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.

(HistoryOrb.com) Aug. 3, 1975 - Louisiana Superdome is dedicated.

(Wikipedia) The Mercedes-Benz Superdome (originally Louisiana Superdome and commonly The Superdome) is a domed sports and exhibition venue, located at the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Plans were drawn up in 1967, by the New Orleans modernist architectural firm of Curtis and Davis. Its steel frame covers a 13-acre (5.3 ha) expanse. Its 273-foot (83 m) dome is made of a Lamella multi-ringed frame and has a diameter of 680 feet (210 m), making it the largest fixed domed structure in the world.

Because of the size and location in one of the major tourist destinations in the United States, the Superdome routinely makes the "short list" of candidates being considered for major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl and the Final Four.

In 2005, the Superdome gained international attention of a different type when it housed thousands of people seeking shelter from Hurricane Katrina. The building suffered extensive damage as a result of the storm, and was closed for many months afterward.

On October 3, 2011, it was announced that German automaker Mercedes-Benz purchased naming rights to the stadium. The new name took effect on October 23, 2011. It is the third stadium that has naming rights from Mercedes-Benz (and first in the United States), after the Mercedes-Benz Arena, the stadium of Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart, in Stuttgart, Germany and the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China.

Since 2011, it has had a capacity of 73,208 (expandable to 76,468).

Saab, the Swedish automaker taken over by General Motors, valiantly tried to hold on before going bankrupt. In 2012, it was announced that a newly formed company, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) had bought Saab Automobile. By then Saab was gone in the U.S.

This late-model 9-5 sedan was one of the last Saabs to be sold in the U.S. In North America, the engine choices were either a turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 or an Ecotec inline four. Any resemblance to the Chevrolet Malibu is, well, regrettable.

As the saying goes, Saab was born from jets and killed by jerks.

The Volkswagen Atlas is a full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) to be manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen at its Chattanooga plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the United States. The Atlas will be the largest vehicle produced on the Volkswagen Group MQB platform and will feature transverse-mounted engines of four-cylinders or Volkswagen's narrow angle V6

2017 Vancouver International Auto Show

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.

#Indy #Auto #Show #IndyAutoShow #Indianapolis #Indiana #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 سيارة# #Automašīna אויטאמאביל# #automóvil #자동차 #自動車 #samochód #automóveis #bilmärke #தானுந்து #Bifreið #ავტომობილი #Automobili #Awto #Giceh 2010s #IndianapolisConventionCenter" #December2014 #newcar #brandnewcar #carshow #review #specs #photo #image #picture #photography #compare #carshow2016 #customer #stockphoto #shopper #shopping #buying NEW CAR "nuwe motor" "makinë të re" "سيارة جديدة" "新车" "nieuwe auto" "nouvelle voiture" "neues Auto" "nuova auto" "nuova auto" 新車 "carro novo" "carro novo" "coche nuevo" PHOTO "նոր ավտոմեքենան" "yeni avtomobil" "новы аўтамабіль" "নতুন গাড়ী" "novi automobil" "нова кола" "cotxe nou" "nový vůz" "ny bil" "nieuwe auto" "uue auto" "bagong kotse" "uusi auto" "מכונית חדשה" "mobil baru" "ಹೊಸ ಕಾರು" "새 차" "jaunu auto" "naujas automobilis" "шинэ машин" "ماشین جدید" "nowy samochód" "mașină nouă" "nové vozidlo" "novo vozilo" "gari mpya" "мошини нав" "புதிய கார்" "కొత్త కారు" "รถคันใหม่" "yeni araba" "yangi avtomobil" "xe mới" "car newydd" "נייַ מאַשין" "car entsha"

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.

(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 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.

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 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 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 Renault 16 is a car with an at first unusual hatchback body, produced by French automaker Renault between 1965 and 1980 in Le Havre, France. The reviewer in the May 1965 edition of the English "Motoring Illustrated" described the car as follows: "The Renault Sixteen can thus be described as a large family car but one that is neither a four door saloon and nor is it quite an estate. But, importantly, it is a little different."

The R16 was voted European Car of the Year by a board of European motoring journalists in 1966. Over 1,845,959 R16s were produced during the model's lifetime.

Series production started in March 1965 at the company's recently completed Sandouville plant, a few kilometers to the east of Le Havre.The car sold well in most of Europe, winning praise for its spacious and comfortable interior. Equipment levels were also high for the price.

Production of the Renault 16 lasted until 1980 when it was finally replaced by the less successful Renault 20. Even by this stage, when it was nearly 15 years old, the Renault 16 was still one of the most popular and highly rated family cars on sale in Europe.

By the time the Renault 16 ceased production most other European manufacturers had at least one hatchback on sale. At the time Renault had six hatchbacks on sale, the R4, R5, R6, R14, R20 and R30.

One peculiarity of the R16 design is that the two back wheel shafts were not in-line. The left wheelbase was 70 mm (2.76 in) longer than the right wheelbase, to accommodate the torsion bar suspension.

When the Renault 16 was launched, rumours of industrial espionage on Citroen's project F abounded but were unproved.

(Wikipedia)

- - -

1961 erteilte der damalige Leiter von Renault, Pierre Dreyfus, den Auftrag zur Entwicklung eines neuen, familientauglichen Fahrzeuges. Gaston Juchet entwarf daraufhin das Design des R16. Das Resultat war eine Mischform aus Stufenheckkarosserie und Kombi.

Ab dem 2. Dezember 1964 wurde die Nullserie gefertigt, im Januar 1965 begann die Serienproduktion. Er gilt als das erste Fahrzeug mit einer Schrägheckkarosserie in der oberen Mittelklasse und wurde in einem neu gebauten Werk in Sandouville bei Le Havre produziert. 1965 wurde der R16 zum Auto des Jahres 1966 gewählt. Die Bauweise von Frontmotor und Frontantrieb in Verbindung mit einem Schrägheck wurde später in der Autokompaktklasse zum Standard, aber auch in der Mittelklasse und der gehobenen Mittelklasse gibt es hierfür ebenfalls Beispiele.

Von 1973 an wurde der Renault 16 in einer TX-Variante mit 93 PS angeboten, der sich äußerlich durch Doppelscheinwerfer von den übrigen Modellversionen unterschied. 1974 wich der Aluminiumgrill bei einer weiteren Überarbeitung einem aus Plastik.

Der Motor war längs hinter der Vorderachse (wie auch beim R4 und seit 1934 bei den großen Citroënmodellen 7, 11 und 15CV) angeordnet. Der R16 wurde ausschließlich als Fünftürer angeboten.

(Wikipedia)

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".

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 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.

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 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.

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

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#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

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.

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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.

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 Miura is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1973. The car pioneered the mid-engined two-seat layout, the standard for high-performance sports and supercars since. When released, it was the fastest production road car made.

The Miura was originally conceived by Lamborghini's engineering team, which designed the car in its spare time against the wishes of company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini, who preferred powerful yet sedate grand touring cars over the race car-derived machines produced by local rival Ferrari.

The Miura's rolling chassis was presented at the 1965 Turin auto show, and the prototype P400 debuted at the 1966 Geneva show. It received stellar receptions from showgoers and the motoring press alike, each impressed by Marcello Gandini's sleek styling and the car's revolutionary mid-engine design.

Lamborghini's flagship, the Miura received periodic updates and remained in production until 1973. A year later the extreme Countach entered the automaker's lineup, amid tumultuous financial times for the company.

DEVELOPMENT

During 1965, Lamborghini's three top engineers, Gian Paolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani, and Bob Wallace put their own time into developing a prototype car known as the P400. The engineers envisioned a road car with racing pedigree – one which could win on the track and be driven on the road by enthusiasts. The three men worked on its design at night, hoping to convince company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini such a vehicle would neither be too expensive nor distract from the company's focus. When finally brought aboard, Lamborghini gave his engineers a free hand in the belief the P400 was a potentially valuable marketing tool, if nothing more.

The car featured a transversely-mounted mid-engine layout, a departure from previous Lamborghini cars. The V12 was also unusual in that it was effectively merged with the transmission and differential, reflecting a lack of space in the tightly-wrapped design. The rolling chassis was displayed at the Turin Salon in 1965. Impressed showgoers placed orders for the car despite the lack of a body to go over the chassis.

Bertone was placed in charge of styling the prototype, which was finished just days before its debut at the 1966 Geneva motor show. Curiously, none of the engineers had found time to check if the engine fit inside its compartment. Committed to showing the car, they decided to fill the engine bay with ballast and keep the hood locked throughout the show, as they had three years earlier for the début of the 350GTV. Sales head Sgarzi was forced to turn away members of the motoring press who wanted to see the P400's power plant. Despite this setback, the car was the highlight of the show, immediately boosting stylist Marcello Gandini's reputation.

The favourable reaction at Geneva meant the P400 was to go into production by the following year. The name "Miura", a famous type of fighting bull, was chosen, and featured in the company's newly created badge. The car gained the worldwide attention of automotive enthusiasts when it was chosen for the opening sequence of the original 1969 version of The Italian Job. In press interviews of the time Ferruccio Lamborghini was reticent about his precise birth date, but stressed that he was born under the star sign Taurus the bull.

Production history

P400

The earliest model of the Miura was known as the P400 (for Posteriore 4 litri). It was powered by a version of the 3.9 L Lamborghini V12 engine used in the 400GT at the time. The engine was mounted transversely and produced 350 PS (257 kW; 345 hp). Exactly 275 P400 were produced between 1966 and 1969 - a success for Lamborghini despite its then-steep price of US$20,000 (equivalent to $146,113 in 2015).

Taking a cue from the Morris Mini, Lamborghini formed the engine and gearbox in one casting. Its shared lubrication continued until the last 96 SVs, when the case was split to allow the correct oils to be used for each element.

An unconfirmed claim holds the first 125 Miuras were built of 0.9 mm steel and are therefore lighter than later cars. All cars had steel frames and doors, with aluminum front and rear skinned body sections. When leaving the factory they were originally fitted with Pirelli Cinturato 205VR15 tyres (CN72).

AWARDS

The Miura won the prestigious Gran Turismo Trophy at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and has been re-created for use in the Gran Turismo 5 video game.

P400S

The P400S Miura, also known as the Miura S, made its introduction at the Turin Motorshow in November 1968, where the original chassis had been introduced three years earlier. It was slightly revised from the P400, with the addition of power windows, bright chrome trim around external windows and headlights, new overhead inline console with new rocker switches, engine intake manifolds made 2 mm larger, different camshaft profiles, and notched trunk end panels (allowing for slightly more luggage space). Engine changes were reportedly good for an additional 20 PS (15 kW; 20 hp).

Other revisions were limited to creature comforts, such as a locking glovebox lid, a reversed position of the cigarette lighter and windshield wiper switch, and single release handles for front and rear body sections. Other interior improvements included the addition of power windows and optional air conditioning, available for US$800. About 338 P400S Miura were produced between December 1968 and March 1971. One S #4407 was owned by Frank Sinatra. Miles Davis also owned one, which he crashed in October 1972 under the influence of cocaine, breaking both ankles. Eddie Van Halen owns one and can be heard revving it up during the bridge in the song Panama

P400SV

The last and most famous Miura, the P400SV or Miura SV featured different cam timing and altered carburetors. These gave the engine an additional 15 PS (11 kW; 15 hp), to 385 PS (283 kW; 380 hp). The last 96 SV engines had a split sump. The gearbox now had its lubrication system separate from the engine, which allowed the use of the appropriate types of oil for the gearbox and the engine. This also alleviated concerns that metal shavings from the gearbox could travel into the engine with disastrous and expensive results and made the application of an optional limited-slip differential far easier.

The SV can be distinguished from its predecessors from its lack of "eyelashes" around the headlamps, wider rear fenders to accommodate the new 230 mm rear wheels and Pirelli Cinturato tires, and different taillights. 150 SVs were produced.

There was a misprint in the SV owners manual indicating bigger intake valves in English size (but correct size in metric). The intake and exhaust valves in all 4 liter V12 Lamborghini remained the same throughout all models. This intake size misprint carried forward into Espada 400GT and Countach LP 400/LP 400S owners manuals as well.

P400 JOTA

In 1970, Lamborghini development driver Bob Wallace created a test mule that would conform to the FIA's Appendix J racing regulations. The car was appropriately named the Miura Jota (the pronunciation of the letter 'J' in Spanish). Wallace made extensive modifications to the standard Miura chassis and engine. Weight reductions included replacing steel chassis components and body panels with the lightweight aluminium alloy Avional and replacing side windows with plastic, with the resulting car weighing approximately 800 pounds less than a production Miura. A front spoiler was added and the headlights were replaced with fixed, faired-in units. Wallace substituted two smaller, sill-mounted fuel tanks for the single larger original unit. The suspension was reworked and wider (9" in the front, 12" in the rear), lightweight wheels were fitted. The engine was modified to produce 418-440 bhp at 8800 rpm, with an increased compression ratio, altered cams, electronic ignition, dry-sump lubrication, and less restrictive exhaust system. This single example was eventually sold to a private buyer after extensive testing. In April 1971, the car crashed on the yet-unopened ring road around the city of Brescia, and burned to the ground.

It was once widely believed that the Jota had the chassis number of #5084 (a number well out of sequence for the date in question), it has been clarified by Miura expert Joe Sackey in his book The Lamborghini Miura Bible that this is not the case, and that #5084 is in fact a factory modified SV to SVJ spec. This fact has also been confirmed in the massive and long running Miura thread on the lamborghini section of www.ferrarichat.com

A recreation of the Jota was later undertaken by Chris Lawrence of Wymondham Engineering for Lamborghini owner Piet Pulford from the United Kingdom on chassis #3033.

P400 SV/J

There are six examples of the Miura SV/J known to be built by the factory while the Miura was still in production, one was built new (chassis #5090) and five were converted from existing SVs (chassis #4934, #4860, #4892, #4990 & #5084)

One of these cars, chassis #4934, was built for the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Shah stored this car under armed guard with another SV in Royal Palace in Tehran. After he fled the country during the Iranian Revolution, his cars were seized by the Iranian government. The SV/J was sold into Dubai in 1995. In 1997 this car was sold in a Brooks auction to Nicolas Cage, at US$490,000, becoming the model's highest ever price at auction. Cage sold the car in 2002. Higher prices have been reached several times since then, including by SVJ #4892 selling for over $1.9M

Of the seven known original cars #4892 is a recent addition to the list of known genuine SVJ's with factory documentation now having come to light.

An eighth SV/J was built at the Lamborghini factory between 1983 and 1987 from an unused Miura S chassis. This was made for Jean Claude Mimran, one of the Mimran brothers, the then owner of Lamborghini. Most experts do not recognize this as an "official" SVJ due to it being converted (albeit done by the factory) long after the Miura went out of production.

Further Miuras were subsequently upgraded to SVJ specifications (trying to imitate the real factory SVJs) by various garages of Switzerland, USA and Japan.

ROADSTER

Another one-off, the Miura Roadster (actually more of a targa-model, but without any removable roof) was built by Bertone as a show car. Based on a P400, it was first shown at the 1968 Brussels Auto Show. After having been exhibited at several auto salons the car was sold to the International Lead Zinc Research Organization (ILZRO) who turned it into a display-vehicle showcasing the possibilities of using zinc alloys in cars. The car was named the ZN75. A few other Miuras have had their tops removed, but this Bertone Miura Roadster was the only factory open-top Miura.

In 2006 the ZN75 was purchased by New York City real estate developer Adam Gordon. Gordon had Bobileff Motorcars in San Diego, California return the car to its original Bertone Roadster form. The restored car was first shown in August 2008 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The one of a kind Miura Roadster was shown at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2013.

P400 SVJ SPIDER

This one-off example of the Miura was displayed at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show with other new Lamborghini models (Jalpa and LM002) shortly after new company CEO Patrick Mimran took over the factory although it was never a factory authorised model r modifications. Finished in pearl white, the SVJ Spider was the formerly yellow Miura S presented at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show, and uses chassis #4808 Equipped with wide wheels and a rear wing reflecting the marque's revival, it was wrongly considered by some as a prototype for a possible limited series of Miura Spider whereas in fact it was simply a one off show car constructed on behalf by the Swiss Lamborghini Importer Lambomotor AG (and as such is not an official factory modification or indeed has any link to the factory bar its original 1970 build).

Subsequently, bought by Swiss Lamborghini collector Jean Wicki, the car had its rear wing and chin spoiler removed and was painted silver, bringing the car's style closer to the Berlinetta SVJ. Lamborghini specialist Autodrome (France) purchased the car from Wicki and restored its bodywork and upholstery in partnership with Carrosserie Lecoq (Paris). Painted traditional Miura lime green, the car was eventually sold to a Parisian collector. The car has stiffness issues and does not drive that well (as stated by the world-renowned Miura expert Joe Sackey), it's also not that well received by the general Miura cogniscenti who post on VLG and also on the worlds longest running and largest Miura debate which is on fchat. Other than private modifications, there are only two "open" Miuras, officially presented in International Motor shows: the Bertone Miura Roadster, exhibited on Bertone's own stand at Bruxelles in 1968, and this non factory example, shown on the Lamborghini stand at the Geneva Motor show in 1981.

2006 MIURA CONCEPT

A Miura concept car was presented at the American Museum of Television & Radio on January 5, 2006 alongside the Los Angeles Auto Show, though it was not presented at the show itself. Instead, the Miura concept car officially debuted at the North American International Auto Show two weeks later. It was the first design to be penned by Lamborghini design chief, Walter de'Silva, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1966 Geneva introduction of the original Miura.

Lamborghini president and CEO Stefan Winkelmann denied that the concept would mark the Miura's return to production, saying “The Miura was a celebration of our history, but Lamborghini is about the future. Retro design is not what we are here for. So we won’t do the Miura.”

2016 Lamborghini Special edition Aventador Miura Homage

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Lamborghini Miura – a forerunner of all V12 Lamborghini super sports cars – Lamborghini has unveiled the Aventador Miura Homage. The special edition car has been created by the company’s Ad Personam customization division.

WIKIPEDIA

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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".