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Jeep, a Car Brand of Automobiles

December 16th, 2011

Jeep, a car brand of automobile manufacturer Chrysler, takes pride in being the oldest Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) around.

There had been quite a lot of possible explanations going around as to the origins of the name, “jeep”, but none have been verified. One theory was that it came from GP, which was short for Gov. Purposes, a designation given to this type of vehicle. GP was then slurred in a way that it eventually sounded “jeep”. This claim, however, was argued by R. Lee Ermey who said that the vehicle was never intended to refer to GP at all.

This particular explanation might have been confusing especially when there was, at that time, another type of vehicle that was also assigned the designation GP. The Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, known for manufacturing railroad automotives, came out with its General Purpose line, thus using also the GP tag, only that GP stood for General Purpose. Still the vehicles of the GP line of General Motors were constantly called Geeps, sounding the same as “jeep”.

Accordingly, the word “jeep” was initially used by soldiers during the first world war to refer to new recruits and to new vehicles that were not yet tested of their performance. Ermey, along with many others, felt that the soldiers during that time were so awed by this new line of vehicles that they developed a name for it — Eugene the Jeep.

Another definition of the term “jeep” was given by Clinton A. Sanders in his dictionary of military slang words entitled Words of the Fighting Forces. The book, published in 1942, defined “jeep” as a four-wheel drive car with one-half up to one and one-half capacity for reconnaissance or other army duty. The term also referred to the bantam-cars, and occasionally to other U.S.A. motor vehicles in the Air Corps, the Link Trainer; in the armored forces, the ½ ton command car. It also referred to as any small plane, helicopter, or gadget.

Then in the earlier part of 1941, Willys-Overland, Inc. tested the performance of the vehicle. Willys-Overland driver, Irving “Red” Haussman drove it along the steps of the Capitol of theUnited States. When Katherine Hillyer, a columnist for the Washington Daily News, saw him do that and asked him what the vehicle was called, Irving readily answered, “jeep”, a term he had overhead from soldiers at Fort Holabird.

Hillyer then wrote an article about it, publishing it on February 20, 1941 together with a picture of the vehicle. Since then, the term “jeep” meant to refer only to the 4×4 truck published by Hillyer.

In 1941, too, Willys-Overland Inc. became the first owner of the registered trademark, “jeep”, manufacturing the first Civilian Jeep or CJ. Then in 1953, Kaiser bought Willys-Overland, and in 1963, it became known as the Kaiser-Jeep. Seven years later, American Motors took over Kaiser’s jeep operations, which was already having financial troubles during that time. The vehicles were a perfect match to AMC’s passenger car business. They basically shared the same features and therefore efficiently produced cars in large volumes.

In 1979, Renault, a French automobile manufacturer, invested in American Motors. By 1987, however, the automobile industry had considerably changed, and Renault, too, was having some financial problems. Chrysler Corporation, which saw these rather unfortunate events as opportunities to buy the jeep trademark, came along and bought American Motors. At that time, the Jeep CJ had just been replaced by the Jeep Wrangler or YJ. The following year, Chrysler joined forces with Daimler-Benz, thus DaimlerChrysler was born.

The jeeps had exceptional off-road abilities, and for these they are famous for even up to this day. Jeep Wrangler is, in fact, the only vehicle in North America with solid front and rear axles, thus giving it considerable strength and durability. Another advantage of the solid axles is that lifting becomes easier and cheap. Lifting causes the distance between the center of the axle hub and the vehicle’s body to increase, thus, making it possible for larger tires to be installed. As a result from all these, the ground clearance of the Jeep likewise increases, and its ability to drive through obstacles also increases.

Jeep owners pay tribute to this very versatile vehicle by conducting jamborees throughout the year. These jamborees, which usually run for two days, provide an opportunity for owners of the Jeep to meet with each other, sharing stories about their passion, going on scenic trails, and testing the capacities of their vehicles. These jamborees are like family outings in a way, however, they are specific in their requirement for registration: only jeeps with low-range transfer case may be allowed; full-size jeeps may be allowed only after approval has been sought before the scheduled registration date. Participants to the jamborees need to be registered, too, in order to join the trail rides and other activities. The jamborees are therefore exclusive only to those who have registered. Once registered, participants may have the option to stay either at a local campground, a motel or somewhere else. The jamborees typically begin with a breakfast, which is then followed by a meeting.

Aside from the jamborees, there is another event that also honors the Jeep, and it is called Camp Jeep. Camp Jeep is held only once a year, and like the jamboree, runs for two days. Camp Jeep is filled with exciting activities that include mountain biking, kayaking, fishing, tubing, and many others. Participants, which may include children as well, may also engage in arts and crafts and enjoy getting entertained by top performing bands. Camp Jeep also offers courses for jeep owners who are just starting out and still on the verge of familiarizing themselves with the vehicle. The courses, which usually include actual demonstration of proper driving techniques for this 4×4 versatile truck, are very helpful, indeed, especially for those who want to get the best out of their vehicle.

The Jeep is viewed by many to symbolize freedom. Because of its versatility, it can go practically anywhere it pleases.

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Infiniti Known As a Luxury Brand

December 16th, 2011

Infiniti is a luxury brand carried by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., a Japanese automaker. The brand caters to a wide market, which includes the American, Canadian, Mexican, and Middle Eastmarkets, as well as the South Korean, Chinese Taiwanese, Ukrainian and Russian markets. Pretty soon, if Nissan’s plans push through, Infiniti will be made available in several European countries, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, among others. Nissan has also moved to bring Infiniti to Japan in the near future.

Infiniti is a relatively new brand, particularly in the United States, where it appeared only in 1989. The main idea then was to be able to sell high quality vehicles that are no longer suited to Nissan’s rather conventional image. Incidentally, big car companies such as Toyota and Honda also came up with their own line of luxury cars, the Toyota Lexus and the Honda Acura, and they brought them to the United States at around the same time. Unfortunately for Nissan, Infiniti did not sell quite as well as expected. Some claimed this largely due to poor advertising because the ads mainly focused on nature instead of on the actual cars. The advertisers might have deemed it wise to bring awareness to the product by utilizing Zen-influenced spots. However, that did not work well for Infinity. On the contrary, it brought more woes than luck.

Fortunately, this seemed to change in 1990 with Infiniti’s Q45, a vehicle equipped with a V8 engine, four wheel steering feature, and an active suspension system, the very first in motor vehicles. The interior of the Q45 is also luxurious. All these enabled Infiniti to provide stiff competition against the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the biggest names in luxury cars.

Another vehicle in the Infiniti line was the M30, a two-door coupe which the public had a first view of in 1990, the same year that Infiniti’s Q45 sedan was launched. The M30 was the USversion of the Japanese Nissan Leopard F31. It was built with the end in view of competing against the Acura Legend. During the three years of its production, however, sales of the M30 was relatively weak. The M30 had an engine capable of 162 horsepower, which was not powerful enough. It also had only one transmission, which is the Nissan RE4R01A 4-speed automatic with electronic overdrive. Nevertheless, what it lacked in that area, the M30 more than compensated it in its reliability and overall comfort. Still, it was not enough to bring the sales up. So, after only a couple of years, Infiniti was left with no other choice but to stop its production of the M30. To this day, the M30 is considered by many as the rarest Infiniti to have come out in the market.

In 1991, Infiniti produced the third vehicle in its line, the G20, based on Nissan’s Primera. Production of this came to a temporary stop in 1997 and 1998, however, and resumed a year later, in 1999. The G20 was Nissan’s attempt to compete with the likes of the BMW 3-series. Sadly, though, with its underpowered four cylinder engine and small size, it failed to even come close to its competitors.

Then, in 1997, Infiniti launched its version of the Nissan Pathfinder, the QX4. The QX4 was more luxurious than the Nissan Pathfinder, and like any conventional SUV, it used a truck platform, enabling it to compete against the likes of Lexus RX 300, Acura MDX, and the Mercedes Benz ML320.

Over the years, however, Nissan suffered from financial difficulties, so in spite of attempts to come out with great models, Infiniti still could not overtake Toyota’s Lexus and Honda’s Acura when it comes to sales. Even its Q45 began to lose its popularity. Before long, Infiniti was on the verge of death. In an effort to save itself, the company, in 2000, decided to venture in a more dynamic and power line of sports cars. The Q45 was redesigned and Infiniti came out with newer models. The G35, for instance, proved to be a blessing for Infiniti when it was launched in 2003. A sports sedan with exceptional capabilities, the G35 became very popular that it was even named Motor Trend Car Of The Year in 2003. This significantly increased the sales of Infiniti.

Following the huge success of the G35, Infiniti also unveiled the FX35/45, a model which suited the American taste perfectly. Taking advantage of the success of the G35, the FX had roughly the same components as the G35. It had the abilities and performance of a sports car, and the comfort and versatility of a station wagon — a perfect combination. Not surprisingly, many other manufacturers produced similar vehicles, so Infiniti reclassified it as a Crossover Utilty Vehicle (CUV).

These were turning points, indeed, for Infiniti, as not only its sales increased. Its reputation, too, improved considerably, and the person likely to be credited for Infiniti’s rise to fame is Carlos Ghosn, the man with a vision of giving Infiniti its independence. More models will be launched pretty soon. One of these is the Infiniti FX, scheduled to be unveiled sometime in June or July 2008. Hopefully, in 2009, another model will be brought to the public’s eyes, the Infiniti Q. Then, in 2010, Infiniti M will be brought out.

Almost all vehicles of the Infiniti line, and this includes coupes, sedans, and crossovers, use the basic Nissan FM platform, in which the center of the engine is located behind the front wheels. This enables an even distribution of the weight of the vehicle, resulting to a marked improvement to its speed, braking capabilities, and handling. The only vehicle in the Infiniti line that does not use the basic Nissan FM platform is the QX56 full-sized SUV which uses, instead, the Nissan F-Alpha platform.

Infiniti has its main headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, but it is also operating in other parts of the world. Infiniti Canada, Infiniti Europe, Infiniti America, Infiniti Korea, Infiniti Middle East, Infiniti Chine, and Infiniti Taiwan may be visited online.

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About Hummar Car Company

December 16th, 2011

Hummer is a brand of automobiles distributed by General Motors or GM for short. The Hummer line, which is composed of the H1, H2, and H3 models, are big automobiles, and are often regarded by many countries as trucks, and not classified as the regular Sports Utility Vehicles. In New Zealand, for instance, a truck license is essential before any automobile of considerable weight can be allowed to operate.

Initially, Hummer vehicles were produced by AM General Corporation, formerly a products division of AMC Jeep, in South Bend, Indiana. In 1998, though, while still continuing to produce the vehicles, AM General Corporation gave General Motors the rights to use its brand name. Since then, General Motors has been taking charge of the marketing activities as well as the distribution of all Hummers, even those produced by AM General. In the succeeding years, General Motors launched the H2 and H3 models, and renamed the original Hummer vehicle, the H1. A few years ago, however, GM said it would stop its production of the original Hummer H1.

The Hummer H1, basically a pick up truck, resembled the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle or HMMWV, the same type of vehicle that was used in Operation: Desert storm, except that the H1 was meant for civilians’ use. As such, the H1 model had comfortable seats, a stereo and an air-conditioning unit. It did not have an armor nor weapon fittings. Also, while the H1 used a 12-volt electrical system with two batteries that were parallel to each other, the HMMWV used a 24-volt electrical system in which two batteries ran in series. Other than these, all other features such as the power train, chassis, suspension, body, and the like, were the same for both the Hummer H1 and the HMMWV.

AM General Corporation had long wanted to come out with another version of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, otherwise called, Hum-Vee. Then, in 1990, two white Hum-Vees were brought to Beijing from London amidst the rough roads of the Soviet Union. Heavily-built and specifically off-road vehicles, the two Hummers successfully completed the journey without any trouble. The journey was aired on ESPN and seen by television viewers in the United States.

AM General Corporation’s dream of making available to the public the civilian version of the Hum-Vee materialized in 1992, under the name Hummer, and there had been claims that Arnold Schwarzenegger had played an important role in this. Accordingly, Schwarzenegger was thoroughly impressed by the large vehicles passing by while he was doing Kindergarten Cop in 1990.

Meanwhile, the Hummer H2 models are being assembled in a facility in Kaliningrad, Russia since June of 2004 with Avtotor taking responsibility. The Kaliningrad facility is able to manufacture hundreds of Hummers every year, but they are being distributed only in Russia, but only five dealers.

The Hummer H3 models have, since October 10, 2006, been manufactured in General Motors’ facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The vehicles produced in that facility were produced specifically for the South African market. They are also being exported to Australia. In Europe, Japan and the Middle East, the Hummer H3 vehicles may also be found.

Like, perhaps, any automobile, Hummer also encountered a series of criticisms beginning with poor fuel economy. A considerably large and heavy vehicle, Hummer has poor fuel economy. In fact, if it is running on highways, one of the engine configuration of its H2 model has an average of about 15 mpg or 16 L/100 km, while if on a street, it averages about 10 mpg or 24 L/100 km. Safety is one other problem of the Hummer vehicles. Being large and heavy, the emergency brakes of the Hummer vehicles are not very effective. It has been said that the Hummer vehicles do not stop immediately after the emergency brakes have already been used. Also, the vehicles are not child-friendly. They lack features such as child seat tethers and safety locks. Moreover, the Hummer vehicles are not equipped with side air bags, and it does not have stability control. Parking is also a big problem because of the large blind spots. Because it is large and not fuel-efficient at that, a Hummer vehicle is quite expensive to maintain.

Nonetheless, the Hummer line has some advantages, too. Because they are large and equipped with heavy-duty features, Hummer cars are often used in disaster situations. In fact, Hummer Club, Inc. and the American Red Cross joined forces to come up with the program HOPE which stands for Hummer Owners Prepared for Emergencies. This program aimed to train Hummer owners basic CPR and First Air skills, so they could readily respond to emergency situations when called for.

Hummer vehicles appeared in many television shows and movies, including Jurassic Park, Seaquest DSV, Earth 2, and CSI: Miami. The most recent appearance of the Hummer vehicle was in the movie Transformers.

Hummer has been participating in car races since 1993, with the creation of Team Hummer Racing. The team competes under the categories BitD and SCORE, both of which feature vehicles with stock suspension designs and frames, and production-based engines. The competition required the use of specialized racing shock absorbers, tires, and certain minor modifications to the powertrain. Led by Rod Hall, a noted racing legend, Team Hummer has a total of 11 class wins at the Baja 1000. Its most recent victory was in February 2007, at the Parker 425, and this involved the H2 and H1 vehicles.

The latest development in Hummer is the use of biofuel on all trucks of Hummer. According to the Chief Executive Officer of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, all trucks of the Hummer brand will run on biofuel powertrains. Arnold Scwarzenegger, who was a great fan of Hummer trucks, had one of his converted so it could run on biofuel.

The Hummer trademark has become very popular and widely accepted by the public. In fact, a lot of companies have licensed the brand to be used on certain merchandises, such as flashlights, bicycles, colognes, shoes, hats, coats, skateboards, CD players, clothing, and similar other items.

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Honda Car Company

December 16th, 2011

The multinational corporation Honda goes by several other names: Honda Motor Company Limited, Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushikigaisha, and Honda Technology Research Institute Company Limited. Whichever name you choose to use, it will still refer to the largest engine manufacturer in the world with its main headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.

Honda was founded on September 24, 1948 by Soichiro Honda who had once worked at Art Shokai. Inspired by his experience there, Honda decided to come out with a design for piston rings in 1938. This, he offered to Toyota. After a couple of years, he entered a contract with Toyota, leading him to build a new facility so he could efficiently and consistently be able to cope with the demands of Toyota for piston rings. Unfortunately, all its piston manufacturing facilities did not survive the second world war.

Left with practically nothing, Soichiro Honda was undaunted. While Japan suffered from economic crisis following the war, the public’s need for transportation was still apparent, and Honda capitalized much on this. Using an engine, a bicycle, and all his ingenuity, Honda was able to create a cheap, but nevertheless efficient mode of transportation. Soon after this, the Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, which in English means Honda Research Institute Company Ltd., was born. While the company’s name sounded sophisticated, the facility on which it stood was anything but. In fact, Honda and his associates worked in a simply-constructed wooden shed.

Soon after this, Honda scooters and motorcycles appeared in the market. The first motorcycle to hit the market was the 1947 A-type, although the first full-fledged Honda motorcycle was the 1959 Dream D-type. This 1959 Dream D-type model had a 98cc engine that was able to produce around 2.2 kW or 3 horsepower.

In the early 1960s, Honda started coming up with road car models. The 1963 T360 became Honda’s first production vehicle. This small pick-up truck had a 22kW engine and a variety of body styles that included a panel van and a traditional truck bed. A couple of months after, the S500, the first production automobile of Honda, came into the picture. The S500 had a 492 cc engine that was able to produce 33 kW and a 9,500 RPM redline.

Honda existed in the United States, too. Despite this, however, and despite, too, of its involvement in international motorsports, Honda had a hard time selling its small cars in the United States. That all chanced in 1972 when Honda launched the Honda Civic. The Honda Civil was a bit larger than its previous cars, but smaller still in comparison to the American car. In 1975, the Civic began using the Compound Vortex-Controlled Combustion engine, thus meeting emission standards and achieving the lowest fuel consumption rating ever. This ultimately gave Honda an edge, attaining customer satisfaction.

In 1978, Honda started producing motorcycles in Ohio. Four years later, it constructed car facilities in the United States, earning the reputation of being the third foreign car manufacturer, behind Volkswagen and Rolls Royce. The Honda Accord was the first car to have been produced in the United States. Larger than the Honda Civic, the Honda Accord was a best-seller in the United States, gaining immediate popularity because it was economical and comfortable to drive around with.

Honda also had a luxury line to add to its existing products, the Acura. Produced in 1986, the Acura line is actually composed of different, improved versions of certain Honda vehicles. The first model of the Acura line was the Acura Legend, equipped with a 2.5 liter engine that was able to produce 113 kW, and an SRS airbag.

In 1987, Honda came out with its first passenger vehicle, the Honda Prelude using the four-wheel steering technology. Then, in 1989, the VTEC variable valve timing system was launched. This system was used in Honda’s production car engines, significantly improving efficiency and performance.

The first hybrid vehicle to appear in the market was Insight, and this happened in 1999. Insight obtained its power from the 1.0L 3-cylinder gasoline engine and an NiMH battery pack. This combination was controlled by a computer, thus efficiently coming up with significantly low fuel consumption without considerable effect on its performance. Honda hopes to produce lower-priced hybrids and be able to use advance diesel technology in the coming years.

Automobiles, trucks, motorcycles and scooters, and jets and jet engines, are some of the main products of Honda. Aside from all these, Honda also produces electrical generators, equipment for garden and lawn, and even robots. Honda’s famed robot is called Asimo. Asimo resembles an astronaut. Able to walk on two feet, Asimo is the only robot in the world that can use the stairs.

Not long ago, Honda started producing mountain and racing bikes, too. One particular racing bike is the Honda RN-01, noted for having a gearbox instead of the standard Derailleur that is usually seen in other bikes.

Aside from being the largest engine-maker in the world, Honda also takes pride in being the first engine ever to meet the 1970 US Clean Air Act with its 1975 CVCC. Also, its 1978 Legend was the first Japanese luxury car, while its 2006 Gold Wing Bike was the first motorcycle to have an airbag. Another first for Honda was its mid-sized pickup truck, the 2006 Ridgeline, the first pick up truck with independent rear suspension.

There is at least one Honda company existing in many parts of the world, too. There’s the 1958-founded American Honda Co., for one, based in Torrance, California. This company introduced the 1959 Honda C100 Super Cub, the first Honda model in the United States. Besides being the first model to be seen in the US, the Honda Cub also takes pride in being the best-selling vehicle in history, with over 50 million units sold already. There are two Honda companies in Canada. The first is Honda Canada, Inc. too, that is located in Toronto, Canada, and the other is Honda of Canada Manufacturing, located in Ontario. In India is situated the largest manufacturer of two-wheeler in the world, Hero Honda.

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Ferrari and It’s History

December 16th, 2011

The man to be credited for the production of the famed Ferrari cars went by the name of Enzo Ferrari, a man who was very passionate about racing. In 1929, Enzo Ferrari founded a company which he named Scuderia Ferrari, literally meaning Ferrari Stable. Scuderia Ferrari initially manufactured race cars and sponsored drivers for some 18 years, eventually becoming the Alfa-Romero in-house racing team. When he left Alfa, Ferrari went to design and produce cars of his own. He did this in order to fund Scuderia.

In 1947, the Ferrari ventured into producing road cars, the first being the 1947 125 S model that had a 1.5 L V12 engine. Because of this new venture, Scuderia Ferrari became Ferrari S.p.A, an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello and Modena, Italy.

Ferrari cars used a three-number naming scheme based on engine displacement. The first two digits indicated the total displacement in deciliters while the last digit referred to the number of cylinders. Thus, the 206 model meant that the total displacement in deciliters was 2.0 and that the number of cylinders was 6. In the same way, the 348 model meant that the total displacement was 3.4 and the number of cylinders was 8. Many Ferraris were also named according to their body style. Some had other names attached to them for further identification. In the middle of the 1990s, Ferrari included the letter F at the beginning of all its models.

Ferrari cars were basically fast cars and they were beautiful, but they were also expensive. In fact, only the rich and the famous could very well afford a Ferrari. Much to his chagrin, though, Enzo Ferrari felt that many customers are buying his cars as a status symbol only and not because his cars really were of good quality. Enzo became quite vocal about this and did not hide his disappointment, not even to his customers.

The road cars of Ferrari were designed by famous design houses, such as Pininfarina, Scaglietti, Bertone, Touring, Ghia, and Vignale. Then in 2005, Ferrari sponsored a design competition called Ferrari Concepts of the Myth for students. The competition was meant to allow some 20 talented students the opportunity to show off their gift on a ¼ scale model, and the top three would be given the chance to work at Maranello, Ferrari’s design studio.

Ferrari also engaged in motorsports. Its first win happened in 1949 with Luigi Chinetti driving a 166. Ferrari continued to be dominant in the World Sportscar Championships since 1953, winning the coveted Manufacturers Championship seven times!

Ferrari however suffered considerable losses through the years. So in 1969, already laden by financial troubles, Enzo Ferrari was forced to sell the company’s sports car division to Fiat. The sale was made so the company could get financial support somehow. Nevertheless, Enzo Ferrari continued to be a major force in the racing division until he died in 1988. He died at a ripe old age of 90, but he must have died a happy man, having personally overseen the launching of the Ferrari F40 on the same year as his death.

Ferrari went on to participate in racing, particularly Formula One. Ferrari largely benefited from this, especially during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, late 1990s and 2000s. Ferrari was very successful in Formula One. In fact, the Ferrari team holds almost every Formula One record there is. As of 2007, Ferrari already has 15 World Drivers Championship titles, 15 World Constructors Champion titles, and 201 Grand Prix victories. The latest Formula One win of Ferrari occurred in 2007, with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa driving.

The symbol used by the Ferrari race team was a black prancing stallion amidst a yellow background. The symbol usually comes with the letters S and F, which stand for Scuderia Ferrari, and three lines of green, white and red at the top. This prancing horse symbol had an interesting history. It had been reported that after winning a race in Ravenna on June 17, 1923, Enzo Ferrari met a certain Countess Paolina who happened to be the mother of Count Francesco Baracca. Countess Paolina told Enzo that his son, Count Baracca, used to paint a horse on the side of his planes for good luck. She then suggested to Enzo to use this same horse on his cars, as well, for basically the same reason. Enzo took the suggestion to heart, but he made some modifications on his horse. For one, his horse was colored black and not red, in stark contrast to the horse of Baracca. Also, the horse’s tail used by Enzo was pointing upward, instead of downward as seen on Baracca’s horse. Moreover, to pay tribute to his birthplace, the city of Modena, Enzo used a canary yellow background, this being the color ofModena. The prancing horse logo is also called cavallino rampante and is now a trademark of Ferrari. This design is seen on Ferrari’s official stationary. Many other companies, however, are also using a similar design. One such company is Avanti, an Austrian company with over 100 fuel stations. A certain Fabio Taglioni, too, used a similar logo, on his Ducati motorbikes.

Besides being famous for its cars and its role in car racing, Ferrari has also many other products to boast of. It has eyewear, pens, pencils, perfume, clothing, bicycles, cell phones, and laptop computers, to name a few. Because of this, Ferrari is able to provide more job opportunities for people; thus, not surprisingly, Ferrari earned the top spot in Financial Time’s list of 100 Best Workplaces in Europe for the year 2007.

At present, Fiat controls at least 85% of Ferrari. Enzo’s son Piero owns 10% of Ferrari, while Mubada has a 5% share of Ferrari. Presently, Ferrari is under the capable hands of Amedeo Felisa who replaced Jean Todt just recently. The former Chief Executive Offer Jean Todt, continues to be a member of the board of directors, and thus, will still have a hand in the Ferrari organization.

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About Dodge Company

December 16th, 2011

Dodge, a brand of automobiles and trucks based in the United States, had its beginnings in 1900 as supplier of parts and assemblies for Detroit’s automobile industry. The company, which was founded by two brothers, Horace and John Dodge, produced engine and chassis for many of the automobile companies operating in Detroit. Two big companies the Dodge Brothers Company catered to were the Olds Motor Vehicle Company and the Ford Motor Company. The business was a success, but pretty soon they began to aim for more. So, fourteen years later, in 1914, the Dodge Brothers Company produced vehicles entirely its own, starting off with the Dodge Model 30. This four-cylinder automobile had an all-steel body, and this was a unique feature at that time, considering that most cars had a wooden body. Further, it had a 12-volt electrical system when the usual system used was the 6-volt electrical system. The Dodge Model 30 also came with a sliding gear transmission. Because of these, Dodge cars became very popular. Not surprisingly, therefore, they have consistently earned the second spot in US sales for four years, that’s from 1916-1920.

Unfortunately, some events happened that would ultimately change the fate of the corporation. First, one of the brothers, John, died of pneumonia. Horace, the other brother, also died later that year. With both brothers gone, the Dodge Brothers Company was managed by their widows. The widows elevated the position of Frederick Haynes, an employee who had been with the Dodge Brothers Company for many long years, to President.

The company, however, failed to make important developments, and before long, the company lost its popularity. So, in 1925, when Dodge dropped three places to rank 5^th in the car industry, the widows of the Dodge brothers sold the company to Dillon, Read and Company (a large investment company), for $146 million. During that time, $146 million as a lot of money!

Naturally, Dillon, Read and Company introduced several changes of its own, beginning with the installation of E.G. Wilmer. Other changes came in the form of trim levels and colors, but they were very minimal. Then in 1927, the Senior six-cylinder line was launched, and while the four-cylinder line was retained, it now assumed a different name, Fast Four.

These changes still were not enough to improve Dodge’s rankings. As a matter of fact, Dodge further dropped to seventh place in 1927. Dillon, Read and Company then decided it was time for a turn-around. As luck would have it, Walter P. Chrysler, chair of the Chrysler Corporation, came into the picture. Chrysler was able to strike a deal with Dillon, Read, and Company in 1928, buying it out for about US$170 million.

Adjustments were then made in order to suit the Chrysler Corporation line-up. One evident change was the trimming down of its lines and models. From three lines and nineteen models, only two lines and thirteen models became available. Prices, too, became just a bit more expensive than the DeSoto line, but not as much as Chrysler. Further, Dodge added a new eight-cylinder line to its already existing six-cylinder line. The basic look of the Dodge line was also restyled to resemble a somewhat Wind Stream look. This significantly increased the sales of Dodge.

Then second world war came, and despite everything else, the war proved to be a blessing in disguise for Dodge. With its military-spec truck models, which were widely appreciated, Dodge was able to somehow restore its reputation.

Some years after the war, Dodge made some major changes on the style of its cars. With much help from its corporate design chief Virgil Exner, Dodge was able to come up with styles that became an instant hit in the market. Since then, Dodge continued to improve the style of its cars. At the same time, it also came up with stronger engines. Then when Chrysler finally phased out the DeSoto brand, Dodge became the sole focus in the middle of the market.

Dodge also ventured into the compact car field. In 1961, it initially came up with the Lancer sedan, a variation of the Valiant, but it did not make good in the market, however. It suffered more losses when Chrysler decided to downside the Dodge and Plymouth cars. Thankfully, this financial predicament did not last very long. In 1965, Dodge was able to replace the downsized models into mid-sized models, which earned favorable reception. It also revived the Coronet and came out with the Charger, a sporty fastback version, both of which became bestsellers in the market. After the Lancer sedan came the Dart range in 1963, and fortunately for Dodge, the Dart range was very much accepted by the public.

Encouraged by these developments, Dodge teamed up with Mitsubishi Motors and used the latter’s subcompact Colt to provide stiff competition with Ford’s Pinto and Chevrolet’s Vega.

Then came the oil crisis in 1973, affecting the whole of United States. Dodge and Chrysler were not spared. Except for the Colt and some models of the Dart line, Dodge’s automobiles gradually lost popularity. Chrysler was likewise experiencing financial difficulties during that time, so it took quite a while for Dodge to get up on its feet again and make certain remedies. One remedy Dodge employed was to use Chrysler’s Horizon from Chrysler’s European Division. This enabled Dodge’s Omni to make a considerable return to the market. Dodge also imported more models from Mitsubishi.

Despite all these, Dodge and Chrysler continued to suffer financially. In fact, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy had Chrysler’s new chairman, Lee Iacocca, not done anything about it. Iacocca requested for federal loan guarantees from the United States Congress. Fortunately, that request was granted, and Chrysler was able to get back on track, coming out with new models that became a huge success.

Some 10 years or so later, Chrysler was able to repay its loan in full and now geared up to make a loud noise in the automobile market. Leading this was Dodge’s Viper, equipped with a Lamborghini-engineered V10 engine. This eventually became known as the New Dodge.

The Dodge cars and trucks are being widely distributed by Chrysler LLC, its mother company, in at least 60 countries.

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Citroen Car Company

December 16th, 2011

The person to be credited for the creation of this French automobile manufacturer, Citroen, was Andre Citroen. Andre Citroen founded the company in 1919, after World War I. He was building weapons for France during the war, and when the war was over, he was left with only a factory without anything to produce. He thought of going into the automobile business, then, and Citroen was born.

Andre Citroen was not only the founder of Citroen. He was also the company’s PR man. Equipped with strong marketing skills, Citroen was able to use the Eiffel Tower for his advertising billboard, the largest in the world. Also as part of his marketing strategies, Citroen sponsored tours across Asia and Africa meant to convince scientists and journalists of the possibility of motor vehicles with the Kegresse track system to cross other regions.

Five years after founding the Citroen, Andre Citroen hooked with Edward G. Budd, an American engineer who developed stainless steel bodies for railroad cars. Budd also made steel bodies for some automobile companies, in particular, Dodge. Four years later, Citroen came out with the first ever automobiles with an all-steel body in Europe. These became very popular at first, but soon, its competitors began to catch up and started making new body designs to compete with Citroen’s all-steel designs. Still, Citroen was offering its cars at cheaper prices, and because of this, it was able to sell large quantities of its cars, despite the strong competition. Selling the cars at lower prices, however, became a disadvantage over time because the company eventually suffered huge losses.

Hoping to save the company, Citroen came out with the Traction Avant, a model that was entirely different from the conventional types Citroen was known for. The Traction Avant had a unitary body with no separate frame, a front wheel independent suspension, and a front wheel drive.

The Traction Avant might have been innovative, but it, perhaps, appeared too soon. The company, once again, experienced tremendous losses because of its rapid development, as well as the construction of its production facilities. In 1934, already deep in debt, Citroen had to be foreclosed, and the tire company Michelin took over its operations. Fortunately, the Traction Avant was widely accepted in the market. Unfortunately, because Citroen was undercapitalized, its vehicles were underdeveloped, and developing them would prove very costly.

Sometime during the World War II, researchers of Citroen secretly worked to develop ideas that would be later seen in the 2CV and DS models. The designs were viewed by many journalists as highly revolutionized. Still, the 2CV model was an instant hit, selling like cupcakes soon after its launch in 1948 at the Paris Salon. This model was in circulation until 1990, with very few improvements being made.

The DS model, on the other hand, was launched only in 1955. A particular feature of this car was the use of the hydropneumatic self-leveling system. It was also the first car with disc brakes. Further, the DS was power steering, and had power brakes and power suspension. The DS model had directional headlights from 1968 and onwards.

Citroen eventually became one of the originators of the aerodynamic automobile design. This design helped to reduce fuel consumption to a certain degree. At the same time, it also reduced wind resistance, thereby improving the car’s high-speed performance.

In 1965, Citroen managed Panhard, a French automobile company known for its midsize cars. Citroen had already very small cars and very big cars, and it was hoping to come out with midsize cars, as well. Three years later, Citroen bought Maserati, an Italian automobile company specializing in sports car. Soon after the grand tourer SM was launched to the public. The grand tourer SM had a Maserati engine and a steering system and was fully powered.

In the 1970s, however, Citroen encountered another financial letdown as a result of the energy crisis in 1973. Also contributing to the company’s losses were the unsuccessful Comotor rotary engine business venture and the fact that for 15 years, specifically from 1955 to 1970, Citroen did not come out with a model in the middle range of the European market. Added to its woes were expansive development costs for some of its models, such as the GS, CX, SM, Birotor, Maserati Bora, Maserati Merak, and Maserati Kahmsin.

Quite expectedly, Citroen went bankrupt. In response, the French Government arranged for the merger of Automobiles Citroen with Automobiles Peugeot. So beginning in 1974, after buying 38.2% of the shares of Citroen, Peugeot managed the operations of Citroen, specifically when it came to research, purchasing and investment. In 1976, Peugeot SA bought 90% of Citroen SA, and the two companies eventually became the PSA Peugeot Citroen.

For three years following the merger, the PSA Peugeot Citroen was a success. In fact, it was able to come out with two new designs, the Citroen 2CV and the Citroen Dyane. Further, it launched Citroen Visa and Citroen LNA, and bought Chrysler Europe, rebranding it as Talbot. PSA also revolutionized Citroen to make its cars cheaper so it could cater to the middle-class as well. Many of the car models of Citroen became largely Peugeot-based. The BX, for instance, while using the hydropneumatic suspension system and taking the form of Citroen, was powered by engines derived from Peugeot.

At the close of the 1970s, Citroen invaded other markets. It developed a small car, known as the Oltcit, which would be produced in Romania and sold in Western Europe as Citroen Axel. The presence of the company is also evident in the Check Republic, China, and almost anywhere else, with the exception of North America.

The 2CV model died out eventually in 1990 after Chrysler, Toyota and Honda learned the concept and improved it to their advantage. Instead, Citroen offered the C3 Pluriel, a convertible that strongly resembled the 2CV. The emergence of the Pluriel in the market marked the comeback of Citroen to modernization.

Citroen now has its main office in Fructido, Paris, and it has been part of the PSA Peugeot Citroen since 1976.

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Chrysler and It’s History

December 16th, 2011

Maxwell-Chalmers was an automobile company that had been experiencing a series of troubles. In an effort to save it, a gentleman in the person of Walter P. Chrysler, was called to intervene. Walter Chrysler, who also did a rescue job at Willy’s Car Company, reorganized Maxwell, thus the Chrysler Company was born. Chrysler assumed a logo designed as a round medallion with a ribbon on which is inscribed the name Chrysler in capital letters. Chrysler has been a household name for many decades now, and many thanks to a Walter P. Chrysler, the company has been producing American automobiles since 1925.

For roughly 10 years, beginning in 1998, to be exact, Chrysler and its subsidiaries became part of the DaimlerChrysler AG (formerly known as DaimlerChrysler), a German-based company. Then, sometime in August 2007, Chrysler assumed a new name, Chrysler LLC, after an American private equity firm, Cerberus.

Capital Management, L.P., bought at least 80% of the DaimlerChrysler AG. This led to the unveiling of a new company logo, as well as a new website.

The first Chrysler automobile was launched to the public in 1924. This first model had 6 cylinders and was a major improvement of the other cars during that time. It had a carburetor air filter, a high compression engine, an oil filter, and a pressure lubrication, which were not at all present in the other cars. Despite the seemingly advanced features, Chrysler was not an expensive car. In 1926, Chrysler came up with 4-cylinder cars, which were no less than improved versions of the Maxwell cars. In fact, those familiar with Maxwell cars would easily recognize the similarities between them.

Chrysler Corporation became very popular around this time. Sales of Chrysler cars ballooned considerably, and this was largely because of engineering advancements, such as the four-wheel hydraulic brakes and the rubber engine mounts which ultimately stopped vibration. Because of advancements like this, Chrysler placed second in US car sales for a period of thirteen years, that’s from 1936 to 1949!

In 1928, Chrysler began classifying their automobiles according to price and function. The cheapest was the Plymouth brand, while cars carrying the DeSoto brand were medium-priced. After Chrysler bought Dodge Brothers Automobile and Truck Company, other brands came to existence. One of these was the Fargo brand of trucks. Much later on, other brands came along, such as the Valiant. Initially, Valiant was offered as a separate brand. A particular feature of the Valiant was the presence of an alternator instead of an electrical generator.

Beginning in 1960, Chrysler used Unibody construction for all its passenger cars, except the Imperials. By doing so, squeak and rattle development were greatly reduced. Chrysler was the only major automobile maker to have done this.

After a considerable time, Chrysler invaded Europe, attracting the likes of the British Rootes Group, composed of Simca of France and Barreiros of Spain, eventually forming Chrysler Europe. This resulted to the unveiling of the Hillman Avenger in 1970. The Rootes Group, however, soon underwent financial problems that Chrysler had to sell its assets to PSA Peugeot Citroen in 1978. The PSA Peugeot Citroen sold British and Spanish truck lines to France’s Renault. It was, perhaps, a difficult decision for Chrysler, considering that it had just designed the new Plymouth Horizon and the Dodge Omni in the hope of a financial turn-around. In addition to Chrysler’s financial woes, Chrysler Australia, too, had to be sold to Mitsubishi Motors.

At about this time, too, Chrysler went into production of the street version of its Hemi racing engine. The Company also introduced vehicles, like the Plymouth GTX, Plymouth Road Runner, and Dodge Charger. These vehicles were all high-performance vehicles, but surprisingly, they were affordable. These measures led to the creation of the muscle car market in theUnited States, and markedly improved the reputation of the company in the field of engineering.

From these developments, it could be said that the 1970s was a period of trials and success for the Company. Moreover, the demand was huge for smaller cars, as a result of the gasoline crisis. The Company suffered severe losses with the collapse of the sales of large cars. Moreover, the Company saw the end of its Barracuda in 1974 after being in the market for a few years. Fortunately, 1976 proved to be a better year for the company. The Chrysler Cordoba, a personal luxury car, and the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare twins were a success. Still, they were not enough to lift the Chrysler Corporation from eventual financial meltdown. So, on September 7, 1979, the Corporation asked for a US$1.5 billion loan from the United Statesgovernment. Reluctantly, the United States Congress passed the Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act of 1979 some three months later. This, and with much help from the military who bought thousands of Dodge pickup trucks, saved Chrysler from going bankrupt. Not only that, Chrysler, in fact, gradually recovered. It was able to repay its loans and it was also able to come out with new models based on the K-car platform which were making good in the market. Further, it joined forces with Mitsubishi’s Diamond Star Motors, and this significantly bolstered its position in the small car market.

During that time, too, Lee Iacoccca, the former executive of Ford, took over as Chief Executive Officer. Iacocca did wonders for the Corporation. Gifted with public speaking skills, he was very convincing in his marketing and advertisements of the company’s products. Often, he would advise potential customers, “If you find a better car, buy it.”

Eventually, Chrysler found its way again in Europe, producing cars in Austria and Jeep models in the United Kingdom. The Jeep became very popular, strongly reestablishing Chrysler’s position in the market.

At present, the Chrysler Company has three brands of automobiles to its name, and these are the Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler. Chrysler LLC, also referred to as the New Chrysler, is headed by Robert Nardelli, and is now known as the largest private automobile maker in North America.

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About Chevrolet Company

December 16th, 2011

Two persons were said to have played a significant role in the birth of Chevrolet. The first was a race car driver in the person of Louis Chevrolet, and the other was William C. Durant, head of Buick Motor Company and founder of General Motors. For some reason or other, Durant was dismissed by General Motors in 1910. In an effort to reestablish his name in the automobile industry, he co-founded Chevrolet. Durant was also said to be instrumental in coming up with a unique design for Chevrolet’s logo. The logo, which became public in 1913, was viewed by others as a bowtie; some claimed that it somehow resembled the map of Switzerland, which incidentally was the birthplace of Louis Chevrolet. Still there were others who thought it looked like a Swiss cross, although this claim was debunked because the shape on the Swiss flag is actually a Greek cross.

Two years later, in 1915, Durant went to Canada, specifically in Toronto and Ontario, to find out any possibility of putting up production facilities there. He met a certain Colonel Sam McLaughlin there who happened to own the McLaughlin Motor Car Company that manufactured the McLaughlin-Buick line. Soon after, with McLaughlin operating, the Chevrolet Motor Car Company of Canada was born.

A year after this, in 1916, specifically, Chevrolet was already making considerable profit that it could now be able to buy a greater part of the shares of General Motors. Authority was then given to Durant to transact the deal. Finally, in 1917, Chevrolet merged with General Motors, with Durant assuming the position of President.

Chevrolet became so popular in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, for every ten cars sold in 1963, at least one was a Chevy. Chevrolet eventually came out with car models that were a hit. Most notable were the 1958 Impala and the Corvair. The Impala was big and roomy, while the Corvair had an air-cool rear engine. Chevrolet continued to mass produce its basic small-block V-8 design although it had undergone a series of changes and improvements over time. Among the significant developments were the use of aluminum block and heads, electronic engine management, and sequential port fuel injection.

Chevrolet is known for its cars and trucks line, but it also offers SUVs and vans. Various Chevy models are seen in the United States and Canada . The Chevy cars line include the Aveo, Cobalt, Malibu, Impala and Corvette, while its truck line is composed of Colorado, Silverado, and Avalanche. Among the SUV models are the HHR, Equinox, Trailblazer, Tahoe, Suburban, and Traverse, while its vans line carry the models Uplander and Express. In Europe, the car models available are the Matiz/Spark, Kalos/Aveo, Lacetti, Nubira/Lacetti, Aveo, Epica and Lanos.

Chevrolet car factories also existed outside the United States and Canada. In particular, Chevrolet cars are being produced in Latin America, specifically in Argentina, Brazil, Chile,Ecuador, and Venezuela. Mexico, North America, Asia, and South Africa. The Middle East, too, have factories also producing Chevrolet cars. India and Pakistan have also recently began producing Chevrolet cars. Chevrolet is, in fact, one of the newest brands in India, selling the following models: Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Tavera, Chevrolet Optra,Chevrolet SRV , and Chevrolet Aveo U-VA. In Pakistan, Chevrolet cars come in two models: the Chevrolet Optra and the Chevrolet Joy. These are being introduced in cooperation with Nexus Automotive, a local car manufacturer.

Chevrolet also operates in Thailand. In fact, the Chevrolet Colorado pickup is being manufactured in Rayong, Thailand. General Motors is planning to expand the Rayong factory to accommodate more Colorado’s for export to the United States. However, doing so would mean the closure of another Colorado-producing plant, the Shreveport in Louisiana, and this could be made possible only with the free trade agreement between the United States and Thailand.

In Japan, General Motors Asia Pacific is offering for sale the Chevrolet TrailBlazer. It also imports Corvette and markets it under its own brand. Another partner of General Motors, Suzuki, is marketing the Chevrolet Cruze subcompact and the Chevrolet MW kei car, formerly a rebadged Suzuki Wagon R. but now, a rebadged Suzuki Solio. Another company, Mitsui distributes Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Express, and the Chevrolet HHR, among others.

Chevrolet Europe sold models such as the Chevrolet Alero, the Chevrolet Trans Sport, Camaro, Corvette, Blazer, and the Trailblazer. Beginning in 2005, these models from GM Daewoo were rebranded as Chevrolet Europe. Some countries, like South Korea and Vietnam, still used Daewoo’s name, but in other parts of the world, many models of Daewoo have already started using the Chevrolet badge.

Chevrolet is currently working for changes and/or improvements of its products; this, in the hope of restoring the reputation of General Motors. One apparent development is that it stopped its production of Monte Carlo, a luxury car, in 2007. Another development is the introduction of brand new versions of the Malibu sedan, which are believed to attract buyers from all over because of their designs and great features. Pretty soon, the Camaro muscle car will be out in the market again. Chevrolet will also reintroduce its Camaro muscle car on its new Zeta platform designed in coordination with General Motors Holden Australia.

Chevrolet may have become famous because of its cars, but it has another product to boast of: its watch collection. Launched in 2007, the exciting Chevrolet watch collection may also become pretty popular in the years to come. Perhaps, you may find it rather intriguing that Chevrolet has ventured into watch production. Incidentally, the father of Louis Chevrolet, founder of Chevrolet, was a watchmaker. Chevrolet himself helped his father a lot during that time. This Chevrolet watch collection was also called Frontenac, and they are being produced in the Swiss Jura region, Courgenay. This extensive watch collection was so developed using the same materials as those in the car industry. The watches also come in several forms: automatic, manually-wound, and quarts, all of which are equipped with ETA and Ronda movements.

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BMW M1 Homage

December 16th, 2011

BMW M1 Homage

BMW took the jacket of his latest concept car at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este this past weekend. Nicknamed the M1 Tribute, the concept is exactly what it says on the tin: a tribute to the iconic M1 designed by Giorgio Giugiaro, which celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year.

The design of the M1 Tribute concept is a modern interpretation of the original – in competition with a louvered rear window – but it has grown in size over its thirty years ancestor. Although a low-slung coupe aggressive proportions, the overall design appears as a caricature of lithe its name and its wide and low position is almost cartoon-like.

BMW double kidney grille dominates the front, while the pop-up headlamps were buried in favour of more traditional embedded in the first cutline. Like the original, the hood louvers remain as air ball in front of the B pillar to cool mid-mounted engine. True to form language BMW however, the surface of the bodyside is wonderfully detailed, with flowing lines accentuate the dynamic character of the hip back.