(History.com) March 18 - On this day in 1933, American automaker Studebaker, then heavily in debt, goes into receivership. The company's president, Albert Erskine, resigned and later that year committed suicide. Studebaker eventually rebounded from its financial troubles, only to close its doors for the final time in 1966.

The origins of the Studebaker Corporation date back to 1852, when brothers Henry and Clement Studebaker opened a blacksmith shop in South Bend, Indiana. Studebaker eventually became a leading manufacturer of horse-drawn wagons and supplied wagons to the U.S. Army during the Civil War. Around the turn of the century, the company entered America's burgeoning auto industry, launching an electric car in 1902 and a gas-powered vehicle two years later that was marketed under the name Studebaker-Garford. After partnering with other automakers, Studebaker began selling gas-powered cars under its own name in 1913, while continuing to make wagons until 1920.

Albert Erskine (1871–1933) assumed the top job at Studebaker in 1915. Under his leadership, the company acquired luxury automaker Pierce-Arrow in the late 1920s and launched the affordably priced but short-lived Erskine and Rockne lines (the latter named for the famous University of Notre Dame football coach: Before his death in a plane crash in 1931, Studebaker paid Rockne to give talks at auto conventions and dealership events). During the early 1930s, Studebaker was hit hard by the Great Depression and in March 1933 it was forced into bankruptcy. (In April 2009, Chrysler became the first major American automaker since Studebaker to declare bankruptcy.) Erskine, who was saddled with personal debt and health problems, killed himself on July 1, 1933.

New management got the company back on track, dropping the Rockne brand in July 1933 and selling Pierce-Arrow, among other consolidation moves. In January 1935, the new Studebaker Corporation was incorporated. In the late 1930s, the French-born industrial designer Raymond Loewy began working for Studebaker: There, he created iconic and popular models including the bullet-nosed 1953 Starliner and Starlight coupes and the 1963 Avanti sports coupe.

By the mid-1950s, Studebaker, which didn't have the resources of its Big Three competitors, had merged with automaker Packard and was again facing financial troubles. By the late 1950s, the Packard brand was dropped. In December 1963, Studebaker shuttered its South Bend plant, ending the production of its cars and trucks in America. The company's Hamilton, Ontario, facilities remained in operation until March 1966, when Studebaker shut its doors for the final time after 114 years in business.

The Peugeot 406 is a large family car made by the French automaker Peugeot from 1995 to 2004. Available in saloon, estate and coupé bodystyles with a choice of petrol or turbodiesel engines, the 406 replaced the Peugeot 405 in Peugeot's lineup, and was itself replaced by the Peugeot 407. It used the same platform as the Citroën Xantia, though without that car's sophisticated hydropneumatic suspension system.

The project:

The styling of the 406 is heavily influenced by its predecessor, the 405, which began to be phased out from the 406's launch in September 1995, and eventually finished production in Europe in 1997, when the last estate models were discontinued. United Kingdom sales of the 406 began in February 1996.

Initially, the car was available with 1.8 L and 2.0 L petrol and 1.9 L turbodiesel engines, followed by a turbocharged 2.0 petrol, 3.0 (2946cc) V6 petrol, and 110 bhp 2.1 L turbodiesel. The diesel versions were very popular, and the 406 became one of Europe's best-selling diesel-powered cars.

The 2-door coupé was both designed and manufactured by Italian design studio Pininfarina, with choices of a 2.0 L 4-cylinder engine or a 3.0 L V6, and from 2001, a 2.2 L HDi diesel engine. On later models, a 2.2 L petrol engine was available. Total of 107,633 coupés were made.

For its final year on sale in the United Kingdom, the model was simply called the Peugeot Coupé, with the 406 branding dropped from the name.

The 406 was notably successful in the United Kingdom, having broken into the key UK fleet sales market, with a high percentage of units becoming company cars and taxis.

In 2002, a Peugeot 406 HDi set the world record for the longest distance driven on a single tank of fuel. The car travelled across Australia between Melbourne to Rockhampton, with a total distance of 2,348 km.

Facelift:

The facelifted 406 sedan was introduced in 1999 and safety, strength and speed enhancements resulted in improved Euro NCAP performance. Where the old 406 had one star and a struck off star, the post facelift models gained 3 stars. The changes included the new and improved EW/DW Engine Family HDI with greater power, torque and fuel efficiency along with increased refinement, making it comparatively quiet for a diesel. A downside was an increase in the car's insurance group from 9 to 12.

The exterior look was amended as the 406 featured more pronounced ribs, clear headlights, chrome trim and a new honeycomb grill. The rear lights were finished in red with a strip of the car's paint colour across the centre.

The interior was also redesigned to improve comfort and space. New equipment included automated digital climate control/air conditioning on most models except the most basic and a multi-function display for warning messages, trip computer, radio and external temperature. There was a more extensive use of wooden trim, better quality plastics, including soft touch plastics, and in addition some models received electrically folding mirrors, with automatic headlights and wipers. The top-of-the-range Executive model was specified a 10 speaker JBL sound system, electrically adjusted and heated leather seats, a memory position for the seats and mirrors, headlight washer jets, a rear sun blind, thicker carpeting, lights in the sun visors, satellite navigation and ambient lighting.

406 ended production in 2004.

[Text from Wikipedia]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_406

This miniland-scale Lego Peugeot 406 Coupe (1996 - Pininfarina) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 92nd Build Challenge, - "Stuck in the 90's", - all about vehicles from the decade of the 1990s.

The Pininfarina-styled Peugeot 406 Coupé is one of my very favourite 1990s cars, particularly the graceful styling.

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

Lome, Togo.

The Toyota Ipsum, Picnic, SportsVan or Avensis Verso is a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle produced by Japanese automaker Toyota from 1995 to 2009. It was never produced in North America. The Ipsum, like many Toyota products, was shared as a trio of the Toyota Gaia, and sold only at Japanese Toyota dealerships called Toyota Store, next to the Toyota Carina. The Gaia was unique to Toyopet Store locations, and the Toyota Nadia was sold at Toyota Corolla Store.

The first generation, named Ipsum in Japan and Picnic and SportsVan in export markets, was built from 1995–2001, with export versions arriving in 1996. It had a choice of two inline-four petrol engines, ranging from 1.8- to 2.0-litres, as well as a 2.2-litre diesel engine, the 3C-TE.

The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced 17 April 1964, the Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A.

Production of the Mustang began in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964 and the car was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair. It is Ford's third oldest nameplate currently in production next to the F-Series pickup truck line (which has undergone major nameplate changes over the years) and the Falcon which is still in production in Australia.

As Lee Iacocca's assistant general manager and chief engineer, Donald N. Frey was the head engineer for the Mustang project — supervising the overall development of the Mustang in a record 18 months — while Iacocca himself championed the project as Ford Division general manager. The Mustang prototype was a two-seat, mid-mounted engine roadster. This vehicle employed a Taunus (Ford Germany) V4 engine and was very similar in appearance to the much later Pontiac Fiero. It was claimed that the decision to abandon the 2 seat design was in part due to the low sales experienced with the 2 seat 1955 T-Bird. To broaden market appeal it was later remodeled as a four-seat car styled under the direction of Project Design Chief Joe Oros and his team of L. David Ash, Gale Halderman, and John Foster[18][19] — in Ford's Lincoln–Mercury Division design studios, which produced the winning design in an intramural design contest instigated by Iacocca.

Having set the design standards for the Mustang[20], Oros said:

“ I told the team that I wanted the car to appeal to women, but I wanted men to desire it, too. I wanted a Ferrari-like front end, the motif centered on the front – something heavy-looking like a Maserati, but, please, not a trident – and I wanted air intakes on the side to cool the rear brakes. I said it should be as sporty as possible and look like it was related to European design] ” Oros added:

“ I then called a meeting with all the Ford studio designers. We talked about the sporty car for most of that afternoon, setting parameters for what it should look like -- and what it should not look like -- by making lists on a large pad, a technique I adapted from the management seminar. We taped the lists up all around the studio to keep ourselves on track. We also had photographs of all the previous sporty cars that had been done in the Corporate Advanced studio as a guide to themes or ideas that were tired or not acceptable to management. Within a week we had hammered out a new design. We cut templates and fitted them to the clay model that had been started. We cut right into it, adding or deleting clay to accommodate our new theme, so it wasn't like starting all over. But we knew Lincoln-Mercury would have two models. And Advanced would have five, some they had previously shown and modified, plus a couple extras. But we would only have one model because Ford studio had a production schedule for a good many facelifts and other projects. We couldn't afford the manpower, but we made up for lost time by working around the clock so our model would be ready for the management review.

” To cut down the development cost and achieve a suggested retail price of US$2,368, the Mustang was based heavily on familiar yet simple components. Much of the chassis, suspension, and drivetrain components were derived from the Ford Falcon and Ford Fairlane (North American). Favorable publicity articles appeared in 2,600 newspapers the next morning, the day the car was "officially" revealed.[21][22] A Mustang also appeared in the James Bond film Goldfinger in September 1964, the first time the car was used in a movie.

Original sales forecasts projected less than 100,000 units for the first year.[24] This mark was surpassed in three months from rollout. Another 318,000 would be sold during the model year (a record), and in its first eighteen months, more than one million Mustangs were built. All of these were VIN-identified as 1965 models, but several changes were made at the traditional opening of the new model year (beginning August 1964), including the addition of back-up lights on some models, the introduction of alternators to replace generators, and an upgrade of the V8 engine from 260 cu in (4.3 l) to 289 cu in (4.7 l) displacement. In the case of at least some six-cylinder Mustangs fitted with the 101 hp (75 kW) 170 cu in (2.8 l) Falcon engine, the rush into production included some unusual quirks, such as a horn ring bearing the 'Ford Falcon' logo beneath a trim ring emblazoned with 'Ford Mustang.' These characteristics made enough difference to warrant designation of the 121,538 earlier ones as "1964½" model-year Mustangs, a distinction that has endured with purists

The Autobianchi Bianchina is an automobile produced by the Italian automaker Autobianchi, based on the Fiat 500. It was available in various configurations: Berlina (saloon), Cabriolet (roadster), Trasformabile (convertible), Panoramica (station wagon), and Furgoncino (van). The car was presented to the public on September 16, 1957 at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

Initially, the car was equipped with the smallest Fiat engine, air-cooled 479 cc producing 15 hp (11 kW). In 1959, the engine power was increased to 17 hp (13 kW) and in 1960, the cabriolet version was launched.

In the same year, the Trasformabile, whose engine cylinder capacity was increased to 499 cc (18 hp), was made available in a Special version with bicolour paint and an engine enhanced to 21 hp (16 kW). In 1962, the Trasformabile was replaced by a 4-seat saloon. The engine and chassis were the same as in the Trasformabile.

In 1965, a minor facelift was made.

In 1970 Bianchina went out of production, replaced by the more modern A112.

(Wikipedia)

- - -

Die Autobianchi Bianchina ist ein Kleinstwagen des italienischen Automobilherstellers Autobianchi. Der Pkw wurde von 1957 bis 1969 gebaut. Bei der Bianchina handelte es sich um einen Fiat Nuova 500 mit Sonderkarosserie.

Angeboten wurde ein zweisitziges Klein-Coupé mit Faltschiebedach, auch als Bianchina Speciale mit dem leistungsstärkeren Motor des Fiat 500 Sport (1957/58 bis 1962), eine zweitürige Limousine (auch mit dem Sport-Motor), ein Cabrio und auch eine Kombivariante namens Panoramica (in Deutschland Panorama genannt), welche technisch, aber nicht vom Aufbau her mit dem Fiat 500-Kombi identisch war.

Technisch folgte die Bianchina stets den Änderungen am Fiat 500; der Motor maß zunächst 479 cm³ wie im Nuova 500, später 499,5 cm³ wie im 500 D. Die Höchstgeschwindigkeit der Fahrzeuge betrug rund 90 km/h.

1969 wurde die Produktion der Bianchina-Baureihe beendet.

Dafür rückte die bis 1977 produzierte Autobianchi Giardiniera ins Programm. Dies war der praktisch unverändert weitergebaute, bei Fiat selbst aufgegebene Fiat 500 Kombi.

(Wikipedia)

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

Ferrari Ownership Requirements 12/7/2020

To own a Ferrari would fulfill the fantasy of many car enthusiasts. The famous Italian automaker excels in delivering luxury sports cars that bear a signature and unique exterior without sacrificing performance. This is only half of what makes the cars special though.

Ferrari's culture separates the company from other automakers in huge ways, affecting both its owners and the workers behind these miraculous machines. Although the company is one of the most valuable, it cares about something more than just earning money: it’s about making special cars that offer a driving experience unlike any other. When examining the company and its owners, it’s clear they’ve achieved this milestone, even after all these years.

Owners have to go to great lengths if they want the latest and greatest cars Ferrari churns out. Employees have to follow rules and regulations if they want to uphold the most important thing to Ferrari—which is not about making cars, but the brand itself. Whether one is a Ferrari owner or an employee that works at their factory plant, everyone has to follow the "Ferrari code."

It’s because of these rules that the brand is exclusive and widely coveted among car gurus today. If someone wants to own a Ferrari, they’re going to have to play by the company’s rules. The same goes for employees if they want to work at, what Autoblog notes, a company that won the award for Best Place to Work in Europe for 2007. We’re going to take a look at known rules both owners and employees have to follow if they want to remain in the good graces of Ferrari.

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20 - Owner Rule: Forced To Sign Contract Agreeing Not To Sell Car

People today become bombarded with agreements written in fine print. Most people don’t have the time or patience to read all that agreements detail though and decide to sign on the line regardless. According to Autoweek, Ferrari in the US makes their customers sign a contract upon purchasing a new vehicle.

In that agreement is a clause that prevents owners from reselling their car in the first year. The automaker makes buyers sign this in an attempt to discourage owners from flipping their cars. This is both a reminder to read the fine print and further demonstrates the automaker’s stringent protocol placed upon new owners.

19 - Employee Rule: Forbidden From Buying New Cars

Last September, Ferrari unveiled a pair of Roadsters long-time employees can appreciate. Even if the employees want the cars though and can afford them—tough luck. The Drive reports that the company makes their vehicles first and foremost available to the public.

One of Ferrari’s executives, Enrico Galliera, had this to say about employees getting second dibs on new cars: “The philosophy is that with such limited production and clients waiting so long to get their car, it's not nice if the car is delivered to employees.” The only exception to this rule are Scuderia Ferrari F1 drivers who can buy one from the company.

18 - Owner Rule: Leave The Logos Alone

Ferrari believes that as soon as their car rolls off the production line, it's perfect as is. There’s no shortage of Ferrari owners who feel differently though; here’s photographic proof of owners who took their Ferrari rides for granted. If Ferrari had it their way, they’d opt for owners to leave their iconic logos untouched.

According to Tech Dirt, the electronic DJ and artist Deadmau5 got in trouble for covering up his Ferrari logos with custom ones. His 458 Italia “Purrari” sports a blue vinyl wrap that has a Nyan cat painted on the side. It’s a move Ferrari supposedly issued a cease and desist order over.

17 - Employee Rule: Communicate On Their Terms

Ferrari has gone to extremes to sell cars before by tampering with some odometers on used cars, so it’s only natural they’d apply radical policies in the workplace as well. It appears that too many employees were reaching for the keyboard on too many occasions instead of opting for old fashioned face-to-face communication.

According to The Guardian, the executives at Ferrari advised their employees to “talk to each other more and write less.” Since it should be pretty easy for supervisors to monitor their employees’ computer activity, it's safe to assume workers adhere to this directive in order to stick around.

16 - Owner Rule: No Pink Ferraris

Ferrari isn’t fond of pink Ferraris. That’s what Executive Lifestyle reports, despite the company tolerating some customer paint jobs. The disapproval of pink came directly from Herbert Appleroth, the President and CEO of Ferrari Australia. “We do reject the exterior color pink,” Appleroth said, as per the same source.

He went on to say that Ferrari would never produce a pink car. Without a doubt, red is the most iconic color they wrap their cars in. At the same time, the company promotes the idea that no two Ferrari rides should be identical, they just wouldn't go so far as to stand out with a pink paint job.

15 - Employee Rule: No Discounts On Cars

Working for certain companies has its perks. For one, it allows employees to buy products made and sold by that company at a discounted rate. This luxury, however, is too generous to bestow upon Ferrari employees.

According to The Drive, should Scuderia Ferrari F1 drivers choose to purchase a personal Ferrari, they're required to pay full price for it. That puts them in an awkward position, considering it’d be hard to spot team members driving in anything else but a Ferrari; in a way, it forces their employees to invest back into the company without a price concession if they want to properly represent the brand.

14 - Owner Rule: Accept Ferrari’s Right To Buy Back Car

In an earlier entry, we noted that Ferrari in the US has made buyers sign a special contract. While that contract discouraged owners from selling their new Ferrari, it also adds another stipulation: the automaker can buy the vehicle back.

According to the site Car Keys, if someone wanted to get rid of their LaFerrari Aperta, it’s pursuant for Ferrari to purchase the vehicle back from the owner. It would appear that on the surface, Ferrari would rather the car go to someone who wants it instead of someone who doesn't. This is all part of that special contract owners may sign at the time of their purchase.

13 - Employee Rule: Sworn To Prevent Security Leaks

Whether someone is an actor in an upcoming Avengers movie or an employee at Apple, the bigwigs in charge want to keep details under lock and key—that includes any plot spoilers and future product releases. Ferrari is a similar company that’s always making new vehicles while wishing to work in secrecy.

To maintain a level of mystery, the whole operation depends on trustworthy employees. According to Kaspersky Lab Daily, something as simple as copying data to a USB drive has to go through an approval process. This in turn discourages employees from going routes that may lead to a security breach and exercises a higher level of caution.

12 - Owner Rule: Must Love The Ferrari Brand

The world is full of sides, clubs and camps. Those who are outside of them get picked on unless they join a team, while those inside a base pledge undying loyalty. Ferrari is no different. It’s more than just an automaker—it’s a special culture with its own philosophy, style and following.

As the site Car Guy points out, the company sifts through applicants and chooses who gets to buy certain models because they want to make sure their cars are properly taken care of. It’s a sure bet they’re going to pick someone who’s not just a Ferrari fan, but also lives and bleeds the brand.

11 - Employee Rule: Prohibited From Sending Certain Group Emails

Expanding further on an earlier point, Ferrari went to great lengths to crack down on employees emailing more instead of talking to each other. As a means to curb digital communication so that employees would talk to each other directly, they added terms to sending emails.

As per The Guardian, a spokesman for Ferrari said, “From now on, each Ferrari employee will only be able to send the same email to three people in-house.” This must have been a wake up call for employees at the time and discouraged them from falling into old habits of CCing everyone in the whole company on a single thread.

10 - Owner Rule: Buy Not One, Not Two, But Multiple Ferraris

Owning a Ferrari isn’t exactly enough to be a part of the club. As the site Car Guypoints out, it’s more suitable to own several Ferrari cars before one feels part of the bunch. That narrows down the list of potential owners to only a handful around the world with how much they cost.

Even older models are going up in value, as the 1964 Ferrari Prototype demonstrates. The same source points out that the most committed owners, at minimum, are the ones who upgrade their old Ferrari to a newer model. It’s not enough to purchase a one-off Ferrari and call it a day if someone wants to be a true fan.

9 - Employee Rule: Required To Wear Red And White Uniforms

An amusement park can make its employees wear costumes that match the park’s theme; a restaurant may have its employees wear a vest and bow tie; an office requires business casual attire. Ferrari is like most jobs, requiring its employees adhere to a dress code.

According to Freep, those on the manufacturing campus must wear red and white uniforms. They have the company’s iconic yellow logo stitched on, which unites all the employees under the same banner and purpose. There are plenty of people around the world who would love to wear these uniforms, but only a select number ever get to suit up in one.

8 - Owner Rule: Be Older Than 40

Despite Ferrari being one of the most famous car brands today, many people aren’t aware of its history or the automaker's philosophy. There are so many facts about the legendary automaker, we dedicated a whole piece to things most people don't know about Ferrari.

It’s not unusual for potential owners to go through a rigorous process that feels commensurate to a background check. According to the site Car Keys, automaker won’t hesitate to request a customer’s history of ownership for review. Even more, the same source suggests that Ferrari dealers are more likely to sell a car to a new owner who’s over the age of 40.

7 - Employee Rule: Formula 1 Team Must Win

When Scuderia Ferrari struggles, it affects the whole company. The site News.com.au reports that despite being the "most iconic team” in Formula 1 racing, Ferrari was unable to secure a Grand Prix win in 2016. The team only has one remedy when this happens: winning.

As F1-Fansite points out, they were able to bounce back in early 2017, with Vettel winning the first race and securing 5 race wins. The Formula 1 team not only represents the automaker but carries the pride of the entire brand. It’s important that they do well in order for the brand to continue thriving.

6 - Owner Rule: Treat Fellow Ferrari Owners Like Family

Buying a car from certain automakers, such as Tesla, Porsche or Ferrari, feels like joining a family. When someone purchases a Ferrari, they enter into a brotherhood and sisterhood alongside fellow owners. As the site the Car Guy notes, entering into the Ferrari fraternity means that owners help each other when the need arises.

This is one of those unspoken rules the automaker hopes and expects its customers will follow. Even outsiders who don’t own one may find it easy to support someone who does as an expression of their admiration towards the brand. Ferrari owners got to stick together.

5 - Employee Rule: Must Adopt The “Formula Uomo” Philosophy

The company not only cares about its customers, but its employees too. They recognize that these are the people that make it all possible. Autoblog reports that Ferrari launched a project called “Formula Uomo” in the 1990s which lays down many of the tenants employees live and breathe by.

The same source notes that this philosophy deals with the working conditions, one’s professional growth and personal benefits. Each individual is important and must embody these principles in order for the whole enterprise to work properly. As a Ferrari employee, “Formula Uomo” lays the groundwork for one’s success while working there.

4 - Owner Rule: Must Have Fame, Fortune And More

To own some of the world’s best supercars, all it takes is a lot of dough. If that wasn’t enough though, Ferrari raises the bar on what they expect from their owners. Part of what makes their cars so exclusive are the limited number they make. Take the LaFerrari for example, which Wired reports only 499 exist.

In order for their cars to get attention, they have to give them to owners who can not only afford them but put them in the spotlight. The same source notes that even high-profile buyers who applied for the vehicle weren't able to land one.

3 - Employee Rule: “Clients First”

Ferrari cares about its customers. The company doesn’t treat its clientele as a dollar sign—although they do get a lot of money for the cars they deliver—but instead seeks to make a bond with its owners. The company is like a father who’s entrusted his child with the keys to the treasured car.

They want to know their cars are in good hands, which is possible through respect. That’s why they make clients a priority. The Drive reports that Enrico Galliera, a Ferrari executive said, “It is clients first.” Behind those words is a whole company of employees who live by this aim.

2 - Owner Rule: Respect Ferrari’s Way Of Doing Things

No one likes obeying rules. If there’s a realm with enough rules as it is, it’s driving on the road. The last thing people want is more rules they have to follow as a car owner. Under the Ferrari umbrella though, there are lots of expectations one has to follow as an owner.

That means going with their unique way of doing things. The site Car Keys reports that the automaker’s politics, including their selection process for who they deem is eligible to purchase limited edition cars, is one such rule owners have to follow. It may not be easy to accept, but it’s part of playing the game.

1 - Employee Rule: Protect The Brand At All Times

Ferrari has managed to be an independent automaker over the years while still making loads of money. Part of what makes them so successful is the brand’s reputation, which is about making flawless cars that perform well.

One of the executives, Stefano Lai, as per Freep said, “My job ... is to protect the brand as much as possible.” This is a principal that trickles down to employees, affecting their conduct and the image they project in and out of the workplace. Many employees likely have the Ferrari logo on them throughout the day, making them an extension of the company wherever they go. That means they have to watch what they say and do since they represent the company’s image.

Sources: Autoblog , Tech Dirt , Wired , Executive Lifestyle , Car Guy , Car Keys , Autoweek , The Drive , Freep , The Guardian , Kaspersky Lab Daily , News.com.au , F1-Fansite.

www.hotcars.com/rules-ferrari-owners-must-follow-and-the-...

The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engined sports car that was built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the Lamborghini Murciélago. Diablo is "devil" in Spanish, which is diavolo in Italian.

History of development

At a time when the company was financed by the Swiss-based Mimran brothers, Lamborghini began development of what was codenamed Project 132 in June 1985 as a replacement for the Countach model. The brief stated that its top speed had to be at least 315 km/h (196 mph).

The design of the car was contracted to Marcello Gandini, who had designed its two predecessors. When Chrysler bought the company in 1987, providing money to complete its development, its management was uncomfortable with Gandini’s designs and commissioned its design team in Detroit to execute a third extensive redesign, smoothing out the trademark sharp edges and corners of Gandini's original design, and leaving him famously unimpressed. In fact, Gandini was so disappointed with the "softened" shape that he would later realize his original design in the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.

The car became known as the Diablo, carrying on Lamborghini's tradition of naming its cars after breeds of fighting bull. The Diablo was named after a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua in the 19th century, famous for fighting an epic battle with 'El Chicorro' in Madrid on July 11, 1869. In the words of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the Diablo was designed "solely to be the biggest head-turner in the world."

The development is believed to have cost a total of 6 billion Italian lira.

Diablo VT Roadster

1995-1998 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster

The Diablo VT Roadster was introduced in December 1995 and featured an electrically operated carbon fiber targa top which was stored above the engine lid when not in use. Besides the roof, the roadster's body was altered from the fixed-top VT model in a number of ways. The front bumper was revised, replacing the quad rectangular driving lamps with two rectangular and two round units. The brake cooling ducts were moved inboard of the driving lamps and changed to a straked design, while the rear ducts featured the vertical painted design seen on the SE30.

The engine lid was changed substantially in order to vent properly when the roof panel was covering it. The roadster also featured revised 17 inch wheels. The air intakes on top/sides were made larger than the coupe Diablos. In 1998 the wheels have been updated to 18 inch, and the engine power raised to 530 HP by adding the variable valve timing system. Top speed specification was raised to 335 km/h (208 mph).

In 1999 the dashboard received a major optical update by Audi, and the pop-up headlights were replaced by fixed headlights, same as for the coupés. This resulted in a better aerodynamic shape and modern optics.

[Text from Wikipedia]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini_Diablo

This Lego miniland scale Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 96th Build Challenge - The 8th Birthday, titled - 'Happy Crazy Eight Birthday, LUGNuts' - where all previous build challenges are available to build to. This model is built to the LUGNuts 92nd build challenge, - "Stuck in the 90s" featuring vehicles from the decade of the 1990s

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

"The Bentley Continental GT is a grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British automaker Bentley Motors since 2003. It was the first car released by Bentley under Volkswagen AG management, after the company's acquisition in 1998, and the first Bentley to employ mass production manufacturing techniques.

The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. A masterpiece of city planning, it was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street, facing Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town across the geological depression of the former Nor Loch. Together with the Old Town, the New Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/; Scots: Edinburgh; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˈt̪uːn ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore.

Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the supreme courts of Scotland. The city's Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. It is the second largest financial centre in the United Kingdom (after London) and the city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the United Kingdom's second most visited tourist destination attracting 4.9 million visits including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.

Edinburgh is Scotland's second most populous city and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. The official population estimates are 488,050 (2016) for the Locality of Edinburgh (Edinburgh pre 1975 regionalisation plus Currie and Balerno), 518,500 (2018) for the City of Edinburgh, and 1,339,380 (2014) for the city region. Edinburgh lies at the heart of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region comprising East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.

The city is the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is home to national institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of four in the city, is placed 20th in the QS World University Rankings for 2020. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.

The Citroën GS (1970–80, sedan and wagon) and Citroën GSA (1979–86, liftback and wagon) are small family cars produced by the French automaker Citroën. The GS was voted European Car of the Year for 1971, and was probably the most technologically advanced car in its class when launched, with class leading comfort, safety and aerodynamics.

Market placement

The GS filled the enormous gap in Citroën's range, between the 2CV and Ami economy cars and the luxurious DS executive sedan. The DS had moved significantly upmarket from its predecessor the Citroën Traction Avant, and beyond the finances of most French motorists. Leaving this market gap open for fifteen years allowed other manufacturers entry into the most profitable, high volume market segment in France. This combined with the development costs and new factory for the DS-replacing Citroen CX, the 1974 oil crisis, and an aborted Wankel rotary engine, led Citroën to declare bankruptcy in 1974.

The GS met with instant market acceptance and was the largest selling Citroën model for many years. 1,896,742 GS models and 576,757 GSA models were produced in total.

Unlike the 2CV, DS and SM, the GS was never officially imported to the USA.

Design stage

The GS took 10 years to develop from initial design to launch.

In 1960, work began on two concepts, the 'sporty D,' which became the 1970 SM, and the small family car. Both projects continued in various forms for a decade, with a Wankel engine and hydropneumatic suspension suggested as possibilities, with a new, modern body to match. The first iteration was the "C60," which resembled an Ami 6 with a long, smooth nose.

In 1963, development had moved to "Project F", which was close to being production ready. Citroën decided the car was too similar to the 1965 Renault 16 and by 1967 Project F was suspended. Many of the mechanical components continued to "Project G", which became the GS. The GS was designed by Robert Opron, with a smooth two box design that bears some resemblance to the 1967 design study by Pininfarina Berlina Aerodinamica.

Launch and ongoing development

On 24 August 1970, Citroën launched the GS. The body style was as a "Berline" (essentially a saloon, three lateral windows), in a fastback style with a sharp Kamm tail. The aerodynamics gave the best drag coefficient of any vehicle at the time.

Good aerodynamics enabled the car to make the best of the available power, but the car as launched nevertheless drew criticism that it was underpowered. Citroën addressed the issue with the introduction in September 1972, as an option, of a larger 1,222 cc engine. Claimed power increased from 55 bhp (41 kW; 56 PS) to 60 bhp (45 kW; 61 PS), but it was the improved torque that really marked out the more powerful engine, and which enabled the manufacturer, with the larger engined versions, to raise the second gear ratio and the final drive ratio, increasing the vehicle speed per 1,000 rpm from 23 km/h (14.3 mph) to 24.5 km/h (15.2 mph). Larger front brake discs were also fitted.

Visually the GS bore little resemblance to any other car on the market, until the development of the Citroën CX in 1974.

The fastback design, with a separate trunk, was controversial – a hatchback layout was considered too utilitarian by CEO Pierre Bercot. The 1974 CX shared this feature. The boot was nevertheless exceptionally large, in part due to the positioning of the spare wheel on top of the engine.

Both the early GS (until 1976) and the GSA have the unusual rotating drum speedometer (similar in construction to bathroom scales), rather than the dials found in a conventional dashboard.

The later GS (from 1977 until the introduction of the GSA) had a conventional speedometer.

It was offered in two trims; GS Club as the entry model and GS Pallas (only saloons) with full wheel covers, side mouldings, tinted glass and upgraded upholstery. The GS was also available, from September 1971, as a station wagon (estate) and a similar two-door "service" van.

The GSA replaced the GS in 1979 and added a hatchback. Other modifications included a new grille, new bumpers, new taillights, new hubcaps and new exterior handles. It also had a revised dashboard with the auxiliary controls on column-shaped pods so they could be reached without moving the hands from the single-spoked steering wheel; similar to the CX layout. It was partly replaced by the larger BX in 1982, although production continued in reduced volumes until 1986. Citroen did not re-enter the small family hatchback market until the launch of the ZX in 1991.

Contemporary journalists remarked at the smooth ride quality – the hydropneumatic suspension is designed to absorb bumps and ripples that would be uncomfortable in a conventionally sprung car with just a slight body movement.

Mechanics

The vehicle had a front-wheel drive layout and was powered by a flat-4 air-cooled engine. A series of small engines were available, displacing 1015, 1129, 1222 and 1299 cc. Power ranged from 55 PS (40 kW) to 66 PS (49 kW). Mated to a four speed gearbox, these were able to pull this car up to steady 151 km/h (94 mph) at 6250 rpm (with 1222 cc engine), due to the very aerodynamic body shape. Citroën's 3-speed C-Matic semi-automatic transmission was available as an alternative to the manual gearbox. With the introduction of the GSA a 5-speed gearbox was offered, which made cruising at high speeds more comfortable and economical (the top speed was raised to 164 km/h (102 mph) for both long and short gearbox ratios). The GS and GSA were always low powered and needed full use of the free-revving engines to maintain progress, except when cruising, in the tradition of the Citroën 2CV.

The four-wheel independent suspension featured a double wish-bone layout at the front and trailing arms at the rear. Both axles comprised rigid sub frames that gave the car unmatched road holding for the time, even on its narrow tires (factory-mounted Michelin ZX 145SR15).

Its central hydraulic system, powering the four disc brakes (inboard in front to help lower unsprung weight) and the advanced hydro-pneumatic self-levelling suspension, was derived from the Citroën DS. It also has a feature that increased or decreased braking pressure in accordance with cargo load, without any noticeable difference in the brake pedal response. The powered system was different from the typical assisted systems in that there was virtually no travel on the brake pedal even when braking hard. The hydraulic suspension allowed the car to be raised for rough terrain at low speeds (a feature taking account of the country lanes of its native France) and to full height for easy access to the partially enclosed rear wheels.

[Text from Wikipedia]

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

ByChris Chin— Posted on February 21, 2018 - 3:07PM

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Alfa Romeo is an Italian luxury automaker that hasn’t sold a mass-volume model in this country in almost 25 years, since the 1995 164 sedan. So it’s exciting for those who are looking for something different to the typical offerings from Germany (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi), and Japan (Lexus, Infiniti, Acura).

However, launching a new car brand in one of the most competitive car markets in the world is no easy feat. Not too long ago, we took up the opportunity to have lunch with the director for Alfa Romeo’s North American operations, Pieter Hogeveen, in Manhattan. There, we sat down with Mr. Hogeveen for an exclusive interview to see what the plan is for the coming years.

Digital Trends: Where do you see Alfa Romeo in five years ideally?

Pieter Hogeveen: What I think is really important right now, with introducing just two vehicles into the market, is to make sure we establish a good dealer network, which will help carry the volume. So with the Stelvio and Giulia at launch, it will really take a year or two for them to reach full sales volume potential. Then, we can look at where other potential exists in the market. We’ll always be premium and aim for premium markets.

So premium brands as in, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Infinti, etc…?

“What I think is really important right now […] is to make sure we establish a good dealer network.”

Yes. Primarily, the “German Three,” as we refer to them, they’re the ones we really go after. From what we’ve really seen so far, people are coming out of those vehicles, looking for something new. And I’ve always made sure that when we came back with Alfa, we give people something different, not just a car that looks different, but drives different. Having all unique times that the competition doesn’t offer. Little things that people expect from an Italian automaker, like the Giulia’s carbon fiber driveshaft.

Everyone seems to be into crossovers. Is that the kind of lineup you envision for the company?

When we look at the future, we must also look into what makes sense for the nameplate. It’s so easy to rebadge something and put into the segment, for us, it’s important to deliver the right ones. We won’t necessarily copy someone else, as we have to make sure it lines up with what Alfa Romeo has to offer as a unique brand.

What model would you like to see come to the US from the European market?

This might sound a bit cheesy, but right now I’m really look forward to introducing the Stelvio Quadrifoglio to the market. Over the 30 percent of the market consists of crossovers and now we offer best-in-class performance and it can go head-to-head with many fast cars, based on its Nurburgring and 0-60 times. We plan to officially introduce it in April.

I recently test drove the regular Giulia sedan. Is there a chance we can see an engine slot in between the standard version and the Quadrifoglio’s twin-turbocharged V6?

I still think there’s a good market for electrified vehicles and only the future will tell if I’m right or wrong.

If we look at the competition, cars from BMW and Audi have 240 horsepower two-liter engines. I think our 280 horsepower engine with 306 pound-feet of torque says that it’s already a high-performance engine. I think what we offer in our lineup is very good, there’s a very clear focus as well with the Quadrifoglio, our halo car. That gets its own attention with the twin-turbo V6. Based on our market segmentation, we’re already at a four-and-a-half percent market share already, I think this engine and transmission combination reflects what’s good for the market today.

What are some of the challenges the brand has faced reentering the US market?

We already think we have the great product, the vehicles are performing well, even from an engineering perspective. But it’s also important for us to build that dealer network, making sure they’re in the right location. And awareness. Especially when you go into the midsize SUV segment. Our “Alfisti,” or our Alfa enthusiasts, know about the Giulia. But people driving a BMW X3, and Audi Q5, might not know what a Stelvio is. We need to start building that, building that awareness. So launching a brand, the Giulia, and the Stelvio with the proper dealer network all within two years’ time, right now is our biggest challenge.

Are there standalone dealerships? Where can one buy an Alfa?

Of our 176 dealers, 124 are partnered with Fiat locations 64 are partnered with Maserati. We know the Maserati and Alfa locations go very well together. But we have to make sure the volume is there before we start really building a standalone network.

What are your thoughts on electrification and/or hybridization?

I don’t know. Based on what we see in the industry, we see high-performance brands introduce gas-powered engines that are very efficient. There’s a lot of opportunities, there’s a lot of stuff going on. But, from what we see, I still think there’s a good market for electrified vehicles and only the future will tell if I’m right or wrong.

What’s your favorite Alfa, currently in production?

My favorite current is the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. For me, it stirs the car’s segment up and it’s the car’s performance numbers and test figures that stand out for me.

…and in the past?

1967 or 1968 Tipo 33 Stradale. To me, it’s one of the most beautifully designed vehicles, only 18 made, very high horsepower. And that platform, it became the platform for so many future vehicles during that time. And again, it’s just beautiful to look at. As for one I can actually afford, a ’69 GTV Alfa Romeo. I myself currently own an ’77 Alfetta GT.

Will we ever see Alfa diesels in the US?

We’ll have to see where the market goes. Right now, we’re uncertain. Even in Europe, like London and Paris, diesels are being blocked, so it all depends on how the market goes.

Will we ever see manual options or cars like the Giulia?

We set out to build the best performance car in its class and from just a performance perspective, the Giulia’s eight-speed automatic really provides that. We think a manual in this segment would represent a compromise, and we don’t really want to bring that to the customer in this market.

Here are my new cars and trucks group taken from auto shows:

NEW CAR GROUP www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157692830961011

TAIPEI INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW 2020 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157712430283538

TAIPEI INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157702218078872

INDY AUTO SHOW 2018 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157668026886039

INDY AUTO SHOW 2017 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157677303280270

INDY AUTO SHOW 2016 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157660758053244

INDY AUTO SHOW 2015 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157650071617125

INDY AUTO SHOW 2014 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157639125626416

INDY AUTO SHOW 2013 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157632370347699

INDY AUTO SHOW 2012 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157628649320349

INDY AUTO SHOW 2011 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157625695949108

INDY AUTO SHOW 2010 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157625695949108

INDY AUTO SHOW 2009 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157625695949108

CMC

CMC/ZHONGHUA 2020 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157712573805268

ZHONGHUA/CMC 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157688517876553

AUDI 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705497523275

BMW 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705492453445

CITROEN 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705558077324

FORD 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157704050847151

HONDA 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157702212791072

INFINITI 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705492356815

JAGUAR 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157675356575547

LAND ROVER 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157688518665933

LUXGEN 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157702212677172

MERCEDES BENZ 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705557803664

MINI 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157704050517031

MITSUBISHI 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705557663074

NISSAN 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705492003565

PEUGEOT 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157704050380761

PORSCHE 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705557482054

SKODA 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157688518200133

SMART 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157677514672428

SUBARU 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705557283024

SUZUKI 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157677514602128

VOLKSWAGEN 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705557209764

VOLVO 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157705491543545

ZHONGHUA/CMC 2019 www.flickr.com/photos/jezevec/albums/72157688517876553

#TaipeiInternationalAutoShow #Taipei #Taiwan #TaipeiMotorShow #Taipeiautoshow #taipeicarshow #jezevec #new #current #make #model #year #manufacturer #dealers #forsale #sell #industry #automotive #automaker #car #汽车 #汽車 #auto #automobile #voiture #αυτοκίνητο #車 #차 #carro #автомобиль #coche #otomobil #automòbil #automobilių #cars #motorvehicle #Automóvel #自動車 #Automašīna אויטאמאביל# #automóvil #자동차 #自動車 #samochód #automóveis #bilmärke #தானுந்து #Bifreið #ავტომობილი #Automobili #Awto #Giceh #IndianapolisConventionCenter" #newcar #brandnewcar #carshow #review #specs #photo #image #picture #photography #compare #customer #stockphoto #shopper #shopping #buying #newcar #nuwemotor #makinëtëre #新车" #nieuweauto #nouvellevoiture #neuesAuto #nuovaauto #nuovaauto #新車 #carronovo #carronovo #cochenuevo #PHOTO #նորավտոմեքենան #yenavtomobil #новыаўтамабіль #নতুনগাড়ী #noviautomobil #новакола #cotxenou #novývůz #nybil #nieuweauto #uueauto #bagongkotse #uusiauto #mobilbaru #ಹೊಸಕಾರು #새차 #jaunuauto #naujasautomobilis #шинэмашин #nowysamochód #mașinănouă #novévozidlo #novovozilo #garimpya #мошининав #புதியகார் #కొత్తకారు #รถคันใหม่ #yeniaraba #yangiavtomobil #xemới #carnewydd #carentsha #December2018 #carshow2019 #2010s

www.facebook.com/davisacura

From Cars.Com (http://www.cars.com/go/crp/research.jsp?makeid=1&modelid=5127&year=2007&section=reviews) -

The MDX, Acura's seven-seat luxury SUV, has been completely re-engineered and redesigned for the first time since its 2001 debut. A Cars.com Best Bet for as long as we've awarded the honor, the MDX was ahead of the curve in this category, offering seven seats as standard equipment and luring buyers away from the Lexus RX (which still has only five). My one-day drive of the 2007 model revealed that the MDX retains all the positive attributes for which Acuras are renowned and improves upon many performance aspects. It strays into risky styling territory and takes at least one ergonomic step backward.

As before, the MDX is a single trim level, leaving option packages to distinguish one from another. It goes on sale this fall with prices ranging from about $41,000 to $48,000 — an increase of roughly $4,000.

Exterior & Styling

Built on a new unibody truck platform, the slightly longer MDX has lost only fractions of an inch in height, but it looks considerably lower. I always thought the earlier MDX's styling was inoffensive, maybe a little dorky (as if I should talk). The new one takes a stand. The defining characteristic is its shieldlike grille, whose presence is only slightly less bold than that of the MD-X concept shown at the New York auto show in April.

Now, when I say it looks like a shield, I mean it actually looks like a shield — plate metal, the kind of thing you'd want in your hand if Visigoths attacked your shopping mall. Opinions are sure to differ on this element. If Acura is lucky, some will love it and some will hate it; oddly enough, this leads to healthy sales. The term is "polarizing," which shouldn't be allowed to become a euphemism for ugly. A design needs two poles to polarize, and the competing Subaru B9 Tribeca isn't polarizing. It's abominable — enough so that Subaru has capitulated and has halted spreading the grille design to other models. Acura should keep a close eye on reactions to its own grille. The B9's sales show what happens when you come to the party not just late but ugly.

The Inside

The MDX interior has been updated, as needed, with a more modern design that may or may not stand the test of time. The bizarre steering wheel looks like a weapon, to be thrown ... perhaps at a marauding Visigoth, who, with any luck, won't be shielding himself with an MDX grille.

The tan interior works well with the brown faux wood trim, and Acura wisely offers ashen wood to go with the blacks and grays. (I never understood mixing brown with gray.) The center storage console is nice and big, but the barn-door armrest lids didn't please me or my passenger. Perhaps you can open your side without disturbing the opposite arm, but I don't think a lid should open toward you and obstruct access to the very compartment you're opening.

When it comes to ergonomic bungles, nothing comes close to the replacement of Acura's exceptional touch-screen control and navigation system display with the knob interface from the RL flagship sedan. Bad move. Terrible move. Colossal, inexcusable regression. It has a rotary joyknob, and the touch-screen aspect is gone from the 8-inch display. In review after review, I've held up the Honda/Acura system as the way other automakers should do it, so I won't go easy on Acura for this lapse in judgment. I don't know if the point is to get the display up higher, closer to one's line of sight, but I'm sure a quick poke at a touch-screen lower on the dash is less distracting than monkeying with a knob for 30 seconds.

If this seems familiar, it's because we've seen it before — called Multi-Media Interface in Audis, iDrive in BMWs and Comand in Mercedes-Benzes. OK, I get it, Acura. These are the brands you want to compete with. But if BMW jumped off a bridge... Since their appearance I've been trying to convince automakers that turning a knob is not the best way to select letters from the alphabet. If it were, you wouldn't be sitting behind a keyboard.

I suppose I should mention that the navigation system, which comes in the optional Technology Package, includes a rearview camera and integrates real-time traffic information in more than 30 U.S. cities. Great. Have fun operating it. I'll be over here with my AM radio and my map.

As for the MDX's interior, it's quieter than before and accommodating, with separate climate-control zones for the driver, front passenger and rear seats. The second row is comfortable, with adjustable backrest angle and slightly more legroom than in the previous generation. These seats don't adjust fore and aft, though the curb-side seat moves forward with the backrest to ease third-row ingress. The dimensions are pretty much the same as in the 2006. The third row is workable for adults, at least for short trips, and headroom is improved in models with the power liftgate because its motor has been moved to the driver's side D-pillar.

Now nested into the seatbacks, the third row's head restraints obstruct the rear view even less.

The Honda Freed is a mini MPV produced by the Japanese automaker Honda since 2008. The vehicle is a replacement for the Honda Mobilio. The Freed is based on the Jazz/Fit platform. Three different versions of the Freed are available: a seven-seat version which features captain’s seats in the second row; an eight-seat version; and a five-seat version. Honda also stated that a wheelchair-accessible model is offered in addition to versions with a side lift-up seat and passenger lift-up seat.

The Autobianchi Bianchina is an automobile produced by the Italian automaker Autobianchi, based on the Fiat 500. It was available in various configurations: Berlina (saloon), Cabriolet (roadster), Trasformabile (convertible), Panoramica (station wagon), and Furgoncino (van). The car was presented to the public on September 16, 1957 at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

Initially, the car was equipped with the smallest Fiat engine, air-cooled 479 cc producing 15 hp (11 kW). In 1959, the engine power was increased to 17 hp (13 kW) and in 1960, the cabriolet version was launched.

In the same year, the Trasformabile, whose engine cylinder capacity was increased to 499 cc (18 hp), was made available in a Special version with bicolour paint and an engine enhanced to 21 hp (16 kW). In 1962, the Trasformabile was replaced by a 4-seat saloon. The engine and chassis were the same as in the Trasformabile.

In 1965, a minor facelift was made.

In 1970 Bianchina went out of production, replaced by the more modern A112.

(Wikipedia)

- - -

Die Autobianchi Bianchina ist ein Kleinstwagen des italienischen Automobilherstellers Autobianchi. Der Pkw wurde von 1957 bis 1969 gebaut. Bei der Bianchina handelte es sich um einen Fiat Nuova 500 mit Sonderkarosserie.

Angeboten wurde ein zweisitziges Klein-Coupé mit Faltschiebedach, auch als Bianchina Speciale mit dem leistungsstärkeren Motor des Fiat 500 Sport (1957/58 bis 1962), eine zweitürige Limousine (auch mit dem Sport-Motor), ein Cabrio und auch eine Kombivariante namens Panoramica (in Deutschland Panorama genannt), welche technisch, aber nicht vom Aufbau her mit dem Fiat 500-Kombi identisch war.

Technisch folgte die Bianchina stets den Änderungen am Fiat 500; der Motor maß zunächst 479 cm³ wie im Nuova 500, später 499,5 cm³ wie im 500 D. Die Höchstgeschwindigkeit der Fahrzeuge betrug rund 90 km/h.

1969 wurde die Produktion der Bianchina-Baureihe beendet.

Dafür rückte die bis 1977 produzierte Autobianchi Giardiniera ins Programm. Dies war der praktisch unverändert weitergebaute, bei Fiat selbst aufgegebene Fiat 500 Kombi.

(Wikipedia)

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests.

The Lamborghini Gallardo (Italian pronunciation: [ɡaˈʎarðo]) is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 5000 built in its first three years of production.[Each car costs about $180,000 to $210,000. The car is named after a famous breed of fighting bull. The Spanish word gallardo translates into "gallant," and from Italian into "striking".

The Gallardo offers two choices of transmissions, a conventional (H-Box) six-speed manual transmission, and an advanced six-speed electro-hydraulically controlled semi-automatic robotized manual, which Lamborghini abbreviates to "E-gear". The "E-gear" allows the driver to make shifts much faster than a manual transmission would. The driver shifts up and down via paddles behind the steering wheel, and does not and cannot manually actuate the clutch.

For the MY2006 (launched in late 2005) Lamborghini introduced many changes to the car to counter some criticisms garnered by the press and owners. These were derived from the limited edition Gallardo SE. The exhaust system was changed to a more sporty one (including a flap to make it quieter around town), the suspension was revised and a new steering rack was fitted, the engine power was increased by 20 bhp to a maximum of 512 brake horsepower (382 kW), the biggest change was an overall lowering of the gearing especially in 1st to 5th. The result was a much improved car, it handled and turned in better, sounded better under full throttle and the extra power and lower gearing turned an already fast car into a seriously quick one.

Lamborghini Concept S (2005)

It is a concept vehicle based on contemporary Gallardo, but without roof. The car was designed by Luc Donckerwolke, Head of Lamborghini Design.

The car was unveiled in 2005 Geneva Motor Show.

SE (2005)

2006 Verde Ithaca Gallardo SE on Angeles Crest Hwy in Los Angeles.

Gallardo SE (Special Edition) is a limited (250 unit) version introduced in late 2005. The SE is distinguished from the regular Gallardo externally by having a black-roofed two-tone color scheme as well as specially-designed "Callisto" rims shod with Pirelli tires. Note that the Gallardo SE could only be ordered in a very small selection of exterior colors: two grey shades as well as white (Balloon white), yellow (Giallo Midas), Orange (Arancio Borealis) and green (Verde Ithaca)

The Gallardo SE comes with a two-tone interior. All piping and stitching on the ultra-quality leather are executed in the same color as the bodywork of the car. The mid sections of the seats are finished in color-coded upholstery and even the black floormats have a color coded borders.

A rear-view camera is also standard issue on the Gallardo SE, as is a multimedia system and a navigation system. The sport suspension and an exclusive cover also came with the car but there are still several other options available, like the E-gear, which featured a 'thrust' mode to offer even more impressive acceleration by improving the gearchange through the different gears.

This "thrust" mode automatically revs the car to 5,000 rpm, drops the clutch engaging all four wheels in a controlled burnout, and ensures the car performs maximum acceleration. This "launch" only requires the driver to engage the "thrust" mode and step on the gas pedal, similar to the launch technology in pre-2008 Formula 1 race cars.

#Taipei #Taiwan #TaipeiMotorShow #Taipeiautoshow #taipeicarshow #jezevec #new #current #make #model #year #manufacturer #dealers #forsale #sell #industry #automotive #automaker #car #汽车 #汽車 #auto #automobile #voiture #αυτοκίνητο #車 #차 #carro #автомобиль #coche #otomobil #automòbil #automobilių #cars #motorvehicle #Automóvel #自動車 #Automašīna אויטאמאביל# #automóvil #자동차 #自動車 #samochód #automóveis #bilmärke #தானுந்து #Bifreið #ავტომობილი #Automobili #Awto #Giceh #IndianapolisConventionCenter" #newcar #brandnewcar #carshow #review #specs #photo #image #picture #photography #compare #customer #stockphoto #shopper #shopping #buying #newcar #nuwemotor #makinëtëre #新车" #nieuweauto #nouvellevoiture #neuesAuto #nuovaauto #nuovaauto #新車 #carronovo #carronovo #cochenuevo #PHOTO #նորավտոմեքենան #yenavtomobil #новыаўтамабіль #নতুনগাড়ী #noviautomobil #новакола #cotxenou #novývůz #nybil #nieuweauto #uueauto #bagongkotse #uusiauto #mobilbaru #ಹೊಸಕಾರು #새차 #jaunuauto #naujasautomobilis #шинэмашин #nowysamochód #mașinănouă #novévozidlo #novovozilo #garimpya #мошининав #புதியகார் #కొత్తకారు #รถคันใหม่ #yeniaraba #yangiavtomobil #xemới #carnewydd #carentsha #December2018 #carshow2019 #2010s

Think French automakers, and you think Peugeot, Renault and Citroen. For a great many years these three marques have dominated French sales and production.

France though, has a long history of car making, innovation, styling and coachbuilding. Unfortunately, like in many countries, most of this activity was severely hampered by WWII, and what was left struggled to find their feet in the 1950s and 1960s.

France, now part of the common European market, was more isolationist in the 1950s. If you wanted to sell cars in France you probably had to build cars in France. For a car-maker like Ford, this meant a French manufacturing arm combined with a design and engineering centre - Ford of France. Contrary to popular modern wisdom, Ford of France models were significantly different to those made in Germany and England - the two other large European car markets. Ultimately the market forces and logic corrected this oversight, and Ford of France's assets were sold to rival Simca in 1954.

Prior to this date though, Ford France produced this gem, the Comète. The Comète was based on the platform of the Ford Vedette, a range of cars bearing a resemblance to a 8/10ths scale Mercury from 1948. The Comète deployed a shorter wheelbase, and used the Vedette's Aquilon V8 engine, first at 2.2 litres (1951), 2.4 litres (1952) and switched to the Ford truck Mistral V8 of 3.9 litres for 1953-1954. The Mistral provided a big uplift in power and torque, but was ill-favoured due to its commercial vehicle roots, and secondly, the taxation regime for automobiles in France had strong disincentive for engine capacities over 2.0 litres.

Of further interest, the Comète had its body built by the Facel concern, who would later go on to make their own high-end luxury cars using large capacity Chrysler V8s (the Facel Vega).

In all, this is a handsome car, and very powerful for the period. The car is rare, and surviving examples have a strong following.

Read more on wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Com%C3%A8te

This Lego Miniland-scale 1954 Ford Comète Monte Carlo has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 115th Build Challenge, - "The French Connection", - for cars from France.

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests.

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a high-performance two-door, two-seat coupé sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini. Often referred to as a supercar, it is powered by a recent evolution of the Lamborghini V12 engine, and is the flagship of the automaker's lineup. The Murciélago was introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the successor to the famed Diablo supercar, and was the automaker's first new design in eleven years, as well as the first under the ownership of German automaker VW. The Murciélago was styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005. A roadster version of the car was introduced in 2004, followed by the updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and LP 650-4 Roadster.

In a continuation of Lamborghini's tradition of giving its cars names from the world of bullfighting, the Murciélago was named for a fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in an 1879 fight against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain. Murciélago fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. The bull, which came from Joaquin del Val di Navarra's farm, was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, a noted local breeder; thus began the famed Miura line of fighting bulls, which provided the name for one of Lamborghini's first great cars. Murciélago is the Spanish name for the bat.

The Murciélago is a four-wheel drive, mid-engined sports car. Its coupé body is especially low-slung, with its roof rising to just under four feet above the ground. The supercar features scissor doors, which contribute to its exotic image. First-generation Murciélagos, produced between 2001 and 2006, were powered by a 6.2-litre V12 which traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated into the engine unit, and the four-wheel drive features a central viscous coupler. Power was sent to the wheels through a six-speed manual. The Murciélago possesses an independent double-wishbone suspension design, and features a combination of carbon-fiber and steel bodywork. The rear spoiler and the air scoops integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically activated, and fold out from the body at high speeds to aid aerodynamic performance and provide additional engine cooling, respectively.

Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary Edition

The V12 engine in these cars produced just under 580 PS, or pferdestärke (German: horse strength), a unit of power commonly used in Europe. The engine was capable of powering the car to a speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. The first-generation cars, equipped with the 6.2-litre V12, were produced between 2001 and 2006, and are known simply as Murciélago. Although subsequent versions of the Murciélago were designated with their engine output in PS, the original cars were not designated "LP 580" in line with the later convention.

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests.

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a high-performance two-door, two-seat coupé sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini. Often referred to as a supercar, it is powered by a recent evolution of the Lamborghini V12 engine, and is the flagship of the automaker's lineup. The Murciélago was introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the successor to the famed Diablo supercar, and was the automaker's first new design in eleven years, as well as the first under the ownership of German automaker VW. The Murciélago was styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005. A roadster version of the car was introduced in 2004, followed by the updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and LP 650-4 Roadster.

In a continuation of Lamborghini's tradition of giving its cars names from the world of bullfighting, the Murciélago was named for a fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in an 1879 fight against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain. Murciélago fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. The bull, which came from Joaquin del Val di Navarra's farm, was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, a noted local breeder; thus began the famed Miura line of fighting bulls, which provided the name for one of Lamborghini's first great cars. Murciélago is the Spanish name for the bat.

The Murciélago is a four-wheel drive, mid-engined sports car. Its coupé body is especially low-slung, with its roof rising to just under four feet above the ground. The supercar features scissor doors, which contribute to its exotic image. First-generation Murciélagos, produced between 2001 and 2006, were powered by a 6.2-litre V12 which traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated into the engine unit, and the four-wheel drive features a central viscous coupler. Power was sent to the wheels through a six-speed manual. The Murciélago possesses an independent double-wishbone suspension design, and features a combination of carbon-fiber and steel bodywork. The rear spoiler and the air scoops integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically activated, and fold out from the body at high speeds to aid aerodynamic performance and provide additional engine cooling, respectively.

Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary Edition

The V12 engine in these cars produced just under 580 PS, or pferdestärke (German: horse strength), a unit of power commonly used in Europe. The engine was capable of powering the car to a speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. The first-generation cars, equipped with the 6.2-litre V12, were produced between 2001 and 2006, and are known simply as Murciélago. Although subsequent versions of the Murciélago were designated with their engine output in PS, the original cars were not designated "LP 580" in line with the later convention.

Think French automakers, and you think Peugeot, Renault and Citroen. For a great many years these three marques have dominated French sales and production.

France though, has a long history of car making, innovation, styling and coachbuilding. Unfortunately, like in many countries, most of this activity was severely hampered by WWII, and what was left struggled to find their feet in the 1950s and 1960s.

France, now part of the common European market, was more isolationist in the 1950s. If you wanted to sell cars in France you probably had to build cars in France. For a car-maker like Ford, this meant a French manufacturing arm combined with a design and engineering centre - Ford of France. Contrary to popular modern wisdom, Ford of France models were significantly different to those made in Germany and England - the two other large European car markets. Ultimately the market forces and logic corrected this oversight, and Ford of France's assets were sold to rival Simca in 1954.

Prior to this date though, Ford France produced this gem, the Comète. The Comète was based on the platform of the Ford Vedette, a range of cars bearing a resemblance to a 8/10ths scale Mercury from 1948. The Comète deployed a shorter wheelbase, and used the Vedette's Aquilon V8 engine, first at 2.2 litres (1951), 2.4 litres (1952) and switched to the Ford truck Mistral V8 of 3.9 litres for 1953-1954. The Mistral provided a big uplift in power and torque, but was ill-favoured due to its commercial vehicle roots, and secondly, the taxation regime for automobiles in France had strong disincentive for engine capacities over 2.0 litres.

Of further interest, the Comète had its body built by the Facel concern, who would later go on to make their own high-end luxury cars using large capacity Chrysler V8s (the Facel Vega).

In all, this is a handsome car, and very powerful for the period. The car is rare, and surviving examples have a strong following.

Read more on wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Com%C3%A8te

This Lego Miniland-scale 1954 Ford Comète Monte Carlo has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 115th Build Challenge, - "The French Connection", - for cars from France.

The Porsche 935 was a race car developed and manufactured by German automaker Porsche. Introduced in 1976 as the factory racing version of the 911 (930) Turbo and prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules, it was an evolution of the Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype, the second place overall finisher in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Beginning with the 1977 season, Porsche offered the 935 to customers entering the World Championship for Makes, in the IMSA GT Championship and in the German Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM). The 935 went on to win the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans overall, and other major endurance races.

After having won both world championships in 1976, Porsche focused on Le Mans. Due to a lack of competition in 1976, Porsche decided not to defend its sportscar championship with the 936 in 1977, leaving it to the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33. The series would be demoted to a European series in 1978 before being discontinued.

In the 1977 World Championship for Makes season, the factory continued to develop and race one or two new 935, in case BMW or another brand would bring a competitive turbocharged car. Customers of the 935/77A were not happy that the factory would race them with a newer car, but as the 935/77 was often unreliable, it won only four of the nine WCM events, which did not include Le Mans.

In the WCM season opening 24 hour Daytona, the old car was entered, but tyre failures caused a DNF, with an old RSR taking the win in front of two customer 935. The new car body was changed significantly to lower drag, resulting in a 10 km/h higher top speed at Paul Ricard, where it covered 3,500 km in tests at speed, lapping three to four seconds faster. The front fenders, which in 1976 had followed the hood, now protruded above the hood line, and also accommodated mirrors. The rear fenders were altered, but the biggest change was the addition of a second rear window above the standard one. This allowed cleaner air flow to the rear wing under which the single turbo was later replaced by two KKK units. This improved throttle response and also power, but several head gasket failures meant that Porsche had some home work to do for 1978.

The works 935/77 qualified sixth at the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans, behind the Renault Alpines and the 936s, but engine troubles ended their race early. As in 1976, a 936 won after the turbo powered sportscars chased each other into troubles. This time, a customer 935 finished third overall.

As for most of the models built his November, the Porsche 935/77 is a major redesign of a previously created model. In LUGNuts there was a build challenge named 'Redo or Redemption' just for this type of build.

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests. Lamborghini would remain on life support throughout the rest of the 1990s, continuously updating the Diablo of 1990 in lieu of a planned expanded range of offerings, including a smaller car that would appeal to American enthusiasts.

The Lamborghini Diablo was a high-performance mid-engined sports car built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour (320 km/h).

At a time when the company was financed by the Swiss-based Mimram brothers, Lamborghini began development of what was codenamed Project 132 in June 1985 as a replacement for the Countach model. The brief stated that its top speed had to be at least 315 km/h.

The design of the car was contracted to Marcello Gandini, who had designed its two predecessors. When Chrysler bought the company in 1987, providing money to complete its development, its management was unimpressed with Gandini’s designs and commissioned its design team in Detroit to execute a third extensive redesign, smoothing out the trademark sharp edges and corners of Gandini's original design, and leaving him famously unimpressed.

The car became known as the Diablo, carrying on Lamborghini's tradition of naming its cars after breeds of fighting bull. The Diablo was named after a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua in the 19th century, famous for fighting an epic battle with 'El Chicorro' in Madrid on July 11 1869. In the words of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the Diablo was designed "solely to be the biggest head-turner in the world."[4]

The project is believed to have cost a total of 6,000,000,000 lira.

The Diablo was presented to the public for sale on January 21, 1990 at a base price of USD $240,000 at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo during the second Lamborghini Day.[2] Power came from a 5.7-litre, 48-valve version of the legendary Lamborghini V12 featuring dual overhead cams and computer-controlled multi-point fuel injection, producing a maximum output of 492 hp (367 kW; 499 PS) and 427 ft·lbf (579 N·m) of torque. The vehicle could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in slightly under 4 seconds, with a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h). The Diablo was originally rear-wheel drive and the engine was mid-mounted to aid its weight balance.

Even at over $240,000, the vehicle was somewhat spartan, featuring only basic radio functions (with optional CD playback) along with manual windows, adjustable but unpowered seats and no anti-lock brakes, mostly to minimize the vehicle's already high curb weight. A few options were available, including having the driver's seat molded specifically for the buyer, a rear spoiler, a factory fitted luggage set (priced at $2,600) and an exclusive Breguet clock for the dash (priced at $10,500).

It was the fastest production car in the world in 1991 having a top speed of 202mph beating the Ferrari F40's 201mph. The Diablo held the title until the Jaguar XJ220 claimed a top speed of 217mph making it the fastest production car of 1993.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests.

The Lamborghini Gallardo (Italian pronunciation: [ɡaˈʎarðo]) is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 5000 built in its first three years of production.[Each car costs about $180,000 to $210,000. The car is named after a famous breed of fighting bull. The Spanish word gallardo translates into "gallant," and from Italian into "striking".

The Gallardo offers two choices of transmissions, a conventional (H-Box) six-speed manual transmission, and an advanced six-speed electro-hydraulically controlled semi-automatic robotized manual, which Lamborghini abbreviates to "E-gear". The "E-gear" allows the driver to make shifts much faster than a manual transmission would. The driver shifts up and down via paddles behind the steering wheel, and does not and cannot manually actuate the clutch.

For the MY2006 (launched in late 2005) Lamborghini introduced many changes to the car to counter some criticisms garnered by the press and owners. These were derived from the limited edition Gallardo SE. The exhaust system was changed to a more sporty one (including a flap to make it quieter around town), the suspension was revised and a new steering rack was fitted, the engine power was increased by 20 bhp to a maximum of 512 brake horsepower (382 kW), the biggest change was an overall lowering of the gearing especially in 1st to 5th. The result was a much improved car, it handled and turned in better, sounded better under full throttle and the extra power and lower gearing turned an already fast car into a seriously quick one.

Lamborghini Concept S (2005)

It is a concept vehicle based on contemporary Gallardo, but without roof. The car was designed by Luc Donckerwolke, Head of Lamborghini Design.

The car was unveiled in 2005 Geneva Motor Show.

SE (2005)

2006 Verde Ithaca Gallardo SE on Angeles Crest Hwy in Los Angeles.

Gallardo SE (Special Edition) is a limited (250 unit) version introduced in late 2005. The SE is distinguished from the regular Gallardo externally by having a black-roofed two-tone color scheme as well as specially-designed "Callisto" rims shod with Pirelli tires. Note that the Gallardo SE could only be ordered in a very small selection of exterior colors: two grey shades as well as white (Balloon white), yellow (Giallo Midas), Orange (Arancio Borealis) and green (Verde Ithaca)

The Gallardo SE comes with a two-tone interior. All piping and stitching on the ultra-quality leather are executed in the same color as the bodywork of the car. The mid sections of the seats are finished in color-coded upholstery and even the black floormats have a color coded borders.

A rear-view camera is also standard issue on the Gallardo SE, as is a multimedia system and a navigation system. The sport suspension and an exclusive cover also came with the car but there are still several other options available, like the E-gear, which featured a 'thrust' mode to offer even more impressive acceleration by improving the gearchange through the different gears.

This "thrust" mode automatically revs the car to 5,000 rpm, drops the clutch engaging all four wheels in a controlled burnout, and ensures the car performs maximum acceleration. This "launch" only requires the driver to engage the "thrust" mode and step on the gas pedal, similar to the launch technology in pre-2008 Formula 1 race cars.

Australia.

British automaker Bentley was founded in 1919 by W.O.Bentley. Rolls Royce took over Bentley in 1931..

The first Bentley produced after the War was the 1946-52 Mk VI with the same body as the Rolls Royce Silver Dawn, their standard steel bodies featured rear hinged ‘suicide’ doors.

The 1952 R type Bentley got a lot larger boot area.

Independent coach builders also built 2 and 4 door saloons and a drop head coupe.

The 2 door R-Type Continental was a higher performance version built by the independent Coach builders.

Engine; 4257cc 6 cyl (single exhaust) then 4566cc in 1951 (dual exhaust)

Think French automakers, and you think Peugeot, Renault and Citroen. For a great many years these three marques have dominated French sales and production.

France though, has a long history of car making, innovation, styling and coachbuilding. Unfortunately, like in many countries, most of this activity was severely hampered by WWII, and what was left struggled to find their feet in the 1950s and 1960s.

France, now part of the common European market, was more isolationist in the 1950s. If you wanted to sell cars in France you probably had to build cars in France. For a car-maker like Ford, this meant a French manufacturing arm combined with a design and engineering centre - Ford of France. Contrary to popular modern wisdom, Ford of France models were significantly different to those made in Germany and England - the two other large European car markets. Ultimately the market forces and logic corrected this oversight, and Ford of France's assets were sold to rival Simca in 1954.

Prior to this date though, Ford France produced this gem, the Comète. The Comète was based on the platform of the Ford Vedette, a range of cars bearing a resemblance to a 8/10ths scale Mercury from 1948. The Comète deployed a shorter wheelbase, and used the Vedette's Aquilon V8 engine, first at 2.2 litres (1951), 2.4 litres (1952) and switched to the Ford truck Mistral V8 of 3.9 litres for 1953-1954. The Mistral provided a big uplift in power and torque, but was ill-favoured due to its commercial vehicle roots, and secondly, the taxation regime for automobiles in France had strong disincentive for engine capacities over 2.0 litres.

Of further interest, the Comète had its body built by the Facel concern, who would later go on to make their own high-end luxury cars using large capacity Chrysler V8s (the Facel Vega).

In all, this is a handsome car, and very powerful for the period. The car is rare, and surviving examples have a strong following.

Read more on wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Com%C3%A8te

This Lego Miniland-scale 1954 Ford Comète Monte Carlo has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 115th Build Challenge, - "The French Connection", - for cars from France.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests.

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a high-performance two-door, two-seat coupé sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini. Often referred to as a supercar, it is powered by a recent evolution of the Lamborghini V12 engine, and is the flagship of the automaker's lineup. The Murciélago was introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the successor to the famed Diablo supercar, and was the automaker's first new design in eleven years, as well as the first under the ownership of German automaker VW. The Murciélago was styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005. A roadster version of the car was introduced in 2004, followed by the updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and LP 650-4 Roadster.

In a continuation of Lamborghini's tradition of giving its cars names from the world of bullfighting, the Murciélago was named for a fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in an 1879 fight against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain. Murciélago fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. The bull, which came from Joaquin del Val di Navarra's farm, was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, a noted local breeder; thus began the famed Miura line of fighting bulls, which provided the name for one of Lamborghini's first great cars. Murciélago is the Spanish name for the bat.

The Murciélago is a four-wheel drive, mid-engined sports car. Its coupé body is especially low-slung, with its roof rising to just under four feet above the ground. The supercar features scissor doors, which contribute to its exotic image. First-generation Murciélagos, produced between 2001 and 2006, were powered by a 6.2-litre V12 which traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated into the engine unit, and the four-wheel drive features a central viscous coupler. Power was sent to the wheels through a six-speed manual. The Murciélago possesses an independent double-wishbone suspension design, and features a combination of carbon-fiber and steel bodywork. The rear spoiler and the air scoops integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically activated, and fold out from the body at high speeds to aid aerodynamic performance and provide additional engine cooling, respectively.

Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary Edition

The V12 engine in these cars produced just under 580 PS, or pferdestärke (German: horse strength), a unit of power commonly used in Europe. The engine was capable of powering the car to a speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. The first-generation cars, equipped with the 6.2-litre V12, were produced between 2001 and 2006, and are known simply as Murciélago. Although subsequent versions of the Murciélago were designated with their engine output in PS, the original cars were not designated "LP 580" in line with the later convention.

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars. The "cabin-forward" design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

The word countach is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language — generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman. The term is often considered the equivalent of an excited obscenity in English. It can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw "Project 112" in his studio.The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous and subsequent Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills. It was also partly for style, and partly because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. The car's poor rear visibility and wide sills led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill, and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one's point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rear view. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach's styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes 'classic' or 'great' automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One — The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo "Bravo" wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979's production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two — These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three — It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3 cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini's somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

The 1985 LP500S is characterized as a toy named Sideswipe in the popular TV series Transformers.

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing — unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model. The 1985 US model had a base price of $99,500. Only two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system. Many models were sold with both options.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests.

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a high-performance two-door, two-seat coupé sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini. Often referred to as a supercar, it is powered by a recent evolution of the Lamborghini V12 engine, and is the flagship of the automaker's lineup. The Murciélago was introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the successor to the famed Diablo supercar, and was the automaker's first new design in eleven years, as well as the first under the ownership of German automaker VW. The Murciélago was styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005. A roadster version of the car was introduced in 2004, followed by the updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and LP 650-4 Roadster.

In a continuation of Lamborghini's tradition of giving its cars names from the world of bullfighting, the Murciélago was named for a fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in an 1879 fight against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain. Murciélago fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. The bull, which came from Joaquin del Val di Navarra's farm, was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, a noted local breeder; thus began the famed Miura line of fighting bulls, which provided the name for one of Lamborghini's first great cars. Murciélago is the Spanish name for the bat.

The Murciélago is a four-wheel drive, mid-engined sports car. Its coupé body is especially low-slung, with its roof rising to just under four feet above the ground. The supercar features scissor doors, which contribute to its exotic image. First-generation Murciélagos, produced between 2001 and 2006, were powered by a 6.2-litre V12 which traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated into the engine unit, and the four-wheel drive features a central viscous coupler. Power was sent to the wheels through a six-speed manual. The Murciélago possesses an independent double-wishbone suspension design, and features a combination of carbon-fiber and steel bodywork. The rear spoiler and the air scoops integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically activated, and fold out from the body at high speeds to aid aerodynamic performance and provide additional engine cooling, respectively.

Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary Edition

The V12 engine in these cars produced just under 580 PS, or pferdestärke (German: horse strength), a unit of power commonly used in Europe. The engine was capable of powering the car to a speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. The first-generation cars, equipped with the 6.2-litre V12, were produced between 2001 and 2006, and are known simply as Murciélago. Although subsequent versions of the Murciélago were designated with their engine output in PS, the original cars were not designated "LP 580" in line with the later convention.

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of England. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008.

Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body, though). It was built to win long-distance sports car races against Ferrari (who won at Le Mans six times in a row from 1960 to 1965). That car used the Gurney Weslake engine with the special alloy heads made by Weslake.

The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) with the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches (1.02 m, measured at the windshield) as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines (4.7 L and 7 L) were used, compared with the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 L or 4.0 L.

Early cars were simply named "Ford GT". The name "GT40" was the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first 12 "prototype" vehicles carried serial numbers GT-101 through GT-112. The "production" began and the subsequent cars, the MkI, MkIIs, MkIIIs, and MkIVs, numbered GT40P/1000 through GT40P/1145, were officially "GT40s". The name of Ford's project, and the serial numbers dispel the story that "GT40" was "only a nickname.“

The Ford GT90 was a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 253 mph (409 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW) quad-turbocharged V12 engine, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car was a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

In the Top Gear episode first broadcast on October 26, 2003, Jeremy Clarkson stated "I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon".

2015 BMW i8 will highlight the automaker's Frankfurt debut list

The Autobianchi Bianchina is an automobile produced by the Italian automaker Autobianchi, based on the Fiat 500. It was available in various configurations: Berlina (saloon), Cabriolet (roadster), Trasformabile (convertible), Panoramica (station wagon), and Furgoncino (van). The car was presented to the public on September 16, 1957 at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

Initially, the car was equipped with the smallest Fiat engine, air-cooled 479 cc producing 15 hp (11 kW). In 1959, the engine power was increased to 17 hp (13 kW) and in 1960, the cabriolet version was launched.

In the same year, the Trasformabile, whose engine cylinder capacity was increased to 499 cc (18 hp), was made available in a Special version with bicolour paint and an engine enhanced to 21 hp (16 kW). In 1962, the Trasformabile was replaced by a 4-seat saloon. The engine and chassis were the same as in the Trasformabile.

In 1965, a minor facelift was made.

In 1970 Bianchina went out of production, replaced by the more modern A112.

(Wikipedia)

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Die Autobianchi Bianchina ist ein Kleinstwagen des italienischen Automobilherstellers Autobianchi. Der Pkw wurde von 1957 bis 1969 gebaut. Bei der Bianchina handelte es sich um einen Fiat Nuova 500 mit Sonderkarosserie.

Angeboten wurde ein zweisitziges Klein-Coupé mit Faltschiebedach, auch als Bianchina Speciale mit dem leistungsstärkeren Motor des Fiat 500 Sport (1957/58 bis 1962), eine zweitürige Limousine (auch mit dem Sport-Motor), ein Cabrio und auch eine Kombivariante namens Panoramica (in Deutschland Panorama genannt), welche technisch, aber nicht vom Aufbau her mit dem Fiat 500-Kombi identisch war.

Technisch folgte die Bianchina stets den Änderungen am Fiat 500; der Motor maß zunächst 479 cm³ wie im Nuova 500, später 499,5 cm³ wie im 500 D. Die Höchstgeschwindigkeit der Fahrzeuge betrug rund 90 km/h.

1969 wurde die Produktion der Bianchina-Baureihe beendet.

Dafür rückte die bis 1977 produzierte Autobianchi Giardiniera ins Programm. Dies war der praktisch unverändert weitergebaute, bei Fiat selbst aufgegebene Fiat 500 Kombi.

(Wikipedia)

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests.

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a high-performance two-door, two-seat coupé sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini. Often referred to as a supercar, it is powered by a recent evolution of the Lamborghini V12 engine, and is the flagship of the automaker's lineup. The Murciélago was introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the successor to the famed Diablo supercar, and was the automaker's first new design in eleven years, as well as the first under the ownership of German automaker VW. The Murciélago was styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005. A roadster version of the car was introduced in 2004, followed by the updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and LP 650-4 Roadster.

In a continuation of Lamborghini's tradition of giving its cars names from the world of bullfighting, the Murciélago was named for a fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in an 1879 fight against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain. Murciélago fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. The bull, which came from Joaquin del Val di Navarra's farm, was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, a noted local breeder; thus began the famed Miura line of fighting bulls, which provided the name for one of Lamborghini's first great cars. Murciélago is the Spanish name for the bat.

The Murciélago is a four-wheel drive, mid-engined sports car. Its coupé body is especially low-slung, with its roof rising to just under four feet above the ground. The supercar features scissor doors, which contribute to its exotic image. First-generation Murciélagos, produced between 2001 and 2006, were powered by a 6.2-litre V12 which traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated into the engine unit, and the four-wheel drive features a central viscous coupler. Power was sent to the wheels through a six-speed manual. The Murciélago possesses an independent double-wishbone suspension design, and features a combination of carbon-fiber and steel bodywork. The rear spoiler and the air scoops integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically activated, and fold out from the body at high speeds to aid aerodynamic performance and provide additional engine cooling, respectively.

Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary Edition

The V12 engine in these cars produced just under 580 PS, or pferdestärke (German: horse strength), a unit of power commonly used in Europe. The engine was capable of powering the car to a speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. The first-generation cars, equipped with the 6.2-litre V12, were produced between 2001 and 2006, and are known simply as Murciélago. Although subsequent versions of the Murciélago were designated with their engine output in PS, the original cars were not designated "LP 580" in line with the later convention.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998. Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth.

Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the automobile manufacturing business with the aim of producing a high-quality grand tourer that could outperform and outclass offerings from local rival Ferrari S.p.A. Lamborghini met with success in 1966 with the release of the mid-engined Miura sports coupé, and in 1968 with the Espada GT, the latter of which sold over 1,200 units during ten years of production. After almost a decade of rapid growth, and the release of classic models like the Countach in 1974, hard times befell the company in the late 1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Bankruptcy crippled the automaker, and after passing through the hands of a number of Swiss entrepreneurs, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of industry giant Chrysler. The American company failed to make the Italian manufacturer profitable, and in 1994, the company was sold to Indonesian interests.

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a high-performance two-door, two-seat coupé sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini. Often referred to as a supercar, it is powered by a recent evolution of the Lamborghini V12 engine, and is the flagship of the automaker's lineup. The Murciélago was introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the successor to the famed Diablo supercar, and was the automaker's first new design in eleven years, as well as the first under the ownership of German automaker VW. The Murciélago was styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005. A roadster version of the car was introduced in 2004, followed by the updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and LP 650-4 Roadster.

In a continuation of Lamborghini's tradition of giving its cars names from the world of bullfighting, the Murciélago was named for a fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in an 1879 fight against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain. Murciélago fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. The bull, which came from Joaquin del Val di Navarra's farm, was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, a noted local breeder; thus began the famed Miura line of fighting bulls, which provided the name for one of Lamborghini's first great cars. Murciélago is the Spanish name for the bat.

The Murciélago is a four-wheel drive, mid-engined sports car. Its coupé body is especially low-slung, with its roof rising to just under four feet above the ground. The supercar features scissor doors, which contribute to its exotic image. First-generation Murciélagos, produced between 2001 and 2006, were powered by a 6.2-litre V12 which traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated into the engine unit, and the four-wheel drive features a central viscous coupler. Power was sent to the wheels through a six-speed manual. The Murciélago possesses an independent double-wishbone suspension design, and features a combination of carbon-fiber and steel bodywork. The rear spoiler and the air scoops integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically activated, and fold out from the body at high speeds to aid aerodynamic performance and provide additional engine cooling, respectively.

Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary Edition

The V12 engine in these cars produced just under 580 PS, or pferdestärke (German: horse strength), a unit of power commonly used in Europe. The engine was capable of powering the car to a speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. The first-generation cars, equipped with the 6.2-litre V12, were produced between 2001 and 2006, and are known simply as Murciélago. Although subsequent versions of the Murciélago were designated with their engine output in PS, the original cars were not designated "LP 580" in line with the later convention.