remained the same. In 1987 they changed frames to a GM frame – but changed to another in 1989. In 1991 production went to a standstill, then to finish off Avanti a fire started and burned what was left of their manufacturing capabilities – in the American Market.
However, the Avanti is still in production, in Mexico. 150 are created each year using the same hand-building methods of the U.S. plant and in 2004 they switched from the GM chassis/engine combination to a more updated Ford chassis/engine combo. Two models are currently offered, the Avanti Coupe and the Avanti Convert.
Posted in Avanti | |
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November 19th, 2007 by Shenron
For those that are interested in more fuel efficiency, as well as a reduction of pollutants into the air by your vehicles exhaust one alternative technology that is currently being used by vehicle manufacturers is clean gas induction.
Clean gas induction is also known as CGI and is a technology that is instrumental in the stratified charge engines. While clean gas induction has been used in diesel engines, it is currently most commonly found in engines that combust gasoline.
The term stratified charge engine comes from the unique type of cylinders these engines employ. In a typical gas engine (Otto Cycle Engine), fuel and air are mixed outside the cylinder and draw down into the cylinder during the normal intake stroke. On the other hand, stratified charge engines using clean gas induction use a direct injection system. Fuel injectors force fuel into one specific area on the cylinder called the sub-cylinder. The sub-cylinder is a small section on top of the main cylinder area. What results is a smoother, quicker charge that helps combust the fuel and air better- leaving very little fuel left.
Once the fuel is combusted the exhaust including very small amounts of fuel and air are cooled very quickly. This is an important point, because if the air cools quickly, it doesn’t have an opportunity to form NOx, which in a standard gasoline engine is one of the most dangerous pollutants an engine can create. Since stratified charge engines including clean gas induction do not give the exhaust an opportunity to create NOx, a catalytic converter is usually not necessary.
Advantages of Stratified Charge Engines with Clean Gas Induction
There are several advantages to using these types of engines, they include:
No Need for a Catalytic Converter- Catalytic converters are mandatory on most gasoline engines in the US because engines usually produce NOx- a dangerous pollutant which is made from oxygen and nitrogen that form after combustion. The main reason NOx forms is that the air which includes single atoms of nitrogen and oxygen are direct bi-products of combustion. In a normal gas engine, these two atoms stay very hot during the entire combustion process causing them to fuse together. In a stratified charge engine with clean air induction, both single atom oxygen and nitrogen cool quickly. Since these atoms can not form NOx, a catalytic converter is not needed.
Increase in Fuel Efficiency- Stratified charge engines are usually very fuel efficient compared to normal gasoline engines. Since they burn very clean and exhausts are minimized most vehicles with this type of engine can see gains of 4% to 20% in fuel efficiency.
Reduction of Emissions- As stated above, stratified charge engines with clean gas induction do not have the opportunity to create NOx as well as large amounts of other pollutants. These engines are seen as some of the greenest technologies available when it comes to gasoline combustion engines.
Disadvantages of Stratified Charge Engines Using Clean Gas Induction
While these engines are usually looked at favorably by engine enthusiasts and environmental groups, they do have disadvantages including price and engineering concerns.
High Price- many manufacturers are hesitant to introduce stratified charge engines due to the fact that they can be expensive, especially in research and development costs. While there are many manufactures that already create and sell CGI engines, they are not yet considered mainstream.
Engineering Concerns- While government fuel efficiency and pollution restrictions have become stricter in recent years; generally speaking most car manufactures have found technology work-arounds using the standard combustion engine. Since there are relatively few demands by the government to make gasoline engines even more fuel efficient or to reduce more pollutants- car manufactures will continue to take a wait and see approach if CGI technology will be needed.
Cars that Currently Use Clean Gas Induction
There are many vehicles that are using clean gas induction; however the technology hasn’t gone mainstream yet. Some manufactures that you will find specific cars with a clean gas induction component include; Audi, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Citroen, Peugeot and Volvo.
Posted in Car Tuning, Car Maintenance, Car Parts | |
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November 16th, 2007 by Shenron
Audi AG is owned by Volkswagen, and has been since the mid sixties their luxury automobile and engine company. The history of Audi is marred in combinations, evolutions, and consolidations of different companies – however it can be seen as starting way back with its roots in 1899 by August Horch, a German engineer and pretty much all around renaissance man who was the pioneer behind many of the first automobiles made pre-1900 – but his own Horch automobile was not completed and released until 01 (1901 that is). Horch had a falling out with his company and left it – then a court found he couldn’t use the Horch name anymore (no comment) and thus he named his new company Audi (Automobilerke GmbH). Little known fact: Audi means Horch in Latin. In 1928 a Dane named Jorgen Rasmussen bought a majority controlling holding of Audi, and then in 1932 through his skilled investments created a new four ring logo – as he combined four companies together. DKW, Horch (the original company Horch had created – which Horch was pleased with), Audi, and Wanderer – which merged together in one big company called Auto Union AG.
After the second world war the Auto Union facilities had been completely destroyed and decimated due to allied bombings = thus the company was basically put in a state of suspended animation until things could be resolved – which came as a breakup of the Union and the renamed to VEB Zwickau. This new company was brought online and used the previous name, with many of the workers from the bombed out facilities coming to the new one to find work. Daimler Benz then bought a large (87%) amount of Auto Union in 1958, and then a year later bought the rest. Then in 64 Volkswagen acquired the old plant and the brands, then in 65 the final DKW was rolled off the assembly line – and re-launched the Audi brand. Thus Audi became Volkswagen’s and then Volkswagen ushered in the current modern era of luxury vehicles in the 1970’s – which is what Audi still does today. Recently Audi’s Euro sales have been going up – for thirteen years straight. So far they sell about three quarters of a million cars each year and continue to expand dealerships as far as India.
Posted in Car Babes, Audi, Car Brands | |
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November 16th, 2007 by Shenron
In the year 1913 a man names Lionel Martin teamed up with another good old chap named Robert Bamford, and together they created their very own company to create cars of their designs. You see, old martin used to race cars in Aston, and got up the gumption to make his own vehicle rather than race others with his friend Bamford. However, war disrupted this plan, and it wasn’t until after the First World War that the company was founded again as – you guessed it - Aston Martin. Bamford left in the good old prosperity of the great booming 20’s, however Martin stayed and the company built cars to compete in races of all kinds – they set records, world records, and became famous. However, they soon ran out of cash, and declared themselves bankrupt – only to be saved by Lady Charnwood who appointed (Nepotism Alert!) her son in the company board. His name was John Benson, and wouldn’t it be a surprise to find that just a year later the company again ran out of cash. A year after this the factory shut down, and then later that same year the investors decided to take over, renaming it again to Aston Martin Motors.
Leading up to the Second World war the company faced ruin two more times, having barely survived until 1947. That is when David Brown (limited) acquired the company and (David Brown owned David Brown Limited… big surprise there) another company called Lagonda, which allowed him to share the two together and give them better access to resources, not to mention work areas and production facilities. It remained fairly successful, then in 1970 it was bought by and sold by several people (quite a few). Finally after much turmoil Ford bought the company. They produced more models than ever – but in August 2006 the axe fell, in the middle of another fiscal issue… and the company was sold to various investors with Ford keeping a large foothold in the company. Aston-Motors has thus far been one of the most troubled car brands to still be alive today, and in my personal opinion, I am amazed it has kept on going through so many fiscal issues (I left out many, many more – as covering those would take about a thousand words).
Sidenote: Aston Martin is also commonly and wrongly referred to as Auston Martin.
Posted in Car Brands, Aston Martin | |
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November 13th, 2007 by Shenron
American Motors Corporation (or AMC) was created at the merger between Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator, and at the time it was the largest merger ever in the United States (1954). In today’s terms it would be a billion and a half USD, but back then it was 200 million, and because of the declining auto sales AMC itself had to merge with Renault in 79. Then in 87 AMC was bought by Chrysler. Chrysler discontinued many of the brand names, such as AMC and Renault, but left Jeep alone. Eagle lasted for a bit – but they pretty much killed that one off too. During its heyday AMC combined the Nash and Hudson’s to create a great selection of vehicles, and then created the Rambler – which became a brand of its own soon after - the success of these lead to greater prosperity and much larger sales that could have been expected. Ramblers were the first to start the compact car movement way before there was a need, twenty years before the fuel crisis strangled the US economy and killed a lot of great cars. Then, in a surprising move that has not one single time since been as successful – they reintroduced the 1955 Nash Rambler without any major modifications in 1958 with huge success.
In the 1960s they changed their ideals and began to build more reliable and economy based cars that were easier to afford and lasted the owners a good amount of times, they also started doing more convertibles and included air-conditioning as standard in 1968. BNecause of this they were able to become very successful in marketing a new feature, and then with a new CEO in 1968 they changed more of AMCs marketing and eventually were able to regain some lost ground in the earlier sixties. Finally they were able to reach the VW bug in price, and sell as cheaply as they did – which further expanded the numbers they sold. However, in 1969 they decided the time for the Rambler was gone –and they cut that… but being the first to make Air Conditioning standard – they showed it could be done with minimal cost. At the beginning of the 1970s they were seeing more sales, more market share, and beginning to reap the benefits from the expanded lines and expansion of their sales. However, by the end of the 70s a lack of developments because of failures lead them to stagnant sales, and they were unable to compete in the energy crisis. In 79 they merged with Renault to get some more backing and car models, and that worked until 1985, then the final buyout occurred, and since then AMC has become Chrysler, bringing with it the knowledge of constant need for innovation and designing.
Posted in Car Brands, AMC | |
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November 11th, 2007 by Shenron
This is a gem!
The new Audi R8 video is one of the mosty beautiful pieces of art I’ve seen. Notice all the movements, the ambience and the music.
Just beautiful!
You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video
Let us know if you experience any problem watching this video.
Posted in Audi, Videos | |
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