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Sunday 31 July 2011

car 2011

The origins of Delahaye as a foreign French auto maker and manufacturer lie in a firm set up as long ago remarkably, as 1845 to produce of all things brick-making machinery obviously not automobiles or even horse and buggy transportation equipment.
Emile Delahaye was at first a railway engineer who designed rolling stock for French as well as Belgium railroads. Yet he produced his first car of German Daimler type in 1895, and two years later he moved his company from Tours to Paris, settling down to a variety of engineering projects.
The first of the shaft-driven cars arrived in 1907 and a V6 project (again a remarkable feat this early on in automobile history) in 1912. During the "Great War" - World War 1- the company itself produced a variety and range of items for the war effort. including vast quantities of rifles, stationary engines, gun parts and aircraft components. Yet after the war the company settled down to build somehow dull yet dependable and reliable cars (not always the case in the early day of the automotive industry). However at this point in the company's history these were noted to be usually of a rather backward design and designs.
It was necessary to modernize the car line in a big way and manner and with the current range selling rather badly in very limited and restricted sales numbers the new design and designs were first shown publicly in 1933 at the Paris Auto Show. Not only did it have a light chassis layout, with independent front suspension, but there was a choice of 3.3 liter, six-cylinder engine or a related 2.1-liter "four" backed by the Cotal electro-magnetic gear box or alternatively a synchromesh change to choice. The short cut was made possible without what was considered at the time "enormous investment" because these engines and motors were directly developed from units already in production for the company's commercial vehicles. Not only this but for the first time in years, the Delahaye car had coachwork with what might be called "eye appeal", "eye candy" and later with the advent of American auto producer, General Motors, "styling".
The larger six-cylinder car effectively was the prototype of the famous "135" series which would serve Delahaye until the end of the 1940s. This design might well have been said not to have done the job on its own, but this was uncertain because of 1935, the Delahaye outfit took over the financially ailing Delage concern. Delage it seemed had a very well established and well heeled clientele. Delage's "elegance" was therefore handed to Delahaye, and thus helped to cause no less than a dramatic change and changes in their direction and later fortunes. It did not take much time until a "Superluxe" six cylinder car soon went to Monthlery to take 19 world and international class records, and when the same car won an Alpine Coupe in the rally of that name, the "Coupe des Alpes " variant was christened.
The Delahaye production factories went to release a number of most noticeable automobiles of note. Among these were the "Competition" Type 1935 and the variant Type 175S introduced post WW2 in 1948, which was effectively a 135 chassis with an upgraded engine and more modern Charbonneux styled coach working.
What ever happened to this well regarded auto line - that was so highly regarded among its auto buying clients? It's all the same like in our current auto industry climate - the automotive industry was rationalizing and consolidating. The company was taken over by the firm"Hotchkiss" in 1954 whom in the end decided its expertise and for reasons of economy of scale - should focus entirely and exclusively on trucks only. This meant both the end and demise of the well regarded line of Delahaye car products.



Many people that have bad credit think that they have to use a buy here pay here car lot in order to obtain auto financing. This is certainly not the case, in fact you can get approved online easier than you can at a normal everyday car dealership. If car dealerships have turned you down and told you that your credit is not good enough, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you will find through alternative lending sources. Let's talk about dealerships that offer in-house financing, shall we?
You Do Not Have To Use Buy Here Pay Here Financing!
Car lots with in-house financing are in most areas. Sometimes, these are businesses that come and go and occasionally you can find a buy here pay here car lot that has been in business for many years. Either way, these dealerships make their money by overcharging people that have bad credit. Generally speaking, these types of car lots by used cars at car auctions that normal car dealerships do not want to buy. The reason may be because of an unpopular model, high mileage or that the vehicle has damage or mechanical problems that the buy here pay here dealers can have patched. Typically, the most common scenario is a newer model, high mileage car. New car dealerships have a hard time getting anyone financed on a vehicle that has more than 75,000 miles on it. Buy here pay here dealers basically make their money selling cars that other dealers don't want, to the people that don't have the credit to go to a normal car dealership.
What They Won't Tell You...
What car dealers will not tell you is that you can get a better deal on auto financing intitiating it on the Internet. It's not the actual Internet that allows you to do this, it is that through the Internet you have access to lenders all over the entire country. There are lenders that are available that will accept people immediately after repossession, bankruptcy, foreclosure or other credit disasters. There are even car lenders that will accept people that are on a fixed income or only receiving Social Security benefits. If you have bad credit, before you go getting yourself into a car loan that is not going to be in your best interest, you should definitely check out a few sources on the Internet to see if you are able to get real financing.


In January 1969, a few months before man walked on the moon, Ford introduced the new Capri into Europe, in a bid to capitalise upon the massive success that the Capri's American cousin the Mustang had enjoyed in the pony car and sports coupe market throughout the decade.
When the Mark 1 Capri was launched at the Brussels Motor Show with the slogan 'The Car You always Promised Yourself' it became an instant success with the baby boomer generation.
Within a year of production, almost one in four of all cars that Ford sold in Europe, was a Capri.
In 1970 nearly 250,000 Capris were sold. The car was assembled at Liverpool and Dagenham in the UK and at Ford's plants in Ghenk in Belgium and Cologne in Germany. By 1973 the millionth Capri an RS 2600 rolled off the production line at Ford's Halewood plant in Liverpool.
The early success in Europe led to Ford introducing the car into the US and Australian markets in 1970 and guaranteed the production of two further models, the Mark 2 and Mark 3 Capris.
The Capri Mark 1 was a sporty looking fastback with a long bonnet, wide opening two doors, low roofline often in black vinyl, rounded side windows, fake air intakes and alloy wheels and the distinctive hockey stick shaped indent that ran the length of the side of the car. Inside the car was designed with plastic and fake wood which was to become synonymous with cars of the 1970s. Inside the car was roomy with a rear bench seat and according to an advert by Ford at the time 'We were going to call the new Capri a 2+2 but there's too much room in the back'.
The Capri came in a multitude of engine configurations with many of the components and parts borrowed directly from the Ford Escort which had launched two years earlier. This meant the car had the usual front mounted engine and rear wheel drive.
The most popular Capri sold in the UK was the 1600cc version with either a L, GL or XL trim deciding its look and interior design. With a manual gearbox the car would struggle to reach 100 mph but the buying public were not that concerned with performance in 1969, they were more interested in value for money style and price. The base 1300cc model for the petrol frugant or timid driver started at just £890 on the road. The zippy two litre version was sold for a meer £1088. The range of Capris on offer was so large that no dealer could stock every variety. Incredibly the car featured front disk brakes and rack and pinion steering as standard, but in early models you had to request seatbelts as extras!
In its base form the 1300 Capri was a sluggish drive with its pushrod engine, but the 1600 crossflow Kent engine with its Pinto derived overhead camshaft cylinder head gave the car a lively performance. The 2000 was a different machine again with a V4 Essex Ford engine.
The Ford Capri's handling could best be described as awkward and like the Mustang involved large amounts of oversteer. In the dry the car was maneuverable and fun to drive, but when it rained it could punish the unaccustomed driver with very poor rear wheel traction and a slippery drive.
This became even more apparent with the larger engined later versions such as the 3000 GT and the mark 3 2.8i, which quickly became rated in the high insurance groups. The Capri, like most cars produced at the time was also notorious for rust.
The iconic design was favoured by good and bad. The car was regularly featured on TV screens and films and in cops and robbers style car chases. This may have led to the rise of the British 'Boy Racer' who loved the souped up and modified later versions. The Capri was also favoured by the 'joy-rider' car thief and its poor security led to the Mark 3 becoming the most stolen car in the UK during the 1980's.
As the Capri aged the model changes tended to be more cosmetic than mechanical, for example the distinctive square headlights of the Mark 2 Capri, which as a result left the winning sales formula intact. Production of the Mark 1 ended in 1974 and was replaced by the Mark 2 Capri which was built from 1974 until 1978. The Mark 3 Capri was built from 1978 until the last car rolled off the production lines in 1986. All in all nearly two million Ford Capris graced our streets in the 1970s and 80s.


Classic car auctions are the first place you need to look if you're the type of person that has been saving up all your money, ever since you were a kid, for the car of your dreams. Classic cars are timeless, and they will always appeal to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or status. Just seeing one pass by would already give you the thrills; owning one is a totally different experience, one that doesn't compare to owning other material things in this world.
Classic car auctions are different than ordinary car auctions, because it appeals and caters to individuals who are willing to spend a lot of money for their love of classic cars. These auctions usually span two to three days in a row, and the cars are lined up to give auction-goers and potential buyers a better view of each car.
If you are interested in taking home a car from one of these auctions, you can wait for the actual auction to begin, or you can just buy the vehicle right on the spot for the owner's asking price. There is no definite time and location for these auctions so you need to get as much information as you can if you want to participate in one.
As mentioned earlier, the time span normally allotted for these types of auctions is two to three days. In the first day, the cars are first shown to the potential buyers, bidders, and curious spectators. On the second day, the interested buyers and bidders get to test drive the cars they like in a nearby testing stage. The last day will be allotted for the actual bidding and occasional buying of the cars. You should take note when it's time to bid for the cars so that you bid on it at the right time.
There are also fast-paced car auctions, wherein the cars being auctioned are shown running and then automatically be auctioned off. After a winning bid is placed, it will immediately be replaced by a new one and the bidding will commence soon after. These classic car auctions are commonly featured on television and in magazines.
However, the first type of auction is usually for invitational events, for example, an exclusive event of a classic cars motoring club, wherein members and friends of members are the ones invited. Unless you know people who can take you to these auctions, you have to look for other ways to go in.

The Honda Motor Company officially unveiled a plant in South America that focuses on the production of compact cars for the national and international markets.
Since 2009, more and more pressure has been placed on Honda to supply cars to this market. Because of this fervent local and international demand, in 2010 the automobile industry in Argentina produced approximately 700,000 cars--40 percent more than in 2009. Most of the cars exported from Argentina are shipped to Brazil, and exports increased almost 40 percent last year as well. Before the factory was opened, Honda transported the cars it made in Brazilian and Mexican factories to meet the demand in Argentina. The company believes the plant will be a major player in the South American economy. In addition, almost two-thirds of the 20,000 cars that are produced by the factory from 2014 to 2015 will be shipped to other countries.
Cristina Fernandez, the Argentine President, said that this factory could help Honda increase its output. It has been speculated that Honda has spent $210 million on the plant already. Officials believe that the company plans to invest $40 million more by 2012, although an official number has not been confirmed by Honda.
Honda initially publicized its intentions to construct the factory almost three years ago but put off its opening because the company did not believe demand in South America was high enough, especially during the recent worldwide economic downturn. But the President of Argentina had been restricting the importation of automobiles to boost the local economy and protect its own manufacturing industries. Argentina's automotive industry provides jobs to many blue-collar employees.
Currently, nine car manufacturers and suppliers have signed import-export contracts and have promised to augment their distribution of automobiles and car parts. Even Porsche, which does not participate in the automobile manufacturing industry in Argentina, will export other commodities in exchange for the cars it expects to import in 2011.
Although more than 3,000 cars made by BMW were sold in Argentina in 2010, the country's limitations on imports have caused BMW to stop exporting cars to Argentina. The country's crackdown on importation has been controversial. Perhaps as a reaction to Argentina's importation restrictions on Brazil's exported goods, Brazil, a major trading partner with Argentina, has also placed restrictions on imported vehicles. These two major South American economies are currently working to settle this clash in trade ideology.

Concept cars have always been the best way to showcase a new car's design, technology, and performance. This helps to gauge customer reaction and feedback to the changing design concept and performance. Following the idea of showcasing a wellspring of ideas, Hyundai also has created a good number of impressive and appreciating concept cars.
Some of the known concept cars by Hyundai are as follows:
Nuvis
Nuvis is a wonderful and eye catching concept car designed by the leading car brand Hyundai. The concept is passionately designed in at Irvine at the company's California Design Center. It is designed to seamlessly blend the attributes of a tall urban car with the features and technologies of a premium utility vehicle. Moreover, the car is powered by the Hybrid Blue Drive architecture that enhances the fuel efficiency of the car and also makes it more powerful. The engine architecture uses the groundbreaking technology of lithium polymer battery that is further mated to the outstanding fuel-efficient 2.4-liter Theta II engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The performance and fuel efficiency in the concept car is further enhanced with the optimization of cooling system that reduces friction and by filling the crankcase with low friction oil. Furthermore, the steering system is also electric motor-assisted that helps to reduce power drain, eventually enhancing fuel efficiency and improving performance.
Blue Will
Blue Will is commonly known as the Eco-sleeker, a car designed with intense passion and high levels of creativity. The sweeping lines, sleek surface, and a detailed form adds new dimension to car designing. The core concept is designed keeping in mind the need to minimize aerodynamics and maximize fuel efficiency. The interior is highlighted with impressive LED panel, rear bike rack, and many other distinctive features to add measures of comfort and convenience.
iX-onic
The sensational iX-onic is a groundbreaking concept that sweeps along all eyes on the show. The concept is an outcome of the inspiration taken from multi-cultural personalities of cities like Paris, Berlin and London. With its excellent body structure and design form it actually introduces a completely new or revolutionary look for a compact SUV. The aggressive character, dynamic outlook, sculpted lines, and performance oriented styling offer an outstanding appeal. The design excellence is mated to the eco-friendly powertrain and other functional technologies or features to make the concept an even more impressive art piece. It is a well designed eco-friendly compact cross vehicle that successfully wins the heart of young crowd across the stretches.


red new cars

Those of you who think that your car is just a means of transportation -- a box that takes you from one place to another -- think again. Today's cars have become computers in their own right. Electronic sensors are now used to measure a car's performance and microprocessors are present to modify components so that they perform properly under any condition. New technologies have been introduced that park the car without any action from the driver and night vision technology is making it possible for drivers to see better at night.
But there is more coming. And the federal government and a major car manufacturer -- Ford Motor Company -- have taken steps to assure that these new innovations become reality.
After more than 10 years of research, Ford is creating a task force of planners, engineers and scientists from around the world who already have experience in developing sophisticated safety equipment as well as infotainment and driver convenience systems to create intelligent vehicles that, among other things, will prevent collisions and allow cars on the road to communicate with one another. The company, along with other car manufacturers and the federal government, is working to create a "common language" that allows cars to communicate based on a common communication standard. Moreover, the partnership also intends to launch driving clinics starting this summer to test the technology. Ford will be donating two prototype Ford Taurus sedans to the project which will be managed by the Intelligent Transportation Systems of the U.S. Department of Transportation and which also involves the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership, a joint research group headed by Ford and General Motors. The project will help create standards and will be completed in 2013.
The result of the technology could lead to the easing of traffic delays which will save time and fuel costs. Moreover, the technology in conjunction with infrastructure innovations will provide drivers with real time traffic reports that will assist them in choosing less congested routes.
The communication between cars will be based on Wi-Fi, which allows a full 360 degree range of detection. So the car will be able to alert the driver if he or she is on a path to a collision, when a vehicle ahead stops or suddenly slows down, when traffic patterns change, if there is a chance of a collision when changing lanes, when the car is approaching stationary or parked vehicles, or if another driver loses control of his or her car.
All of this is possible because car manufacturers including Ford have already developed technologies that can be used. These include Collision Warning and Blind Spot Information Systems which use radar to detect vehicles or objects near the vehicle.
Moreover, Ford has created a so-called "smart intersection" which communicates information to and from vehicles. For example, this system allows a vehicle to communicate its speed, direction and position about 10 times per second at a distance of 300 to 500 meters.
The ability of a car to "talk" allows for all sorts of other actions. For example, it could allow the car to reserve or bid for a preferred parking spot before reaching a destination
It appears that the federal government understands how important it is to develop such a technology. Two members of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Rogers (R-Michigan) and Russ Carnahan (D-Missouri) have introduced legislation to permit the federal government to select six cities in which to test a system. In addition, the Congress is also considering a new surface transportation bill that will manage how the government spends money from its transportation budget. Those who favor intelligent transportation systems want to be certain that the agenda is part of the government's long term planning.
Technology is also being developed that would permit the car to notify authorities as an accident is happening. The vehicle's speed, steering and braking data as well as video from inside and outside the car would be automatically sent to police and insurance companies. Moreover, onboard sensors will be able to detect pot holes in the road and notify road maintenance authorities.



One of the most recognised and plagiarised car designs in the World, immortalised in films such as The Italian Job, the Mini became an icon of British design during the swinging sixties in London and around the globe.
The Mini was the brainchild and end product of a two year research project by the chain-smoking Sir Alec Issigonis for the British Motor Company (BMC) started in 1957 and launched to an astounded public in 1959.
The Mini was born out of economic necessity and demonstrated the differences in the mindsets of US and British car owners at the time.
In America, multi-laned freeways were springing up everywhere and the 1950's was a time of indulgence in classic muscle cars and massive engined saloons. Fuel and economy was not a consideration.
However in Europe the mindset and zeitgeist was totally different, with the first two lane UK motorway not opened until 1959.
In 1956 petrol rationing had been reintroduced in the UK due to the Suez Crisis. When Egyptian leader General Nasser shut the Suez Canal, Britain's largest oil supplier of the time, Burmah Oil, which operated out of Persia, had to find alternative and much longer routes.
Demand for sales of small economic to run cars soon outstripped supply and this gap was filled by the famous two seater 'bubble cars' and other strange machines of German origin like the gull winged doors on the three wheeled Messerschmitt Kabinenroller (cabinscooter) KR175 and KR200.
Against this background, BMC commissioned Issigonis to come up with a world-beating small car to replace its aging Morris Minor, a previously untested idea.
The Mini's ingenious concept and design meant it offered a staggeringly large amount of interior space for what was essentially a 10 foot long car. The short wheelbase meant the Mini was extremely maneuverable and the car only weighed just 587 kg.
When Issigonis set to work he imagined an ultra compact cube to house four passengers, fronted by a space-saving front wheel drive system. However in a flash of genius he positioned the engine transversely across the engine well with the gearbox underneath it, to keep the drive-train super compact and outside his cube, and in doing so he invented the transverse engine.
The prototypes were fitted with a 950cc Morris Minor engine which could reach speeds of 92 mph, but the production car was first released with a more limited 848cc BMC engine that had a top speed of 72 mph.
Every available space was utilised in the design of the BMC Mini.
The car had tiny ten inch wheels in very tight wheel arches. Inside the car was basic with novel storage drawers in the doors but nowhere to put a radio on a small dialled facia. Issigonis did however include an ashtray!
Issigonis couldn't have possibly known that his cube car would go on to be voted in 1999 the second most influential car ever built, behind the Model T Ford.
BMC launched the first Mini Mark 1 in August 1959 under the brands Austin Seven Mini and Morris Mini Minor. They were manufactured at the respective Austin and Morris plants at Longbridge in Birmingham and Cowley down the road in Oxford.
The basic Mini cost just £496 when it was launched, the cheapest car in Britain.
Despite rapidly developing a cult following, and the car being driven by Stars such as Steve McQueen, Paul McCartney and Margot Fonteyn, initial sales were extremely slow and by the end of 1960 only 116,000 Minis had been sold, way below BMC's production capacity.
The car didn't reach its peak sales for another eleven years when in 1971 318,475 new Minis were sold.
It was also rumored by competitors Ford that the basic BMC Mini cost more to produce than it was sold for.
BMC responded by saying that the profits were made by having additional extras to the basic model, such as a radio, but on inspection the records show that the Mini did not make a profit for the company until 1982.
As a nationalised company with considerations of employees and trade unions, coupled with the investment in technology, BLMC as BMC became, could not halt a slightly loss making production.
So Mini production continued until 2000 and over 5,380,000 cars were built, making the Mini the most successful all British car ever made.

Each year Consumer Reports predicts the reliability of vehicle models based on the reported performance over the preceding 3 years, or fewer years if data are limited, as they are for newer models such as the Ford Fusion. The best small cars, family cars, upscale/luxury cars, minivan, small SUVs, midsize SUVs, Luxury SUVs, and pickup trucks by CR's predicted infrequency of serious problems is given below.
In the small car category, Honda and Toyota vehicles dominate. The five best small cars of 2011 are:
Toyota Yaris, a sedan or 2-door or 4-door hatchback
Honda Fit, a 4-door hatchback
Toyota Motor Corporation's Scion xD, a 4-door hatchback
Honda Civic Coupe
Honda Civic Sedan.
For comparison, last year's 2010 Auto Reliability Grade Point Averages (GPAs) of these models for model years 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 are:
Toyota Yaris Hatchback: a perfect 4.00
Honda Fit: 4.00
Scion xD: 4.00
Honda Civic Coupe: N/A
Honda Civic Sedan: 3.50.
In the category of family cars, Ford Motor Company captures first and second place for 2011 predicted reliability. The two are:
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford Fusion with a V6 engine and front-wheel drive.
The 2010 Auto Reliability GPAs of these models are:
Ford Fusion Hybrid: 4.00 (based on only a one-year data history)
Ford Fusion with a V6 and fwd: 3.75.
In the category of upscale/luxury cars, Honda and Toyota account for all four in the list. These are:
Honda Motor Company's Acura RL,
Honda's Acura TL
Toyota's Lexus IS 250 Sedan with rear-wheel drive
Toyota's Lexus ES.
The year earlier GPAs are:
Acura RL: 2.67
Acura TL: 3.25
Lexus IS 250 with rwd: 2.50
Lexus ES: 3.50.
Two of the above are very modest.
Not making this year's upscale/luxury car list are Ford's Lincoln MKZ and its 4-cylinder Mercury Milan, both of which had 2010 GPAs of a perfect 4.00 last year.
In the category of larger wagons and minivans, the best is the V6, front-wheel-drive Toyota Sienna. The 2010 Reliability GPA of the front-wheel-drive Sienna for the 4 recent years is a more modest 3.00.
The 5 best small SUVs are:
Honda CR-V
Toyota RAV4 with a V6 engine
Mitsubishi Outlander
Toyota RAV4 with a 4-cylinder engine
Subaru Forester with a non-turbo engine.
The 2010 GPAs of these best for the 4 most recent model years are:
Honda CR-V: 3.75
Toyota RAV4 with a V6: 3.40
Mitsubishi Outlander: 3.00
Toyota RAV4 with a 4-cylinder: 3.75
Subaru Forester with a non-turbo engine: 4.00.
The 4-cylinder RAV4 and the Honda CR-V have outstanding 10-year mean GPAs of 3.88 and 3.63, respectively.
The 5 best midsize SUVs are:
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Toyota Highlander with a 4-cylinder engine
Toyota Highlander with a V6 engine
Hyundai Santa Fe with a V6 engine
Nissan Pathfinder.
The 2010 GPAs of these best for the 4 most recent model years are:
Toyota FJ Cruiser: 4.00
Toyota Highlander with a 4-cylinder engine: N/A
Toyota Highlander with a V6 engine: 3.75
Hyundai Santa Fe with a V6 engine: 2.75
Nissan Pathfinder: 1.67.
The V6 Toyota Highlander has an outstanding 10-year mean GPA of 3.94. The Pathfinder's jump to best from a very mediocre 2010 GPA suggests thin data making an accurate rating difficult.
The 3 best upscale/luxury SUVs are:
Toyota's Lexus LX
Honda's Acura RDX
Honda's Acura MDX.
The 2010 GPAs of these best for the 4 most recent model years are:
Toyota's Lexus LX: 3.67
Honda's Acura RDX: 3.33
Honda's Acura MDX: 3.50.
The Lexus LX has an excellent mean 10-year GPA of 3.79 for 2010; the MDX's is a more modest 3.31.
The 5 best pickup trucks are:
Toyota Tundra with a V6 engine
Honda Ridgeline
Nissan Frontier with 2-wheel drive
Ford Ranger with 2-wheel drive
Toyota Tundra with a V8 engine and 4-wheel drive.