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Thursday, 4 August 2011
CAR REVIEW | Dodge | Dodge is a brand of cars, sport utility vehicles (SUV), multi-purpose vehicles (MPV), and pickup, produced and marketed by the Chrysler Group, LLC in 60 countries around the world. Dodge was founded by the Dodge Brothers Company in 1900 to supply parts and assemblies for Detroit's automotive industry. Dodge started to make their full own cars in 1914. The Dodge brand then was sold to Chrysler in 1928.
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| Dodge RAM, 1997 |
The Dodge sale to Chrysler was passed through the short-lived Daimler-Chrysler merger of 1998–2007 as part of the Chrysler Group, was a part of Chrysler LLC owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity investment firm, and is now a part of the Chrysler Group LLC which has an alliance with Fiat. Fiat has plans to evolve many Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep existing platforms and products into Fiat-Chrysler co-developed vehicles.
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| Dodge CHallenger R/T, 1970 |
After establishing the company of Dodge Brothers by Horace and John Dodge in 1900, the company produced engine components and chassis of the vehicle. John Dodge in 1913 said that he no longer willing to only as "supplier" for Henry Ford, then in 1914 he and Horace agreed to make four-cylinder vehicles (Dodge Model 30). They made this car has all-steel body, while most other companies there are still elements of the wood. Besides the existing 12 volt electrical system, (cars with 6 volt electrical system was still existed until the 1950s) and a sliding-gear transmission. The company developed by the Dodge brothers were successful because of their good quality, and the company soon became the second largest company by sales in the U.S. market in 1916.
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| Dodge Polara, 1966 |
By 1914, Horace had found a solution by creating the new four-cylinder Dodge Model 30. Marketed as a slightly more upscale competitor to the ubiquitous Ford Model T, it pioneered or made standard many features later taken for granted: all-steel body construction (the vast majority of cars worldwide still used wood-framing under steel panels, though Stoneleigh and BSA used steel bodies as early as 1911); 12-volt electrical system (6-volt systems would remain the norm until the 1950s); and sliding-gear transmission (the best-selling Model T would retain an antiquated planetary design until its demise in 1927). As a result of this, and the brothers' well-earned reputation for quality through the parts they made for other successful vehicles, Dodge Brothers cars were ranked at second place for U.S. sales as early as 1916. That same year, Henry Ford decided to stop paying stock dividends to finance the construction of his new River Rouge complex. This led the Dodges to file suit to protect their annual stock earnings of approximately one million dollars; this led Ford to buy out his shareholders, and the Dodges were paid some US$25 million.
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| Chrysler Dodge Custom Royal, 1959 |
The Dodge Brothers vehicles in 1916 also won acclaim for durability while in service with the U.S. Army's Pancho Villa Expedition into Mexico. A notable example was in May, when the Sixth Infantry received a reported sighting of Julio Cardenas, one of the most trusted subordinates Villa. Lieutenant George S. Patton led ten soldiers and two civilian guides in three Dodge Model 30 touring cars to conduct a raid on a ranch house in San Miguelito, Sonora. In the firefight the party killed the three men, one of whom was identified as Cardenas. Patton's men tied the body to escape hoods, back at headquarters in Dublán and enthusiastically of American journalists. - CAR REVIEW
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
CAR REVIEW | Buick | Buick is a luxury brand of car produced by General Motors (GM). Buick car models are sold in the United States, Canada, Israel, Mexico, China, and Taiwan, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make. Some current Buick models are shared with GM's German Opel subsidiary.
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| Buick Lacrose |
The Buick is currently the oldest American still-active automotive make, and among the oldest automobile brands in the world. It originated as the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company in 1899, an independent internal combustion engine and motor-car manufacturer, and was later incorporated as the Buick Motor Company on May 19, 1903, by Scottish born David Dunbar Buick in Detroit, Michigan. Later that year, the struggling company was taken over by James H. Whiting (1842–1919), who moved it to his hometown of Flint, Michigan, and brought in William C. Durant in 1904 to manage his new acquisition. Buick sold his stock for a small sum upon departure, and died in modest circumstances twenty-five years later.
1912 Buick logo
Between 1899 and 1902 two prototype vehicles of Buick were built in Detroit, Michigan by Walter Lorenzo Marr. Some documentation exists of the 1901 or 1902 prototype with tiller steering similar to the Oldsmobile Curved Dash.
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| Buick Enclave, 2010 |
In mid-1904 another prototype was constructed for an endurance run, which convinced James H. Whiting to authorize production of the first models offered to the public. The architecture of this prototype was the basis for the Model B.
The first Buick made for sale, the 1904 Model B, was built in Flint, Michigan. There were 37 Buicks made that year, none of which survived. There are, however, two replicas in existence: the 1904 endurance car, at the Buick Gallery & Research Center in Flint, and a Model B assembled by an enthusiast in California for the division's 100th anniversary. Both of these vehicles use various parts from Buicks of that early era, as well as fabricated parts. These vehicles were each constructed with the two known surviving 1904 engines.
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| Buick Eight Sedan, 1951 |
The power-train and chassis architecture introduced on the Model B was continued through the 1909 Model F. The early success of Buick is attributed in part to the valve-in-head engine patented by Eugene Richard. The creation of General Motors is attributed in part to the success of Buick, so it can be said Marr and Richard's designs directly led to GM.
The basic design of the 1904 Buick was optimally engineered even by today's standards. The flat-twin engine is inherently balanced, with torque presented to the chassis in a longitudinal manner, actually cancelling front end lift, rather than producing undesirable lateral motion. The engine was mounted amidships, now considered the optimal location.
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| Buick 2011 |
Durant was a natural promoter, and Buick soon became the largest car maker in America. Using the profits from this, Durant embarked on a series of corporate acquisitions, calling the new mega-corporation General Motors. At first, the manufacturers comprising General Motors competed against each other, but Durant ended that. He wanted each General Motors division to target one class of buyer, and in his new scheme Buick was near the top — only the Cadillac brand had more prestige. This is the position that Buick occupies to this day in the General Motors lineup. The ideal Buick customer is comfortably well off, possibly not quite rich enough to afford a Cadillac, nor desiring the ostentation of one, but definitely in the market for a car above the norm.
At first, Buick followed the likes of Napier in automobile racing, winning the first-ever race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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| Buick 1931 |
Buick launched its first closed-body car in 1911, four years ahead of Ford. As part of General Motors' companion make program, in 1929 Buick Motor Division launched the Marquette sister brand, designed to bridge the price gap between Buick and Oldsmobile; but, Marquette was stopped in 1930. Buick recorded another first, when it became the first company to introduce turn signals in 1939. - Car Review
Buick
CAR REVIEW | Bugatti | Bugatti (legal company name Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.) is a French automobile company. The company was founded in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti (born in Italy). Bugatti was founded in the town of Molsheim in the Alsace region in France. Its main product is high-performance automobile, like Bugatti Veyron.
Bugattis were well-known for the beauty of their designs (Ettore Bugatti was from a family of artists and considered himself to be both an artist and constructor) and for the large number of races they won. The death of Ettore Bugatti in 1947 proved to be the end for the marque, and the death of his son Jean in 1939 ensured there wasn't a successor to lead the factory. No more than about 8000 cars were made. The company struggled financially, and released one last model in the 1950s, before eventually being purchased for its airplane parts business in the 1960s. Today the name is owned by Volkswagen Group, who have revived it as a builder of limited production exclusive sports cars.
Founder Ettore Bugatti was born in Milan, Italy, and the automaker that bears his name was founded in 1909 in the town of Molsheim in Alsace. The company was known as much for the detail of its engineers in their cars, and how the artistic designs were executed, given the artistic nature of Ettore's family (his father, Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940) was a furniture Art important Nouveau jewelry designer). The company of Bugatti also enjoyed great success in early Grand Prix motor racing, winning the first Monaco Grand Prix. The company's success culminated with driver Jean-Pierre Wimille win the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice.
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| Bugatti Ttype 35b Grand Prix, 1925 |
The Bugatti produces several Famous vehicles, such as Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix cars, Bugatti Type 41 "Royale", Bugatti Type 55 sports car and Bugatti Type 57 "Atlantic". - CAR REVIEW
Bugatti
CAR REVIEW | Chevrolet | The Chevrolet, or Chevy, is one of automobile brands produced by General Motors Company (GM). Chevrolet was founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted William C. Durant, the founder of General Motors on 11/3/1911. General Motors (GM) acquired Chevrolet in 1918. The Chevy was positioned by Alfred Sloan to sell a lineup of mainstream vehicles to directly compete against Henry Ford's Model T in the 1920s, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM. Chevrolet sells and produces a wide variety of automobiles in North America, from subcompact vehicles to medium-duty commercial trucks.
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| Chevrolet Camaro Z28, 1998 |
In 1912, when Durant sold the Chevy shares to McLaughlin, Durant had an idea that McLaughlin was in full production building McLaughlin Cars with Buick power trains (15 year contract Durant had with McLaughlin). Durant felt he could have McLaughlin do with Chevrolet what he did with Buick, and had McLaughlin build his Chevys as well.
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| Chevrolet Caprice Coupe, 1979 |
Starting in 1915 in 1916, Durant and the McLaughlin Brothers had traded Chevrolet stock at 5 to 1 and 7 to 1 and took over General Motors holding Company. McLaughlin had no worry about his Buick contract when Billy was back at the helm. General Motors started in Canada in November 20, 1907, McLaughlin and Durant started their company General Motors Holding Company in the USA September 16, 1908. McLaughlin is never addressed by the Ken Kaufmann papers or build documents but takes credit for the Bow Tie information published years before.
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| Chevrolet Camaro, 1967 |
McLaughlin started the truck the 1919 Chevrolet and General Motors in 1916 became a public company. McLaughlin traded at $ 500,000.00 Buick that had shares traded during the McLaughlin stock on November 20, 1907. This investment by McLaughlin McLaughlin and Durant gave greater ownership of General Motors and Chevrolet in Canada is building the Chevrolet. The truck plant was closed after the construction trucks from 1919. - CAR REVIEW
Chevrolet
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
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| Bentley Convertible, 2009 |
CAR REVIEW | Bentley | Bentley, with legal company name Bentley Motors Limited is a British automobiles manufacturer. Bentley Motors Limited was founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O", when the first Bentley engine burst into life at new street mews, London.
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| Bentley Continental T, 1999 |
Bentley Motors had been previously known for their range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later versions of the Sopwith Camel. After the war W. O. Bentley designed and made production cars that won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1924 and following models which repeated those successes each June 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.
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| Bentley Corniche, 1980 |
From these modest beginnings, Bentley ’s company went from strength to strength through the 1920s, with an evolving series of acclaimed motor cars and a parade of racing triumphs to prove their outstanding performance. These laurels were capped with five outright victories at Le Mans between 1924 - 1930 and a sixth in 2003.
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| Bentley Continental Flying Spur, 1965 |
When production was moved from London to Derby and later to Crewe, Bentley was purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1931, the company has been owned by the Volkswagen Group of Germany since 1998. The business is still based in Crewe, Cheshire, England with their Central Production Facilities there.
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| Bentley Mark VI, 1950 |
Before the First World War, W.O. Bentley had been in partnership with his brother HM Bentley selling French DFP cars, but he had always wanted to design and build its own line of cars bearing his name. In August 1919, Bentley Motors Ltd. was registered, and a simulated engine chassis was unveiled at the London Motor Show in October 1919. The engine was built and operational in December, and orders taken for delivery in June 1920, but development took longer than expected, and the first cars were not ready until September 1921. Durability won acclaim. Appearances were made in hill climbs and Brooklands and a single entry into the race at Indianapolis, 1922 500 Mile Run by W. Douglas Hawkes completed at an average speed over 80 mph.
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| Bentley, 1930 |
Bentley Motors Limited ("Bentley") is a company registered in England and Wales (VAT 279230739). Bentley Motors manufacture handcrafted motor cars in Crewe, England and have a rich heritage of 90 years as a pinnacle, British automotive marque. Bentley Motors, which located in Crewe, England since 1946 and owned since 1998 by Volkswagen AG, is dedicated to making responsive and powerful Grand Tourers with the stamina to cross continents at pace, and drive in refined comfort and style. - Car Review
Car Review | Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian car manufacturer. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars. Alfa Romeo automobiles are some of the most sought after luxury cars in the world, especially by American drivers where the manufacturer had a long extended absence for domestic sales over the last few decades. Produced by the Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A many Alfa Romeo models are well known for their successful presence on the racing circuit.
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. was owned by Italian state holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale between 1932 and 1986, when it became a part of the Fiat Group, and since February 2007 a part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq, with some Italian investors. Late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and a new company was founded named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili English: Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company), initially still in partnership with Darracq. The first non-Darracq car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP, designed by Giuseppe Merosi. A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24 HP models. In August 1915 the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP becoming the first car to be badged as such.
In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa going broke after defence contracts ended, and at the end of 1932 Alfa Romeo was rescued by Benito Mussolini's government, which then had effective control. The Alfa factory struggled to return to profitability after the Second World War, and turned to mass-producing small vehicles rather than hand-building luxury models. The company, in 1954, developed the classic Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, which would remain in production until 1995. During the 1960s and 1970s Alfa Romeo produced a number of sporty cars, though the Italian government parent company, Finmeccanica, struggled to make a profit so sold the marque to the Fiat Group in 1986.
Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in different categories of motorsport, including the Grand Prix racing, Formula One, motorsport, car racing and rallies. Participated as a manufacturer and supplier of engines, the innings of work and private entrances. The first race car was made in 1913, three years after the founding of the company, and Alfa Romeo won the inaugural world championship Grand Prix cars in 1925. The company earned a good reputation in motorsport, giving a sporty image of the brand as a whole. Enzo Ferrari founded the Scuderia Ferrari racing in 1929 as a competition of Alfa Romeo before becoming independent in 1939. - CAR REVIEW
Car Review | Toyota Prius 1 2011, specifications, features and prices in the US | The Toyota Prius is a gas-electric hybrid and the third generation Prius made its debut in 2010 with a more powerful engine and better fuel economy. Prius was the first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid when it went on sale in Japan in 1997. Since then, the Prius became the best-selling hybrid vehicle in the U.S. and the world. The Toyota Prius entered the U.S. market in 2000, and the second generation Prius was launched in 2004 in the fall of 2003 that the first product to use third-generation gas-electric hybrid, Toyota Synergy Drive hybrid powertrain technology.
Price, specifications and features of Prius 1 2011 in the US:
Pricing | Prius 1 | |
| Retail | $21,650 | |
| Invoice | $20,567 | |
| DestChg | $760 | |
Engines & Power | Prius 1 | |
| Standard Engine |
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| Horsepower | 134 @ 5200 RPM | |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 105 @ 4000 RPM | |
| Transmissions | Prius 1 | |
| Continuously Variable Transmis | Std | |
Fuel Economy | Prius 1 | |
| City (mpg) | 51 | |
| Highway (mpg) | 48 | |
| Comfort & Convenience | Prius 1 | |
| Sunroof | N/A | |
| Air Conditioning | Std | |
| Power Windows | Std | |
| Power Door Locks | N/A | |
| Leather Seats | N/A | |
| Power Seats | N/A | |
| Max. Seating | 5 | |
| Number of Doors | 4 | |
| Entertainment | Prius 1 | |
| Cassette Player | N/A | |
| CD Player | Std | |
| Nav. System | N/A | |
| Safety | Prius 1 | |
| Airbags | Driver Passenger Side | |
| ABS Brakes | Std | |
| Traction Control | Std | |
| Stability Control | Std | |
| Final Assembly | Prius 1 | |
| Location | Japan |
The third generation Toyota Prius looks much like its iconic predecessor but slightly wider and comes with a larger 1.8-liter engine. Highway fuel economy has improved slightly, but city mileage has fallen a bit. It can propel itself solely on electric power at low speeds. The new Prius feels more substantial and boasts several improvements. Side curtain air bags and ESC are standard. - CAR REVIEW
Toyota Prius 1 2011, specifications, features and prices in the US
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