When in 1937 the company known as "Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH" was founded, no one could have guessed that it would one day be Europe's largest carmaker. The history of the company - with all its trials and tribulations - is first and foremost a story of impressive success.
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Monday,Oct25,
Wednesday,Oct20,
Dodge Journey (2011) Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdIr8C37UtQendofvid
[starttext]
Auto Zone Video - In addition, at 283 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, the Dodge Journey (2011) equipped with the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivers a 20 percent boost in power compared with the V-6 engine it replaces. It's mated to the smooth-shifting six-speed transmission. Drivers also will be treated to a smooth, quiet ride. Engineers reduced noise, vibration and harshness by installing new, premium sound-deadening treatments and insulation throughout the vehicle. But perhaps the most rewarding surprise is Dodge Journey's new interior. Customers will step into world-class levels of craftsmanship and comfort. A beautifully crafted one-piece instrument panel sets the tone. A new, larger cluster with standard electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) is positioned in the center of the new gauges. It's a full-color display backlit in Dodge red lights, giving it a soft glow unlike any in the segment. New, integrated center stack bezels are less angular and more sculpted, and designers softened the radius to make more room for the driver's knees. The heating and cooling outlets are also redesigned to make them better looking and better functioning. The center console gets a lot of extra cushion on the tilt-and-slide armrest. Lift the lid, and there's a larger center storage bin with a 12-volt outlet and USB port where owners can hook up their MP3/iPod charging connections and hide them away. The design team also worked to make the Dodge Journey's interior more comfortable. They moved the shifter and cupholders, making it easier for drivers and passengers to get their coffee and soda without having to lean over and under the dash. There's also a larger front storage bin with side nets. The new multi-functioning three-spoke Dodge brand steering wheel with integrated controls and a wider, longer, soft-touch armrest transform the driver's seat into a cockpit-like experience. Comfortable new seats might just make drivers want to take the long way home to get a little extra seat time. The Dodge Journey offers six new interior color and trims to complete the makeover.
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Lamborghini Miura
Lamborghini Miura
In 1964 the Lamborghini Miura project began.Lamborghini wanted a car with central engine, two-seat, lightweight, low and attractive style. The experienced development team was formed by New Zealander mechanic Bob Wallace and the Italians designers, Bizzarini Giotto, Paolo Stanzani and Gianpaolo Dallara.
The car, named in honor of Don Eduardo Miura, creator of bulls as Ferruccio Lamborghini, appeared at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966.
Marcello Gandini, a young designer at Bertone, agreed to do and drew one of the most beautiful cars in history, despite the strong inspiration from the Ford GT40, De Tomaso Vallelunga and Ferrari 250LM.
The Lamborghini Miura was 4.37 m long and only 1.05 m tall. He had a long and wavy hood, with retractable oval headlights. The interior was all covered with leather and many instruments in the center console. The space, even for just two passengers, was reduced. Therefore, some buttons like the trigger of the headlights and windshield cleaner were installed in the ceiling. Another problem of the Miura was the overheating of the engine behind the seats. The V12 engine was 3,929 cc, four triple-body carburetors and 350 horsepower. Five-speed manual gearbox.
The Lamborghini Miura accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.7 seconds and reach 280 km / h.
Because of defects in comfort and durability, Lamborghini promoted in 1969, improvements in Lamborghini Miura, who won air conditioning, power windows, radio, glove box on the dashboard and seat belts for three points. The engine has a new compression ratio. The power increased to 370 horsepower and top speed rose to 285 km / h. The name was changed to S Miura
New changes came in 1971 with the Lamborghini Miura SV (Spinto Veloce). The power increased to 385 horsepower and the car reached 300 km / h.
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1966 Lamborghini Miura |
The car, named in honor of Don Eduardo Miura, creator of bulls as Ferruccio Lamborghini, appeared at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966.
Marcello Gandini, a young designer at Bertone, agreed to do and drew one of the most beautiful cars in history, despite the strong inspiration from the Ford GT40, De Tomaso Vallelunga and Ferrari 250LM.
![]() |
1971 Lamborghini Miura |
The Lamborghini Miura accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.7 seconds and reach 280 km / h.
Because of defects in comfort and durability, Lamborghini promoted in 1969, improvements in Lamborghini Miura, who won air conditioning, power windows, radio, glove box on the dashboard and seat belts for three points. The engine has a new compression ratio. The power increased to 370 horsepower and top speed rose to 285 km / h. The name was changed to S Miura
New changes came in 1971 with the Lamborghini Miura SV (Spinto Veloce). The power increased to 385 horsepower and the car reached 300 km / h.
Tuesday,Oct19,
Nissan GT-R (2011) Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT6Jlq6mvXIendofvid
[starttext]
Auto Zone Video - Nissan GT-R (2011) Engine output is significantly improved to 530PS (390KW)/6,400rpm, with the maximum torque of 612Nm from 3,200 to 6,000rpm. The engine cover is, enigmatically, painted red to illustrate its enhanced performance. By adopting an ultra-low precious metal catalyst and an engine control module fitted with high-capacity microprocessors, cleaner emissions have been achieved. Fuel economy has also been improved by modifying the boost pressure of the turbocharger, valve timing and air mixture ratio along with larger diameter inlet pipes and a modified exhaust system. SAVE mode is a newly-adopted system, replacing 'snow Mode', which optimises driving torque and modifies the gearshift schedule to improve fuel economy when driving on motorways or open roads. The features of Snow Mode are also retained. Standing start performance can now be maximised through the use of R mode. To activate, the driver must select R mode, depress the brake whilst in gear, apply full throttle and release the brake as soon as possible. The system will monitor oil temperatures to ensure reliability is maintained and prevent further use if the temperatures rise above the maximum allowance.[endtext]
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Monday,Oct18,
BMW X3 xDrive35i (2011) Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuXeKMcfN-Aendofvid
[starttext]
Auto Zone Video - The new BMW X3 xDrive35i (2011) now offers better performance and higher efficiency than any of its comparable rivals. It is powered by a 2-litre, fourcylinder turbocharged diesel engine with aluminium crankcase and Common Rail direct injection. It mobilises a maximum output of 135 kW/184 bhp at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 380 Nm between 1,750 and 2,750 rpm. The generated pulling power permits acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 210 km/h. The BMW X3 xDrive20d sets a new benchmark in efficiency in its vehicle segment with an average fuel consumption of 5.6 litres/100 km in the EU test cycle, resulting in a range of more than 1,000 kilometres and a CO2 emission level of 149 grams per kilometre. The BMW X3 xDrive20d with automatic transmission achieves identical acceleration, top speed and fuel consumption levels. CO2 emission level is 147 grams per kilometre, making it the best in the segment. The efficiency characteristics of the four-cylinder diesel engine are optimised through innovative vibration damping technology. By means of the so-called centrifugal-force pendulum, predominantly within the lower engine speed range, damping capacity of the two-mass flywheel is noticeably increased. This unique technology enables the driver to change to the next highest gear significantly earlier. Comfortable motoring at low engine speeds lowers fuel consumption, whilst mechanical strain on the powertrain is reduced along with vibration.[endtext]
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Friday,Oct15,
History of Lamborghini
Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in Italy in 1916. He was fascinated with engines from an early age. During World War II he joined the army and was stationed on the island of Rhodes. Fortunately there was little going on there during the war. The island was essentially isolated from the rest of the world. Any cars, trucks or motorcycles that broke down had to be repaired on the spot with reused parts. Lamborghini became known as a wizard at mechanical improvisation and became very much in demand at fixing engines.
Read more »
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Thursday,Oct14,
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR (2011) Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj4cTVr_1bIendofvid
[starttext]
Auto Zone Video - The well-engineered 4B11 T/C Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR (2011) engine is at the heart of every Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution's fast-paced athleticism - it can get the pulse racing of even the most jaded automotive enthusiast with its ultra-quick acceleration and loads of instantaneous power on tap at seemingly any point of the tachometer's rev range. Though only 2.0-liters (1,997 cc) in displacement, this hearty DOHC 16-valve inline-4 powerplant consists of an all-aluminum engine block and cylinder head (for high-strength and light weight) and a bore and stroke that both measure exactly 86.0 mm (3.4 in.), making it a "square" design as its bore-stroke ratio is 1.0. Power ratings for this engine are 291 horsepower at 6,500 rpm with a full 300 lb.-ft. of torque produced at a much lower 4,000 rpm. Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system (MIVEC) works on both the intake and exhaust camshafts for optimized power production and cleaner exhaust emissions. This turbocharged/intercooled engine's compression ratio is 9.0:1.[endtext]
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Wednesday,Oct13,
Ferrari 458 Italia (2011) Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vigf75cFhnwendofvid
[starttext]
Auto Zone Video - Ferrari 458 Italia (2011) is a completely new car from every point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics, just to name a few. A two-seater berlinetta, the Ferrari 458 Italia, as is now traditional for all Ferrari's road-going cars, benefits hugely from the company's Formula 1 experience. This is particularly evident in the speed and precision with which the car responds to driver inputs and in the attention focused on reducing internal friction in the engine for lower fuel consumption than the Ferrari F430, despite the fact that both overall displacement and power have increased. However, Ferrari's track experience makes its presence felt in the Ferrari 458 Italia not only in terms of pure technological transfer but also on a more emotional level, because of the strong emphasis on creating an almost symbiotic relationship between driver and car. The Ferrari 458 Italia features an innovative driving environment with a new kind of steering wheel and dashboard that is the direct result of racing practice. Once again input from Michael Schumacher - who was involved from the very start of the Ferrari 458 Italia project - played an invaluable part.
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Tuesday,Oct12,
Chrysler 200 (2011) Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSLPYgSyx1sendofvid
[starttext]
Auto Zone Video - The Chrysler 200 (2011) gets a new powertrain lineup featuring the 2.4-liter I-4 World Gas Engine mated to either a four-speed or six-speed automatic transaxle, or the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transaxle; improved ride and handling tuning which includes stiffened body mounts and softer ride rate, improved suspension geometry with a raised roll center, a new rear sway bar, and new tires and an extensively upgraded treatment for the reduction of noise, vibration and harshness including acoustic laminated glass for the windshield and front door windows. Quality materials abound in the beautifully updated new interior for 2011. Updates include a new instrument panel, bezels and gauge face, upgraded seats with a new design that incorporates more cushion material and revised spring geometry as well as new leather and cloth seating materials, new "soft touch" armrests and dash, and new heating and cooling outlets in the instrument panel with improved design and functionality. The new 2011 Chrysler 200 provides drivers a beautifully inspired sedan that doesn't compromise safety or practicality and offers the best value in its class. The Chrysler 200 will be built at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. and will arrive in dealerships in the fourth quarter 2010.
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Monday,Oct11,
Lotus Elise Concept (2010) Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW1T3oJxEkoendofvid
[starttext]
Auto Zone Video - "The Lotus Elise Concept (2010) you can buy now is still a fantastic car, make no mistake, Lotus remain very proud of it, but this is a natural progression for us moving forward. The Elise 2015 will also be class-leading in terms of performance and efficiency but it will do more than that it will take the Lotus Elise model to the forefront of its class across the board." "The design of the Lotus Elise 2015 is perfect for the target market, it's young, strong, confident, verging on ruthless, it mirrors the engineering and technology. It's the next generation Elise for a new generation of Lotus drivers."Fear not though, despite the dramatic upgrades the Lotus Elise 2015 has lost none of the cheeky charm that made the two-seater sports car famous, it still retains performance through lightweight and handles like a dream - albeit a quite aggressive and tension filled dream. With a 2.0 litre inline 4 pressure charged engine delivering up to 320 PS, the Lotus Elise 2015 should reach 0-100kph in under 4.5 seconds.[endtext]
[starttext]

Sunday,Oct10,
History of Porsche
1875:
On September 3, Ferdinand Porsche is born in the Bohemian town of Maffersdorf. In 1889, after attending grammar school there and the Staatsgewerbeschule (State Vocational School) in Reichenberg, he enters his father’s business as an apprentice plumber.
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On September 3, Ferdinand Porsche is born in the Bohemian town of Maffersdorf. In 1889, after attending grammar school there and the Staatsgewerbeschule (State Vocational School) in Reichenberg, he enters his father’s business as an apprentice plumber.
Read more »
Thursday,Oct7,
History of Audi
The Audi history begins with a man called August Horch, who founded the Company HORCH & CO in 1899.He invented his first car 1901 with the help of 15 fellow workers. The car had a max. speed of 32 km/h. In 1909 Mr. Horch had to leave his company due to major problems with the commercial management and founded another company called Audi. " Audi" is the Latin translation for "Horch" and he took that name because he wanted to build cars under his own name. So the brand "AUDI Automobilwerke GmbH" was registraded in 1910.
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Tuesday,Oct5,
History of Aston Martin
Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The two had joined forces as Bamford & Martin the previous year to sell cars made by Singer from premises in Callow Street, London where they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton, and the pair decided to make their own vehicles. The first car to be named Aston Martin was created by Martin by fitting a four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine to the chassis of a 1908 Isotta-Fraschini.
They acquired premises at Henniker Place in Kensington and produced their first car in March 1915. Production could not start because of the outbreak of World War I, and Martin joined the Admiralty and Bamford the Royal Army Service Corps. All machinery was sold to the Sopwith Aviation Company.
Inter War Years
After the war the company was refounded at Abingdon Road, Kensington and a new car designed to carry the Aston-Martin name. Bamford left in 1920 and the company was revitalised with funding from Count Louis Zborowski. In 1922, Bamford & Martin produced cars to compete in the French Grand Prix, and the cars set world speed and endurance records at Brooklands. Three works Team Cars with 16 valve twin cam engines were built for racing and record breaking: chassis number 1914, later developed as the Green Pea; chassis number 1915, the Razor Blade record car; and chassis number 1916, later developed as the Halford Special. Approximately 55 cars were built for sale in two configurations, long chassis and short chassis. The company went bankrupt in 1924 and was bought by Lady Charnwood, who put her son John Benson on the board. The company failed again in 1925 and the factory closed in 1926, with Lionel Martin leaving.
Later that year, Bill Renwick, Augustus (Bert) Bertelli and a number of rich investors, including Lady Charnwood, took control of the company and renamed it Aston Martin Motors, and moved it to the former Whitehead Aircraft Limited works in Feltham. Renwick and Bertelli had been in partnership some years and had developed an overhead cam 4 cylinder engine, using Renwick's patented combustion chamber design, and had tested it in an Enfield Allday chassis. It was the only 'Renwick and Bertelli' motor car made. It was known as 'Buzzbox' and survives to this day.
They had planned to sell this engine to motor manufacturers, but having heard that the Aston Martin car was no longer in production they realised that they could capitalise on the reputation of the Aston Martin name (what we would now call the brand) to give themselves a head start in the production of a completely new car.
Between the years 1926 and 1937 Bertelli was the technical director of Aston Martin, and the designer of all subsequent Aston Martin cars during this period, these being known as the 'Bertelli cars'. They included the 1½ litre 'T-type', the 'International, the 'Le Mans, the 'MKII' its racing derivative the 'Ulster, and the 2 litre 15/98 and its racing derivative the 'Speed Model'.
Mostly open two seater sports cars and mostly bodied by Bert Bertelli's brother Enrico (Harry)a small number of long chassis four seater tourers, dropheads and saloons were also produced.
Bertelli was very keen to race his cars and he was a very competent driver. One of the very few motor manufacturers to actually sit in and race the cars he designed and built, the competition no doubt 'improved the breed' and the 'LM' team cars were very successful in national and international motor racing including at Le Mans and the Mille Miglia.
Financial problems reappeared in 1932 and the company was rescued by L. Prideaux Brune who funded the company for the following year before passing the company on to Sir Arthur Sutherland. In 1936, the company decided to concentrate on road cars. Car production had always been on a small scale and until the advent of World War II halted work only about 700 had been made. During the war years aircraft components were produced.
The David Brown Era
In 1947, David Brown Limited bought the company under the leadership of managing director Sir David Brown—its "post-war saviour". David Brown also acquired Lagonda that year, and both companies shared resources and workshops. In 1955, David Brown bought the Tickford coachbuilding company and its site at Tickford Street in Newport Pagnell, and that was the beginning of the classic series of cars bearing the initials "DB". In 1950, the company announced the DB2, followed by the DB2/4 in 1953, the DB2/4 MkII in 1955, the DB Mark III in 1957 and the Italian-styled 3.7 L DB4 in 1958. All the cars established a good racing pedigree for the firm, but the DB4 was the key to establishing the company's reputation, which was cemented by the famous DB5 in 1963. The company continued developing the "grand touring" style with the DB6 (1965–70), and the DBS (1967–1972).
1970s—Changing Ownership
Despite the cars' appreciation in value, the company was often financially troubled. In 1972, the company was sold to another company called Company Developments Ltd., backed by a Birmingham-based consortium, and chaired by chartered accountant and company director William Willson, MBE. The company was resold, following a further bankruptcy event, by the Receiver in 1975 to North American businessmen Peter Sprague and George Minden for £1.05 million.[11] A successful turn-around strategy led to the recruitment of 360 new employees and, by 1977, a trading profit of £750,000. The new owners pushed the company into modernising its line, producing the V8 Vantage in 1977, the convertible Volante in 1978, and the one-off William Towns-styled Bulldog in 1980. Towns also styled the futuristic new Lagonda saloon, based on the V8 model.
In 1980 Aston-Martin had plans, which did not materialise, to buy MG, which they would have utilised as a sister marque, probably building smaller sports cars. Ideas were plotted to design a new model and they revealed to the press their approach to an "updated" "1981" model MGB.
The company was badly hit by the economic contraction of the early 1980s as worldwide sales of Aston Martin shrank to three per week and chairman Alan Curtis together with fellow shareholders American Peter Sprague and Canadian George Minden came close to shutting down the production side of the business, to concentrate on service and restoration. At this point Curtis attended the 1980 Pace sponsored Stirling Moss benefit day at Brands Hatch, and met fellow Farnham resident Victor Gauntlett.
1980s—Victor Gauntlett
Gauntlett bought a 12.5% stake in Aston Martin for £500,000 via Pace Petroleum in 1980, with Tim Hearley of CH Industrials taking a similar share. Pace and CHI took over as joint 50/50 owners at the beginning of 1981, with Gauntlett as executive chairman. Gauntlett also led the sales team, and after some development and a lot of publicity when it became the world’s fastest 4-seater production car, was able to sell with success the Aston Martin Lagonda into Persian Gulf states, particularly Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.
Understanding that it would take some time to develop new Aston Martin products, they created an engineering service subsidiary Tickford to develop automotive products for other companies. Products included a Tickford Austin Metro, a Tickford Ford Capri and even Tickford train interiors, particularly on the Jaguar XJS. Pace continued sponsoring racing events, and now sponsored all Aston Martin Owners Club events, taking a Tickford engined Nimrod Group C car owned by AMOC President Viscount Downe, which came third in the Manufacturers Championship in both 1982 and 1983. It also finished seventh in the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans race. However, sales of production cars were now at an all time low of 30 cars produced in 1982.
As trading became tighter in the petroleum market, and Aston Martin was requiring more time and money, Gauntlett agreed to sell Hays/Pace to the Kuwait Investment Office in September 1983. As Aston Martin required greater investment, he also agreed to sell his share holding to American importer and Greek shipping tycoon Peter Livanos, who invested via his joint venture company with Nick and John Papanicalou, ALL Inc. Gauntlett remained chairman of the AML company 55% owned by ALL, with Tickford a 50/50 venture between ALL and CHI. The uneasy relationship was ended when ALL exercised options to buy a larger share in AML; CHI's residual shares were exchanged for CHI's complete ownership of Tickford, which retained development of existing Aston Martin projects. In 1984, Titan the main shipping company of the Papanicolaou’s was in trouble, so Livanos's father George bought out the Papanicolaou's shares in ALL, while Gauntlett again became a shareholder with a 25% holding in AML. The deal valued Aston Martin/AML at £2 million, the year it built its 10,000th car.
Although as a result Aston Martin had to make 60 members of the workforce redundant, Gauntlett bought a stake in Italian styling house Zagato, and resurrected its collaboration with Aston Martin. David Martin gained part ownership in 1997.
In 1986, Gauntlett negotiated the return of fictional British secret agent James Bond to Aston Martin. Cubby Broccoli had chosen to recast the character using actor Timothy Dalton, in an attempt to re-root the Bond-brand back to a more Sean Connery-like feel. Gauntlett supplied his personal pre-production Vantage for use in the filming of The Living Daylights, and sold a Volante to Broccoli for use at his home in America. Gauntlett turned down the role of a KGB colonel in the film, however: "I would have loved to have done it but really could not afford the time."
Although the company was doing well, Gauntlett knew it needed extra funds to survive in the long term. In May 1987, Gauntlett and Prince Michael of Kent were staying at the home of Contessa Maggi, the wife of the founder of the original Mille Miglia, while watching the revival event. Another house guest was Walter Hayes, vice-President of Ford of Europe. Despite problems over the previous acquisition of AC Cars, Hayes saw the potential of the brand and the discussion resulted in Ford taking a share holding in September 1987. In 1988, having produced some 5,000 cars in 20 years, a revived economy and successful sales of limited edition Vantage, and 52 Volante Zagato coupes at £86,000 each; the company finally retired the ancient V8 and introduced the Virage range—the first new Aston launched in 20 years.
Although Gauntlett was contractually to stay as chairman for two years, his racing interests took Aston back into sports car racing in 1989 with limited European success. However, with engine rule changes for the 1990 season and the launch of the new Aston Martin Volante model, Ford provided the limited supply of Cosworth engines to the Jaguar cars racing team. As the "small Aston" DB7 would require a large engineering input, Ford agreed to take full control of Aston Martin, and Gauntlett handed over the company chairmanship to Hayes in 1991. In 1992, the Vantage version was announced, and the following year the company renewed the DB range by announcing the DB7.
The Ford Era
Ford placed Aston in the Premier Automotive Group, substantially invested in new manufacturing and quickly ramped up production. In 1994, Ford opened a new factory at Banbury Road in Bloxham. In 1995, the company produced a record 700 vehicles. Until the Ford era cars had been produced by hand coachbuilding craft methods, such as the English wheel. In 1998 the 2,000th DB7 was built, and in 2002 the 6,000th, exceeding production of all previous DB models. The DB7 range was boosted by the addition of V12 Vantage models in 1999, and in 2001 the company introduced the V12-engined Aston Martin Vanquish.
At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in 2003, Aston Martin introduced the AMV8 Vantage concept car. Expected to have few changes before its introduction in 2005, the Vantage brought back the classic V8 engine to allow the company to compete in a larger market. 2003 also saw the opening of the Gaydon factory, the first purpose-built factory in Aston Martin's history. Also introduced in 2003 was the DB9 coupé, which replaced the ten-year-old DB7. A convertible version of the DB9, the DB9 Volante, was introduced at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show.
In October 2004, the company set up the dedicated 12,500 square metres (135,000 sq ft) AMEP engine production plant within the Ford Germany Niehl, Cologne plant. With capacity to produce up to 5000 engines a year by 100 especially trained personnel, like traditional Aston Martin engine production from Newport Pagnell, assembly of each unit is entrusted to a single technician from a pool of 30, with V8 and V12 variants assembled in under 20 hours. By bringing engine production back to within the company, the promise was that Aston Martin would be able to produce small runs of higher performance variants engines.[16] This expanded engine capacity allowed in 2006, the V8 Vantage sports car to enter production at the Gaydon factory, joining the DB9 and DB9 Volante.
In December 2003 Aston Martin announced it would return to motor racing in 2005. A new division was created, called Aston Martin Racing, which became responsible, together with Prodrive, for the design, development, and management of the DBR9 program. The DBR9 competes in the GT class in sports car races, including the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2010 Outsourced Rapide Production to Austria
The first four-door Aston Martin Rapide sports cars rolled out of the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria. The contract manufacturer provides dedicated facilities to ensure compliance with the exacting standards of Aston Martin and other marques, including Mercedes-Benz Ulrich Bez has publicly speculated about outsourcing all of Aston Martin’s operations with the exception of marketing.
[sourche: wikipedia]
They acquired premises at Henniker Place in Kensington and produced their first car in March 1915. Production could not start because of the outbreak of World War I, and Martin joined the Admiralty and Bamford the Royal Army Service Corps. All machinery was sold to the Sopwith Aviation Company.
Inter War Years
After the war the company was refounded at Abingdon Road, Kensington and a new car designed to carry the Aston-Martin name. Bamford left in 1920 and the company was revitalised with funding from Count Louis Zborowski. In 1922, Bamford & Martin produced cars to compete in the French Grand Prix, and the cars set world speed and endurance records at Brooklands. Three works Team Cars with 16 valve twin cam engines were built for racing and record breaking: chassis number 1914, later developed as the Green Pea; chassis number 1915, the Razor Blade record car; and chassis number 1916, later developed as the Halford Special. Approximately 55 cars were built for sale in two configurations, long chassis and short chassis. The company went bankrupt in 1924 and was bought by Lady Charnwood, who put her son John Benson on the board. The company failed again in 1925 and the factory closed in 1926, with Lionel Martin leaving.
![]() |
Lionel Martin |
![]() |
Robert Bamford |
Later that year, Bill Renwick, Augustus (Bert) Bertelli and a number of rich investors, including Lady Charnwood, took control of the company and renamed it Aston Martin Motors, and moved it to the former Whitehead Aircraft Limited works in Feltham. Renwick and Bertelli had been in partnership some years and had developed an overhead cam 4 cylinder engine, using Renwick's patented combustion chamber design, and had tested it in an Enfield Allday chassis. It was the only 'Renwick and Bertelli' motor car made. It was known as 'Buzzbox' and survives to this day.
They had planned to sell this engine to motor manufacturers, but having heard that the Aston Martin car was no longer in production they realised that they could capitalise on the reputation of the Aston Martin name (what we would now call the brand) to give themselves a head start in the production of a completely new car.
Between the years 1926 and 1937 Bertelli was the technical director of Aston Martin, and the designer of all subsequent Aston Martin cars during this period, these being known as the 'Bertelli cars'. They included the 1½ litre 'T-type', the 'International, the 'Le Mans, the 'MKII' its racing derivative the 'Ulster, and the 2 litre 15/98 and its racing derivative the 'Speed Model'.
Mostly open two seater sports cars and mostly bodied by Bert Bertelli's brother Enrico (Harry)a small number of long chassis four seater tourers, dropheads and saloons were also produced.
Bertelli was very keen to race his cars and he was a very competent driver. One of the very few motor manufacturers to actually sit in and race the cars he designed and built, the competition no doubt 'improved the breed' and the 'LM' team cars were very successful in national and international motor racing including at Le Mans and the Mille Miglia.
Financial problems reappeared in 1932 and the company was rescued by L. Prideaux Brune who funded the company for the following year before passing the company on to Sir Arthur Sutherland. In 1936, the company decided to concentrate on road cars. Car production had always been on a small scale and until the advent of World War II halted work only about 700 had been made. During the war years aircraft components were produced.
The David Brown Era
In 1947, David Brown Limited bought the company under the leadership of managing director Sir David Brown—its "post-war saviour". David Brown also acquired Lagonda that year, and both companies shared resources and workshops. In 1955, David Brown bought the Tickford coachbuilding company and its site at Tickford Street in Newport Pagnell, and that was the beginning of the classic series of cars bearing the initials "DB". In 1950, the company announced the DB2, followed by the DB2/4 in 1953, the DB2/4 MkII in 1955, the DB Mark III in 1957 and the Italian-styled 3.7 L DB4 in 1958. All the cars established a good racing pedigree for the firm, but the DB4 was the key to establishing the company's reputation, which was cemented by the famous DB5 in 1963. The company continued developing the "grand touring" style with the DB6 (1965–70), and the DBS (1967–1972).
1970s—Changing Ownership
Despite the cars' appreciation in value, the company was often financially troubled. In 1972, the company was sold to another company called Company Developments Ltd., backed by a Birmingham-based consortium, and chaired by chartered accountant and company director William Willson, MBE. The company was resold, following a further bankruptcy event, by the Receiver in 1975 to North American businessmen Peter Sprague and George Minden for £1.05 million.[11] A successful turn-around strategy led to the recruitment of 360 new employees and, by 1977, a trading profit of £750,000. The new owners pushed the company into modernising its line, producing the V8 Vantage in 1977, the convertible Volante in 1978, and the one-off William Towns-styled Bulldog in 1980. Towns also styled the futuristic new Lagonda saloon, based on the V8 model.
In 1980 Aston-Martin had plans, which did not materialise, to buy MG, which they would have utilised as a sister marque, probably building smaller sports cars. Ideas were plotted to design a new model and they revealed to the press their approach to an "updated" "1981" model MGB.
The company was badly hit by the economic contraction of the early 1980s as worldwide sales of Aston Martin shrank to three per week and chairman Alan Curtis together with fellow shareholders American Peter Sprague and Canadian George Minden came close to shutting down the production side of the business, to concentrate on service and restoration. At this point Curtis attended the 1980 Pace sponsored Stirling Moss benefit day at Brands Hatch, and met fellow Farnham resident Victor Gauntlett.
1980s—Victor Gauntlett
Gauntlett bought a 12.5% stake in Aston Martin for £500,000 via Pace Petroleum in 1980, with Tim Hearley of CH Industrials taking a similar share. Pace and CHI took over as joint 50/50 owners at the beginning of 1981, with Gauntlett as executive chairman. Gauntlett also led the sales team, and after some development and a lot of publicity when it became the world’s fastest 4-seater production car, was able to sell with success the Aston Martin Lagonda into Persian Gulf states, particularly Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.
Understanding that it would take some time to develop new Aston Martin products, they created an engineering service subsidiary Tickford to develop automotive products for other companies. Products included a Tickford Austin Metro, a Tickford Ford Capri and even Tickford train interiors, particularly on the Jaguar XJS. Pace continued sponsoring racing events, and now sponsored all Aston Martin Owners Club events, taking a Tickford engined Nimrod Group C car owned by AMOC President Viscount Downe, which came third in the Manufacturers Championship in both 1982 and 1983. It also finished seventh in the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans race. However, sales of production cars were now at an all time low of 30 cars produced in 1982.
As trading became tighter in the petroleum market, and Aston Martin was requiring more time and money, Gauntlett agreed to sell Hays/Pace to the Kuwait Investment Office in September 1983. As Aston Martin required greater investment, he also agreed to sell his share holding to American importer and Greek shipping tycoon Peter Livanos, who invested via his joint venture company with Nick and John Papanicalou, ALL Inc. Gauntlett remained chairman of the AML company 55% owned by ALL, with Tickford a 50/50 venture between ALL and CHI. The uneasy relationship was ended when ALL exercised options to buy a larger share in AML; CHI's residual shares were exchanged for CHI's complete ownership of Tickford, which retained development of existing Aston Martin projects. In 1984, Titan the main shipping company of the Papanicolaou’s was in trouble, so Livanos's father George bought out the Papanicolaou's shares in ALL, while Gauntlett again became a shareholder with a 25% holding in AML. The deal valued Aston Martin/AML at £2 million, the year it built its 10,000th car.
Although as a result Aston Martin had to make 60 members of the workforce redundant, Gauntlett bought a stake in Italian styling house Zagato, and resurrected its collaboration with Aston Martin. David Martin gained part ownership in 1997.
In 1986, Gauntlett negotiated the return of fictional British secret agent James Bond to Aston Martin. Cubby Broccoli had chosen to recast the character using actor Timothy Dalton, in an attempt to re-root the Bond-brand back to a more Sean Connery-like feel. Gauntlett supplied his personal pre-production Vantage for use in the filming of The Living Daylights, and sold a Volante to Broccoli for use at his home in America. Gauntlett turned down the role of a KGB colonel in the film, however: "I would have loved to have done it but really could not afford the time."
Although the company was doing well, Gauntlett knew it needed extra funds to survive in the long term. In May 1987, Gauntlett and Prince Michael of Kent were staying at the home of Contessa Maggi, the wife of the founder of the original Mille Miglia, while watching the revival event. Another house guest was Walter Hayes, vice-President of Ford of Europe. Despite problems over the previous acquisition of AC Cars, Hayes saw the potential of the brand and the discussion resulted in Ford taking a share holding in September 1987. In 1988, having produced some 5,000 cars in 20 years, a revived economy and successful sales of limited edition Vantage, and 52 Volante Zagato coupes at £86,000 each; the company finally retired the ancient V8 and introduced the Virage range—the first new Aston launched in 20 years.
Although Gauntlett was contractually to stay as chairman for two years, his racing interests took Aston back into sports car racing in 1989 with limited European success. However, with engine rule changes for the 1990 season and the launch of the new Aston Martin Volante model, Ford provided the limited supply of Cosworth engines to the Jaguar cars racing team. As the "small Aston" DB7 would require a large engineering input, Ford agreed to take full control of Aston Martin, and Gauntlett handed over the company chairmanship to Hayes in 1991. In 1992, the Vantage version was announced, and the following year the company renewed the DB range by announcing the DB7.
The Ford Era
Ford placed Aston in the Premier Automotive Group, substantially invested in new manufacturing and quickly ramped up production. In 1994, Ford opened a new factory at Banbury Road in Bloxham. In 1995, the company produced a record 700 vehicles. Until the Ford era cars had been produced by hand coachbuilding craft methods, such as the English wheel. In 1998 the 2,000th DB7 was built, and in 2002 the 6,000th, exceeding production of all previous DB models. The DB7 range was boosted by the addition of V12 Vantage models in 1999, and in 2001 the company introduced the V12-engined Aston Martin Vanquish.
At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in 2003, Aston Martin introduced the AMV8 Vantage concept car. Expected to have few changes before its introduction in 2005, the Vantage brought back the classic V8 engine to allow the company to compete in a larger market. 2003 also saw the opening of the Gaydon factory, the first purpose-built factory in Aston Martin's history. Also introduced in 2003 was the DB9 coupé, which replaced the ten-year-old DB7. A convertible version of the DB9, the DB9 Volante, was introduced at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show.
In October 2004, the company set up the dedicated 12,500 square metres (135,000 sq ft) AMEP engine production plant within the Ford Germany Niehl, Cologne plant. With capacity to produce up to 5000 engines a year by 100 especially trained personnel, like traditional Aston Martin engine production from Newport Pagnell, assembly of each unit is entrusted to a single technician from a pool of 30, with V8 and V12 variants assembled in under 20 hours. By bringing engine production back to within the company, the promise was that Aston Martin would be able to produce small runs of higher performance variants engines.[16] This expanded engine capacity allowed in 2006, the V8 Vantage sports car to enter production at the Gaydon factory, joining the DB9 and DB9 Volante.
In December 2003 Aston Martin announced it would return to motor racing in 2005. A new division was created, called Aston Martin Racing, which became responsible, together with Prodrive, for the design, development, and management of the DBR9 program. The DBR9 competes in the GT class in sports car races, including the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2010 Outsourced Rapide Production to Austria
The first four-door Aston Martin Rapide sports cars rolled out of the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria. The contract manufacturer provides dedicated facilities to ensure compliance with the exacting standards of Aston Martin and other marques, including Mercedes-Benz Ulrich Bez has publicly speculated about outsourcing all of Aston Martin’s operations with the exception of marketing.
[sourche: wikipedia]
Sunday,Oct3,
Volkswagen Passat Estate (2011) | Auto Zone Video

[starttext]Auto Zone Video - Volkswagen Passat Estate (2011) is offering a selection of ten direct-injection engines with four valves per cylinder in the new Passat. Four of them are classic high-tech petrol engines that output 90 kW / 122 PS (1.4 TSI), 118 kW / 160 PS (1.8 TSI), 155 kW / 211 PS (2.0 TSI) and 220 kW / 300 PS (V6). The top engine has six cylinders; all of the other petrol engines are charged four-cylinder engines. Also charged is the 110 kW / 150 PS engine (1.4 EcoFuel) that is configured for natural gas. Another derivative of the 1.4 TSI is the MultiFuel engine with 118 kW / 160 PS designed for use with up to 85 percent ethanol fuel. Four turbodiesel engines are being offered with three power outputs; the four-cylinder engines produce 77 kW / 105 PS (1.6 TDI), 103 kW / 140 PS (2.0 TDI and 2.0 BlueTDI) as well as 125 kW / 170 PS (2.0 TDI). With the exception of the 105 PS TDI, any of the engines of the new VW Passat may be combined with a dual-clutch gearbox (DSG); with the 3.6 V6, this automatic gearbox is standard. Petrol - three four-cylinder TSIs and one V6: Fuel consumption values are impressive. Setting the pace among the petrol engines is the Volkswagen Passat 1.4 TSI with optional BlueMotion Technology. It outputs 90 kW / 122 PS and consumes 5.8 l/100 km (equivalent to 138 g/km CO2).[endtext]
Venturi Fetish (2010) | Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOvi6Wg3GY0endofvid
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Auto Zone Video - Thanks to the 300 hp of its motor combined with a maximised weight of 1,225 kilos, a brand new undercarriage and very large tyres, the Venturi Fetish (2010) behaves like a sports car with exemplary road-holding and traction. Leaping from 0 to 100km/hr in less than 4 seconds, the Venturi Fetish is a true acceleration car. Furthermore, the Venturi Fetish offers a range of up to 340 km.[endtext]
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Venturi America (2010) | Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-n-OzoYop4endofvid
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Venturi America (2010)Auto Zone Video - The America has borrowed its motor from the new Fetish, the Venturi America (2010), which, with over 300 hp (+220 kW) and torque of 380 Nm, is the most advanced electric motor ever designed for an automobile.To get the very best out of such a motor, a new 54 kWh battery pack has been developed (LIV-10 Lithium Ion Polymer batteries) whose electronics (Battery Management System) have been entrusted to Ventec, the leader in the field. The America offers a real range of up to 300 km. Thanks to its on-board charger, it can recharge using a standard electrical socket or fast charge terminals[endtext]
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Volkswagen Passat (2011) | Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO19FOBJumEendofvid
[starttext]Auto Zone Video - Up to 18 percent improved fuel economy: As is usual for a Volkswagen, the new Volkswagen Passat (2011) also sets standards in sustainability. All ten engines (77 kW / 105 PS through 220 kW / 300 PS) are more fuel efficient - up to 18 percent more. The "smallest" and yet torque-strong turbodiesel (1.6 TDI with 105 PS and 250 Nm) now consumes just 4.2 l/100 km; that is equivalent to 109 g/km CO2. Meanwhile, downsizing and technologies such as the Stop/Start system contribute to extraordinary fuel efficiency in the petrol-powered versions. Pioneering here is the 1.4 TSI (90 kW / 122 PS); in the BlueMotion Technology version, it only consumes 5.8 l/100 km. The equivalent CO2 value is 138 g/km. New safety features: Volkswagen is making genuine progress in the area of safety. The previous model already attained an impressive five stars in Euro-NCAP crash testing. The new model takes safety to a new level with features such as an automatic City emergency braking function and, on Comfortline models and above, a standard fatigue detection function. As a component of the optional automatic ACC adaptive cruise control system, in worst case scenarios the emergency braking function reacts independently at speeds below 30 km/h. So, it can help prevent frontal collisions. The fatigue detection system, which Volkswagen is introducing for the first time in this class, is continually active; it detects reduced driver concentration and warns the driver with an acoustic signal; a visual message also appears in the instrument cluster recommending that the driver should take a break from driving.[endtext]
[starttext]Auto Zone Video - Up to 18 percent improved fuel economy: As is usual for a Volkswagen, the new Volkswagen Passat (2011) also sets standards in sustainability. All ten engines (77 kW / 105 PS through 220 kW / 300 PS) are more fuel efficient - up to 18 percent more. The "smallest" and yet torque-strong turbodiesel (1.6 TDI with 105 PS and 250 Nm) now consumes just 4.2 l/100 km; that is equivalent to 109 g/km CO2. Meanwhile, downsizing and technologies such as the Stop/Start system contribute to extraordinary fuel efficiency in the petrol-powered versions. Pioneering here is the 1.4 TSI (90 kW / 122 PS); in the BlueMotion Technology version, it only consumes 5.8 l/100 km. The equivalent CO2 value is 138 g/km. New safety features: Volkswagen is making genuine progress in the area of safety. The previous model already attained an impressive five stars in Euro-NCAP crash testing. The new model takes safety to a new level with features such as an automatic City emergency braking function and, on Comfortline models and above, a standard fatigue detection function. As a component of the optional automatic ACC adaptive cruise control system, in worst case scenarios the emergency braking function reacts independently at speeds below 30 km/h. So, it can help prevent frontal collisions. The fatigue detection system, which Volkswagen is introducing for the first time in this class, is continually active; it detects reduced driver concentration and warns the driver with an acoustic signal; a visual message also appears in the instrument cluster recommending that the driver should take a break from driving.[endtext]
Seat IBE Paris Concept (2010) | Auto Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EsXQUd52iYendofvid
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Auto Zone Video - The Seat IBE Paris Concept (2010) is an all-electric vehicle that generates zero local emissions and has a package layout optimized for this new technology. The drive motor is located together with the power electronics at the front of the car. Their compact dimensions facilitate the extremely flat and dynamic contour of the bonnet. The lithium-ion battery is positioned in the rear. Thanks to an incredibly compact independent rear suspension layout, the energy storage unit fits beneath the floor of the luggage compartment. With a maximum output of 75 kW (102 hp) and 200 Nm of torque, the power unit delivers exactly the kind of dynamic driving fun promised by the exterior styling. The city dash from 0 to 50 km/h takes only 3.6 seconds; within 6.6 seconds, the IBE has reached 80 km/h, and after only 9.7 seconds it arrives at 100 km/h. This impressive performance is a function not only of the powerful off-the-line characteristics of the electric motor, but also the low weight of the SEAT IBE Paris Concept, which tips the scales at only 1,100 kilograms. Intelligent lightweight engineering is the key, as well as the proven technological efficiency of aluminium and steel in its construction. The continuous power rating is limited to 50 kW (68 hp), with the top speed pegged at 160 km/h - which is more than enough to cut an impressive figure even on urban motorways. Battery capacity is 18 kWh and set up for a range of around 130 kilometres, which is plenty to cover all the daily mobility requirements of city life.[endtext]
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History of Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena Italy on February 18 1898. He came from a well to do family that owned a metal foundry making railroad parts, they were the first in his town to own a car. When WWI came Enzo’s father and brother (Dino) were drafted into the Italian army, whom both died from influenza in 1916.
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