100 Rolls Royces Take to the Streets of London to Celebrate Centenary of 'Spirit of Ecstasy'

.fullpost { display: inline; } A selection of one hundred Rolls Royce cars from all eras and generations including examples of Silver Ghosts, Silver Clouds, Silver Shadows and Silver Spurs, took to the streets of London on Sunday, February 6, to celebrate the centenary of the brand's famous hood mascot, the Spirit of Ecstasy. The hood ornament, also called "Flying Lady", was first fitted to

It Came From eBay Hell: The Geo Storm Pickup You Never Knew You Wanted

.fullpost { display: inline; } Few names in automotive history make the average car enthusiast’s skin crawl like, “Geo”. Geo was General Motors response to the growing number of Japanese and South Korean imports that had invaded the U.S. market. Essentially taking the most boring and insipid models from Suzuki, Toyota and Isuzu and building them stateside, Geo embodied the whole, “Who Gives

Polish Ford Mustang Club Shows how to YouTube America's Original Pony Car

.fullpost { display: inline; } It’s no secret that I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Mustang man. Though I acknowledge the gorgeous styling, sweet-as-syrup handling and raw power of cars like the Chevy Camaro, I know at heart I’d take a ’67 Mustang fastback over one of them any day. So when the chaps and chapettes at the Mustang Klub Polska (Polish Mustang Club) release a video that not only

Sandy Sanderson’s Can Cars Are Automotive Art Par Excellence

.fullpost { display: inline; } The automobile is such an integral part of so many people’s lives that it’s no wonder than artists and sculptors often use them for inspiration. Take Sandy Sanderson of Hamilton, New Zealand, for example. He takes beer and soft drink cans and crafts them into meticulous, highly detailed replicas of hot rods and other classic cars. And Mr. Sanderson really is a

Gold Trimmed 1987 Ferrari Testarossa Begs One Question: Why?

.fullpost { display: inline; } Found for sale on eBay, is this specially customized 1987 Ferrari Testarossa, which has been...cheesed up with gold platted accents. The precious material covers the five-spoke alloy wheels, logos, side air vents, front grille, rear vents and the rear column surrounds. Surprisingly, the owner claims that the Italian supercar has clocked a mere 3,000 miles or

Porsche Four-Door Sedans of the Past or How to Make the Panamera Look Good

.fullpost { display: inline; } The famous automaker from Stuttgart is no stranger to controversy. And like the Cayenne SUV, Porsche's first ever production four door sedan, the all-new Panamera sports saloon received some decidedly mixed reviews in concern of its styling. But compared with some past attempts to create a four-door Porsche, the Panamera looks like a piece of art -okay, okay,

The Audi A8 Says, "Long Live the T-Shifter!"

.fullpost { display: inline; } When Hyundai launched the i30 small car on the Australian market, it marked the end of not only the Excel/Accent lineage down under but also the end of the automatic T-shifter. The Accent, a subcompact design available in either a four door sedan or five door hatchback body style, was the last car sold here to feature the venerable (if archaic) T-shaped

Bentley Opens its Crewe Headquarters to the Public with New Design Exhibition

.fullpost { display: inline; } If you're a petrol head and live in or are considering a trip to England, you may want to make plans to visit Bentley's headquarters in Crewe and check out a new design exhibition called "An Unbroken Line", which offers a rare glimpse inside the company's usually secret studios. The exhibition follows the development of a Bentley from the first sketch right

What Were They Thinking? When Alfa Romeo Rebadged a Nissan to Create the Arna

.fullpost { display: inline; } When the Nissan Versa was launched in Australia as the Tiida, many automotive watchers were excited by the prospect of blending Renault’s European flair with Nissan’s Japanese reliability. “Here,” they said, “Is a car that’ll please everyone.” What they got was a narrow-bodied subcompact with so-so styling, a plasticy dashboard, a shocking lack of equipment

Man Amasses Ridiculously Awesome Gulf Oil-Liveried Racing Car Collection

.fullpost { display: inline; } The ROFGO Gulf Collection by Duncan Hamilton is one man's dream of assembling the largest assortment of racing cars ever to compete in the legendary colors of Gulf Oil. The collection comprises 14 of the most prominent Gulf Oil-liveried competition cars and has been created by Duncan Hamilton & Co.’s Chairman, Adrian Hamilton, for an unnamed but obviously

Jaguar Celebrates E-Type's

.fullpost { display: inline; } At the 1961 Geneva Auto Show, Jaguar stunned the automotive world with a timeless design that is still regarded as one of the finest in history. That car was none other than the E-Type. The company said it will mark the E-Type's 50th birthday at this year's Geneva Motor Show and at other events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Goodwood's

Classic Find: BMW 2002 Turbo with Only 20k Miles

.fullpost { display: inline; } As well as bringing you the latest auto news from around the world, we also like to take a break from time to time to share with you some classic finds like this extremely rare 1975 BMW 2002 Turbo that we discovered on a Japanese dealer site. Built essentially as homologation special, the 2002 Turbo was launched at the 1973 Frankfurt Motor Show with

Mazda MX-5 Achieves Another Milestone as Production Reaches 900,000 Units

.fullpost { display: inline; } The world's most popular roadster model ever, the Mazda MX-5 (also known as Roadster in Japan and Miata in North America), is celebrating yet another milestone in its enviable history as total production reached 900,000 units on February 4, 2011. This latest milestone was achieved 21 years and 10 months after mass production of the first-generation MX-5

VIDEO: Track Action with the Ferrari F40 LM

.fullpost { display: inline; } The heavy snowfalls paralyzing most of the northern hemisphere are just another reminder that enthusiasts will have to wait a bit until they’ll be able to enjoy their cars on the track again. In the meantime, let us provide some driving “medicine” in the form of a video that shows the Ferrari F40 LM racecar driven by former F1 driver Jacques Lafitte. Don't

Embarrassing Replica of Rolls Royce Phantom Built on BMW 750i V12 E32

.fullpost { display: inline; } This custom monstrosity of a Rolls Royce Phantom replica is based on one of the last elegant BMW 7-Series models, the late 1980s-early 1990s E32, and was found for sale on a Polish used car website. There are so many things wrong with the build that we don't know where to start, but the flashy Rolls Royce sticker on the steering wheel could take the prize for

eBay Find: Luigi Colani’s 1970 Lamborghini Miura Le Mans Concept Car

Unveiled in 1970, the Lamborghini Miura Le Mans was an out-of-this-world concept car, envisioned by legendary Italian designer, Luigi Colani. According to Colani’s website, the design study was a “two-part hybrid car”, with a Miura chassis rear section and front passenger cabin designed “like the cockpit of a glider”.

It was used as a show car for about four years, when it suddenly went under the radar, only to be discovered 30+ years later by Bad Influence Hot Rods (BIHR), at an estate auction in Indiana. The new owner put it up for sale last October for $79,000, but the reserve wasn’t met. Now it re-surfaced on eBay for a starting bid of $74,999.

Unfortunately, the Miura Le Mans hasn’t aged very well, as the canopy is broken into several pieces and the engine is gone. However, many parts are still there, including the rear and front suspension, golden rear alloys with blue knockoffs, double nose wheels, brakes, calipers and steering.

While BIHR says that this should be an easy car to restore, we’re not that convinced, but whoever decides to pick it up for this kind of money might as well go all the way. Otherwise, it could make for an interesting coffee table…

By Csaba Daradics

Link: eBay

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Audi UK Launches Online Heritage Showroom

It’s nice to see that modern cars are evolving at an astonishing pace, incorporating innovative gadgets, advanced safety features and powerful engines, but, once in a while, you just want to spend some time looking up older models. This can be frustrating, as information about certain cars can be pretty scarce and not entirely accurate, to say the least. That’s why we salute Audi’s decision to launch a virtual heritage showroom on its UK site.

The dedicated web-page is a corner of Heaven not only for Audi fans, but for all enthusiasts who can appreciate a blast from the past.

The virtual tour showcases a bevy of historic models, ranging from the 1913 Audi Type C to the über-achieving R8, as well as the brand’s trademark innovations, such the quattro all-wheel drive system, and glorious motorsport moments.

By Csaba Daradics

Link: Audi.co.uk

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Mercedes Celebrates 25 Years of 4MATIC Four-Wheel Drive and Other Vehicle Dynamics Systems

In 1986, Mercedes launched the 4MATIC four-wheel drive system on a test ground in Rovaniemi, Finland, alongside two other, equally important vehicle dynamics components: the automatic locking differential (ASD) and acceleration skid control (ASR), which used the sensory technology made available through the anti-lock braking system (ABS), first introduced by the German maker in 1978.

In a press release for the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) in 1985 the company wrote: “State-of-the-art automotive mechanics and hydraulics combined with intelligent electronics now open up perspectives in the field of traction control systems that go far beyond conventional traction systems currently available. Three stepped electronically controlled automatic systems, tuned to meet various requirements, represent both the result and content of the Mercedes-Benz vehicle dynamics concept, which sets new standards in the relationship between the human and the vehicle – automatic locking differential (ASD), acceleration skid control (ASR) [and] Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC”.

Benefitting from advanced microelectronics and hydraulics for that era, the systems were able to record and limit wheel slip, thus improving the so-called longitudinal dynamics of the motor vehicle.

The first generation of 4MATIC had three selectable settings, two differential locks and self-regulating electronics. Unlike today’s variants, it was a non-permanent system, so there was a delay until all wheels were engaged. Still, it was a big step ahead in terms of stability and traction compared to rear-wheel driven Mercedes models.

The automatic locking differential (ASD) was an electro-hydraulic system, capable of measuring the speed difference between driven and non-driven wheels through a control unit. If necessary, it was able to lock the differential 100 percent to improve traction, essentially serving as a start-off assistant. It was replaced with an all-electronic acceleration skid control in the 90s.

By controlling the interplay of longitudinal forces between the tires and road surface, the acceleration skid control (ASR) limited wheel spin and the lateral sliding of the vehicle. Its main purpose was to help start-offs done on very slippery surfaces, like ice, snow or gravel.

According to another excerpt from the original press release, “the unique benefit of this Mercedes-Benz development is that they minimize the possibilities of incorrect or impaired human reactions. The recognition, decision-making and response are objectively accurate, timely and quicker than those of a human being – moreover they do not tire or distract the driver, nor mislead him into inappropriate action”.

By Csaba Daradics

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1964 Dodge Hemi Charger Concept Car Hits the Auction Block, Again

You are looking at the first Dodge ever to use the Charger nameplate, the 1964 Dodge Hemi Charger Concept Car. Developed in late 1963 on Polara underpinnings, it was used by Chrysler to showcase its newest engine at the time, the now iconic 426-cubic inch (7.0-liter) Hemi V8.

Owned by several collectors over its 47-year existence, this rare piece of automotive heritage is going to be auctioned off at this year’s Automobiles of Arizona event held at Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, on January 20. RM Auctions hasn’t released an official estimate yet, but last time it changed hands in 2007, it fetched US $1.1 million.

Currently found on the late John M. O’Quinn’s estate, the 1964 concept car has been completely restored by multiple award-winner Fran Roxas and it has one of the original 15 race Hemi engines, rated at 600+ horsepower.

According to the spec sheet, the first Charger also comes with a 3-speed automatic transmission, independent torsion bar front and rear semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension, 4.56:1 “Sure Grip” rear axle and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

Looking at the photos it’s clear that the car is in pristine condition – it has been kept in climate-controlled storage – and I, for one, would definitely prefer to buy this gem over a modern vehicle costing the same amount of money.

By Csaba Daradics

Source / Photos: RM Auctions

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