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Shelby Cobra 1964

5-14 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California:
Record Number Of Original Shelby Cobra Competition Cars Accepted At Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

5-13 Carroll Shelby, dead at 89:
Carol Shelby creator and designer of the Cobra Sports car. Carol, the longest living recipient of a heart transplant, kept on competing and designing to the very end. The world will be a different place without his endless energy

Image Credit: Tim Surman Photography 2012

5-11 Goodwood UK:
The 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed will have Martin Donnelly, the 1990-season driver of the only V12-powered Lotus 102 Formula 1 car, race, at speed, up the challenging Goodwood hillclimb for the pleasure of the spectators. Full Story Here

Clear, crisp vision is essential for avoiding accidents. Why? Because you can't avoid what you can't see.

For a driver looking to equip his or her car with upgraded safety equipment, seat belts and air bags aren't the only available options. With the improved headlight quality provided by HID lighting systems, safety upgrades really are only a flick of the switch away. Link To .. Full Artical Here....

Mention AllCarCentral.com to receive a 20% discount on your order.

5.8 Gasoline Blends Used In Older Cars:
A look at currant gasoline blends used in older cars:
A few years ago I recall all the fuss that surrounded fact that non-leaded gasoline was going to ruin the engine of you beautiful classic car. As we all know very few engines ever got destroyed by the change in fuel production and for those who needed a simple solution various products suddenly appeared on the market that would replace the lost benefits of leaded fuel.

We now have another set of experts who are concerned about the use of Ethanol in modern fuel with suggestions that this may well represent the same threat that none leaded fuel presented when it was first introduced. From all the data that I have read and there is plenty around, the worst thing about the Ethanol Blended fuel is that its life in the gas tank of a car is limited.
The full story is available here

4.25 Nissan building Mercedes-Benz engines in the USA:

Nissan will build Mercedes-Benz 4 cylinder gasoline engines in Nissan's North American, Decherd, Tennessee engine plant. The agreement is for 250,00 engines per year starting in 2014. One half of the production run will go into the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans from the USA based Mercedes-Benz, Alabama plant. If that is not enough to keep track of, the other half of the Nissan USA built Mercedes-Benz engines will find their way into Nissan's Infinity entry-level compact, said to be based on the Etherea concept car.

So if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it is therefore a German-Japanese-USA car. Right! But which one? Or does it matter any more.

Image Credit: Daimler AG 2012

4.23 Stuttgart/Beijing:
The Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe, appearing at Auto China, 23 April to 2 May 2012, will be making a convincing statement for avant-garde design in the sporty executive coupe segment.

The four-door coupe is a nonconformist; A provocative and masculine design. Technical highlights include headlamp design featuring innovative indicators. Also the new four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 155 kW (211 hp) and the all-wheel drive system 4MATIC will be a strong feature for this concept model.

Image Credit: Ford Co UK 2012

Although Ford Mondeo has already been around for two decades now and is undoubtedly one of Ford's most iconic models, this not a car to rest on its laurels.

The new Ford Mondeo 2013, presented at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this year, will include some influences from the Ford Evos concept...Full Report Here

Image Credit: Daimler AG 2012

4.22 Bahrain:
Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Petronas Bahrain F1 GP April 2012

Nico Rosberg lays down smoke with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Car. He finished the 57-lap race in fifth place

Jaguar E Type Series-1 1961

If you’re in the market for a used Jaguar!

Vintage motoring doesn't come any slicker than in a classic Jaguar. Whether it's an original post-war sports model or a signature 1960's E-type, these cars ooze a sophisticated style that goes all the way back to the 1930's. Full Story Here

Image Credit: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A 2012

4.18 Moscow:
Lamborghini has returned to Russia.
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. appoints the Burevestnik Group, the new Lamborghini dealership in Moscow. The opening was highlighted with the presentation of the new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4. The event took place in Moscow's art Collector Gallery.

Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. was in attendance.

A temporary sales location at the Crocus City Mall will be open waiting the official showroom in Moscow at Kutuzovsky prospect 1/7.

4.16 San Antonio, Texas:
Plug-In 2012 Conference & Exposition Opens Registration

Taking Place in San Antonio on July 23-26, 2012, the Conference Will Offer a Complete, Open and Direct Dialogue on the Future of Plug-In Hybrid and Electric Transportation.

Registration for the Plug-In 2012 Conference & Exposition at www.plugin2012.com

Image Credit: Goodwood, Motor Sport Press;

4.14 Montréal, Québec:
The 2012 Grand Prix du Canada, June 8 - 10, 2012.
To keep the day interesting support races will take on Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve during the Grand Prix du Canada weekend. Race fans will enjoy the Porsche IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge throughout the weekend. With 911 Porsche practices, qualifying sessions and then the actual Porsche IMSA GT3 Cup race.

Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) presented by Continental Tire is Canada will give hot on track racing with all three classes competing at the same time. The entry-level B-Spec Class stock street cars, a compact car category with stock engine and controlled modifications. The Touring Class cars with minimal modifications, and the Super Class machines with heavily modified engines and advanced aerodynamics.

Not to be left out the F1600, also called Formula Ford cars will be on the track. The F1600 open wheel cars race in 40 different countries and is one of the most accessible race series for beginning racecar drivers. The F1600 cars can hit 240 km/h around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Ferrari owners will get a chance to drive their cars in the environment for which they were designed for, that is the Race Track. The Ferrari Challenge presents Ferrari owners the opportunity to race door to door with fellow Ferrari owners. This series takes both the drivers and the viewers back to the 1950's when the weekend racing was about privet owners racing street cars on the track.

Some grandstand seats have sold out. Don't wait.

Image Credit: Porsche AG 2012

4.6 Frankfurt Germany:
Ferdinand (F.A.) Porsche, dead at 76.
The much loved designer of the forever young Porsche 911, died April 5, 2012, in Salzburg, Austria.

In the early 1960's, the Porsche company needed a replacement for the very popular Porsche 356, which was in need of a revision to keep up with the changing auto industries improving models. While highly refined and very successful in daily transportation and racing duties, the 356 was born out of World War II technology using Dr. Porsche's VW platform.

The 356 redesign was taken on by then head of Porsche design studio, Ferdinand Porsche.

Following the overall design criteria of the first 356, with a its sloping front and rear sections and rear air cooled engine, the outcome of Ferdinand Porsche efforts was the more sleek and more powerful 6 cylinder, 901 design (soon renumbered to 911). Although the 911 was first rebuffed by the strong hearted Porsche 356 lovers, the 911 model still lives and races on in its basic 1963 design form, a sloping front and rear, 2 door, with a 6 cylinder rear engine.

3.26 Sacramento, CA:
California Air Resources Board passed a 'Clean Air Rules' for car makers who sale cars in California. The rules require a reduction of smog-forming emissions of 75 percent by 2025 on 15 percent of all new cars sold in California that year . The auto industry has endorsed the mandate.

But the surprise within the overall new 'Clean Air Rules', was that it mandates the state's biggest oil companies to build hydrogen fueling stations within the state once the car companies sign binding commitments to build 10,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles for sale in California. Automakers are now saying they can reach the 10,000 target by 2015.

The oil companies however are not on board. The Large oil companies requirement would be to build roughly 20, $2 million each, hydrogen fueling stations, every time the auto companies commit to putting 10,000 hydrogen vehicles for sale in any one region. Targeted regions are the Los Angeles area, where all six existing hydrogen stations are operating, the San Francisco Bay Area and eventually, hundreds of stations could be required statewide. Air board officials predict 50 stations will be open statewide by 2016.

3.25 Sacramento, CA:
Good news for current and prospective electric car owners.
NRG Energy, in a $120-million settlement with the State of California, has agreed to build 200 public fee-based fast-charging stations and install wiring for 10,000 plug-in units at 1,000 locations in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area and the California San Joaquin Valley. Due to the conditions of the legal settlement, the insulation and electrical up-grades will be at no cost to the California taxpayers.

3.14 Sonoma, California:
First time in the United States.
The FIA World Touring Car Championship racing will bring its hard furious fender-banging style racing to American soil for the first time at Sonoma’s Infineon Raceway this September 23, 2012

The WTCC, one of the four World Championships ruled by the Fédèration International de l'Automobile, fields the best in touring car racing with models from BMW, Chevrolet, SEAT and Volvo.

3.9 Formula 1 Regulation Changes 2012:
New Safety Car rules: Art. 40.12:
If it is considered safe to do so, cars that have been lapped by the leader will be allowed to unlap themselves under the Safety Car. This will have the effect of putting the field in position order at every restart and leaving all cars free to race, rather than the leaders having to pass backmarkers, thus improving the racing.

Case in point: In the 2011 Singapore race the presence of backmarkers allowed Sebastian Vettel to build a nine-second lead over second-placed Jenson Button in a single lap after the Safety Car period.

Significant changes to the Formula 1 2012 rules available here - pdf

Image Credit: Bentley Motors 2012

3.12 Crewe, UK:
Bentley Motors is exploring the SUV market with the EXP 9 F concept vehicle. The EXP 9 F could move Bentley values of design, craftsmanship and engineering excellence into a new arena by combining the all-wheel drive Continental series into a sport utility configuration. Dirk van Braeckel, Director of Design looks to, "setting a new benchmark for this type of vehicle".

2.21 Fisker, Anaheim, California:
New comer car manufacture Fisker, which is based in Anaheim, California, has moved Tom LaSorda, a veteran of Chrysler and GM to replace founder and CEO Henrik Fisker. Tom LaSorda will take on running the day to day operations. Henrik Fisker will assume the position of executive chairman of the board.

2.21 Maybach:
There are reports out that the Maybach. line of cars will be discontinued at the end of 2012.

2.1 Renault : Renault UK signs up for 2012 MSA British Manufacturers Rally Championship.

Renault UK, the 1998 and 1999 British Rally Champions, has become the first manufacturer to sign up for the new two wheel drive 2012 MSA British Rally Championship.

The MSA British Manufacturers Rally Championship is providing manufactures with a platform to promote products that relate to what is being sold in the showroom. The decision by Renault to join the UK's manufacturer’s championship further proves that the decision to move to two wheel drive format was correct.

With the majority of car makes having two wheel drive road-cars, this format will also provide the potential for much close competition.

11.28 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance:
The 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
will feature:
• Cars of the Maharajas: Rolls-Royce, Daimler, Hispano-Suiza, Maybach, Bugatti, Duesenberg, Minerva and others.
• Mercer: The Mercer Automobile Company of Hamilton, New Jersey, famous high-performance cars of the era.
• Fiat: Special classes, hugely powerful Grand Prix racers, coachbuilt prewar classics, and small postwar cars. Other Special classes will include:
• Saoutchik Coachwork: Jacques Saoutchik (SOW-chick), a coach building company in 1906 in France.
• AC and AC (Shelby) Cobra: .
• Sport Customs (1930s-1950s): This class will feature one-of-a-kind cars built in the United States on modified American production chassis or hand-built chassis.
• German Motorcycles:

MORE - pdf

11.27 Brussels:
The fourth edition of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Drive 'n' Ride organized by Daimler, Linde, Honda, Intelligent Energy, Opel and Toyota demonstrated zero-emission technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells can address vehicle emissions, one of the European Commission's two environmental priorities for 2012.

More than 100 European Union officials, members of the European Parliament and other high-level stakeholders had the opportunity to experience the use of clean technology by driving or riding in one of the eight fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) on display. Linde and Daimler, demonstrated the refueling process by providing a fully mobile and compact hydrogen station.

To address the reality of bringing hydrogen and FCEVs to the market, the Drive 'n' Ride featured a high-level panel debate where Industry representatives and policy makers discussed marketing requirements needed to reach the EU 2020 strategic targets.

The lack of infrastructure still remains the crucial factor for the market success of green technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. To date there are approximately 200 hydrogen fuel stations worldwide, with only 70 being publicly accessible.

Several public-private partnerships, both on a national as well as on an international level, are working to increase the number of fuelling stations to supply to the increasing number of hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars, expected for 2014 onwards.

11.8 Stuttgart:
Porsche is making claims to returning to Le Mans in 2014 with a LMP (P1) car to go head to head with Audi.

LATEST EVENTS

British Touring Car Championship
Thruxton Circuit
Andover, Hampshire SP11 8PN, UK
April 28-29, 2012
Enter Here

The British Touring Car Championship
and the support races, Porsche Carrera Cup, Ginetta GT Supercup, Ginetta Juniors and the Renault Clio Cup moved onto Thruxton for rounds 7,8,9.

The windy, cold Thruxton was its best at Saturday's qualifying and the rain was already coming down, but Andrew Jordan mastered the quick and very wet Thruxton to put his Pirtek Racing Honda Civic on pole.

For race day on Sunday the wind and rain had'nt let up, if anything it had got worse. The thought on most peoples minds was if the races would go ahead. But the races did go ahead and the drivers braved the almost aquatic conditions.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Masters Historic Festival
Brands Hatch Circuit
Fawkham Longfield Kent, UK
May 26-27, 2012
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Formula One and CanAm machines
The Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch will celebrate Formula One. The Historic Grand Prix Cars Association will run cars from the 1930s to 1950s.

A new series will highlight the 'return to power' era, between 1966 and 1971, as then engine sizes were doubled to 3 litres and wings came to cars. Rounding off will be races for World Championship sportscars, GTs and classic saloons,and the big bore CanAm machines.

Silverstone Classic
Silverstone Circuit
Towcester, Northamptonshire, UK
July 20-21, 2012

This year the return of the super fast Group C endurance racing cars with two feature races will set the tone. Three Formula 1 and Grand Prix grids with over 100 GP cars spanning the fifties to the eighties are just part of the grid. Over 100 GP cars spanning the fifties to the eighties, Formula Junior, and 50's sports cars will also be on the track.

Benghazi Classic Car Show 2012
Benghazi, Libya
Mid-July
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The Benghazi, Classic Car Show is held Mid-July of each year and is supported by the Classic Car Club, Benghazi, Libya.

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012
Goodwood Estate
Chichester, West Sussex, UK
28 June - 1 July 2012
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TAG Heuer is staging a unique and remarkable photographic exhibition dedicated to the legendary French racing driver, Alain Prost, at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Prost became closely associated with TAG Heuer early in his F1 days while driving for the TAG-sponsored McLaren team and received three of his four World Championship victories.

Alain Prost's outstanding career in Formula 1 resulted in 51 victories, 33 pole positions and 106 podium finishes between 1980 and 1993. Prost joined TAG Heuer in 2011 as ambassadors and one of his first, major roles has been to assist The Earl of March in curating this inaugural Festival of Speed photographic exhibition.

More than 100 images, many of them never before been seen in public, will be on display. Full Press Rrlease Available Here - pdf

Jesse G. James, descendant of notorious mid 1800's US Wild-West Bank Robber, Jesse James, is set to again appear at Goodwood's Festival of Speed with his Baja-style Trophy Truck and wow the crowds with his antics.

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Monterey, California
August 17, 18, 19, 2012
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Record Number Of Original Shelby Cobra Competition Cars Accepted At Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, celebrates the life of Carroll Shelby and the 50th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra on August 17-19 , 2012, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California.

Carroll Shelby,1923-2012, along with chief engineer Phil Remington, built 998 Shelby Cobras between 1962 and 1967. It is estimated that only 120 of these Shelby Cobras were competition cars, but they forever changed sports car racing.

Goodwood Revival 2012
Goodwood Estate
Chichester, West Sussex, UK
September 14-16, 2012
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The Silver Arrows at Goodwood
The 2012 Goodwood Revival will recreate 1937 in the spirit of that momentous day of the Silver Arrows, with a race-speed demonstration bringing out as many as ten of these monstrous machines, including examples of the Mercedes-Benz W25, W125, W154 and W165, and Auto Union Type C and Type D.

Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, will be represented at the Cartier 'Style et Luxe' concours d'elegance at the 2012 Festival of speed as it will be devoted exclusively to vehicles used personally by The Queen, including formal State limousines and personal cars, there will also be a Royal Train carriage.

Ferrari Challenge
Infineon Raceway
April 27-29 2012
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Story By Michael Rockich

The F1 and the XX cars were reported to be on track again this year and these cars and their drivers put on a great show. This is one of the few places a fan can get next to some of these cars and see them on the track racing at speed.

Some of the special features of this race weekend: Racing in any weather. Historical important F1 cars at track speed. Cutting edge Ferrari race cars like the 458 Ferrari Challenge, and the 458 GT3, and the broad range of Ferraris on display from the Ferrari Club.

California Mille 2012
1000 miles throughout Northern California over 4 days
May 2012
enter here

The run leaves the Fairmont and travels across the Golden Gate Bridge and through the California Gold Country Hills to Incline Village just over into Nevada at the north end of Lake Tahoe. The route then goes around the Lake Tahoe area and dives back into Nevada stopping at the Reno's National Automotive Museum.

Back in California, heading for the coast, the tour drives through the Northern Central Valley and into the world famous Napa Valley Wine Country. The route moves into the costal hills and ends back at the top of the wine region at Calistoga, for the end of the 4th day. Old Cars. Back roads. Sunshine. California!

Historica Racing Festival
Castle Combe Circuit
Castle Combe, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
April 9, 2012
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The Historica Racing Festival is a one day event that provides five races featuring cars and drivers from the Historic Racing Drivers Club.

The grids will have 1960’s cars with Touring Cars, Historic GTs and sports cars. Included in the day are opening rounds for Saloon, FF1600 and Sports and GT championships.

BTCC Support Races Practise Day
Thruxton Circuit
Andover, Hampshire, UK
April 5, 2012
Before the British Touring Car Championship returns to Thruxton on April 28-29th, the support races were out on track for a practise day and this year there is a big change at Club. More Enter Here

Masters Serries Goodwood 2012
Goodwood Estate
Chichester, West Sussex, UK
April 10-11, 2012
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Rallye Sunseeker 2012
National Rallying Annual Curtain-Raiser
Dorset & Hampshire, UK
February 24-25, 2012
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Opening round of the MSA British Rally Championship.
This event runs in the forests in Dorset & Hampshire as special stages. The main event is Somerley Park, where two 5.5-mile mixed-surfaced special stage are run all day. Up to 100 competitors will run mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Between the runs, there are various activities on the stage to entertain the exspected 3000-plus spectators. Demonstrations of rally cars old and new, a short competition for specialist vehicles, car club stands and exhibitors.

Autosport International
Auto Show 2012, 12th to 15th January, 2012
NEC, Birmingham, UK
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Featuring Every Level of Motor Racing
The show also had a Senna tribute showing many of his race winning car from Lotus and McLaren and including a kart from where he began. Next to this is the Coys car auction, entry is ticket only but the public will be able to watch the bidding and of course the cars.

Rennsport Reunion IV
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California,
October 14-16, 2011
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This year, 2011 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Rennsport Reunion IV will maked its first appearance on the West Coast of the US, and was billed as " The world's greatest gathering of Porsche race cars and the drivers that drove them to victory", reuniting the cars and drivers that together have written Porsche's motorsports history during the last 60 years on all five continents.

REPORTS & STORIES

100 Years of the Morgan 1909-2009

A hundred years is a long time for any business.

In the year 2009 the Morgan Motor Company celebrated a hundred years of service and production. Further more its still the independent company that it was when the founder, Harry Morgan borrowed three thousand pounds from his father, the Reverend Henry George Morgan, rector of Stoke Lacy, England, to build motor cars.

What is the secret of the Morgan success?
For compleate story By Geoff Wheatley: Enter Here

Driving in Europe with Geoff Wheatley in, 2012

The cost of fuel tends to make the average driver confine his or her interest to miles per liter rather than miles per hour! However on the Auto routes both the trucks and cars can cruise at 80 mph with special lanes for these speeds, there is a 50 mph lane, a sixty five mph lane and a 75 or more lane. Coaches with passengers have their own designated lanes with a limit of 60 mph. This makes for pleasant driving especially if you are not keen on setting a new speed record! By using these lanes you can simply cruise along at you selected speed, no need to overtake and few ever do.

Brooklands, the First Modern Race Track in the World

The next task was to sell the idea of Brooklands to the public and it was decided that the best approach was to promote the whole idea of a day at the motor races as a new English sport like going to the horse track with the family, a picnic basket and folding chairs. It was also indicated that motor cars would be raced on exactly the same principles as horses, with all the same rules and regulations. .....

Within a couple of weeks an army of builders and all the other people connected with construction descended on Weybridge. Machines designed to move mountains were brought by new railway lines laid across the green meadows and bluebell woods surrounding the small community. It was without doubt a major invasion of the modern world. Fifteen hundred men and their followers descended on the village and soon founded a colony almost ten times as big as Weybridge!. The first problem was where to house these people as there was no accommodation available in the village. Some slept under trees in the woods, others in the church yard with gravestones as pillows. Makeshift huts of corrugated iron sprung up for the laborers while the artisans sported tents of various design. The only person who was happy about the situation was the owner of the Village pub, the "Hand and Spear" who squeezed over two hundred workers through his twelve by fourteen foot bar every night including Sunday!
Historical writer Geoff Wheatley recounts early MG memories

Memories of Abingdon

I was born in close to Abingdon, home of the British MG Company, my Father worked for MG for most of his life as did many others in that area or traveled to the main Morris Works at Cowley near Oxford.

We lived a few miles from the factory and I do recall that these funny looking MG Vehicles passed our door virtually every day, except Sunday of course. When the war started the factory went over to war work and people like my Dad went off to do their bit, what ever that was! Those too old or too young to be drafted stayed on at the MG works assisted by a new brigade of workers on the assembly lines wearing head scarves and pants. For the first time in the history of the Morris Motors Empire women were employed to do assembly work and/or paint, clean and assemble war production parts.
Historical writer Geoff Wheatley recounts early MG memories The full story is available here

AERO Automobiles: Czechoslovakia 1928 to 1939

The original company produced aircraft engines and airplanes but their market declined as the world depression spread to Europe. In order to keep the company going a single cylinder Cycle Car prompted by the success of the British Baby Austin Seven, was produced in 1929.

By 1932 AERO had developed the Type 20 two cylinder motor car with a 662cc power unit. However, the real success story was the Aero Type 30 introduced in the fall of 1934. This car was successful on international rallies that were very popular at that time, with a larger 998 cc power unit. The streamline design was in tune with the styling of that period introduced by the Italians who went on to dominate the European car design world for the next fifty years
Historical writer Geoff Wheatley looks at the early history. The full story is available here

A 1960 Austin Mini 850 from 1982-1994

We towed it home on a chain. I can still remember the look on the seller's face when we reached the first stop sign. No brakes, remember. The Mini went .flying by me and stopped only when it ran out of slack on the chain.. I thought the seller was the expert at this kind of thing. After all, he runs "HARRY'S GARAGE".

I guess the story of our Mini begins back in the 70's when someone in a bar started talking about Mini's.
For compleate story By Frank Cunningham: Enter Here

Austin Seven & The Mini

One of the most famous cars ever produced was the British Austin Seven that was also made under license in Germany, Japan, France and America. The engine for the Austin seven was designed by a young eighteen year old engineer named Stanley Edge.

It is fair to say that no other car influenced the future of small car production than the Austin Seven and later the Austin Mini.

In 1927 BMW under license, manufactured the Austin Seven known in Europe as the BMW Dixie. Later the BMW Corporation purchased Rover which included the Mini and now continues the Mini line under the BMW banner. For compleate story By Geoff Wheatley: Enter Here

THE SMX - FIBERGLASS & THE SINGER MOTOR COMPANY

One of the more successful auto companies in Britain was the Singer Motor Corporation, based in Birmingham. Singer started by making motor cycles in 1900 until 1905 when they produced their first automobile. Between 1905 and 1954,

The fiberglass Singer story starts with flamboyant American Singer distributor, Bill Vaughan. Vaughan, who saw the future in fiberglass and was considering opening three manufacturing plants (California, New York and Florida) to produce plastic bodies to be fitted to production Singer roadster chassis. This developing enterprise, along with ........ Story By Geoff Wheatley and Rick Feibusch Enter Here

Postwar American Sportscars; Forgotten Fiberglass

The sportscar was a concept brought back to the States by GIs who had been stationed in Europe and England after WWII. While Americans had seen a number of powerful sporting cars before the war like the Stutz and the Deusenberg, and hot rodding had a begun in Southern California before the war, these cars were generally big powerful smooth road machines or home-built roadsters that performed well because of a lowered center of gravity and lightened weight. Sports cars, especially the cars from the UK, inspired American car enthusiasts well beyond putting twin carbs and dual exhaust on a Ford V8. The full story is available here; By Rick Feibusch 2012

Jaguar XJL 2012
Test Drive
Cole European
April 2012


Underway the XJL moves, (using the old cliché), with all the grace and quickness of it's name sake. This car is quite large but at 3,000 pounds the V8 makes the XJL respond quickly with a feeling of lightness. This was a normally aspirated V8 engine with no lag or supercharger kick, so the acceleration was predictable and straight-line for my stint at the wheel. There was no V8 roar like the US V8's offer, as after all, this was a Jaguar. For Story Enter Here

Dodge Charger SXT 2012
Test Drive
Maui, Hawaii
January 2012
The driving test covered the twisting coast road on the Northwest side of the island and the challenging climb up the 10,000 foot Haleakala volcano. The Dodge Charger was a pleasant car to drive. The interior was comfortable and the most intuitive of the latest models I have driven for access of the controls. Parking in the small town of Lahaina and the parking lots was easily done with great visibility and steering inputs. For Story Enter Here

Chevrolet Sonic 4 Dr 2012
Test Drive
Sal Lake City, Utah
December 2011
The challenge for the car came when I called on it to climb the Little Cotton Wood Canyon to Snow Bird ski resort. This is a steep climb of about 3000 vertical feet in 6 miles, more or less straight up along the side of a glaceral-cut canyon, with no switchbacks. For Story Enter Here

Nissan Leaf 2012
Test Drive
Nissan Leaf 'electric tour'
SAN FRANCISCO, INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW 2011
The Leaf was started by pressing a button. I would think that some large toggle switch would be more fitting than a button. Many lights on the dash console came on but no other indication that anything had happened. For Story Enter Here

NEWS

11.18 Ford Motor Company USA:
2013 LINCOLN MKS Safety Features
The New 2013 LINCOLN MKS comes with "Lane Keeping System". The MKS with the 'System' activated, sets the steering wheel vibrating to alert you if you drift out of your lane and then actively apply a steering torque, to alert you to direct the vehicle back into your lane.
Photo Courtesy of Ford Motor Company 2011

11.16 Honda USA:
Honda Civic Natural Gas 2012 is providing a frontal assault on the gasoline powered cars and the oil controlling countries. The "Civic Natural Gas" car is proof that there are real world alternatives beyond the limited range electric powered vehicles.

The "Civic Natural Gas" is advertised at 38 mpg on the highway (Based on 2012 EPA mileage estimates). Brochure - pdf
Photo Courtesy of American Honda Motor Co. Inc. 2011

10.18 Venturi Automotive:


VENTURI AUTOMOBILES located in Monaco, are offering an electric sports car, simply called "America" deemed to be an all-terrain leisure vehicle, aimed for the American market. A high body design offers off-roading while respecting the environment with reduced noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Equipped with the 300 plus hp electric motor of the VENTURI FÉTISH, this "buggy" is a high-powered lightweight vehicle with a specially designed chassis for its on-off-road dual purpose use. FULL STORY - pdf
Photo Courtesy of Venturi Automotive 2011

10.9 Stuttgart/Munich:
With 30 hydrogen refuelling points in the works, Germany is set to lead the way in Europe on the development of a public hydrogen supply infrastructure.

"Together with the fuel cell, hydrogen is set to be of fundamental importance to the expansion of electromobility," explained Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of Linde AG.

Car manufacturer Daimler and the technology company The Linde Group are in the development phase of an infrastructure for hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles.

Linde and Daimler are set to more than triple the number of public hydrogen refuelling points in Germany, a commitment that involves an investment running into the tens of millions. FULL STORY - pdf

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