Cinemateum Victoria - Ashkenaz - Director: Rachel Leah Jones, Israel 2007, 72min, Chinese and English Subtitles, A film about Aszkenazim – Jews of European origin – and the paradox of "whiteness" in Israel in comparison to Europe.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

 

Found this cherub in a dark alleyway near Waterloo Station. Not my first choice of parking spot for a Rolls Royce, but it seems to be doing well considering how immaculate it looks!

 

...or it hadn't been there very long...

 

...and I wouldn't recommend it stay much longer...

 

There's not much I can say about the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow that hasn't already been said, a car that was styled and homed to perfection, a vehicle that took 3 months to build, comprised of 3 cow hides, 12 square feet of wood and laden with the finest Wilton carpets. If you owned a brand new one of these back in the 1960's and 70's, then you truly were someone special.

 

The Silver Shadow however, unlike its predecessors, was the most radical Rolls ever built, primarily due to the fact that unlike previous cars such as the Phantom and Silver Cloud, the car was built on a monocoque, with the body being built with the chassis, rather than in earlier instances where Rolls would provide the chassis, and then it was up to the owner to hire a coachbuilder such as Hoopers or HJ Muliner Park Ward, to build the body.

 

The Silver Shadow was also the first Rolls to be built with the idea of the owner being sat in the front rather than the back. The Silver Cloud was very much a passenger's car, being ferried from stately banquet to stately banquet by a chauffeur. This Silver Shadow on the other hand was a driver's car, powered by Rolls Royce's magnificent V8 engine it smoothly glided across the countryside with the grace and elegance of a stately home on wheels, and so popular was this chemistry of luxury and practicality, that they sold by the thousand. In total, 25,000 examples were built, and the design was incorporated into many other variations, including the Rolls Royce Corniche (a direct descendant of the Silver Shadow 2-door Coupe built by HJ Muliner Park Ward), the controversial Camargue (which was built on the same chassis as a Shadow), and the Bentley T series (basically a Shadow with Bentley badging and radiator grille).

 

Eventually, the Shadow ended production in 1980, being replaced by the simpler Silver Spirit and Silver Spur range, but the magnificent design of this classic British pedigree has kept it one of the most popular owner's cars in the world, now available for ownership at less that £10,000 in some instances!

The Piaggio Ape (pronounced "ah-peh" - Italian for bee ) is a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle first produced in 1948 by Piaggio.

At the end of WWII, most Italians, badly affected by the war, lacked modes of transport, and more importantly, the financial means to acquire full-sized four-wheeled vehicles. In 1947 the inventor of the Vespa, aircraft designer Corradino D'Ascanio, came up with the idea of building a light three wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's economical reconstruction, an idea which found favour with Enrico Piaggio, the son of the firm's founder, Rinaldo. The very first Ape model and the mark immediately following it were mechanically a Vespa with two wheels added to the rear, with a flat-bed structure on top of the rear axle. In the early sale brochures and adverts the vehicle was referred to as the VespaCar or TriVespa and cost 170.000 liras. The first Apes featured 50cc, 125cc or 150cc and more recently 175cc engines. By the time of the 1964 Ape D a cab was added to protect the driver from the elements. The Ape has been in continuous production since its inception and has been produced in a variety of different body styles in Italy and India.

Controlled with scooter style handlebars, the original Ape was designed to sit one, but can accommodate a passenger (with a tight fit) in its cab. A door on each side is provided, making it quicker to get out of the vehicle when making deliveries to different sides of the road. Performance is suited to the job of light delivery, with good torque for hills but a low top speed, which is irrelevant in the urban settings for it was designed. Outside of towns Apes are customarily driven as close as possible to the curb to allow traffic to pass.

The vehicles comes in various configurations such as vans and pickups for load carrying and autorickshaw (Tuk-tuk) for human transportation. More recently Piaggio have made lifestyle models such as the Ape Cross Country and the Ape Web aimed at the young.

Ape Calessino Electric Lithium Values of environmental awareness and respect, which are key in the strategy of the Piaggio Group and in its research and development activities, have now led to the creation of a new zero environmental impact version of the Ape Calessino.The idea of being in touch with nature and with the surrounding environment inspired an evolution in the concept of mobility embodied by Ape Calessino better than any other vehicle. Introducing the electric Ape Calessino Electric Lithium.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium offers the same features and elegance as the conventional engine version. The electric version gains its own unique livery, with an elegant blue and white two-tone color scheme for the bodywork and canvas elements. The same two-tone scheme is echoed in the interior, with cream colored upholstery trimmed with blue piping.Since its launch, Ape Calessino has been met with a genuine fondness and a reputation as a mobility solution that breaks free of the frenetic rhythms of modern life to rediscover values of friendship and conviviality. Exclusive and elegant, yet practical and sturdy just like every other Ape; the bodywork of the new Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is given a double cataphoresis painting treatment, making it even more resistant to the corrosive action typical of the humid, saline conditions of a seaside environment.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is the perfect vehicle for anyone who wants to stand out from the crowd with original elegance and in complete harmony with the surrounding environment.The new electric Ape Calessino combines the practicality, elegance and agility that have made the Ape Calessino such a hit with capability of accessing zones usually prohibited to vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines, such as areas of particular natural and environmental importance, historical town centers and restricted traffic areas.This makes Ape Calessino Electric Lithium an indispensable tool, for instance, for resorts, hotels and tourism operators intending to offer their guests a fun and distinctive shuttle service that can reach the centre of a cultural city, fend for itself in the hustle and bustle of a medieval town centre or wind its way along the panoramic routes of a beautiful Mediterranean island with equal ease. With a range of 75 Km, all of these destinations and more are easily within reach of the Ape Calessino Electric Lithium, in total respect for the environment and cocooned in silence: electric drive means that Ape Calessino is not just a zero emissions vehicle, it is also completely silent, so that its occupants can enjoy the beauty of a nature to the full or travel through densely populated centers without causing even the slightest disturbance.The Aenerbox system also offers another advantage: the battery does not discharge while the vehicle is not in use, even if left for prolonged periods. This is a significant benefit, especially considering the typically seasonal nature of the tourism industry, for example, and goes hand in hand with remarkable longevity. The life cycle of these batteries is an incredible 15 years (or more than 800 recharge cycles for a total of approximately 60,000 Km), compared with the 7-10 years of a conventional battery system.Built in a series of just 100 examples, the most exclusive Ape of all time is destined for a design-conscious clientele that appreciates Italian style. But this is not just an extremely functional vehicle; it is also a true collector's piece, as highlighted by the numbered plate making it even more exclusive. Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is on sale, on Italian market, at € 19,900 (VAT not included).

 

What DO you look like?

 

It can't be comfortable, surely.

 

You're surely not going out looking like that? Oh too late.

Armenian Orthodox Christmas mass and procession inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem January 18, 2011. Church services and ceremonies are conducted in the Cathedral of Nativity all night long and until the next day.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Heiko Flottau

« The Iron Wall »

 

Heiko Flottau will read passages from his book "The Iron Wall" in German. In his research, which goes back to the time before 1948, he is presenting causes, mistakes and consequences of the Israeli Politic and give the word to its victims.

 

Reading of the Arabic Text: Dr. Mohammad Abu Zaid

Moderation: Dr Adel Yahya

Wednesday 16, 6 p.m.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

French-German Cultural Center, Ramallah

The Armory Center for the Arts is pleased to present a collection of hand-carved, hand-painted birds and other animals, made by Japanese national Masato Wayne Sumida while interned at Poston War Relocation Center in La Paz County, Arizona. The exhibition, in the Armory’s Mezzanine Galleries, opens on Sunday, October 13, 2013 and runs through Sunday, January 26, 2014. A reception, free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, October 12, from 7-9pm. A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida has been organized by Armory’s Gallery Director / Chief Curator Irene Tsatsos.

 

Poston War Relocation Center was located on a reservation three miles east of the Colorado River, was the largest Japanese internment camp, and was known for its poor sanitation and the unsettling relations between the interned Japanese and Japanese-Americans and the Colorado Native Americans who remained on the land after its repurposing. Masato Wayne Sumida lived at Poston for nearly 4 and a half years, from May 27, 1941 to November 20, 1945.

 

Sumida’s exquisite carvings – between 1” and 5” – depict a variety of brightly colored small animals, including fish and squirrels, but most are ornately painted birds. He made numerous carvings of mallards, cardinals, swans, owls, and more – each similar, yet with its own unique personality.

 

Sumida’s practice was associated with gaman, the Japanese Zen Buddhist term that refers to the idea of bearing through suffering with dignity and patience. During WWII, it also became synonymous with the objects made by the men and women who were held in the internment camps. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, ethnic Japanese were notified that they would be relocated within a week and that they were to carry everything they would need with them. Upon arrival at the camps, men, women, and children were housed in small rooms scantily furnished with a single light bulb, a wood burning stove, and cots. At first, people met their basic needs making chairs, knives, and posts on which to hang laundry. As their internment persisted, their production turned away from everyday practicalities and developed into an art form that symbolized their resilience and composure.

 

Masato Wayne Sumida’s beautiful carved and painted objects had been in safekeeping by his granddaughter Wendy Al and her husband, the artist Billy Al Bengston, after being found stored in a large trash can in her grandparents’ garage. Many Japanese-Americans of the era neglected to speak of the period, and the gaman made during internment were often given away, some sold at garage sales, or forgotten in storage spaces waiting to be rediscovered by the artists’ descendants decades later. Sumida’s son, Paul, recalls giving the birds, which were fashioned into earrings, brooches, and lapel pins, to his teachers as gifts.

 

Masato Wayne Sumida was born in Hiroshima Prefecture on October 13, 1903 and was orphaned at an early age. When he was 14 years old he took a boat to Mexico, arriving there illegally. He later swam across the Rio Grande River to enter the US. Before being interred Sumida lived in Boyle Heights, CA, where he worked as a gardener. After his release, he settled in Gardena, CA and took work as a sign painter. He was married to Hisako Sumida, who survived him. Masato Wayne Sumida died on September 12, 1995. The Sumida family members rediscovered the objects following Hisako’s death in 1999. Billy Al, seeing the objects for the first time, was overwhelmed by their creativity and beauty and launched the family’s efforts to preserve the collection.

 

The title of this show, A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida, quotes a line of haiku from Yajin Nakao, a poet interned at Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County, Arkansas:

 

Autumn foliage

California has now become

a far country

 

The tradition of haiku and other forms of poetry and writing persevered in the camps, where writers were able meet to discuss their works.

 

A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida runs in conjunction with the group exhibition Home Away, organized by Los Angeles-based independent curator Kris Kuramitsu, which highlights and contextualizes a group of artists that work in Los Angeles as well as other locations in Asia and Latin America, among them Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Mumbai, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.

 

The Piaggio Ape (pronounced "ah-peh" - Italian for bee ) is a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle first produced in 1948 by Piaggio.

At the end of WWII, most Italians, badly affected by the war, lacked modes of transport, and more importantly, the financial means to acquire full-sized four-wheeled vehicles. In 1947 the inventor of the Vespa, aircraft designer Corradino D'Ascanio, came up with the idea of building a light three wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's economical reconstruction, an idea which found favour with Enrico Piaggio, the son of the firm's founder, Rinaldo. The very first Ape model and the mark immediately following it were mechanically a Vespa with two wheels added to the rear, with a flat-bed structure on top of the rear axle. In the early sale brochures and adverts the vehicle was referred to as the VespaCar or TriVespa and cost 170.000 liras. The first Apes featured 50cc, 125cc or 150cc and more recently 175cc engines. By the time of the 1964 Ape D a cab was added to protect the driver from the elements. The Ape has been in continuous production since its inception and has been produced in a variety of different body styles in Italy and India.

Controlled with scooter style handlebars, the original Ape was designed to sit one, but can accommodate a passenger (with a tight fit) in its cab. A door on each side is provided, making it quicker to get out of the vehicle when making deliveries to different sides of the road. Performance is suited to the job of light delivery, with good torque for hills but a low top speed, which is irrelevant in the urban settings for it was designed. Outside of towns Apes are customarily driven as close as possible to the curb to allow traffic to pass.

The vehicles comes in various configurations such as vans and pickups for load carrying and autorickshaw (Tuk-tuk) for human transportation. More recently Piaggio have made lifestyle models such as the Ape Cross Country and the Ape Web aimed at the young.

Ape Calessino Electric Lithium Values of environmental awareness and respect, which are key in the strategy of the Piaggio Group and in its research and development activities, have now led to the creation of a new zero environmental impact version of the Ape Calessino.The idea of being in touch with nature and with the surrounding environment inspired an evolution in the concept of mobility embodied by Ape Calessino better than any other vehicle. Introducing the electric Ape Calessino Electric Lithium.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium offers the same features and elegance as the conventional engine version. The electric version gains its own unique livery, with an elegant blue and white two-tone color scheme for the bodywork and canvas elements. The same two-tone scheme is echoed in the interior, with cream colored upholstery trimmed with blue piping.Since its launch, Ape Calessino has been met with a genuine fondness and a reputation as a mobility solution that breaks free of the frenetic rhythms of modern life to rediscover values of friendship and conviviality. Exclusive and elegant, yet practical and sturdy just like every other Ape; the bodywork of the new Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is given a double cataphoresis painting treatment, making it even more resistant to the corrosive action typical of the humid, saline conditions of a seaside environment.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is the perfect vehicle for anyone who wants to stand out from the crowd with original elegance and in complete harmony with the surrounding environment.The new electric Ape Calessino combines the practicality, elegance and agility that have made the Ape Calessino such a hit with capability of accessing zones usually prohibited to vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines, such as areas of particular natural and environmental importance, historical town centers and restricted traffic areas.This makes Ape Calessino Electric Lithium an indispensable tool, for instance, for resorts, hotels and tourism operators intending to offer their guests a fun and distinctive shuttle service that can reach the centre of a cultural city, fend for itself in the hustle and bustle of a medieval town centre or wind its way along the panoramic routes of a beautiful Mediterranean island with equal ease. With a range of 75 Km, all of these destinations and more are easily within reach of the Ape Calessino Electric Lithium, in total respect for the environment and cocooned in silence: electric drive means that Ape Calessino is not just a zero emissions vehicle, it is also completely silent, so that its occupants can enjoy the beauty of a nature to the full or travel through densely populated centers without causing even the slightest disturbance.The Aenerbox system also offers another advantage: the battery does not discharge while the vehicle is not in use, even if left for prolonged periods. This is a significant benefit, especially considering the typically seasonal nature of the tourism industry, for example, and goes hand in hand with remarkable longevity. The life cycle of these batteries is an incredible 15 years (or more than 800 recharge cycles for a total of approximately 60,000 Km), compared with the 7-10 years of a conventional battery system.Built in a series of just 100 examples, the most exclusive Ape of all time is destined for a design-conscious clientele that appreciates Italian style. But this is not just an extremely functional vehicle; it is also a true collector's piece, as highlighted by the numbered plate making it even more exclusive. Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is on sale, on Italian market, at € 19,900 (VAT not included).

 

ZK-AYG History

 

Built as a Mk.21.

Allocated G-AINK 1947 for Bristol Aeroplane Co.Ltd.

Reg WH575 1950 for Ministry of Supply winterisation trials in Edmonton Canada - not used.

Displayed at Farnborough 5-10 Sep 1950.

Incident 4 Oct 1950 crashed on takeoff Filton, UK - both engines cut during simulated single engine failure.

rebuilt as Mk.31.

Reg G-18-92 1950 to Bristol Aeroplane Co.Ltd.

Reg ZK-AYG 8 Mar 1951 to SAFE.

First flight 19 Mar, 1951.

Reg G-AINK cancelled Apr 51.

CoA issued 6 Apr 51.

Delivered to Woodbourne 19 May 1951 (delivery crew H. Boyes from SAFE, D. Woolf - chief pilot Airwork).

Entered service 31 May 1951 named Captain Cook.

Incident 27 Jul 1951 brake failure on landing, overshot runway and hit a ditch at Paraparaumu.

Repaired (port wing replaced) 14 Nov 1951.

Incident Nov 1951 CAA hangar Paraparaumu - while under repair four hangar doors blown in on wing during storm.

Early 1954, received spar mods.

Incident 3 Feb 1954 hit ditch after aborted takeoff Woodbourne - sent to Weston-Super-Mare, UK for repair - rebuilt without windows.

Returned to NZ 13 Mar 1955.

Returned to service 31 Mar 1955.

Incident 21 Aug 1955 crashed during airshow display Omaka, pilot feathered propeller away from crowd then feathered other before other was up to speed and sank into Taylor riverbed - rebuilt Woodbourne (required new floor, nose doors, u/c - delivered by ZK-BMA) and returned to service 20 Jul 1956 (renamed Merchant Porter).

WFU 9 Sep 1967 with 16,768 hours.

Reg cancelled 19 Sep 1967.

Fuselage went to ZK-CWF.

www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/b170list.html

 

The plane that everyone in Blenheim could hear - Marlborough Express Russell Gifford 20 Dec 2019

 

Almost retired teacher, Russell Gifford, remembers his schooldays spent in and around Blenheim in the 1950s. This week he recalls a plane that everyone in town knew about.

 

"On a sunny but chilly afternoon at Woodbourne Airport May 1951 we waited for the first Bristol to arrive.

 

There she is! Distant at first but the drone of engines getting louder, then swinging on to short finals and she was down.

 

ZK-AYG pulled up before a crowd of several hundred. I remember being slightly bothered about evidence of oily exhaust stains on the under surface of the wings not understanding that sleeve valve engines are required to burn a certain quantity of oil.

 

I was impressed when the big clam-shell doors opened to note a spare engine carried as cargo. Good thinking that!

 

The Bristol looked pretty big. Four bladed propellers. Not overly graceful but it presented an impressive sense of practicality and purpose.

 

That big boxy fuselage able to cope with all manner of loads. Mostly freight on pallets, but also cars, cases of fruit, livestock, even passengers in a pod.

 

It was the beginning of quite an adventure for Blenheim. Airfreight across Cook Strait was an idea whose time had come. In the end there was a fleet of 11 Bristols.

 

There was not a household in Blenheim that was not very aware of them. Those big Bristol Hercules engines had a distinctive and throaty roar. There was an early flight across to Wellington each morning. It was supposedly the newspaper run.

 

Our house seemed to be directly under the flight path. The din was impressive. Phone calls had to be paused until the thunderous beast had moved on. It used to impress me that the pilots used to include a little "concerto moment' by changing the propeller pitch from fine to coarse while directly overhead.

 

The Airforce also had half a dozen Bristols which served in the Malaysian conflict.

 

We were all gathered at Omaka Aerodrome in the mid-fifties for an air pageant. One item was to be a low pass by a Bristol Freighter running on one engine.

 

Shortly before arriving at Omaka the crew realised that they had shut down and feathered the starboard engine. The waiting crowd would be able to see the port engine only so the pilots attempted to remedy the situation. They had very little time to do this and somehow things got confused.

 

The port engine was shut down before the starboard engine could be restarted. In fact, the starboard could not be restarted, nor the port engine revived. We watched as the Bristol lost height and headed toward the cemetery! We observed a branch being knocked off a pine tree.

 

The futile calls from the PA system to "not proceed toward the crash site" were ignored as we made our way across a riverbed to inspect the somewhat crumpled plane. The crew were not to be seen but turned out not to be injured. Someone cynically remarked "You two were on a direct line to the cemetery or the hospital and you managed to avoid both!"

 

Within a year the aircraft was repaired and back in the air earning its living.

 

The day came when I had to make use of the Bristol. The inter- island ferries were on strike yet again and I had to get back to Auckland.

 

I drove up to Woodbourne in the early morning and backed my "Morrie Thou" up the sloping ramp and into the roomy cavern of the Bristol. I was invited up into the flight deck for the short flight to Wellington. So up the ladder and into the "office".

 

I was intrigued to notice that both pilots read their newspapers intently as we made our way across the Strait. But there was a good deal of focused attention on the skies around us as we made our turn to port for the landing.

 

Almost no bump and we were down. A somewhat costly flight but efficient, and provided me with long-lasting memories.

 

In the end the need for a rapid freight service across the Strait and on to the highways was satisfied by efficient sea ferries and a vastly expanded fleet of trucks. So, the Bristol era came to an end. A couple flew off to new countries but most were scrapped or donated to museums. As the Blenheim newspaper said. "They will be missed, but not that much."

 

www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/118296485/the-pl...

Australia, Adelaide, 24-10-2015.

Stella Lux, de energie-positieve familie zonnewagen van Solar Team Eindhoven wordt op praktische eigenschappen gejureerd tijdens de 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Veel zonne-auto's in verschillende klassen reden 3000 km. van Darwin naar Adelaide. De Cruiser klasse met Stella Lux en het Japanse Kogakuin namen een ruime voorsprong en zorgen voor een spannende finale. In de Cruiser klasse is snelheid niet de enige factor, ook aantal passagiers gereden en jury-oordeel voor het echte auto-gevoel tellen mee. Ondanks de voorsprong van Kogakuin lijkt Stella Lux daarom een goede kandidaat voor de eerste plaats.De jurering bestaat uit onderdelen als zitcomfort, ruimte, besturingsgemak, aantrekkelijkheid, innovatie, achteruit inparkeren, bagageruimte, etc. De Challenger klasse is eerder gefinished met Nuon Solar Team (Delft) als winnaar en Solar Team Twente als 2e. /

photo: TU Eindhoven, Bart van Overbeeke /

Stella Lux, the energy-positive family solar car from Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven during practicality judging at the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Lots of solar cars in different classes competed during a 3000 km. trip from Darwin to Adelaide.The Cruiser class with Stella Lux and Japanese Kogakuin took the lead and make for an exciting finale. In Cruiser Class speed is not the only aspect, number of passengers and practical judgement also count. Despite the lead of Kogakuin Stella Lux seems to have a good chance on winning. Judges look at aspects like cabin space and comfort; features; ease of operation; desirability and innovation, reverse parking, room for luggage, etc. The Challenger Class has finished with Nuon Solar Team as winner and Solar Team Twente second.

Australia, Adelaide, 24-10-2015.

Stella Lux, de energie-positieve familie zonnewagen van Solar Team Eindhoven wordt op praktische eigenschappen gejureerd tijdens de 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Veel zonne-auto's in verschillende klassen reden 3000 km. van Darwin naar Adelaide. De Cruiser klasse met Stella Lux en het Japanse Kogakuin namen een ruime voorsprong en zorgen voor een spannende finale. In de Cruiser klasse is snelheid niet de enige factor, ook aantal passagiers gereden en jury-oordeel voor het echte auto-gevoel tellen mee. Ondanks de voorsprong van Kogakuin lijkt Stella Lux daarom een goede kandidaat voor de eerste plaats.De jurering bestaat uit onderdelen als zitcomfort, ruimte, besturingsgemak, aantrekkelijkheid, innovatie, achteruit inparkeren, bagageruimte, etc. De Challenger klasse is eerder gefinished met Nuon Solar Team (Delft) als winnaar en Solar Team Twente als 2e. /

photo: TU Eindhoven, Bart van Overbeeke /

Stella Lux, the energy-positive family solar car from Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven during practicality judging at the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Lots of solar cars in different classes competed during a 3000 km. trip from Darwin to Adelaide.The Cruiser class with Stella Lux and Japanese Kogakuin took the lead and make for an exciting finale. In Cruiser Class speed is not the only aspect, number of passengers and practical judgement also count. Despite the lead of Kogakuin Stella Lux seems to have a good chance on winning. Judges look at aspects like cabin space and comfort; features; ease of operation; desirability and innovation, reverse parking, room for luggage, etc. The Challenger Class has finished with Nuon Solar Team as winner and Solar Team Twente second.

Australia, Adelaide, 24-10-2015.

Stella Lux, de energie-positieve familie zonnewagen van Solar Team Eindhoven wordt op praktische eigenschappen gejureerd tijdens de 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Veel zonne-auto's in verschillende klassen reden 3000 km. van Darwin naar Adelaide. De Cruiser klasse met Stella Lux en het Japanse Kogakuin namen een ruime voorsprong en zorgen voor een spannende finale. In de Cruiser klasse is snelheid niet de enige factor, ook aantal passagiers gereden en jury-oordeel voor het echte auto-gevoel tellen mee. Ondanks de voorsprong van Kogakuin lijkt Stella Lux daarom een goede kandidaat voor de eerste plaats.De jurering bestaat uit onderdelen als zitcomfort, ruimte, besturingsgemak, aantrekkelijkheid, innovatie, achteruit inparkeren, bagageruimte, etc. De Challenger klasse is eerder gefinished met Nuon Solar Team (Delft) als winnaar en Solar Team Twente als 2e. /

photo: TU Eindhoven, Bart van Overbeeke /

Stella Lux, the energy-positive family solar car from Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven during practicality judging at the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Lots of solar cars in different classes competed during a 3000 km. trip from Darwin to Adelaide.The Cruiser class with Stella Lux and Japanese Kogakuin took the lead and make for an exciting finale. In Cruiser Class speed is not the only aspect, number of passengers and practical judgement also count. Despite the lead of Kogakuin Stella Lux seems to have a good chance on winning. Judges look at aspects like cabin space and comfort; features; ease of operation; desirability and innovation, reverse parking, room for luggage, etc. The Challenger Class has finished with Nuon Solar Team as winner and Solar Team Twente second.

Another major European introduction for 1982 was the all-new 700 series from Volvo. Designed to replace the 200 series (itself derived from the 100 series of 1966), the 700 was produced alongside for 12 years. The two models are very close in exterior dimension.

 

The 700 underwent minor exterior changes to become the 900 series in 1991, notably a smoother front end treatment and revised rear treatment on the sedan. The sedan also received an independent rear suspension, with the estate car retaining a live rear axle. The 900 series was futher revised and named the S90/V90 in 1997 in line with Volvo's new naming convention. The model finally went out of production in 1998. The sedan models were subsequently replaced by the front-wheel-drive Volvo S80.

 

The engine line up included 4-cylinder, 4-cylinder turbocharged (one of the first major turbocharged passenger car ranges) and carryover vee-six cylinder engines shared with PSA and Renault. The 900 series later replaced the V6 with an inline six developed as part of a modular engine design of inline 4, 5 and 6-cylinder engines.

 

At launch the car was strongly criticised for its overtly rectilinear styling. The car matched the style that was popular in North America at the time, including a near vertical rear window. Unfortunately for Volvo this was the model year introduction of a key competitor, the Audi 100, which was notably aerodynamic in form.

 

This styling theme does have its advantages, with large windows and good visibility. It also provides ample space as an estate car. The model was popular with middle-class families with children, dogs etc, and are now considered 'Lifestyle' families.

 

Volvo's success in this market segment was later eroded by SUV and 'crossover' vehicles which emphasised the adventure part of the lifestyle image without being any more practical as a family car. Volvo went on to launch a vehicle in the crossover segment in place of the 900 wagon, the XC90. This model was very well recieved for its family practicality relative to other vehicles in the luxury crossover segment.

 

This miniland scale model has been created using Lego Digital Designer for Flickr LUGNuts 43rd build challenge - 'Plus or Mius Ten' - celebraing vehilces produced ten years before or after the birth year of the modeller. In this case 1982.

Historical display at Netherland Hilton Hotel -

 

The Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel opened in 1931 and is a National Historic Landmark and charter member of Historic Hotels of America. This Cincinnati hotel features breathtaking French Art Deco that has been restored to its 1930's grandeur. With rare Brazilian rosewood paneling, indirect German silver-nickel light fixtures and soaring ceiling murals, our historic Cincinnati hotel is one of the world's finest examples of French Art Deco.

 

History

The plans for the Carew Tower and Netherland Plaza Hotel were announced in August 1929 and the project was completed in January 1931. The financing for the buildings came from the Emery family, which had made its fortune in processing the by-products of Cincinnati’s stockyards. John Emery hired Walter W. Ahlschlager and Colonel William Starrett for the construction. Starrett was known as the builder of the Lincoln Memorial and the Empire State Building. Ahlschlager designed the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee and the Hotel Intercontinental in Chicago.

 

The Carew Tower and Netherland Plaza Hotel were designed to be a “city within a city.” The concept was new in 1929 but Cincinnati were willing to gamble that the combination of shops, department stores, offices and hotel would work. The practicality was made apparent again in 1990 when the Belvedere Corporation invested in the re-development of the Carew Tower Shopping Arcade and Office Tower, featuring a collection of shops, restaurants, a 13,000 square feet fitness center complete with lap pool, and 500,000 square feet of office space.

 

Emery’s vision of the Carew Tower led him to make some bold financial moves - which worked in his favor. Emery had approached the bank to underwrite financing for the “city within a city” project. The bank did not share the vision of the multi-purpose facility and declined the loan. Emery sold all of his stocks and securities, despite advice from his financial advisors. The plans and financing for the Carew Tower were in place, and then the stock market crashed. Had Emery left his stocks and securities tied up in the stock market, he would have lost everything. But instead, with his money going toward the building of Carew Tower, the project could continue as planned. In fact, the construction project became one of the city’s largest employers.

 

As the construction on the hotel came to a close, the name St. Nicholas Plaza was selected. Just before the grand opening, the Cincinnati Realty Company (operators of the Hotel Sinton) filed an injunction against the new hotel’s name claiming that it had purchased the rights to the St. Nicholas name when the old St. Nicholas Hotel closed years before. Having invested heavily into the monogramming of linens, china, silverware and stationery, the new hotel’s name was quickly changed to St. Netherland Plaza. The St. came from Starrett’s (for the builder), the Netherland came from the thought that the hotel occupied the space between the Ohio River and the hills, and Plaza was from the original choice. The name was abbreviated to “St. NP.” Eventually, the “St.” was dropped and “Netherland Plaza” is the name that is now famous.

 

When the hotel opened in January 1931, it boasted the very latest in technology and comfort. The 800 guestrooms featured ultra-modern baths, high-speed automatic elevators, an internal broadcast system both for convenience and safety, and an automatic electric garage. The eleven kitchens that served the hotel’s dining and banquet rooms were specified, ordered and installed in only five weeks. The finest Van Range equipment was so exactingly chosen that the kitchens were able to produce a seven-course meal for 1,800 guests on opening night.

 

The Armory Center for the Arts is pleased to present a collection of hand-carved, hand-painted birds and other animals, made by Japanese national Masato Wayne Sumida while interned at Poston War Relocation Center in La Paz County, Arizona. The exhibition, in the Armory’s Mezzanine Galleries, opens on Sunday, October 13, 2013 and runs through Sunday, January 26, 2014. A reception, free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, October 12, from 7-9pm. A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida has been organized by Armory’s Gallery Director / Chief Curator Irene Tsatsos.

 

Poston War Relocation Center was located on a reservation three miles east of the Colorado River, was the largest Japanese internment camp, and was known for its poor sanitation and the unsettling relations between the interned Japanese and Japanese-Americans and the Colorado Native Americans who remained on the land after its repurposing. Masato Wayne Sumida lived at Poston for nearly 4 and a half years, from May 27, 1941 to November 20, 1945.

 

Sumida’s exquisite carvings – between 1” and 5” – depict a variety of brightly colored small animals, including fish and squirrels, but most are ornately painted birds. He made numerous carvings of mallards, cardinals, swans, owls, and more – each similar, yet with its own unique personality.

 

Sumida’s practice was associated with gaman, the Japanese Zen Buddhist term that refers to the idea of bearing through suffering with dignity and patience. During WWII, it also became synonymous with the objects made by the men and women who were held in the internment camps. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, ethnic Japanese were notified that they would be relocated within a week and that they were to carry everything they would need with them. Upon arrival at the camps, men, women, and children were housed in small rooms scantily furnished with a single light bulb, a wood burning stove, and cots. At first, people met their basic needs making chairs, knives, and posts on which to hang laundry. As their internment persisted, their production turned away from everyday practicalities and developed into an art form that symbolized their resilience and composure.

 

Masato Wayne Sumida’s beautiful carved and painted objects had been in safekeeping by his granddaughter Wendy Al and her husband, the artist Billy Al Bengston, after being found stored in a large trash can in her grandparents’ garage. Many Japanese-Americans of the era neglected to speak of the period, and the gaman made during internment were often given away, some sold at garage sales, or forgotten in storage spaces waiting to be rediscovered by the artists’ descendants decades later. Sumida’s son, Paul, recalls giving the birds, which were fashioned into earrings, brooches, and lapel pins, to his teachers as gifts.

 

Masato Wayne Sumida was born in Hiroshima Prefecture on October 13, 1903 and was orphaned at an early age. When he was 14 years old he took a boat to Mexico, arriving there illegally. He later swam across the Rio Grande River to enter the US. Before being interred Sumida lived in Boyle Heights, CA, where he worked as a gardener. After his release, he settled in Gardena, CA and took work as a sign painter. He was married to Hisako Sumida, who survived him. Masato Wayne Sumida died on September 12, 1995. The Sumida family members rediscovered the objects following Hisako’s death in 1999. Billy Al, seeing the objects for the first time, was overwhelmed by their creativity and beauty and launched the family’s efforts to preserve the collection.

 

The title of this show, A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida, quotes a line of haiku from Yajin Nakao, a poet interned at Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County, Arkansas:

 

Autumn foliage

California has now become

a far country

 

The tradition of haiku and other forms of poetry and writing persevered in the camps, where writers were able meet to discuss their works.

 

A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida runs in conjunction with the group exhibition Home Away, organized by Los Angeles-based independent curator Kris Kuramitsu, which highlights and contextualizes a group of artists that work in Los Angeles as well as other locations in Asia and Latin America, among them Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Mumbai, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.

 

Australia, Adelaide, 24-10-2015.

Stella Lux, de energie-positieve familie zonnewagen van Solar Team Eindhoven wordt op praktische eigenschappen gejureerd tijdens de 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Veel zonne-auto's in verschillende klassen reden 3000 km. van Darwin naar Adelaide. De Cruiser klasse met Stella Lux en het Japanse Kogakuin namen een ruime voorsprong en zorgen voor een spannende finale. In de Cruiser klasse is snelheid niet de enige factor, ook aantal passagiers gereden en jury-oordeel voor het echte auto-gevoel tellen mee. Ondanks de voorsprong van Kogakuin lijkt Stella Lux daarom een goede kandidaat voor de eerste plaats.De jurering bestaat uit onderdelen als zitcomfort, ruimte, besturingsgemak, aantrekkelijkheid, innovatie, achteruit inparkeren, bagageruimte, etc. Er is een systeem ontworpen voor contactloos op- en ontladen. De Challenger klasse is eerder gefinished met Nuon Solar Team (Delft) als winnaar en Solar Team Twente als 2e. /

photo: TU Eindhoven, Bart van Overbeeke /

Stella Lux, the energy-positive family solar car from Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven during practicality judging at the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Lots of solar cars in different classes competed during a 3000 km. trip from Darwin to Adelaide.The Cruiser class with Stella Lux and Japanese Kogakuin took the lead and make for an exciting finale. In Cruiser Class speed is not the only aspect, number of passengers and practical judgement also count. Despite the lead of Kogakuin Stella Lux seems to have a good chance on winning. Judges look at aspects like cabin space and comfort; features; ease of operation; desirability and innovation, reverse parking, room for luggage, etc. A system was designed for contactless re- and discharging. The Challenger Class has finished with Nuon Solar Team as winner and Solar Team Twente second.

Aston Martin has returned to one of their historic nameplates for their 4-door Grand Touring saloon.

 

Rapide is the name given to a previous incarnation of the 4-door concept.

 

Built from the Aston Martin VH (Vertical-Horizontal) aluminium architecture, the Rapide includes an additional 300mm within the wheelbase, allowing for another set of doors, and a more spacious 2nd row of seats. The body also adds a tailgate, opening to the roof, to improve luggage capacity and access.

 

The Rapide is powered by a 350 kW version of the Aston Martin 5.9 litre V12.

 

A stylish mode of saloon format luxury, the Rapide as a valuable addition to the Aston Martin marque for those looking for a bit more practicality from their Grand Touring.

 

This lego model has been created for Flickr LUGNuts 60th Build Challenge, our fifth birthday, to the 32nd Build Challenge, - 'God Save the Queen', celebrating automobiles and associated transport from the land of the United Kingdom.

 

This lego model include a lego vee-engine, rear-wheel-drive, and rear independent suspension. The body has four doors, rear liftback tailgate and bonnet (hood).

A clue: I was not actually standing behind a wall.

 

Another clue: All the shading of the "wall" was manually created.

 

Yet another clue: I think you can best enjoy this either large or biggie-sized. You can't really appreciate the detail, however, unless you go to the biggie-sized image, especially the detail that I created in the text.

 

A final clue: I was tagged by the lovely and gracious lastyearsgirl_ to share 9 things about myself in 2009, so...

 

1. One of my major goals in life is to have a work of my fiction published, a short story or a novel. I don't care which. I wouldn't mind making my living as a writer, if I can wrangle it.

 

2. I'm a racing fan, mostly of Formula One. I blame me father, as he not only was a race driver parttime when I was a kid, but he also worked on a pit crew, too. Not at the Formula One level, but still....

 

3. Favourite Drinks: Water, Diet Coke, Guinness, Whiskey (often with Coke, but not necessarily), Vodka (usually with orange juice or lemonade), wine (red, red, wine! Merlot being one of my faves, but I also like a good Pinot Noir, like Robert Mondavi's), Caipiroska.

 

4. Favourite ethnic foods: Spaghetti (almost anything Italian, actually), Green Curry Chicken (a Thai dish), Curried Goat (Jamaican), Codfish (I'm becoming a fan of many of the 1001 ways that the Portuguese prepare cod).

 

5. Most Unusual Food I've Ever Tried: Octopus, which I had on the last night of my last visit to Portugal, back in March/April of 2008. It was damned good, too!

 

6. I would love to learn to fly a plane. I took classroom lessons for flying a glider years and years ago, but never actually had the opportunity to go up in one.

 

7. My Top Ten Favourite Authors (in no particular order): Isaac Asimov, Ben Bova, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Shakespeare, Stephen King, J. R. R. Tolkien, Alexandre Dumas, James P. Blaylock, Charles Dickens.

 

8. My MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) is INTJ - Introverted/Intuitive/Thinking/Judging. The "judging" part means only that I like "closure." It has nothing to do with being judgmental. INTJs tend to be perfectionists, but their practicality prevents their perfectionism from becoming paralyzing. How's that for a string of words beginning with P? :P

 

9. I really like how the image above turned out, even after futzing about with it in Photoshop. Using ISO 100 preserved an amazing amount of detail, despite the ghetto-lighting, as Daz* likes to call it.

 

I may or may not tag some of you to do the same. :P

Maasai Elder wears a woolly hat and a fleece along with his traditional Maasai robes. Taken in the foothills of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, 2011.

 

See black & white face shot here.

 

www.jo-pye.com

Australia, Adelaide, 24-10-2015.

Stella Lux, de energie-positieve familie zonnewagen van Solar Team Eindhoven wordt op praktische eigenschappen gejureerd tijdens de 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Veel zonne-auto's in verschillende klassen reden 3000 km. van Darwin naar Adelaide. De Cruiser klasse met Stella Lux en het Japanse Kogakuin namen een ruime voorsprong en zorgen voor een spannende finale. In de Cruiser klasse is snelheid niet de enige factor, ook aantal passagiers gereden en jury-oordeel voor het echte auto-gevoel tellen mee. Ondanks de voorsprong van Kogakuin lijkt Stella Lux daarom een goede kandidaat voor de eerste plaats.De jurering bestaat uit onderdelen als zitcomfort, ruimte, besturingsgemak, aantrekkelijkheid, innovatie, achteruit inparkeren, bagageruimte, etc. De Challenger klasse is eerder gefinished met Nuon Solar Team (Delft) als winnaar en Solar Team Twente als 2e. /

photo: TU Eindhoven, Bart van Overbeeke /

Stella Lux, the energy-positive family solar car from Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven during practicality judging at the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Lots of solar cars in different classes competed during a 3000 km. trip from Darwin to Adelaide.The Cruiser class with Stella Lux and Japanese Kogakuin took the lead and make for an exciting finale. In Cruiser Class speed is not the only aspect, number of passengers and practical judgement also count. Despite the lead of Kogakuin Stella Lux seems to have a good chance on winning. Judges look at aspects like cabin space and comfort; features; ease of operation; desirability and innovation, reverse parking, room for luggage, etc. The Challenger Class has finished with Nuon Solar Team as winner and Solar Team Twente second.

Australia, Adelaide, 24-10-2015.

Stella Lux, de energie-positieve familie zonnewagen van Solar Team Eindhoven tijdens de 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Veel zonne-auto's in verschillende klassen reden 3000 km. van Darwin naar Adelaide. De Cruiser klasse met Stella Lux en het Japanse Kogakuin namen een ruime voorsprong en zorgen voor een spannende finale. In de Cruiser klasse is snelheid niet de enige factor, ook aantal passagiers gereden en jury-oordeel voor het echte auto-gevoel tellen mee. Ondanks de voorsprong van Kogakuin lijkt Stella Lux daarom een goede kandidaat voor de eerste plaats.De jurering bestaat uit onderdelen als zitcomfort, ruimte, besturingsgemak, aantrekkelijkheid, innovatie, achteruit inparkeren, bagageruimte, etc. De Challenger klasse is eerder gefinished met Nuon Solar Team (Delft) als winnaar en Solar Team Twente als 2e. /

photo: TU Eindhoven, Bart van Overbeeke /

Stella Lux, the energy-positive family solar car from Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven at the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Lots of solar cars in different classes competed during a 3000 km. trip from Darwin to Adelaide.The Cruiser class with Stella Lux and Japanese Kogakuin took the lead and make for an exciting finale. In Cruiser Class speed is not the only aspect, number of passengers and practical judgement also count. Despite the lead of Kogakuin Stella Lux seems to have a good chance on winning. Judges look at aspects like cabin space and comfort; features; ease of operation; desirability and innovation, reverse parking, room for luggage, etc. The Challenger Class has finished with Nuon Solar Team as winner and Solar Team Twente second.

Benjamin Stein, Die Leinwand (The Canvas)

An Event of the DAAD

Reading

Wed, 29.12.2010, 19:00

Goethe-Institut Jerusalem

in German

  

Based on the scandal of Benjamin Wilkomirski's falsified Holocaust memoir, this novel deals with the unreliability of memory and the struggle for identity. Two stories are told from both ends of the book. In one of the stories Amnon Zichroni, an Orthodox Jew who grew up in Israel and becomes a psychoanalyst in Zürich, encourages Minsky, a supposed Holocaust survivor, to write down his memories. The other story is about East German journalist Jan Wechsler who tries to expose Minsky's memoirs as false. In the centre of the book a confrontation takes place when the two narrators, Amnon Zichroni and Jan Wechsler, meet one another.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

  

The Armory Center for the Arts is pleased to present a collection of hand-carved, hand-painted birds and other animals, made by Japanese national Masato Wayne Sumida while interned at Poston War Relocation Center in La Paz County, Arizona. The exhibition, in the Armory’s Mezzanine Galleries, opens on Sunday, October 13, 2013 and runs through Sunday, January 26, 2014. A reception, free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, October 12, from 7-9pm. A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida has been organized by Armory’s Gallery Director / Chief Curator Irene Tsatsos.

 

Poston War Relocation Center was located on a reservation three miles east of the Colorado River, was the largest Japanese internment camp, and was known for its poor sanitation and the unsettling relations between the interned Japanese and Japanese-Americans and the Colorado Native Americans who remained on the land after its repurposing. Masato Wayne Sumida lived at Poston for nearly 4 and a half years, from May 27, 1941 to November 20, 1945.

 

Sumida’s exquisite carvings – between 1” and 5” – depict a variety of brightly colored small animals, including fish and squirrels, but most are ornately painted birds. He made numerous carvings of mallards, cardinals, swans, owls, and more – each similar, yet with its own unique personality.

 

Sumida’s practice was associated with gaman, the Japanese Zen Buddhist term that refers to the idea of bearing through suffering with dignity and patience. During WWII, it also became synonymous with the objects made by the men and women who were held in the internment camps. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, ethnic Japanese were notified that they would be relocated within a week and that they were to carry everything they would need with them. Upon arrival at the camps, men, women, and children were housed in small rooms scantily furnished with a single light bulb, a wood burning stove, and cots. At first, people met their basic needs making chairs, knives, and posts on which to hang laundry. As their internment persisted, their production turned away from everyday practicalities and developed into an art form that symbolized their resilience and composure.

 

Masato Wayne Sumida’s beautiful carved and painted objects had been in safekeeping by his granddaughter Wendy Al and her husband, the artist Billy Al Bengston, after being found stored in a large trash can in her grandparents’ garage. Many Japanese-Americans of the era neglected to speak of the period, and the gaman made during internment were often given away, some sold at garage sales, or forgotten in storage spaces waiting to be rediscovered by the artists’ descendants decades later. Sumida’s son, Paul, recalls giving the birds, which were fashioned into earrings, brooches, and lapel pins, to his teachers as gifts.

 

Masato Wayne Sumida was born in Hiroshima Prefecture on October 13, 1903 and was orphaned at an early age. When he was 14 years old he took a boat to Mexico, arriving there illegally. He later swam across the Rio Grande River to enter the US. Before being interred Sumida lived in Boyle Heights, CA, where he worked as a gardener. After his release, he settled in Gardena, CA and took work as a sign painter. He was married to Hisako Sumida, who survived him. Masato Wayne Sumida died on September 12, 1995. The Sumida family members rediscovered the objects following Hisako’s death in 1999. Billy Al, seeing the objects for the first time, was overwhelmed by their creativity and beauty and launched the family’s efforts to preserve the collection.

 

The title of this show, A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida, quotes a line of haiku from Yajin Nakao, a poet interned at Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County, Arkansas:

 

Autumn foliage

California has now become

a far country

 

The tradition of haiku and other forms of poetry and writing persevered in the camps, where writers were able meet to discuss their works.

 

A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida runs in conjunction with the group exhibition Home Away, organized by Los Angeles-based independent curator Kris Kuramitsu, which highlights and contextualizes a group of artists that work in Los Angeles as well as other locations in Asia and Latin America, among them Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Mumbai, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.

 

The Piaggio Ape (pronounced "ah-peh" - Italian for bee ) is a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle first produced in 1948 by Piaggio.

At the end of WWII, most Italians, badly affected by the war, lacked modes of transport, and more importantly, the financial means to acquire full-sized four-wheeled vehicles. In 1947 the inventor of the Vespa, aircraft designer Corradino D'Ascanio, came up with the idea of building a light three wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's economical reconstruction, an idea which found favour with Enrico Piaggio, the son of the firm's founder, Rinaldo. The very first Ape model and the mark immediately following it were mechanically a Vespa with two wheels added to the rear, with a flat-bed structure on top of the rear axle. In the early sale brochures and adverts the vehicle was referred to as the VespaCar or TriVespa and cost 170.000 liras. The first Apes featured 50cc, 125cc or 150cc and more recently 175cc engines. By the time of the 1964 Ape D a cab was added to protect the driver from the elements. The Ape has been in continuous production since its inception and has been produced in a variety of different body styles in Italy and India.

Controlled with scooter style handlebars, the original Ape was designed to sit one, but can accommodate a passenger (with a tight fit) in its cab. A door on each side is provided, making it quicker to get out of the vehicle when making deliveries to different sides of the road. Performance is suited to the job of light delivery, with good torque for hills but a low top speed, which is irrelevant in the urban settings for it was designed. Outside of towns Apes are customarily driven as close as possible to the curb to allow traffic to pass.

The vehicles comes in various configurations such as vans and pickups for load carrying and autorickshaw (Tuk-tuk) for human transportation. More recently Piaggio have made lifestyle models such as the Ape Cross Country and the Ape Web aimed at the young.

Ape Calessino Electric Lithium Values of environmental awareness and respect, which are key in the strategy of the Piaggio Group and in its research and development activities, have now led to the creation of a new zero environmental impact version of the Ape Calessino.The idea of being in touch with nature and with the surrounding environment inspired an evolution in the concept of mobility embodied by Ape Calessino better than any other vehicle. Introducing the electric Ape Calessino Electric Lithium.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium offers the same features and elegance as the conventional engine version. The electric version gains its own unique livery, with an elegant blue and white two-tone color scheme for the bodywork and canvas elements. The same two-tone scheme is echoed in the interior, with cream colored upholstery trimmed with blue piping.Since its launch, Ape Calessino has been met with a genuine fondness and a reputation as a mobility solution that breaks free of the frenetic rhythms of modern life to rediscover values of friendship and conviviality. Exclusive and elegant, yet practical and sturdy just like every other Ape; the bodywork of the new Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is given a double cataphoresis painting treatment, making it even more resistant to the corrosive action typical of the humid, saline conditions of a seaside environment.Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is the perfect vehicle for anyone who wants to stand out from the crowd with original elegance and in complete harmony with the surrounding environment.The new electric Ape Calessino combines the practicality, elegance and agility that have made the Ape Calessino such a hit with capability of accessing zones usually prohibited to vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines, such as areas of particular natural and environmental importance, historical town centers and restricted traffic areas.This makes Ape Calessino Electric Lithium an indispensable tool, for instance, for resorts, hotels and tourism operators intending to offer their guests a fun and distinctive shuttle service that can reach the centre of a cultural city, fend for itself in the hustle and bustle of a medieval town centre or wind its way along the panoramic routes of a beautiful Mediterranean island with equal ease. With a range of 75 Km, all of these destinations and more are easily within reach of the Ape Calessino Electric Lithium, in total respect for the environment and cocooned in silence: electric drive means that Ape Calessino is not just a zero emissions vehicle, it is also completely silent, so that its occupants can enjoy the beauty of a nature to the full or travel through densely populated centers without causing even the slightest disturbance.The Aenerbox system also offers another advantage: the battery does not discharge while the vehicle is not in use, even if left for prolonged periods. This is a significant benefit, especially considering the typically seasonal nature of the tourism industry, for example, and goes hand in hand with remarkable longevity. The life cycle of these batteries is an incredible 15 years (or more than 800 recharge cycles for a total of approximately 60,000 Km), compared with the 7-10 years of a conventional battery system.Built in a series of just 100 examples, the most exclusive Ape of all time is destined for a design-conscious clientele that appreciates Italian style. But this is not just an extremely functional vehicle; it is also a true collector's piece, as highlighted by the numbered plate making it even more exclusive. Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is on sale, on Italian market, at € 19,900 (VAT not included).

 

Two examples of the second generation of the C4 Picasso, which is marketed by Citroën as the C4 SpaceTourer since 2018. Despite the name change, the uniqueness of its design remains, as does its practicality. A larger Grand version adds 167 mm to the length, enough to increase passenger capacity to seven.

 

Given the options presented here I'd choose the blue car. Which colour would you choose?

I’m sure that you’ve heard of the phrase that “form follows function” before. I’m a firm believer in it. The jeep is a perfect example of it. The form of the jeep was derived from the functions that it was necessary to provide for the US Army Quartermaster Corps. When the call went out for the vehicle that was to become the jeep in 1940 it was heeded by very few companies. Very few companies either had the engineering talent necessary to create something from scratch and/or they just didn’t need the contract. American Bantam Motor Car had both. They had Karl Probst, a freelance automotive engineer, who reportedly drafted the design in two days in June of 1940, along with Harold Crist, Chet Hemphling and Ralph Turner. But they also had the need.

There has been alot written about Bantam’s solvency versus Willys-Overland and the overall strong points of both companies and frankly I don’t know what to believe. But the important point was that Bantam responded to the Army’s unrealistic 49 day time frame for a working and running prototype to be delivered to Camp Holabird, Maryland by September 1940. So while some say that the Army contract saved Bantam for a short while, it was more likely the other way around. Bantam saved the Army’s bacon and helped in a very key way to create a very necessary piece of war equipment. Bantam’s design was aped and copied by the final two manufacturers, Willys and Ford and it was this design that has influenced every jeep made since. From these beginning requirements that the military set down, the form was derived.

  

- The weight was not to exceed 1200 pounds (increased to 1275 lbs 1 July and then to 1308 lbs).

- Carry six hundred pounds of payload in cross country operations.

- Wheelbase not to exceed 75 inches (increased to 80 inches 1 July).

- Height not to exceed 36 inches (increased to 40 inches 1 July).

-Ground clearance of 6.25 inches at a minimum.

- Approach angle of 45° and departure angle of 40°.

- Four wheel drive with a two speed transfer case, geared for up to 50 mph on-road and down to 3 mph off-road.

- A mount for a .30 cal. machine gun.

- A rectangular body and folding windshield.

- Seating for three.

- Blackout lights.

From this humble beginning the jeep was born. And if you’re like me as I’m sure that you are, you appreciate the jeep’s relatively simple boxy design. But it turns out that not only the jeep’s normal fans that were impressed by the little jeep. In 1951, the Museum of Modern Art in NYC decided to hold a series of exhibits that showcased examples of what they considered timeless examples of automotive design. It was the first real example of a new thought along the lines of what constitutes not just auto beauty, but overall auto design. It wasn’t a new idea for the museum actually. Since the early post-war ideas through the mid 1950’s they had begun asking the question of ‘what is good design?’ as regards everyday things from home goods, appliances, furnishings and sporting goods. The shows ranged from coffee makers and cheese graters to Tupperware. And like these humble daily objects the jeep was chosen in its fall show of 1951 for its practicality and purposeful design.

The jeep chosen was loaned from Kaiser Willys, an M38 and it sat in the museum. I wish that I had been able to find the whole catalogue for it, but instead I have only sections, but at least the page for the jeep is able to be found online. You can see the image at the top of the page and the catalogue entry reads as follows:

 

“1951 (model first produced in 1941). Manufactured by Willys-Overland Motors, Inc., Toledo, Ohio. Overall length 10 feet 3 inches.

The admirable Jeep seems to have the combined appeal of an intelligent dog and a perfect gadget. It is an appeal so vast that this wonderful tool for transportation has won approval for much more that its practicality, though the engineers who perfected it worked without the concern for style with which other automobiles are designed.

The Jeep looks like a tray, or perhaps a sturdy sardine can, on wheels. Part of the top appears to have been cut open and folded up, to serve as a windshield. From it a canvas canopy can be stretched over some metal struts to the back of the car, thus affording temporary shelter from rain. large wheels dominate the design, and insist rather than suggest that the Jeep’s primary purpose is transportation.

One of the most striking illustrations of its direct design is the front fender. It is composed of two rectangular platforms placed at the best angle for preventing mud splash. The two sections are connected by an overlap, left plainly visible, and the lower section is joined to a small step. The side walls are low enough for passengers to step in, thus eliminating mechanically troublesome doors. Even refinements of contour grow out of practical considerations: the fenders have rounded corners to avoid cutting passengers as they get in.

With its wheels removed and the windshield folded flat the jeep fits into a shipping case. Uncrated and on the road it can maneuver its way through spaces blocked to larger vehicles. It can be stood on end and pushed through narrow passages; it has on occasion been dismantled and carried, piece by piece, over unmanageable terrain, and with suitable equipment it can be driven underwater. Bolts visible on the wheels and the body facilitate either the removal of parts or periodic tightening.

Those who have used the Jeep will recall certain limitations of comfort. Yet there are few automobiles that give their drivers so exhilarating a sense of speed and control. The Jeep substitutes for a deliberate esthetic program the formative principles of construction; its design is unified by the economy, (disdaining the merely decorative with which each part is fitted for its purpose. It is one of the few genuine expressions of machine art.”

 

Well said, the only part that I disagree with is calling it a ‘car.’ I just wish that Jeep still designed at least one of their vehicles this way today.

As recently as last year the jeep has found its way into a museum space with the last MOMA exhibit, Born Out Of Necessity, which is as good a way of any of describing the genesis of the jeep. Though this time the jeep featured was a 1952 M38A1. The jeep rubbed shoulders with a 1959 VW Bug and a 1961 Jaguar E-Type and made its way into the MOMA’s permanent collection in 2002.

Here are a couple of good write-ups on the series of exhibits (though not specifically jeep related...) here and here and for more on the last exhibit, Born Out Of Necessity see here and here. I also found a magazine article from an undated copy of ‘Auto Sport Review.’ It talks about the various vehicles in the exhibit with no mention of the show at the MOMA itself. I think that I can forgive the article writer for misdating the M38 as a 1941 as he/she hits the mark by identifying the jeep as having an “appearance and its purpose” that are the same. Again, its very true and what endears the jeep to millions. There’s nothing frilly or unnecessary about it.

You can download and read a PDF of the magazine article here- Auto Sport Review-WIGD.pdf, the MOMA’s press releases may also interest you here- 1951 MOMA Press Announcements.pdf as well as a PDF of the catalogue cover and the page on the jeep itself.

Come back next week. I haven’t an idea right now of what I’m going to write about, but I also said that last week and then realized that this was something that I had wanted to put the time into researching for some time now. Hope that you enjoyed it and see you next week with more of the best of the jeep since 1940!

(See the original post here- this-old-jeep.com/Whats_New_at_This-Old-Jeep.com/Entries/... for all of the links!)

Australia, Adelaide, 24-10-2015.

Stella Lux, de energie-positieve familie zonnewagen van Solar Team Eindhoven wordt op praktische eigenschappen gejureerd tijdens de 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Veel zonne-auto's in verschillende klassen reden 3000 km. van Darwin naar Adelaide. De Cruiser klasse met Stella Lux en het Japanse Kogakuin namen een ruime voorsprong en zorgen voor een spannende finale. In de Cruiser klasse is snelheid niet de enige factor, ook aantal passagiers gereden en jury-oordeel voor het echte auto-gevoel tellen mee. Ondanks de voorsprong van Kogakuin lijkt Stella Lux daarom een goede kandidaat voor de eerste plaats.De jurering bestaat uit onderdelen als zitcomfort, ruimte, besturingsgemak, aantrekkelijkheid, innovatie, achteruit inparkeren, bagageruimte, etc. De Challenger klasse is eerder gefinished met Nuon Solar Team (Delft) als winnaar en Solar Team Twente als 2e. /

photo: TU Eindhoven, Bart van Overbeeke /

Stella Lux, the energy-positive family solar car from Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven during practicality judging at the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Lots of solar cars in different classes competed during a 3000 km. trip from Darwin to Adelaide.The Cruiser class with Stella Lux and Japanese Kogakuin took the lead and make for an exciting finale. In Cruiser Class speed is not the only aspect, number of passengers and practical judgement also count. Despite the lead of Kogakuin Stella Lux seems to have a good chance on winning. Judges look at aspects like cabin space and comfort; features; ease of operation; desirability and innovation, reverse parking, room for luggage, etc. The Challenger Class has finished with Nuon Solar Team as winner and Solar Team Twente second.

My inspiration for this lamp was a mixture of oriental color combination and feminine curves.

This exquisite lampshade is created as most of my work using a fine crochet needle and coated copper wires.

The detailed patterns and bright shiny colors create magnificent shades when lighted and rich reflections from other light sources, It is just as attractive during day time and night time.

 

When installed next to a wall it casts fascinating shades, it can be installed in groups or as individuals.

 

Some practicalities:

Size: 4 “ (100 mm) diameter, height 4 “ (100 mm)

 

The lampshade arrives with a brass light socket (0.6”/15mm long) for a 12V 20W Halogen lamp and a 78”(2 meter) long flexible metal wire (0.08”/2mm diameter).

 

A standard electronic transformer is required for adjusting the voltage into 12V (both from 110V and 230V).

This exquisite lampshade is created as most of my work using a fine crochet needle and color coated copper wires.

My inspiration for this lamp was the story of Scheherazade the Persian princess that told the king stories until he fell in love with her.

 

The detailed patterns and bright shiny colors create magnificent shades when lighted and rich reflections from other light sources. It is just as attractive during day time and night time.

 

When installed next to a wall it casts fascinating shades, it can be installed in groups or as individuals.

 

Some practicalities:

Size: 5.5 “ (140 mm) diameter, height 3.1 “ (80 mm)

 

The lampshade arrives with a brass light socket (1.2”/30mm long) for a 12V 20W Halogen lamp and a 78”(2 meter) long flexible metal wire (0.08”/2mm diameter).

 

A standard electronic transformer is required for adjusting the voltage into 12V (both from 110V and 230V).

 

In September 1977 Mercedes-Benz introduced their first factory-built wagon model as part of the W123 range.

 

The T-Series was available with the same engine range as the saloon, but featured the extra practicality of the wagon body form, frequently supplemented by the fitment of a 3rd row of rearward facing seats.

 

The model shown here the 300 TD Wagon, was fitted with a 3.0 L 5-cylinder Diesel engine, and is based on the car owned by the parent of one of my friends in the 1980s. They had a large family, and the 7-seat wagon was a very sensible proposition for carrying some of the family in one go (eight kids, so there was a second car as well).

 

Power output of the diesel engine was limited, based on numbers alone the car seems woefully under-powered by today's standards. But having driven a similar W123 sedan 300 D, the car moved along well enough.

 

The W123 reange was replaced by the W124 in 1985, and the new model range also included a high-capable wagon model.

Here be Ghostship and tis me second entry into ye LUGNuts All But Four

build challenge. She harkens back to the strange days of 60’s era show rods where a clever name and a weird theme be more important than practicality. On board this fine vessel ye got six wheels, round portal windows, ocean wave mosaics, a Captain’s steering wheel, treasure map and squawking parrot be the shifter. Also she has treasure chests for cam housings and the carburetors be king’s crowns of the finest gold! She can pull wheelies but with rear tires on pivots, she will still have four wheels touching terra firma…and should the captain fancy recreation more nautical, she carries a surf board appropriately named…The Plank! She has spinning screw ‘round back, like that of a real ship, and she flies the Jolly Roger up front, warning ye that tis be pirate’s business! You best give up your treasures, your pirate’s booty and your comments and affections here lest suffer the wrath of Blackbeard! Savvy?

Benjamin Stein, Die Leinwand (The Canvas)

An Event of the DAAD

Reading

Wed, 29.12.2010, 19:00

Goethe-Institut Jerusalem

in German

  

Based on the scandal of Benjamin Wilkomirski's falsified Holocaust memoir, this novel deals with the unreliability of memory and the struggle for identity. Two stories are told from both ends of the book. In one of the stories Amnon Zichroni, an Orthodox Jew who grew up in Israel and becomes a psychoanalyst in Zürich, encourages Minsky, a supposed Holocaust survivor, to write down his memories. The other story is about East German journalist Jan Wechsler who tries to expose Minsky's memoirs as false. In the centre of the book a confrontation takes place when the two narrators, Amnon Zichroni and Jan Wechsler, meet one another.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

  

Copyright © Kevin Cooper Photoline NUJ: Seamus McKee (BBC Radio Ulster) opened the conference and give context to the debate as chairperson of Business Rates Conference 2016 which took place on Tuesday, 12 January 2016 in Riddel Hall at Queen's University Belfast. Speakers included: Richard Johnston - Associate Director, NI Centre for Economic Policy, UU; David Sterling - Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance & Personnel; Stephen Kelly, Chief Executive, Manufacturing NI; Aodhán Connolly, Director, NI Retail Consortium, Seamus McAleavey â Chief Executive, NICVA, Derek McCallan â Chief Executive, NILGA, Followed by a panel discussion with David Sterling â DFP, Stephen Kelly â Manufacturing NI, Aodhán Connolly â NI Retail Consortium, Seamus McAleavey â NICVA, Derek McCallan â NILGA. After a short break the discussion continued with A system that it is fit for purpose: the practicalities involved: Brian McClure â Head of Rating Policy Division, Department of Finance & Personnel, Funding local services: a new system for securing businesses contributions: Martin McTague â Chairman, Local Government Committee, Federation of Small Businesses, Getting it right: the UK and international perspective:

David Magor OBE - Chief Executive, Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation. Finishing the final panel discussion was with: Brian McClure â Department of Finance & Personnel, Martin McTague â FSB and David Magor â IRRV. Seamus McKee, Chairperson of the conference made some concluding remarks before breaking for lunch. Business Rates Conference 2016, which was part of the Chambré Public Affairs âEye on the Hillâ series of policy events, provided participants with a unique insight into an important programme of reform. The conference offered context and analysis from the Minister, senior officials, sector leaders and noted experts, the conference is perfectly timed to inform responses to the consultation, which closes a fortnight later. On 26 October 2015, Finance Minister Arlene Foster launched a public consultation on a wide-ranging Review of Northern Ireland's Non-Domestic Rating System. The consultation asks questions that touch upon every sector in Northern Ireland, giving respondents the chance to provide imaginative suggestions to improve how revenue is raised locally. Key questions include whether the 100% exemption for charities should be maintained, and how the system could be changed to better suit the demands of local business. Because of the Departmentâs willingness to engage creatively with the business community and other stakeholders, this consultation represents a rare opportunity to influence major change. Business rating is a vital form of taxation, raising some £592m of revenue for regional and local Government in Northern Ireland. However, it is also a significant expense for the businesses that are the lifeblood of the local economy, and can act as a particular disincentive to smaller enterprises who want to invest and expand. At the other end of the spectrum, charities in Northern Ireland benefit significantly from the current rating system, enjoying a 100% rates exemption.

The last of the line, the final original Mini's, leaving the factory on the 4th October 2000, bringing an end to 5,387,862 cars.

 

Construction of the Mini first began in 1959, with the car designed by the British Motor Corporation's (BMC) chief designer Sir Alec Issigonis, who envisaged a car that had as much space as was humanly possible devoted to the passenger so as to combine the practicality of a big car with the nippy nature of a Dune Buggy. The result was that 80% of the car's platform was available for use by both passengers and luggage. The car was also designed to be fuel efficient, built in response to the 1956 Suez Crisis which resulted in rising fuel prices and petrol rationing. During this period it became apparent that German 'Bubble Car' equivalents such as the Heinkel Kabine and various Messerschmitt designs were starting to corner the market, and thus the Mini project was launched under project name ADO15 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 15). Great care was taken to make sure that as much space was saved for the passenger, including the instalment of compact rubber springs instead of conventional metal and the small but powerful BMC A-Series four-cylinder engine tucked away at the front.

 

In April 1959 the car was launched to the press under the designation of both the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini-Minor (due to the amalgamation of the Austin and Morris brands under BMC). By the time the car was let loose thousands had already been sent abroad in an audacious promotional campaign. Things however started slow for the Mini, but this rising star soon became an icon during the 1960's, selling 1,190,000 by 1967.

 

But, behind all the shining sales figures, there were some major problems for BMC and their wonderchild. Baffled by the car, Ford bought one for the base price of £497 and took it apart, desperate to know how their rivals were doing it for the money. As it turns out they weren't, and were able to determine that BMC was losing at least £30 on every single car they sold. Novelty was the only way to get the car properly moving in this competitive new world, and the Mini was all about that. By 1970 the car had appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows, the most famous of which was their charge to glory in the 1969 film 'The Italian Job', where a trio of Minis were used to plunder gold from under the noses of the Mafia and the Italian Authorities. A Leyland Mini holds a place in the heart of British TV under the ownership of Mr. Bean and his various clumsy antics, usually involving an unfortunate Reliant Regal. At the same time it was a car of choice for TV and Music Stars who wanted to show off their quirks!

 

From then on the car continued to keep up its notorious status as a British symbol of motoring, with a huge variety of cars being made including a spacious van, a country camper, a pickup truck and the Moke dune buggy! There were also two almost identical saloon versions of the car known as the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf that were built between 1961 and 1969 as more luxurious alternatives to the original.

 

In 1969 the first major facelift came in the form of the Clubman, designed under British Leyland to give the car a new lease of life, but ended up being something of a mongrel. Although functionally the same, the boys at British Leyland couldn't help but get things off to a bad start by relocating construction from the Cowley Plant to the Longbridge Plant, which meant that all kits and tools had to be moved too and thus initial sales were very slow. British Leyland's reliability reputation was soon to follow, with the unfortunate Mini becoming a victim of the shoddy workmanship that had mired so many of its other products.

 

Eventually the Clubman was killed off in 1980, although the original Mini design had been built alongside and was still selling strong. British Leyland however had plans to kill off the Mini in 1980 by introducing its new small economy car, the Austin Metro. Built very much to the same principals of the Mini, the Metro was a much more angular design but still a capable little family hatchback. But the angular lines and big bulky body did nothing for the Metro, and the car failed to sell in the numbers domestically than those of the Mini internationally!

 

Towards the end of the 1980's and 1990's, the car came in a variety of different 'Special Editions' as the car became less of a mass-market machine and more a fashion item. The iconic nature of the car had sealed its fate with new owners of the Rover Group, BMW, who intended to keep the car going for as long as possible. At the same time the car was a major seller in Japan, which gave a boost of sales in the early 1990's with 40,000 new cars being exported there.

 

Eventually however, the design was starting to look very tired and with Rover Group making heavy losses, the Mini and its spiritual cousin the Metro were killed off in 2000 and 1999, respectively. Rover was granted the ability to run-out the model to the very end before Rover itself was sold off in 2000. During the breakup, BMW designed a new version of the Mini which was launched in 2000 and is still being built today as quite a sleek and popular machine, a little bit more bulky than the original but certainly keeping the novelty and charm. The originals however ended on the 4th October 2000, with a red Mini Cooper S bringing an end to 5,387,862 cars.

 

However, although the original Mini is now very much dead, the novelty that surrounds these tiny little cars is enough to keep thousands and thousands of these machines preserved or in continual everyday usage. Older Mini-Minors are a bit hard to come by and the Clubmans rusted away before you could get them home from the showroom, but the later Mini's sold in the 1980's and 1990's are still alive and kicking on the roads of Britain, and can still draw the attention of passers by even 56 years after the first ones left the production line!

The Jaguar I-PACE is the electric vehicle drivers have been waiting for Clean, smart and safe, the

I-PACE delivers sustainable sports car performance, next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) technology and five-seat SUV practicality to place Jaguar at the forefront of the EV revolution.

 

Looking to fill any available gap in its lineup, BMW developed the 'Gran Turismo' concept to denote a vehicle that straddles the line between a saloon and a kombi. I call it a five-door hatchback. Regardless of the name, BMW offers two flavors, one based on the 3-Series (pictured) and one based on the 6-Series (formerly on the 5-Series). The style of the cars is a compromise, naturally, as it tries to maximize the practicality of having that extra space in the hatch. For a better execution, I prefer the 4-Series Gran Coupé.

An Israeli in Palestine, by Jeff Halper, Reading at the Educational Bookshop, Jerusalem, 25th February 2011

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

  

Photo taken in Kungsholmstorg at Gärdesloppet, or Prins Bertil Memorial, Stockholm, Sweden.

 

Driver: Ake Gravestam

 

The Lotus Elan is a true sports car. A sports car is about being light, having finesse, and a focus on handling rather than speed. The Lotus Elan was the first Lotus road car to use a steel backbone chassis with a fibreglass body. At 1,500 lb (680 kg), the Elan embodied the Colin Chapman minimum weight design philosophy.

 

The Lotus Elan's rarity, beautiful lines, impressive performance and practicality are the main factors for the rising interest on these cars among collectors.

 

In 2004, Sports Car International named the Elan number six on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.

 

The Lotus Elan is commonly credited as being the design inspiration for the highly successful Mazda MX-5.

www.lotuselan.net/wiki/Lotus_Elan

 

Gärdesloppet, or Prins Bertil Memorial:

 

Prince Bertil Memorial takes place each year in Stockholm, Sweden, in honour of Prince Bertil, uncle to Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf. The Prince was a race-car driver in the 1930s, using the pseudonym "Monsieur Adrian" to placate his disapproving father, later King Gustaf VI Adolf. Prince Bertil continued to act in the monarchy's best interests by forgoing marriage to his British girlfriend, Lilian Craig. Under Swedish law, which has since been changed, such a union with a commoner would have rendered him ineligible to serve as regent, should the need have arisen, to Carl Gustaf, son of Prince Bertil's deceased older brother. The Prince finally married the patient Lilian in 1976, three years after nephew Carl Gustaf was safely on the throne.

 

forums.autosport.com/topic/24708-prince-bertil-of-sweden/

Maker: Lionel S. Beale (1828-1906)

Born: UK

Active: UK

Medium: book

Size: 7 3/4 in x 9 3/4 in

Location:

 

Object No. 2020.416a

Shelf: D-30

 

Publication: Lionel S. Beale, On Some Points in the Anatomy of the Liver, John Churchill, London, 1856

 

Other Collections: Wellcome Library, Brown University Library, NY Academy of Medicine, Amherst College Library, Harvard University Medical School Countway Library

 

Provenance: Camilla's Bookshop

Rank: 100

 

Notes: A very early example of a photographically illustrated medical book. It contains 14 leaves of photographs (albumen prints) with 26 drawings by the author, each containing smaller microscopical figures, giving a total of 66 numbered figures. Some of the negatives were made by Julius Pollock, but most were by Beale, who also made the prints in his laboratory at home. In the very interesting preface, Beale discusses the practicality of photographic book illustration, and gives data on the time and cost of producing prints. Of the edition size, Beale states that it was only “a few copies.” – “the photographs were taken from diagrams copied from the author’s drawings.

 

Lionel Smith Beale (5 February 1828 – 28 March 1906) was a British physician, microscopist, and professor at King's College London. He graduated in medicine from King's College in 1851. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1857. He was one of the leading authorties on microphotograph and the first physiological investigator to practice the method of fixing tissues by injections. His discoveries included the pyriform nerve ganglion cells, called “Beale´s cells.” An unusually good draughtsman, Beale himself illustrated his books profusely with graphic drawings. His drawings of Beale’s cells are still reproduced in standard works on histology.

 

To view our archive organized by themes and subjects, visit: OUR COLLECTIONS

 

For information about reproducing this image, visit: THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY ARCHIVE

The Armory Center for the Arts is pleased to present a collection of hand-carved, hand-painted birds and other animals, made by Japanese national Masato Wayne Sumida while interned at Poston War Relocation Center in La Paz County, Arizona. The exhibition, in the Armory’s Mezzanine Galleries, opens on Sunday, October 13, 2013 and runs through Sunday, January 26, 2014. A reception, free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, October 12, from 7-9pm. A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida has been organized by Armory’s Gallery Director / Chief Curator Irene Tsatsos.

 

Poston War Relocation Center was located on a reservation three miles east of the Colorado River, was the largest Japanese internment camp, and was known for its poor sanitation and the unsettling relations between the interned Japanese and Japanese-Americans and the Colorado Native Americans who remained on the land after its repurposing. Masato Wayne Sumida lived at Poston for nearly 4 and a half years, from May 27, 1941 to November 20, 1945.

 

Sumida’s exquisite carvings – between 1” and 5” – depict a variety of brightly colored small animals, including fish and squirrels, but most are ornately painted birds. He made numerous carvings of mallards, cardinals, swans, owls, and more – each similar, yet with its own unique personality.

 

Sumida’s practice was associated with gaman, the Japanese Zen Buddhist term that refers to the idea of bearing through suffering with dignity and patience. During WWII, it also became synonymous with the objects made by the men and women who were held in the internment camps. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, ethnic Japanese were notified that they would be relocated within a week and that they were to carry everything they would need with them. Upon arrival at the camps, men, women, and children were housed in small rooms scantily furnished with a single light bulb, a wood burning stove, and cots. At first, people met their basic needs making chairs, knives, and posts on which to hang laundry. As their internment persisted, their production turned away from everyday practicalities and developed into an art form that symbolized their resilience and composure.

 

Masato Wayne Sumida’s beautiful carved and painted objects had been in safekeeping by his granddaughter Wendy Al and her husband, the artist Billy Al Bengston, after being found stored in a large trash can in her grandparents’ garage. Many Japanese-Americans of the era neglected to speak of the period, and the gaman made during internment were often given away, some sold at garage sales, or forgotten in storage spaces waiting to be rediscovered by the artists’ descendants decades later. Sumida’s son, Paul, recalls giving the birds, which were fashioned into earrings, brooches, and lapel pins, to his teachers as gifts.

 

Masato Wayne Sumida was born in Hiroshima Prefecture on October 13, 1903 and was orphaned at an early age. When he was 14 years old he took a boat to Mexico, arriving there illegally. He later swam across the Rio Grande River to enter the US. Before being interred Sumida lived in Boyle Heights, CA, where he worked as a gardener. After his release, he settled in Gardena, CA and took work as a sign painter. He was married to Hisako Sumida, who survived him. Masato Wayne Sumida died on September 12, 1995. The Sumida family members rediscovered the objects following Hisako’s death in 1999. Billy Al, seeing the objects for the first time, was overwhelmed by their creativity and beauty and launched the family’s efforts to preserve the collection.

 

The title of this show, A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida, quotes a line of haiku from Yajin Nakao, a poet interned at Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County, Arkansas:

 

Autumn foliage

California has now become

a far country

 

The tradition of haiku and other forms of poetry and writing persevered in the camps, where writers were able meet to discuss their works.

 

A Far Country: Gaman Birds of Masato Wayne Sumida runs in conjunction with the group exhibition Home Away, organized by Los Angeles-based independent curator Kris Kuramitsu, which highlights and contextualizes a group of artists that work in Los Angeles as well as other locations in Asia and Latin America, among them Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Mumbai, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.

 

Cozy up to a furniture collection that marries the beauty of a rich finish with the practicality of built-in storage. Boasting clean lines and generous open and enclosed shelves, the Skyline Collection turns a living room or entertainment area into an attractive, functional space where it's easy to relax. Grooves on the doors and drawers of each piece lend a trendy appeal to the finish, which is further enhanced by sleek metal handles. Built-in lights bathe your favorite treasures in a warm glow, drawing the eye to your precious collectibles and belongings and turning ordinary furniture into an extraordinary showcase. Consisting of 3 separate pieces, the collection is configurable to fit your specific space requirements.

Available in 2 finishes (Sumptous Cherry & Chocolate)

 

Gâtez-vous avec ce mobilier qui marie la beauté de notre fini cerisier somptueux tout en étant doté de pratiques espaces de rangement intégrés. Grâce à ses lignes épurées et à ses nombreuses tablettes, la collection Skyline permet de transformer une salle de séjour ou un coin divertissement en un espace attrayant et fonctionnel où il est facile de se détendre. Les rainures agrémentant les portes et les tiroirs de chaque article confèrent un charme des plus branchés, lequel est rehaussé par les sobres poignées en métal. La chaude lumière que diffuse l’éclairage intégré met en valeur vos trésors préférés, en attirant l’oeil sur vos précieux objets de collection et en métamorphosant un simple meuble en une vitrine extraordinaire. Les trois articles de cette collection peuvent s’agencer de manière à convenir à vos besoins particuliers en matière d’espace.

“Granite and Green”

We at Olde New England Granite are now designing and supplying materials for outdoor showers with attached water features – constructed entirely from reclaimed, weathered granite from our olde quarry. The greenery between really compliments and softens the aged granite. Everybody loves the practicality of an outdoor shower. The other unique “granite and green” treatments we are suppliers for includes – privacy hedges, patio backdrops, property boundaries, driveway borders and entry groupings. We invite you to come to the granite farm and see the array of our new and extensive inventory. You may even want to give our shower a whirl – BYOS.

 

History

 

[edit] Foundation and early years (1898–1918)

Renault Type D Serie B Voiturette 1901

Renault Type D Serie B Voiturette 1901

Renault AX 3-Seater 1909

Renault AX 3-Seater 1909

Renault DM Tourer 1914

Renault DM Tourer 1914

1923 40CV Model

1923 40CV Model

3D red_cyan glasses recommended for your viewing pleasure

Renault KJ-1 Tourer 1923

Renault KJ-1 Tourer 1923

Renault Celtaquatre Berline 1935

Renault Celtaquatre Berline 1935

 

Producing cars since late 1898, the Renault corporation was founded in 1899 as Société Renault Frères by Louis Renault, his brothers Marcel and Fernand, and his friends Thomas Evert and Julian Wyer. Louis was a bright, aspiring young engineer who had already designed and built several models before teaming up with his brothers, who had honed their business skills working for their father's textiles firm. While Louis handled design and production, Marcel and Fernand handled company management.

 

The first Renault car, the Renault Voiturette 1CV was sold to a friend of Louis' father after giving him a test ride on December 24, 1898. The client was so impressed with the way the tiny car ran and how it climbed the streets that he bought it.

 

The brothers immediately recognised the publicity that could be obtained for their vehicles by participation in motor racing and Renault made itself known through achieving instant success in the first city-to-city races held in Switzerland, resulting in rapid expansion for the company. Both Louis and Marcel Renault raced company vehicles, but Marcel was killed in an accident during the 1903 Paris-Madrid race. Although Louis Renault never raced again, his company remained very involved, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first ever Grand Prix motor racing[1] event in a Renault AK 90CV in 1906. Louis was to take full control of the company as the only remaining brother in 1906 when Fernand retired for health reasons.

 

The Renault reputation for innovation was fostered from very early on. In 1899, Renault launched the first production sedan car. At the time, cars were very much luxury items, and the price of the smallest Renaults available being 3000 francs reflected this; an amount it would take ten years for the average worker at the time to earn. As well as cars, Renault manufactured taxis, buses and commercial cargo vehicles in the pre-war years, and during World War I (1914–18) branched out into ammunition, military airplanes and vehicles such as the revolutionary Renault FT-17 tank. Company's military designs were so successful that Renault himself was honoured by the Allies for his company's contributions to their victory.[citation needed] By the end of the war, Renault was the number one private manufacturer in France.[citation needed]

 

[edit] Between the world wars (1919–38)

 

Louis Renault enlarged the scope of his company after 1918, producing agricultural and industrial machinery. However, Renault struggled to compete with the increasingly popular small, affordable "people's cars", while problems with the stock market and the workforce also adversely affected the company's growth. Renault also had to find a way to distribute its vehicles more efficiently. In 1920, he signed one of its first distribution contracts with Gustave Gueudet, an entrepreneur from northern France.

 

The pre-First World War cars had a distinctive front shape caused by positioning the radiator behind the engine to give a so called "coalscuttle" bonnet. This continued through the 1920s and it was not until 1930 that all models had the radiator at the front. The bonnet badge changed from circular to the familiar and continuing diamond shape in 1925. Renault models were introduced at the Paris Motor Show which was held in September or October of the year. This has led to a slight confusion as to vehicle identification. For example a "1927" model was mostly produced in 1928.

 

Renault produced a range of cars from small to very large. For example in 1928 which was the year when Renault produced 45,809 cars the range of 7 models started with a 6cv, a 10cv, the Monasix, 15cv, the Vivasix, the 18/24cv and the 40cv. There was a range of factory bodies, of up to 8 styles, and the larger chassis were available to coachbuilders. The number of a model produced varied with size. The smaller were the most popular with the least produced being the 18/24cv. The most expensive factory body style in each range was the closed cars. Roadsters and tourers (torpedoes) were the cheapest.

 

The London operation was very important to Renault in 1928. The UK market was quite large and from there "colonial" modified vehicles were dispatched. Lifted suspensions, enhanced cooling and special bodies were common on vehicles sold to the colonies. Exports to the USA by 1928 had almost reduced to zero from their high point prior to WW1 when to ship back a Grand Renault or similar high class European manufactured car was common. A NM 40cv Tourer had a USA list price of over $4,600 being about the same as a V12 Cadillac Tourer. Closed 7 seat limousines started at $6,000 which was more expensive than a Cadillac V16 Limousine.

 

The whole range was conservatively engineered and built. The newly introduced 1927 Vivasix, model PG1, was sold as the "executive sports" model. Lighter weight factory steel bodies powered by a 3180 cc six cylinder motor provided a formula that went through to the Second World War.

 

The "de Grand Luxe Renaults", that is any with over 12 foot wheelbase (3.68m), were produced in very small numbers in two major types - six and eight cylinder. The 1927 six cylinder Grand Renault models NM, PI and PZ introduced the new three spring rear suspension that considerably aided road holding that was needed as with some body styles over 90 mph (140 km/h) was possible. The 8 cylinder Reinastella was introduced in 1929. This model lead on to a range culminating in the 1939 Suprastella. All Grand Renaults from 1923 are classed as classics by CCCA. Coachbuilders included Kellner, Labourdette, J.Rothschild et Fils and Renault bodies. Closed car Renault bodies were often trimmed and interior wood work completed by Rothschild.

 

Renault also introduced in 1928 an upgraded specification to the larger cars designated "Stella". Vivastella's and Grand Renaults had upgraded interior fittings and had a small star fitted above the front hood Renault diamond. This proved to be a winning marketing differentiator and in the 1930's all cars changed to the Stella suffix from the previous two alpha character model identifiers.

 

The Grand Renaults were built using a considerable amount of aluminium. Engines, brakes, transmissions, floor and running boards and all external body panels were aluminium. Unfortunately of the few that were built many went to scrap to aid the War effort.

 

[edit] World War II and after (1939–71)

 

During World War II, Louis Renault's factories worked for Nazi Germany producing trucks with work on cars officially forbidden. He was, for this reason, arrested during the liberation of France in 1944 and died in prison before having prepared his defense. An autopsy later showed that his neck had been broken, suggesting that he was murdered. His industrial assets were seized by the provisional government of France. The Renault factories became a public industry (known as Régie Nationale des Usines Renault) under the leadership of Pierre Lefaucheux.

 

In the years immediately following its nationalisation Renault experienced something of a resurgence, led by the rear engine 4CV model, which was launched in 1946 and proved itself a capable rival for cars such as the Morris Minor and Volkswagen Beetle, its success (more than half a million sold) making sure it remained in production until 1961. There was also a large mechanically conventional 2-litre 4-cylinder car, the Renault Fregate, from 1951 to 1960.

 

As with earlier Renault models, the company made extensive use of motor racing to promote the 4CV, the car winning both the Le Mans 24 Hours and Mille Miglia races as well as the Monte Carlo rally. However, despite the success of its flagship model, the company continued to be blighted by labor unrest, and indeed continued to be well into the 1980s.

1956 Renault 4CV

1956 Renault 4CV

 

The 4CV's replacement, the Dauphine, sold extremely well as the company expanded production and sales further abroad, including Africa and North America. The car did not sell well in North America and it was outdated by the start of the 1960s. In an attempt to revive its flagging fortunes, Renault launched two cars which were to become phenomenally successful — the Renault 4 and Renault 8 in 1961 and 1962 respectively. The R8 continued Renault's traditional rear-engined layout, but the R4 started the revolution to front engined/front wheel drive. R4 production continued until 1992. The larger rear-engined Renault 10 followed the success of the R8, but was the last of the rear-engined Renaults. The company achieved success with the more modern and more upmarket Renault 16 launched in 1966, which continued Renault's reputation for innovation by being the world's first hatchback larger than subcompact size. The smaller Renault 6 followed, in the style of the R16.

 

[edit] Modern era (1972–80)

The new Renault corporate logo introduced in 1972, as part of the major brand revamp carried out to coincide with the launch of the Renault 5 hatchback.

The new Renault corporate logo introduced in 1972, as part of the major brand revamp carried out to coincide with the launch of the Renault 5 hatchback.

 

The company's compact and economical Renault 5 model, launched in 1972, was another success, particularly in the wake of the 1973 energy crisis. The R5 remained in production until 1984 when it was replaced by the Super5. The formula was much the same however, and the Super5 inherited its styling lines from its father (however with a transversal engine, as opposed to the longitudinal engine inherited by the first generation Renault 5 from the Renault 4). Soon after, the four-door Renault 12 model slotted into the Renault range between the R6 and the R16, and introduced a new styling theme. Throughout the '70s the R4, R5, R6, R12 and R16 maintained Renault's production. In the '80s the latter two were replaced by the R9 (and its R11 sedan variation) and the R15/R17 sport coupes. Both the R15/R17 were essentially identical two-door coupes, but while the R15 had a large glassy greenhouse, the R17 had thick pillars behind the doors, with slatted windows, to make it look the sportier of the two.

 

Endangered like all of the motor industry by the energy crisis, during the mid seventies the already expansive company diversified further into other industries and continued to expand globally, including into South East Asia. The energy crisis also provoked Renault's attempt to reconquer the North American market; despite the Dauphine's success in the United States in the late 1950s, and an unsuccessful car-assembly project in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec, (1964–72), Renault as a stand-alone brand, began to disappear from North America at the end of the '70s.

 

Throughout the decades Renault developed a collaborative partnership with Rambler and its successor American Motors Corporation (AMC). From 1962 to 1967, Renault assembled complete knock down (CKD) kits of the Rambler Classic sedans in its factory in Belgium. Renault did not have large or luxury cars in its product line and the "Rambler Renault" was aimed as an alternative to the Mercedes-Benz "Fintail" cars. Similar to the fate of some of these Mercedes cars at the time, many of these "American" Renaults finished their life working as taxis. Later, Renault would continue to make and sell a hybrid of AMC's Rambler American and Rambler Classic called the Renault Torino in Argentina (sold through IKA-Renault). Renault partnered with AMC on other projects, such as development of a rotary concept engine in the late 60s, and would eventually own AMC in 1980.

1965 Renault Rambler sales brochure

1965 Renault Rambler sales brochure

 

This was one of a series of collaborative ventures undertaken by Renault in the late 1960s and 1970s, as the company established subsidiaries in Eastern Europe, most notably Dacia in Romania, and South America (many of which remain active to the present day) and forged technological cooperation agreements with Volvo and Peugeot (for instance, for the development of the PRV V6 engine, which was used in Renault 30, Peugeot 604, and Volvo 260 in the late 1970s.).

 

In the mid 1960s an Australian arm, Renault Australia, was set up in Heidelberg, Melbourne, the company would produce and assemble models from the R8, R10, R12, R16, sporty R15, R17 coupe's to the R18 and R20, soon the company would close in 1981. Interestingly Renault Australia did not just concentrate on Renaults, they also built and marketed Peugeots as well. From 1977, they assembled Ford Cortina station wagons under contract- the loss of this contract led to the closure of the factory.

1974 Renault 15 coupe

1974 Renault 15 coupe

 

In North America, Renault formed a partnership with AMC, loaning AMC operating capital and buying a small percentage of the company in late 1979. Jeep was keeping AMC afloat until new products, particularly the XJ Cherokee, could be launched. When the bottom fell out of the 4x4 truck market in early 1980 AMC was in danger of going bankrupt. To protect its investment Renault bailed AMC out with a big cash influx — at the price of a controlling interest in the company — 47.5%. Renault quickly replaced some top positions in AMC with their own people.

 

The Renault–AMC partnership also resulted in the marketing of Jeep vehicles in Europe. Some consider the Jeep XJ Cherokee as a joint AMC/Renault project since some early sketches of the XJ series was done as a collaboration of both Renault and AMC engineers (AMC insisted that the XJ Cherokee was designed by AMC personnel; however, a former Renault engineer designed the Quadra-Link front suspension for the XJ series). The Jeep also used wheels and unique rocking seats from Renault. Part of AMC's overall strategy when the partnership was first discussed was to save manufacturing cost by using Renault sourced parts when practical, and some engineering expertise. This led to the improvement of the venerable AMC in-line six — a Renault/Bendix based port electronic fuel injection system (usually called Renix) that transformed it into a modern, competitive powerplant with a jump from 110 hp to 177 hp with less displacement (4.0L vs. 4.2L).

 

The Renault-AMC marketing effort in passenger cars was not as successful compared to the popularity for Jeep vehicles. This was because by the time the Renault range was ready to become established in the American market, the second energy crisis was over, taking with it much of the trend for economical, compact cars.

 

One exception was the Renault Alliance (Renault 9), which debuted for the 1983 model year. Assembled at AMC's plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Alliance was an instant hit with more economically minded buyers. Motor Trend gave its domestic Car of The Year award for 1983 to the Alliance, a surprising pick to many. The Alliance's 72% U.S. content allowed it to qualify as a domestic vehicle, making it the first car with a foreign nameplate to win the award. (In 2000, Motor Trend did away with separate awards for domestic and imported vehicles.)

 

Renault sold some interesting models in the U.S. in the 1980s, especially the simple-looking but fun Renault Alliance GTA and GTA convertible — a real automatic-top convertible with a simple but clean euro-style design featuring a gently sloping hood, as well as a 2.0 L engine — big for a car of its class; and the ahead-of-its-time Renault Fuego coupe, which generated some excitement. The Alliance was followed by the Encore (Renault 11), an Alliance-based hatchback. This burst of success in the United States proved to be short-lived, though.

 

Renault's Wisconsin-built and imported models quickly became the target of customer complaints for poor quality, and sales plummeted. Eventually, Renault sold AMC to Chrysler in 1987 after the assassination of Renault’s chairman, Georges Besse. The Renault Medallion (Renault 21 in Europe) sedan and wagon was sold from 1987 to 1989 through Jeep-Eagle dealerships. Jeep-Eagle was the new division Chrysler created out of the former American Motors. However, Renault products were no longer imported into the United States after 1989. Rumors have since persisted about Renault's return to the U.S. market; all of them have been unfounded.

 

A completely new full-sized 4-door sedan, the Eagle Premier, was developed during the partnership between AMC and Renault. The Premier design, as well as its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bramalea, Ontario, Canada, were the starting point for the sleek LH sedans such as the Eagle Vision and Chrysler 300M.

 

In the late seventies and early eighties Renault increased its involvement in motorsport, with novel inventions such as turbochargers in their Formula One cars. The company's road car designs were revolutionary also — the Renault Espace was one of the first minivans and was to remain the most well-known minivan in Europe for at least the next two decades. The second-generation Renault 5, the European Car of the Year-winning Renault 9, and the most luxurious Renault yet, the 25 were all released in the early 1980s, building Renault's reputation, but at the same time the company suffered from poor product quality which reflected badly in the image of the brand and the ill-fated Renault 14 is seen by many as the culmination of these problems in the early 1980s.

 

[edit] Restructuring (1981–95)

1986 Renault 21 berline

1986 Renault 21 berline

 

Although its cars were somewhat successful both on the road and on the track, Renault was losing a billion francs a month and reported a deficit of 12.5 billion in 1984. The government intervened and Georges Besse was installed as chairman; he set about cutting costs dramatically, selling off many of Renault's non-core assets, withdrawing almost entirely from motorsports, and laying off many employees. This succeeded in halving the deficit by 1986, but he was murdered by the left wing terrorist group Action Directe in November 1986. He was replaced by Raymond Lévy, who continued along the same lines as Besse, slimming down the company considerably with the result that by the end of 1987 the company was more or less financially stable.

 

A revitalised Renault launched several successful new cars in the early 1990s, including the phenomenally successful 5 replacement the Clio, the second-generation Espace, the innovative Twingo, the Laguna, and the 19. In the mid-1990s the successor to the R19, the Renault Mégane, was the first car ever to achieve a 4-star rating, the highest at the time, in EuroNCAP crash test in passenger safety. In 1998 Renault introduced Mégane Scénic, a completely new class of cars, a compact monospace with a footprint of a regular Mégane. The return to success on the road was matched by a return to success on the racetrack — Renault-powered cars won the Formula One World Championship in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997 with Williams, and in 1995 with Benetton.

 

Throughout this period, Renault's European advertising famously made extensive use of Robert Palmer's song "Johnny And Mary." The earlier television advertisements used Palmer's original version, while a range of special recordings in different styles were produced during the 1990s; most famously Martin Taylor's acoustic interpretation which he released on his album Spirit of Django. Taylor recorded many alternate versions for Renault; the last being in 1998 for the launch of the all-new Renault Clio.

 

[edit] Privatization (1996–99)

 

It was eventually decided that the company's state-owned status was detrimental to its growth, and Renault was privatized in 1996. This new freedom allowed the company to venture once again into Eastern Europe and South America, including a new factory in Brazil and upgrades for the infrastructure in Argentina and Turkey. It also meant the end of the aforementioned successful Formula 1 campaign.

 

In the twenty-first century, Renault was to foster a reputation for distinctive, outlandish design. The second generation of the Laguna and Mégane featured ambitious, angular designs which turned out to be highly successful. Less successful were the company's more upmarket models. The Avantime, a bizarre coupé / multi-purpose mix vehicle, sold very poorly and was quickly discontinued while the luxury Vel Satis model did not sell as well as hoped. However, the design inspired the lines of the second generation Mégane, the most successful car of the maker. As well as its distinctive styling, Renault was to become known for its car safety; currently, it's the car manufacturer with the largest number of models achieving the maximum 5 star rating in EuroNCAP crash tests. The Laguna was the first Renault to achieve a 5 star rating; in 2004 the Modus was the first to achieve this rating in its category.

 

The government of France owns 15.7 per cent of the company. Louis Schweitzer has been the Chairman of Renault since 1992 and was CEO from 1992 to 2005. In 2005, Carlos Ghosn (also CEO of Nissan) became Renault's CEO, with Louis Schweitzer staying on as Chairman.

 

Renault owns Samsung Motors (Renault Samsung Motors) and Dacia, as well as retaining a minority (but controlling) stake (20%) in the Volvo Group. (Volvo passenger cars are now a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company). Renault bought 99% of the Romanian company Dacia, thus returning after 30 years, in which time the Romanians built over 2 milions cars, mostly Renault 8, 12 and 20.

 

[edit] The Renault Nissan Alliance (2000– )

2004 Renault Megane II

2004 Renault Megane II

 

Signed on March 27, 1999, the Renault–Nissan Alliance is the first of its kind involving a Japanese and a French company, each with its own distinct corporate culture and brand identity, linked through cross-shareholding. Renault has a stake of 44.4% in Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. while Nissan in turn has a 15% stake (non-voting) in Renault.

 

For 2004 Renault reported a 43% rise in net income to €3.5 billion and 5.9% operating margin, of which Nissan contributed €1,767 million. The Group (Renault, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors) posted a 4.2% increase in worldwide sales to a record 2,489,401 vehicles, representing a global market share of 4.1%. Renault retained its position as the leading brand in Europe with 1.8 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold and market share of 10.8%.

 

The Renault–Nissan Alliance represents more than 9.8% of the worldwide market (5.74% for Nissan and 4.04% for the Renault group) with sales of 3,597,748 (Nissan) and 2,531,500 (Renault Group), placing the alliance fourth after GM, Toyota, and Ford in 2005.[1]

 

The marketing success was also matched by success of their return to the Formula 1 circuit as a manufacturer again after buying the Benetton team. The team went on to win both World Drivers and Constructors championships in 2005 and 2006 ahead of the vastly more experienced Ferrari and McLaren teams.

 

Renault is exhibiting a Hi-Flex Clio 1.6 16v at the 2006 Paris International Agricultural Show. This vehicle, which addresses the Brazilian market, features Renault-developed flexible-fuel engine technology, with a highly versatile engine that can run on fuel containing petrol and ethanol in any proportion (0% to 100% of either).

 

On June 30, 2006, the media reported that General Motors convened an emergency board meeting to discuss a proposal by shareholder Kirk Kerkorian to form an alliance between GM and Renault-Nissan. The hastily arranged meeting suggests that GM's board was treating Kerkorian's proposal with urgency. Coincidentally, unsubstantiated rumours have been circulating about Renault's possible return to the U.S. market. There has been speculation that a GM–Renault–Nissan alliance could pave the way for Renault's return to the U.S. market, since GM could eliminate some of its less profitable brands, and offer the owners of dealerships that would otherwise close Renault dealerships.

 

However, GM CEO Richard Wagner felt that an alliance would benefit Renault's shareholders more than those of GM, and that GM should receive some compensation for it. This did not sit well with Renault; subsequently, talks between GM and Renault ended on October 4, 2006.

 

On February 29, 2008, Renault acquired a blocking stake in largest Russian automaker VAZ. Long in the need to modernize its technology, VAZ was seeking for strategical partnership since late 90'es. Its owners tried to form an alliance with various foreign automakers, such as General Motors. Most of these attempts weren't all that successful, however, and generally fell through.

 

Renault was in talks with VAZ on and off since 2005, initially insisting on CKD assembly of Logan cars on its facilities, while VAZ intended to keep its own Lada brand and only wishing to acquire a new platform and engine. After several rounds of talks, between which VAZ also sought alliance with Fiat and Magna, Renault agreed to the partnership term not unlike earlier Nissan deal.

 

Renault and VAZ major stockholder, state corporation Rosoboronexport, are to form a holding, jointly owning 50% share in VAZ, with French side receiving several key positions in a management structure, such as Chief Operational Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Engineer. In return, Renault is to supply a new platform for Lada brand and assist in plant's modernization.

 

[edit] Corporate governance

 

Current members of the board of directors of Renault are:

 

* Yves Audvard

* Michel Barbier

* Alain Champigneux

* François de Combret

* Charles de Croisset

* Carlos Ghosn

* Jean-Louis Girdolle

* Itaru Koeda

* Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière

* Dominique de La Garanderie

* Bernard Larrouturou

* Henri Martre

* Jean-Claude Paye

* François Pinault

* Franck Riboud

* Louis Schweitzer

* Georges Stcherbatcheff

* Robert Studer

 

[edit] Timeline

 

* 1898 - Louis Renault founded Renault

* 1903 - Marcel Renault dies in a car accident

* 1943 - The Renault factory in Billancourt is attacked by the German army

* 1944 - Louis Renault dies

* 1961 - The Renault 4 goes on sale to give Renault a practical competitor for the likes of the Citroën 2CV and Volkswagen Beetle.

* 1965 - Renault launches the world's first production hatchback - the Renault 16.[citation needed]

* 1971 - Renault launches the Renault 15 and Renault 17 two-door coupes, giving it a serious competitor for the Ford Capri.

* 1972 - Renault enters the new "supermini" market with its R5 hatchback, one of the first such cars in this sector. On its launch, the R5 only has three similar competitors - the Fiat 127, Autobianchi A112 and Peugeot 104.

* 1976 - The Renault 5 Alpine is launched, giving the marque its first entrant into the Hot hatch market. Possibly one of the very first hot hatches, going into production in the same year as the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

* 1977 - Renault enters the small family hatchback market with the 14, which is one of Europe's first hatchbacks of this size.

* 1979 - Renault buys a stake in American Motors, with a view to establishing itself on the American market.

* 1980 - Renault launches the 5 Turbo, which is designed as a rally car but does include roadgoing versions. It ditches the front-drive, front-engined layout for a mid-mounted engine (in place of the rear seats) and rear-wheel drive.

* 1981 - Renault launches the 9 a four-door saloon, a modern three-box design which is designed to keep the market interest in saloons at a time when hatchbacks are becoming the norm in this sector. It is voted European Car of the Year.

* 1982 - Renault becomes the second European automaker to build cars in the United States, after Volkswagen. The Alliance, the North American version of the 9, is manufactured in Wisconsin by American Motors and debuts as a 1983 model. It is voted Car of the Year by Motor Trend.

* 1983 - Renault launches the 11 - a hatchback version of the R9. It gives Renault its first serious rival to the Volkswagen Golf. It goes on sale in the fall in the United States as the Encore.

* 1984 - Renault enters the executive car market with the large 25 hatchback, aimed directly at the likes of the Ford Granada, Rover SD1 and Opel Rekord.

* 1985 - Renault launches the Espace - Europe's first multi-purpose vehicle. It gains praise from all over Europe thanks to its unique practicality and innovation.

* 1986 - On April 9 the Government of France rules against the privatization of Renault.

* 1986 - Renault replaces the 18 with the all-new R21 saloon and Savanna seven-seater estate.

* 1987 - Renault sells its stake in American Motors to Chrysler.

* 1988 - The 9 and 11 ranges are replaced by a single model, the 19, which is praised for its excellent ride and handling, as well as the frugality and refinement of its diesel engines.

* 1990 - Renault launches the Clio supermini, designed as an eventual replacement for the Renault 5. The Clio is the first new model of a generation which will see the numeric models replaced by new cars with traditional nameplates. It sets supermini benchmarks for build quality, comfort and space, and is voted European Car of the Year.

* 1991 - The Renault 19 becomes available as a cabriolet, and a mild facelift sees the standard range's exterior styling refreshed.

* 1992 - Louis Schweitzer becomes president of Renault group.

* 1992 - Renault moves into the city car market with its Twingo, a small hatchback with a "cube" design that maximises interior space, though it is only built with left-hand drive. It re-enters the executive market with the Safrane, an ultramodern large hatchback which replaces the R25.

* 1995 - Renault 5 production finishes after nearly a quarter of a century. It had been produced in Slovenia since the launch of the Clio in 1990.

* 1995 - Renault replaces the Renault 19 with the Megane, a range of hatchbacks, saloons, estates, coupes and cabriolets.

* 1996 - Renault enters the new "compact MPV" market with its Megane-based Scenic. It is voted European Car of the Year, fighting off competition from the Ford Ka and Volkswagen Passat

* 1996 - The company was privatised to create Renault S.A.

* 1997 - The all-new Espace goes on sale with a more upmarket image than its predecessor, that served the company for over 10 years.

* 1998 - The second generation Clio is launched, using an all-new body and being one of the most competitively-priced European superminis, though its styling is not to all tastes.

* 1999 - Renault purchased a 36.8 percent equity stake in Nissan, the almost bankrupt Japanese car maker, by injecting US$3.5 billion to obtain effective control of the company under Japanese law. Renault vice-president, Carlos Ghosn was parachuted in to turn round the ailing firm. Nissan also owns 15% of Renault in turn.

* 2000 - Renault launches the Laguna II - the first European family car to feature "keyless" entry and ignition.

* 2001 - Renault sold its industrial vehicle subdivision (Renault Véhicules Industriels) to Volvo, which renamed it Renault Trucks in 2002. The Clio undergoes a major facelift and the launch of a 1.5 direct-injection diesel engine to keep it competitive in the supermini sector.

* 2002 - Benetton Formula One team formally becomes Renault F1, Renault increases its stake in Nissan to 44.4 percent.

* 2002 - Renault gains another European Car of the Year success with its second generation Megane, a quirky-looked car which is set to form the basis of Nissan's Almera replacement later in the decade.

* 2003 - Renault expands in Megane hatchback range with coupe-cabriolet, estate (SportsTourer) and sedan (SportsSaloon) variants.

* 2004 - The Renault factory in Billancourt is demolished.

* 2005 - Carlos Ghosn becomes president.

* 2005 - The Clio III is elected European Car of the Year 2006 and gains plaudits from all over Europe for its class-leading qualities. The previous generation Clio is set to continue for a while until the Twingo II goes on sale. Renault F1 win the constructors world championship as well as the drivers championship.

* 2006 - In February, Carlos Ghosn announced the "Renault Commitment 2009" plan focusing on three main goals :

o sell 800 000 more cars than in 2006

o Reach an operating margin of 6%

o Place the new Laguna in terms of quality and service rate.

 

The same year, Renault and Nissan engaged talkes with General Motors to study a potential alliance. This approach was finally abandoned due to the fact that GM asked for money as "entry ticket" from Renault. Renault F1 win the constructors world championship as well as the drivers championship for the second year in succession.

 

* 2007 - The third generation Laguna is introduced, strengthening Renault's position in the large family car sector.

 

[edit] Renault in the UK

 

The first popular Renault motor vehicles to achieve sustained sales success in the United Kingdom were the R5 mini-car and R18, both of which attained six-digit sales figures during the late 1970s and early 1980s, although they failed to achieve anything like the volumes of established carmakers Ford, Vauxhall and Austin Rover.

 

Renault enjoyed a huge rise in popularity among British buyers on the arrival of the Clio supermini in early 1991. It was regularly among Britain's most popular cars each year during the 1990s and its successor (launched in 1998 alongside the final installment of the successful 'Nicole and Papa' advertising campaign), where the original model left off. The sedan/saloon version, called Thalia, was not launched in the UK.

 

Renault went from strength to strength in the UK during the 2000s following the introduction of its distinctively-styled Mégane hatchback in November 2002. Any suggestions that its quirky styling would not fit in with the tastes of British buyers were quickly confounded in 2005 when it was the fourth best selling car in Britain. Renault also helps produce cars known now as Nissan.

 

In 2006, it was the third most popular brand of car in the United Kingdom. Only Ford and Vauxhall sold more units.

 

[edit] List of vehicles

 

Main article: List of Renault vehicles

 

Current model line up:

 

* Mégane II (SW, CC, Saloon, Hatch 3 and 5 doors, launched 2002)

* Scénic II (Launched 2003)

* Grand Scénic (Launched 2003)

* Laguna III (Hatchback & Estate, launched 2007)

* Espace IV (& Grand Espace, launched 2002)

* Vel Satis (Launched 2002, no longer available in UK)

* 'Nouvelle' Twingo (Launched 2007)

* Modus (Launched 2004)

* Clio II (Supermini with hatchback and sedan body styles, launched 1998)

* Clio III (Lutécia III in Japan, launched 2005)

* Kangoo (Launched 1998)

* Trafic (Launched 2003)

* Logan (Launched 2004, Also available in India from 2007 with Mahindra-Renault tie-up) the maximum 5-star safety crash-test rating from EuroNCAP, and became the first maker to have seven cars with this rating.

 

Renault Laguna was the first medium-size car to obtain five-star rating, as well as the Modus and Megane in its own category.

 

[edit] Alternative propulsion

 

Israeli and Jordanian officials and executives are reported to be in discussions with executives from Renault-Nissan about setting up Israeli-Jordanian factory, in an agreement with Project Better Place, to make environmentally-friendly electric cars. Renault is working on development of exchangeable batteries.[2]

 

The electric cars, to be made in Europe, will run on a battery developed by Nissan and Japan's NEC and will be available in 2011. A prototype is already on the road in Israel and various models will be sold by Renault and Nissan. The car would cost the same or less than comparable gasoline engine autos and would have a lifetime warranty. Renault want mass market 10,000 to 20,000 cars a year in Israel. [3]

 

Also the Renault-Nissan group is in the PHEV Research Center.

 

[edit] Motorsport

Fernando Alonso driving for Renault F1 at Indianapolis in 2005, the year in which the team won their first Formula One championship.

Fernando Alonso driving for Renault F1 at Indianapolis in 2005, the year in which the team won their first Formula One championship.

 

Main article: Renault F1

Main article: Renault Sport

 

Motorsport has long been recognised as an effective marketing tool for automobile manufacturers. In the late seventies and early eighties, Renault began to involve itself more heavily in motorsport, setting up a dedicated motorsport division called Renault Sport, and winning the Le Mans 24 Hours (with the Renault Alpine A442, built in collaboration with newly-acquired Alpine) while achieving success in both rallying (with the Renault 5 Turbo) and Formula One. Initially, Renault's entry into Formula One in 1977 was ridiculed when the team's first design included such curiosities as a turbocharger. However, the team was to win their first race on home soil in Dijon a mere two years later and by the early eighties, every front-running Formula One team used turbochargers.

 

Renault also took over the Benetton F1 team in 2001, and quickly became very competitive, Fernando Alonso winning Renault's first race in its second incarnation at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. 2004 saw the Renault team finish a close third in the Constructors' Championship and in 2005 the team won both Constructors' and Drivers' titles (with Fernando Alonso). In 2006 Renault repeated its success of the previous year, again claiming both the Constructors' and Drivers' titles (again with Fernando Alonso before his departure to McLaren in 2007).

 

Questions have been raised regarding Renault's commitment to its Formula One team, particularly with the appointment of Carlos Ghosn as CEO. However at the 2005 French Grand Prix Ghosn set out his policy regarding the company's involvement in motorsport:

 

"We are not in Formula One out of habit or tradition. We're here to show our talent and that we can do it properly… Formula One is a cost if you don't get the results. Formula One is an investment if you do have them and know how to exploit them."

 

In short he will continue Renault's investment in F1 as long as the team is successful and can use the resulting publicity for wider commercial gain. Conversely if the team is unsuccessful in future it can be expected that Ghosn will withdraw resources from the sport.

 

In 2006 Carlos Ghosn finally announced that the team would stay in F1 in the long term (at least until 2012) putting an end to the rumors.

 

[edit] Accolades

 

Renault cars have performed well in the European Car of the Year awards. The Clio is the only car since the prize's conception in 1964 to win the award twice.

 

* 1966: Renault 16

* 1982: Renault 9

* 1991: Renault Clio

* 1997: Renault Scénic

* 2003: Renault Mégane II

* 2006: Renault Clio III

 

The Renault 12 (1970), Renault 5 (1972), Renault 20 (1976), Renault 25 (1985) and Renault Laguna (2002) have all achieved runners-up in spot in the competition. Renaults most recent models are well known for their safety, all but 4 of the current models have achieved the maximum 5-star rating by the EuroNCAP crash-test assessment programme. Renault has regularly topped the French car sales charts, fighting off fierce competition from Citroën and Peugeot.

 

[edit] Overseas Accolades

 

Wheels magazine has announced its Car of the Year every year since 1963, with the exception of 1972, 1979 and 1986 when no cars were considered worthy of the honour. It is considered Australia's most prestigious automotive award. Wheels Magazine itself contends that its Car of the Year award remains the oldest continuous award of its kind in the world.

 

The inaugural Australian Wheels Car of the Year award was won by the R8 in 1963 (particularly in consideration to its four wheel disc brake system), and Renault won again in 1970 when the Renault 12 won the prestigious award.

 

[edit] Typeface

 

Both the Renault logo and its documentation (technical as well as commercial) had used a specially designed typeface called Renault, developed by British firm Wolff Olins. This type family is said to have been designed not for prestige reasons, but mainly to save costs at a time where the use of typefaces was more costly than it is now.

 

In 2004, French typeface designer Jean-François Porchez was commissioned to design a replacement. This was shown in October of that year and is called Renault Identité.

 

[edit] Miscellanea

 

* The Renault factory in Billancourt is the visual inspiration for the factory seen on Code Lyoko and featured some of it's vehicles in the series.

* Renault also built rail vehicles. Mainly autorail type vehicles.

* Renault sponsored and was heavily featured in Le Visionarium a time-travel film at Disneyland Paris.

 

[edit] Pronunciation

 

When its cars were exported to the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, the name was commonly mispronounced as "Ren-alt" to and by the American public, and the Americanized pronunciation continues in common usage, though the original French has gained significant ground over recent years. Presently in the United Kingdom it is also incorrectly pronounced as "Reh-no". The correct pronunciation is "Ruh-no".

 

[edit] See also

 

* List of Renault vehicles

* Alpine (car)

* Renault Trucks

* Dacia (car)

* Renault Samsung Motors

* Renault F1

* Renault Sport

* Renault Spider

* Renault Clio V6 Renault Sport

* Renault Clio Renault Sport

* Renault Mégane Renault Sport

* Renaultsport Clio 197

 

[edit] References

 

1. ^ 100 years in the driving seat: Renault celebrates a century of Grand Prix Victories. Renault UK. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.

2. ^ www.eetimes.eu/france/199700777?cid=RSSfeed_eetimesEU_france , www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46560/story.htm , www.projectbetterplace.com/press-room/press-releases/rena...

3. ^ Planet Ark : Renault to Develop Electric Cars for Israel

 

[edit] External links

The external links in this article may not follow Wikipedia's content policies or guidelines.

Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Renault

 

* Official site

* Renault Sustainable Development site.

* Renault Sport France (english site)

* Renault Sport United Kindgom

* Renault Sport - World Series

* Renault Sport - History

* Yahoo! - Renault SA Company Profile

* Euro NCAP crash tests

* Renault and hybrid vehicles.

* Paul Krill (2008-01-30). Renault in Linux deal with Microsoft, Novell. InfoWorld. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.

 

[edit] Clubs

 

* Renault Owners Forum - English

* Renault 11 Club Argentina - Spanish

* Renault Clio 16v mk1 Club

* Renault 9 Club Argentina

* Renault club site for all models

* (French) Club renault 19 - Club Renault 19 et forum sur les 19

* Renault 4 club Serbia

* Performance Renaults Club and Online Forums

* Club Renault Sportives, large dutch Renault Club

* Renault Club in Ukraine

* Renault Car Club in Victoria Australia

* french car owners club

* Renault Turbo owners club

* Renault Klub Serbia

* Renault Club in Thailand

* Club Renault Laguna en España

 

[edit] Models

 

* Renault 5 site mostly 5GTE

* Mégane II Owners' Club

* Fansite about Renault 5, most popular model

* Renault 15-17 Register of Australia

* Renault Gordini Enthusiasts

* Huge French Renault 12 Gordini website

* Renault 5 Site

 

[edit] Renault forums

 

* Renault Owners Forum - English

* Planet Renault Forum - French

* Renaultsport uk Forum - English

* RenaultForums enthusiast and owners community

* AussieFrogs Renault Forum - English

* Australian RenaultSport Forum - English

 

Cap Sante Marina.

 

Grasshopper is a unique and efficient motorboat designed and built by the renowned boat builder Russell Brown of Port Townsend Watercraft.

 

Here's what makes the Grasshopper notable:

 

Experimental Design: It was conceived as an experiment in efficiency, utilizing leftover parts.

Construction: It features a custom plywood and composite pod mounted on Tornado catamaran hulls, braced with repurposed carbon mast sections.

Power and Efficiency: It's powered by an extra-long-shaft 15hp Honda 4-stroke outboard, achieving impressive fuel efficiency: 15 knots at 1 gallon per hour in various conditions.

Practicality: Despite its unconventional appearance, it's described as a stable and dry "pickup truck of the seas," weighing only around 500 pounds including the engine.

Camp Cruising: A platform can be added to span the bench seats, accommodating two adults for comfortable sleeping, often used with a simple rainfly for shelter.

Adventures: Russell Brown has used the Grasshopper for trips like Port Townsend to Desolation Sound and others have explored the San Juan Islands with it.

 

Russell Brown is well-known for his innovative boat designs, particularly his proas and efficient small craft, as well as his expertise in epoxy and composite construction. The Grasshopper stands out as a testament to his creative problem-solving and focus on practical, efficient boating.

 

-Google Gemini AI

 

Armenian Orthodox Christmas mass and procession inside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem January 18, 2011. Church services and ceremonies are conducted in the Cathedral of Nativity all night long and until the next day.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas Celebration at the Church of the Nativity, West Bank town of Bethlehem January 6, 2011. Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) still use the old Julian calendar, so the celebrate Christmas on January 7th. The Christmas celebration in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is called Ganna. Most people go to Church on Christmas day.

 

Shortly about me:

 

It’s my passion to create stories and bring back pictures of events, people and places that are rarely seen. It’s a combination of exploration, exposition and artistry that together create a life of adventure and excitement.

 

In my work it is imperative for me that information be accurate and the images must be respectful of the subject and viewer. My goal is to combine creativity with practicality to capture the best possible images to document events, tell a story, meet the picture editor's deadlines.

 

The exhibition “Beautiful Faces of Balata” currently on show at the Church of the Ascension at the “Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Foundation” on the Mount of Olive's can be visited on a virtual tour on my website. Virtual tour of the Exhibition »

 

The exhibition is a project of Public Culture - Palpics, under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Yafa Cultural Center (YCC) .

 

If you would like to know more, or even just pick my brains to discuss your project with me, please visit my homepage documentary photography or send me an Email.

  

Today I simply needed some fresh air so I put on mah face and bundled the offsprings outdoors to wander aimlessly in the rain until hunger got the better of us and we partook in a rather late lunch in a random establishment... Which happened to be a Supermarket Cafe... CLASSY!

 

The only spectacular thing that happened was my in readable feat of almost somersaulting in a flashy yet somewhat flatly manner and landing on my touches to the delight of some and the horror of others... OY VEY ZMIR! THERE GOES OUR CROSSDRESSER FLYING THROUGH THE AIR!!!

 

SPLAT!!!

 

I was fine albeit in possession of slightly bruised ego. I couldn't even fault any environmental condition such as wet floor. The truth is that I wore one of my shoes of awesome. Shoes of awesome are gloriously beautiful and also cause awesome accidents. They also result in awesome back ache, in growing toe nails and possibly can inflict famine, war and general bad weather... Maybe!

 

BUT DAMMIT THEY ARE TOTALLY WORTH THE MISERY!

 

Sheer serotonin my darlings.

 

I have plenty of crazy, unreasonable shoes but here are my three favourites.

 

The one responsible for today's spectacular are the grey and black four inch lovelies at the back. The white and black lacquer at the front are the narrowest motherfuckers known to woman kind but I am a maxochist to the siren song of their elegance, the red ones at the back are silly and actually rather comfortable despite the three inch they boast. However they have been known to cause temporary blindness to anything shorter than a meter... Babies and pets should head this warning! THEY ARE SHINY GLOWY SPARKLY LOVE!!!

 

That is me and the ridiculous. Going to lift my aching but VERY satisfied feet up now...

Thanks to the members of staff allowing us to take photos and look round the buses. Also thanks to the staff member who took the time to talk to us about the practicalities of the bendies, and the impracticality of YK06AUA which came here for trials last year.

Ford's forth generation Focus, codenamed C519 launched in 2018, replacing the previous C346 Focus in markets outside North America.

 

One semi-crossover variant, the Focus Active, was due to be built in China for export to the US, but was cancelled due to a trade dispute.

 

The C519 model retained the 5-door hatchback, saloon and estate models of the previous version, with the added Active variant a high-riding version of the hatchback or estate.

 

Most Focus C519 models are powered by 3-cylinder Ecoboost engines of 1.0L or 1.5L capacity, while 1.5L and 2.0L Panther 4-cylinder diesels are available, but with lower customer takeup due to market shift away from Diesels. A 2.3L Ecoboost is available in the performance ST trim.

 

The model shown is the high-specification Titanium Hatchback in one of the louder reddish-orange hues, which currently resides in my driveway (not driving much during COVID) as my company car.

 

I love the colour, and the practicality and functional performance are strong points. The fuel economy, and the lack of luxury feel are negatives.