26/9/2007 - Kia Kee

Kia Kee concept

Vehicle type: 2+2 coupe
Engine: 2.7-liter, 200-hp V-6
Who designed it: Peter Schreyer, chief design officer, Kia Motors Corp.
What's cool: Long sweeping hood, two individual back seats, new grille style will become the new "face of Kia" across lineup
Will it be built? No word yet
Show reaction: Schreyer, best known for the Audi TT, could have another hit on his hands. Photos by Motor Forecast

26/9/2007 - Hyundai iBlue

26/9/2007 - Ford Verve

The Verve concept is a "significant hint" at how the next Fiesta will look, Ford says. The replacement Fiesta will be sold in North America, Asia and Europe. Ford CEO Alan Mulally wants Ford to develop more global cars as part of his strategy to turn around the automaker. Ford hopes a bolder design that uses its new kinetic design language will help the Fiesta replacement compete in the hotly contested small-car segment. The Fiesta replacement will go on sale in Europe late next year. Versions for North America and Asia will reach showrooms sometime between 2008 and 2010. Photos 1-8 by Motor Forecast

26/9/2007 - BEST OF CAR'S

Motor Forecast

Motor Forecast

Motor Forecast

14/9/2007 - Mercedes-Benz

Established in 1871, Benz & Cie. was the most important of several companies founded by Karl Benz. The Benz patent motor wagon was ahead of its times; by 1886, Benz had the first four-stroke engine. Karl Benz is credited as the inventor of the first "true" automobile since Daimler's vehicle was a horse carriage adapted with an engine, whereas the 1886 Benz automobile had a chassis designed from scratch.

Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft-(DMG) was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and his partner Wilhelm Maybach in 1890. Daimler died in 1900 and Maybach left DMG in 1907. By then, Benz & Cie. and DMG were rivals. In 1924, owing to economic necessity after World War I, they entered into an "Agreement of Mutual Interest" valid until the year 2000. This initial agreement still allowed each company to manufacture and sell their products under their original brand names. After the official merger in June 28, 1926, the firm became known as Daimler-Benz.

The hyphenated brand name Mercedes-Benz was established after that merger. The brand name Daimler had been licensed for use on other automobiles in France and the United Kingdom, and was therefore not available to Daimler-Benz. Instead, the name of its seminal Mercedes model designed by Maybach over twenty years before was chosen for the DMG portion of the new brand. ("Mercedes" had been painted on a DMG vehicle used in races by a man in honor of his daughter, and became the formal name of a DMG model in 1902, see below.) Thus, Mercedes-Benz became the brand name applied to the models of one of the new firm. Because of its eponymous tie to Karl Benz and his early vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is also the name of the world's oldest continuously produced automobile line.

As part of the 1926 merger, a new logo was created that would include a symbol for each and integrate the names of the two former companies. A three-pointed star had been designed by Gottlieb Daimler, to show the ability of his motors for land, air, and sea use. This star first appeared on a DMG model in 1909, so it was chosen for the new logo. The traditional laurel wreath symbol used by Karl Benz was added along with his name to complete the new logo. The logo with a plain ring, as seen today, was not used until 1937.

In 1998, Daimler-Benz and Chrysler agreed to combine their businesses — promoted as the "merger of equals" — and the new entity was named DaimlerChrysler AG.

On May 14, 2007, the separation of Daimler and Chrysler was announced. Selling Chrysler has been seen as a positive move for Daimler by its shareholders, who hope that the separation will allow Daimler's car brand Mercedes-Benz to be free to do what it does best without having the distractions of its heavily unprofitable U.S. partner Chrysler. However, Daimler retains a 20 per cent minority stake in Chrysler.

 Origin of design

Benz Patent Motorwagen 1886 (Replica). The world's first true automobile.

Benz Velo 1894.

The origins of the Daimler-Benz company founded through a merger in 1926 date back to the mid-1880s, when Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900) working with Wilhelm Maybach (1846–1929), and Karl Benz (1844–1929) independently invented the internal combustion engine-powered automobile, in southwestern Germany. Although they were merely sixty miles apart, these pioneers were unaware of each other's early work.

Karl Benz had his shop in Mannheim where he invented "the world's first true automobile powered by an internal combustion engine" in 1885. It had three wheels. He was granted a patent for his vehicle dated January 29, 1886, for what he called the "Benz Patent Motorwagen." Among many inventions, Benz patented his first engine in 1879, a high-speed single-cylinder four-stroke engine of his own design which he included in his "integral" design for the Motorwagen patent application.

In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler and design partner Wilhelm Maybach, working in Cannstatt, Stuttgart, were granted a patent dated August 29, 1885 for what is generally recognized as the prototype of the modern gas engine, that they named the "grandfather clock engine."

On March 8, 1886, Daimler purchased a stagecoach made by Wilhelm Wimpff & Sohn and he and Maybach adapted it to hold this engine, thereby creating a four-wheeled carriage propelled by an engine, as many had before them. The only distinction about this carriage was that it carried an internal combustion engine. None of many similar attempts to adapt carts, boats, or carriages, in many countries, were propelled by this type of engine. On the official history pages of the Mercedes-Benz Internet site it is referred to as "a carriage — without a drawbar but with the conventional drawbar steering. A carriage without horses..." Daimler and Maybach later purposely built, from scratch, the first four-stroke engine powered automobile with four wheels in 1889. They founded Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, DMG, in 1890 and sold their first automobile in 1892.

Stationary engines were his major business and he invented many improvements to them and their application, but Karl Benz continued to refine his Motorwagen through several models and sold his first automobile in 1888. He built his first four-wheeled model in 1891. Benz & Cie, the company started by the inventor, became not only the world's first, but also largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1900.

In 1899, DMG automobiles built at Untertürkheim (a city district of Stuttgart) were raced successfully by Emil Jellinek (1853-1918), an automobile enthusiast and dealer. He had the name of his daughter, Mercedes, painted on the automobiles for good luck. Wanting faster race cars, it was Jellinek who spurred the development of the seminal 1902 DMG model that would be the first of the DMG Mercedes series, bearing the name of his daughter.

After suggesting some design specifications, he promised to purchase thirty-six of the new DMG model if Maybach would name the new 35-hp engine contained in it, the Daimler-Mercedes engine. A contract of five hundred and fifty thousand marks was made for these new models. Within weeks he contracted for thirty-six of another DMG model with 8-hp engines. He was granted an exclusive concession to sell the new DMG automobiles in Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium, and USA.

That new model later would be named "Mercedes 35 hp" (in 1902) and it was a very important advance in automobile design. The contract called for delivery of the first automobile to Jellinek in the Fall, but it did not reach him until December 22, 1900. He became obsessed with the name Mercedes and even had his name changed to Jellinek-Mercedes. Jellinek was invited to sit on the DMG board of directors, which he did from 1901 until 1909, when he retired from automotive activities in favor of diplomatic appointments.

The name change also was helpful in preventing legal troubles, because after the death of Daimler, DMG had sold exclusive rights to the name, Daimler, and technical concepts to companies abroad. As a result, luxury automobiles branded Daimler were, and still are, built in England. A fire that gutted the old Steinway piano factory in New York, which had been converted to produce the new Mercedes models, cut short the dream of American production.

The first logo of Mercedes-Benz from the 1926 merger of the companies of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler

1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" in the Ralph Lauren collection

The rival companies of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) and Benz & Cie. started to cooperate in 1924, due to necessity arising from a troubled German economy after World War I, and finally merged in 1926 to become Daimler-Benz AG, which produced Mercedes-Benz automobiles and trucks. The merger agreement established that the two companies were required to remain together until 2000. While focusing on land vehicles, Mercedes-Benz also built engines to power boats and airplanes (military and civil), and even Zeppelins. Karl Benz died in 1929.

Hitler's Personal Armored 1943 Mercedes Limousine

Although the brand is most famous for limousine models, a significant number of notable sports cars have also been produced. For example, the early supercharged SSK developed by Ferdinand Porsche.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe from the Ralph Lauren collection

Another distinctive model was the iconic 300SL Gullwing of 1954; that was suggested by Max Hoffman, explicitly for the USA market, and introduced at the New York Automobile Show.

Mercedes-Benz has also produced higher volume, less expensive cars. Interestingly, the prototypes of the Volkswagen were built and tested in Stuttgart, in cooperation with Porsche. Before that, Mercedes-Benz had a similar rear-engined, yet rather unsuccessful, small car, the 130 H. In recent years Mercedes have produced the A-Class, relatively inexpensive compared to its other models. Also the Smart brand of small affordable automobiles has been part of the Mercedes-Benz Group since 1994 and are still producing cars today in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler AG.

 Motorsport

Main Article Mercedes-Benz in motorsport.

A DMG Mercedes Simplex 1906 in the Deutsches Museum

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc Cabriolet

1959 Mercedes-Benz W120 Model 180

The two companies which were merged to form the Mercedes-Benz brand in 1926 had both already enjoyed success in the new sport of motor racing throughout their separate histories- both had entries in the very first automobile race Paris to Rouen 1894. This has continued, and throughout its long history, the company has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including sportscar racing and rallying. On several occasions Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn completely from motorsport for a significant period, notably in the late 1930s and after the 1955 Le Mans disaster, where a Mercedes-Benz 300SLR collided with another car and killed more than eighty spectators. Although there was some activity in the inteverning years, it was not until the late 1980s that Mercedes-Benz returned to front line competition, returning to LeMans and sportscar racing with Sauber.

This long absence inspired by the disaster is understandable considering that Mercedes-Benz is viewed by many to be the world's safety leader due to their dominant contribution to automotive safety as well as licensing their safety innovations for use by their competitors, placing family safety above profit and competitive advantage.

The 1990s saw Mercedes-Benz purchase engine builder Ilmor, and campaign cars at the famed Indy 500 race under the USAC/CART rules, eventually winning that race with Al Unser, Jr. at the wheel. The 90's also saw the return of Mercedes-Benz to GT racing, and the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, which took the company to new heights (both figuratively) by dominating the FIA's GT1 class and (literally) by notably taking flight at the end of a long straight at La Sarthe.

Mercedes-Benz is currently active in three forms of motorsport, Formula Three, DTM and Formula One. In Formula One, the company part owns Team McLaren and has supplied the team with engines since 1995. This partnership has brought great success, including back to back Drivers Championships for Mika Häkkinen in 1998 and 1999 and a Constructors championship in 1998. The collaboration with McLaren has been extended into the production of roadgoing cars such as the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

Business alliances

Studebaker-Packard Corporation

In 1958 Mercedes-Benz entered into a distribution agreement with the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (USA), makers of Studebaker and Packard brand automobiles. Under the deal, Studebaker would allow Mercedes-Benz access to their U.S. dealer network, handle shipments of vehicles to those dealers, and in return receive compensation for each car sold. Studebaker also was permitted to use the German automaker’s name in its advertisements, which stressed Studebaker's quality over quantity.

When Studebaker entered into informal discussions with Franco-American automaker Facel Vega about offering their Facel Vega Excellence model in the United States, Mercedes-Benz objected to the proposal. Studebaker, which needed Mercedes-Benz distribution payments to help stem heavy losses, dropped further action on the plan.

Mercedes-Benz maintained an office within the Studebaker works in South Bend from 1958 to 1963 when Studebaker's U.S. operations ceased. Many U.S Studebaker dealers converted to Mercedes-Benz dealerships at that time. When Studebaker closed its Canadian operation and left the automobile business in 1966, remaining Studebaker dealers had the option to convert their dealerships to Mercedes-Benz dealership agreements.

 Production

Besides its native Germany, Mercedes-Benz are also manufactured or assembled in:

• South Africa [1]
• Thailand [2]
• Malaysia [3]
• United States of America [4]
• Argentina [5] (Buses, Trucks and the van Sprinter. the first factory of Mercedes-Benz outside of Germany)
• Brazil [6]
• India [7]
• Nigeria [8]
• United Kingdom (The SLR supercar is built here at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking).
• Egypt [9]
• Austria (G-Class) [10]
• China
• Turkey [11]
• South Korea (Mercedes-branded Musso and MB100 models manufactured by SsangYong Motor Company)

 Purchasing

Mercedes-Benz automobiles are available at dealerships in over 130 countries and their work fleet (trucks and commercial vehicles) are available from a select group of dealers worldwide as well as the factory-direct. As with several European brand automobiles, Mercedes has offered a European delivery option for purchasing of a Mercedes Benz automobile.

 Models

Passenger cars

See also: List of Mercedes-Benz Cars

Significant car models produced

See also: List of Mercedes-Benz Cars

 McLaren cars

Mercedes-Benz has also produced a supercar with McLaren Cars, an extension of the collaboration by which Mercedes engines are used by the Team McLaren-Mercedes Formula One racing team, which is part owned by Mercedes. Many anticipate there to be a range of McLaren--Mercedes supercars produced in Woking (McLaren’s manufacturing headquarters). The 2003 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren has a carbon-fiber body with a 5.5l V8 supercharged engine. This is the same block as featured in other Mercedes-Benz automobiles, such as the SL55 AMG and the CLS55 AMG, it has however been tweaked to give 454kw and 780nm of torque. The SLR has a maximum speed of 334km/h and costs approximately US$500,000.

The most recent new joint-venture model, expected to reach production, is the mid-engine P8 supercar. Based around a unique carbon fiber monocoque, manufactured by McLaren, the P8 was originally predicted to receive the new naturally aspirated 6.3L V8 from Mercedes-AMG, but insiders now say that the engine will be modified for the car and will probably be twin- turbocharged to produce in excess of 600 bhp. The car is still in development, but likely to reach production to go on sale in early 2008, and have a price tag less than that of the SLR.

Car nomenclature

In 1994 (starting with the 1994 models), the traditional nomenclature of Mercedes-Benz vehicles changed. Since the early days of the company the name would be in the form of 500E where the engine displacement made up the first three numbers and the last letter(s) represented the type of engine and/or chassis; for example: "E" for fuel injection ("Einspritzung" in German), "D" for Diesel, "L" for long wheelbase etc.

In 1994, this was altered so that the prefix reflected the model ("class", German "Klasse", in Mercedes-Benz terminology) and a number the displacement. The suffix was retained in some cases, for example "L" for long wheelbase, and "CDI" for Diesel (CDI = Common rail Direct Injection). Thus, the 500E in the example above became the E500 ("E-Klasse", 5 liters displacement). It should also be noted that while in the past the model number generally accurately reflected the actual engine displacement, this is currently not always the case - for example the E200 CDI and E220 CDI actually both have a 2.2 liter displacement, and the C240 actually has a 2.6 litre engine. Also, there is a huge difference in power (and price) between some cars with the same engine number, such as C55 and SL55.

 Concept Models

• 1970 Mercedes-Benz C111 [12] - sports car using Wankel engine
• 1978 Mercedes-Benz C111-III - sports car with tail fin
• 1981 Mercedes-Benz Auto 2000 - 4 door sedan
• 1986 Mercedes-Benz NAFA - microcar
• 1991 Mercedes-Benz C112 - sportcar and mule
• Mercedes-Benz F 100 - Car introducted in 1991
• Mercedes-Benz F 200 Imagination - 2 door coupe introduced in 1996 Paris Motor Show
• Mercedes-Benz F 300 Life Jet - 3-wheel Car/Motorcycle unveiled in 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show
• 1999 Mercedes-Benz Vision SLR - Prototype of Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, unveiled in 1999 North American International Auto Show
• Mercedes-Benz Vision SLA - convertible version of Vision SLR, unveiled in 2000 North American International Auto Show
• Mercedes-Benz F 400 Carving - A 2-seat roadster unveiled in 2002 Tokyo Motor Show
• Mercedes Benz F 500 Mind - 4-door fastback sedan unveiled in 2003 Tokyo Motor Show
• Mercedes-Benz F 600 HYGENIUS - compact fuel cell car, unveiled in 2005 Tokyo Motor Show
• Mercedes-Benz Bionic - Car unveiled in 2005 DaimlerChrysler Innovation Symposium in Washington, modelled after boxfish
• Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive - a 4-door convertible

 Buses

Main article: Mercedes-Benz buses

Mercedes-Benz also produces buses, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first factory to be built outside of Germany after WWII was in Argentina. It originally built Truck-Buses, named Colectivo in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1950-1987), but now builds buses.

 Vans

Mercedes-Benz produces a range of vans. The current range consists of

• Mercedes-Benz Vito — Light Van based on the Viano MPV with loaded weight of approx 1 tonne
• Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — Mid-sized van with loaded weights of 2 to 6 tonne (produced as a Dodge in USA and Canada with the name Freightliner Sprinter. A joint venture.)
  • Sprinter 414 416CDI ambulance
  • Sprinter 316CDI light ambulance
• Mercedes-Benz Vario — Heavy van with similar load to a light truck (7.5 tonne)

Previous models include

• Mercedes-Benz TN or T1 - Mid Sized van predecessor to the sprinter
• Mercedes-Benz T2 - Heavy Van
• All other previous models on the German wikipedia

 Trucks

Mercedes-Benz is the world's largest manufacturer of trucks

The current range consists of

• Mercedes-Benz Atego — Light truck from 7 to 16t
• Mercedes-Benz Axor — Mid-sized truck from 18 to 26t in rigid and articulated
• Mercedes-Benz Actros — Heavy duty rigid and premium articulated — 18 to 50t
• Mercedes-Benz Econic — Low floor version of the Axor for refuse and specialist applications
• Mercedes-Benz Unimog — For special purpose applications and transport across extreme terrain
• 1828L (F581) Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre
• 1517L Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre

 Tuners

Mercedes-Benz automobiles are very popular among performance-oriented buyers, and many companies have become tuners/modifiers of these cars, adding even more performance and luxury to the brand.

• AMG is Mercedes-Benz's performance-tuning division specializing in high performance versions of most Mercedes-Benz cars. AMG engines are hand-built and the completed engine received a tag with the signature of the engineer who built it. AMG has been fully-owned by Mercedes-Benz since 1999.

Other Tuners

• Brabus
• Lorinser
• Carlsson
• Kleemann
• RENNtech
• Kicherer

Robot Cars

In the 1980s Mercedes built the world's first robot car, together with the team of Professor Ernst Dickmanns at Bundeswehr Universität München. Partially encouraged by Dickmanns' success, in 1987 the European Union's EUREKA programme initiated the Prometheus project on autonomous vehicles, funded to the tune of nearly 800 million Euros. A culmination point was achieved in 1995, when Dickmanns´ re-engineered autonomous S-Class Mercedes took a long trip from Munich in Bavaria to Copenhagen in Denmark and back. On highways the robot achieved speeds exceeding 175 kilometres per hour (roughly 110 miles per hour; there is no general speed limit on the German Autobahn). The car's abilities left a big impression on many observers, and heavily influenced robot car research and funding decisions world-wide.

 Bicycles

Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH introduced 3 new bicycles in 2005, named Automatic Bike, Fitness Bike, Mountain Bike.[13] The bikes are sold in Australia[14], Germany, Russia.[15]

List of bicycles:

• Mercedes-Benz Automatic Bike
• Mercedes-Benz Carbon Bike
• Mercedes-Benz Fitness Bike
• Mercedes-Benz Hybrid Bike
• Mercedes-Benz Mountain Bike
• Mercedes-Benz Street Bike

 Innovations

The "Safety cage" or "Safety cell" construction with front and rear crumple zones was first developed by Mercedes-Benz in 1951.[16].

Anti-lock brakes (ABS), traction control and airbags in the European market, were all Mercedes-Benz innovations. These technologies were introduced in 1978, 1986 and 1980 respectively. In September 2003, Mercedes-Benz introduced the world's first 7-speed automatic transmission called '7G-TRONIC'.

Mercedes-Benz's PRE-SAFE uses radar to detect an imminent crash and prepares the car's safety systems to respond optimally. Occupants are also prepared by tightening the seatbelt, closing the sunroof and windows, and moving the seats into the optimal position.

Mercedes Benz is in the process of pioneering a fatigue-detection system that warns the driver when they are displaying signs of micro-sleep (when the eyes stay closed for slightly longer than a natural blinking action). The system will use a variety of data including the individual driving style, the duration of the journey, the time of day and the current traffic situation. Fatigue mostly sets in gradually.^[1]

The fastest (production) automatic road car in the world is the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren at 334 km/h (208 mph). The car was co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. The fastest street-legal saloon car in the world is the Mercedes-Benz BRABUS (tuned) W211 'E V12' - based on the E-Class saloon.

Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz had a reputation for quality and durability. Increased focus on costs and volume, and the increased complexity in modern automobile electronics led to falling quality in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By 2005, Mercedes temporarily returned to the industry average for initial quality (if the "complexity" variable was ignored), according to J.D. Power.^[2] In J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study for the first quarter of 2007, Mercedes showed dramatic improvement by climbing to 4th place, surpassing quality leader Toyota and earning several awards for its models. ^[3]

21/7/2007 - Volvo

• 1920
Volvo was founded by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson, allegedly during a meal consisting of crayfish, in 1924. Their first car, the 1944cc Jakob, was in production by 1927.
Born in 1891, Gabrielsson had studied economics, and was sales manager for the Swedish bearings company SKF, at the time he joined up with Larson. The latter was four years older, and had worked for automotive company White and Poppe in Coventry, England, from 1911 to 1913, before joining SKF in 1917. In 1920 he left and was working as technical manager for AB Galco when he was reunited with Gabrielsson.

The scheme was to build a vehicle more suited to the Scandinavian climate than were US imports, utilizing high-quality Swedish steel and bought-in components. Gabrielson financed the completion of ten prototypes, with bodies styled by Swedish artist Helmer Mas-Olle. Marine engineers Pentaverken built and supplied the engines, and SKF was sufficiently impressed to fund the production run of the first thousand cars, built at Lundby, near Gothenberg, from 1927. SKF also allowed the partners to use one of the company’s patented names: AB Volvo, which derives from the Latin ‘I roll’, with its obvious connotations of bearings in action.

The company had planned to build 500 cabriolets and 500 saloons but, in the event, only 205 of the steel-bodied open cars were produced, compared with 721 of the closed fabric-bodied PV4 models. In 1929, a three-liter straight-six was introduced, designated the PV650, and this enjoyed and eight-year production run until 1937, during which time there were capacity increases to 3.2 and 3.6 liters, with a few long-wheelbase chassis made for specialist coachbilders. The PV36 of 1936 bore a similarity to the Chrysler Airflow.

Concurrently Volvo was also producing 1.5 ton trucks, from 1928, and a range of taxis known as TRs, based on the PV4. The trucks actually outsold the cars until World War II.

• 1930
By 1932, the company was in profit and operating from its own factory; output was well over 900 cars a year, although demand slackened slightly due to economic factors during the mid-1930s. SKF relinquished control of Volvo with a stock flotation in 1935, and at the same time Volvo took over Pentaverken which, as AB Penta, became in 1949 the marine-engineering unit of Volvo.
Sweden’s neutrality allowed Volvo to maintain production during WWII, although the production figure of 2,834 cars in 1939 fell back to a low of 99 in 1942. The 50,000 Volvo was a truck, built in 1941.

• 1950
Volvo’s first post-war car was the stylish PV444, which had been conceived in 1942 and featured independent front suspention and coil springs at the rear. This proved an important model in that it gained Volvo a foothold in the US. For the first time, cars outsold trucks, prompting a major investment program which saw several derivatives of the PV444 produced, including some estates and light commercials. Some 500,000 units were made, including the PV544 development, which was built until 1965, and the PV210 estate which was in production until 1969. In 1958, Volvo invented the 3-point safety belt, considered the most important safety feature of all time.

Not noted for its adventurous styling, Volvo came out with a short fun of 67 glassfiber sports cars, based on the PV444, and styled in the US in 1955 by Glaspar. The project was squashed when the Suez crisis threatened vehicular indulgence.

• 1960
The company’s next venture into the world of the semi-erotic was to be the P1800 coupe of 1961, styled initially by Italian coach builders Ghia and finished off by Frua. To start with, bodies were made by the British firm of Pressed steel after Karmann pulled out, and the vehicles were assembled by Jenson at West Bromwich, near Birmignham, England. However, Volvo found sufficient capacity and resourced to shift production to Sweden in 1963, where the car continued to be made until 1973 in the form of a sporting estate-like car called the P1800ES. The P1800 won lasting fame as the car driven by actor Roger Moore in film adaptations of THE SAINT detective stories, and the 115 bhp engine was also used by Facellia and Marcos sports cars.

Gabrielsson retired in 1956, although he remained chariman until his death in 1962. Larson died in 1968, but the pair had already intiated developement of the P120 series prior to Gabrilsson’s retirement. The 121 saloon was known as the Amazon, but only marketed with this nomenclature in Sweden because of a prior claim to the name by German motor-cycle manufacturers Kriedler.

A new factory was built with Swedish Government backing at Torslanda, and opened by King Gustav Adolf in 1964. Volvo had already started to build its cars in Canada and Belguim. The millionth car was an Amazon, in 1966, and in the same year, the 140 series was announced. The six-cylinder 164 appeared in 1968 and, by 1970, the Amazon was phased out. The 144s were updated to become 240s in 1974, and a further facelift produced the 244 saloons and 245 estates, which also now include diesel and turbocharged options. The 260 series of 1974 was fitted with the PRV 2.7 liter V6 engine, a unit developed jointly by a consortium of Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo.

• 1980
By 1983, output has reached five million cars, and included the 760 series, launched in 1982. These somewhat angular cars were powered by a 2.8 liter V6 diesels from VW, or turbocharged 2.3 liter fours, and a spacious estate followed in 1985.
The same year’s Geneva auto show also saw the launch of a Bertone-designed 780 coupe, based on the 760 wheelbase. This was hardly a sports model, although it did preface the introduction in 1986 of the Volvo 480ES, a front-drive hatchback which was conceptually rather similar ot the P1800 ES. The 480 used a 1.7 Renault engine, and was built in the Netherlands at the Volvo BV plant.

This particular factory came into Volvo ownership when the company acquired a 75% stake in DAF’s car division. Volvo had started negotiations with DAF as early as 1969, and gained its controlling interest after a series of financial moves. In 1976, DAF’s four-cylinder Variomatic -transmission 66 model became a Volvo, heralding the introduction of the rather mundane 340 series. By 1981, the Dutch government had invested sufficient capital in the company to reduce Volvo’s stake to a 30% share.

Throughout the ’80s, Volvo launched several new models, including the extremely popular 240, the 740, the 760, the 940, and the 960 (later the S90). These cars were very rectangular, and most were luxurious.

• 1990
As Volvo started the 1990s, much speculation surrounded it regarding a possible deal with Renault. The deal was to take advantage of economies of scale and maximize the benefits of joint activities in purchasing, with a target of raising the number of shared parts suppliers, and therefore shared components, in order to reduce product costs. The planned link would have put the Renault-Volvo group as the third largest manufacturer in Europe with a 12.3% market share. In the event, the link-up never took place.

In 1992, a new car, the 850, was launched. The 850 was a big departure for Volvo. Unlike its previous large cars, the 850 was front-drive and used an all-new five-cylinder engine. Top of the range was the 850 T5 with a turbocharged 2.3 liter engine. Performance was astounding, and surprised many drivers. The 850 was the first car in the world to have side airbags, too. The car still had Volvo’s traditional angular styling, albeit updated, but had the performance of a real sports sedan. Volvo entered the T5 estate in the BTCC (racing) where it competed very succesfully against much sportier-looking cars. (The S40 eventually replaced this car in racing).

By the late 1990s, Volvo had dropped the 3-figure model names and extended its range. The biggest shock was a Volvo with curves. The S/V40 range was the result of a joint venture with Mitsubishi. The styling of the car was much more up to date than its predecessor, the 440. In fact, the V40 wagon was named most beautiful estate car by an Italian magazine.

The 850 was facelifted in 1996 with two new cars, the S70 sedan and the V70 wagon. These two cars advanced Volvo technology by adding 4-wheel drive to the list of options availiable on Volvo cars. A variant of the wagon, the V70XC, was created to battle the now growing sport-utility market. It’s suspention was higher than the V70’s, and it had added plastic to make it look more macho.

In 1998, Volvo introduced two new cars. The first car was an off-shoot of the S70; it was a coupe named the C70. This car was beautiful, and easily competed with rivals BMW and Mercedes. (a Convertible was launched later) The second car that was introduced by Volvo was the S80. The S80 was on an entirely new platform. The S80 was the replacement for the S90, but it was completely different. For one, it was extremely good looking, with no angles, all curves. It introduced two new safety features: whiplash protection and side impact curtain airbags. It was Volvo’s safest car ever.

The S80 recorded huge sales across the world, and it was the first Volvo ever that was really able to compete with BMW and Mercedes, other than the C70.

In 1999, Volvo was bought by Ford.

• 2000
In the year 2000, Volvo introduced a new wagon, the V70, based on the S80 platform. It was a completely new replacement for the old 850-based V70. It also was the best handling Volvo ever, according to many organisations. Later that year, Volvo would introduce a facelifted version of the S40/V40 and a smaller replacement for the S70, the S60.

21/7/2007 - Peugeot

• 1900
The Peugeot family, who still control the independent French motor manufacturer, began life as ironmongers, manufacturing coffee grinders, umbrella frames and bicycles - Peugeot racing bikes are still one of the best available in the world - before entering car production in 1876. In 1889 Peugeot produced a steam driven, three wheeler in conjunction with LÈon Serpollet. It had a tubular frame and a flash boiler, but steam was soon dropped in favour of Daimler V-twin engines which were installed in the frames along with handlebar steering. In 1891, a Peugeot was driven from Beaulieu-Valentigney to Paris, then on to Brest, the first such journey by a petrol-driven car. Such was the acclaim for this remarkable feat, Peugeot found there was substantial demand for its cars, rising from five sold in 1891, to no less than 72 in 1895 and a milestone 300 cars in 1899.

Britain first saw a Peugeot in 1895, when Sir David Salomons imported a 4 h.p. model. Another well-known name in motoring circles, the Hon. C.S. Rolls of Rolls-Royce fame, was selling another famous French marque, Panhard, but also took delivery of a Peugeot around this time. Again in 1895, one Andr* Michelin showed off his 2.7 litre Peugeot, fitted with the revolutionary invention: pneumatic tyres.

A new company entitled SA des Automobiles Peugeot was formed in 1897 to manufacture motor cars at Audincourt, taking over from the quaintly named ëLes Fils de Peugeot FrËres*, or The Sons of Brothers Peugeot. The cars became larger with bigger engines. In 1898 the company introduced a 3.3 litre engine and, in 1900, a monster 30 bhp, 5.8 litre engine was produced. There was, though, also a 3 hp machine which weighed only 350 kg.

Electric ignition was introduced around this time, as was a steering wheel in place of the tiller. In 1902, a factory was opened in Lille and the Peugeot range was expanded with a number of successful innovations, including honeycomb radiators and pressed steel frames. Siddeley in England began making Peugeots under licence.

In 1903, Robert Peugeot began making motorcycles in the old Beaulieu-Valentigney factory, adding cars to the line-up in 1906 under the name Lion-Peugeot.

• 1910

By 1912, Peugeot had entered racing once again - the French concern won the first ever motor race, albeit by default - and had new production models including a 10 hp machine designed by the legendary Ettore Bugatti.

Many of Ettore Bugattiís creations - including a number of Peugeots - can be seen at the impressive French National Automobile Museum, located in the south-east town of Mulhouse, close to both the German and Swiss borders. Worth a visit if you are in that part of the world.

• 1920
After the First World War, Peugeot developed a series of 3-cylinder engines and by 1923 had experimented with 2-stroke diesels. By 1922, a six cylinder, 6-litre, twin carburettor car had been introduced, and a 1.4 litre, 10 hp machine was also being developed.
The infamous 668cc Quadrilette was launched around this time, acquiring a 719 cc engine in 1926 and front brakes - previously, only rear-wheel brakes were fitted - in 1929. In 1927, a 950 cc engine was offered as an option. Also in 1927, Peugeot expanded with factories in other regions of France, when it acquired De Dion Bouton and Bellanger FrËres, the latter located at picturesque Neuilly-sur Seine.

More new models were introduced in 1928, including the two litre, six cylinder Type 183. A limited production 201X sports car was launched using a supercharged Bugatti engine.

• 1940

In 1935, Peugeot produced its last six cylinder engine, a statistic which was to stand until recent times when the V6 604 was introduced. During the Second World War, Peugeot made electric cars, known as the VLV. Capable of almost 50 km/h, the VLV was an original design with a two-seat cabriolet body.

After the war, Peugeot was one of the first European manufacturers to re-establish its production lines and, in 1946, the company sold more than 14,000 of its 202 model, introducing the 203 a year later.

• 1960
By 1955, the familiar 403 was launched, complete with synchromesh gearbox and a 1.5 litre engine. By 1962, over 1 million 403s had been built and in 1960 the Pininfarina-designed 404 made an appearance.

This model was tremendously successful, both in terms of sales and on the rally circuit, notably on the Safari Rally in East Africa.

The 403 was dropped at the end of 1966, while the 504 was launched in 1969. A rugged, no-nonsense saloon, the 504 featured an agricultural four cylinder engine, rear wheel drive and torque tube transmission - the propshaft ran inside a casing; to change the clutch, it was necessary to remove the engine, not the gearbox.

21/7/2007 - Opel

At the close of the century, another revolutionary machine made its appearance - the car. In 1899, before the 20th century had even begun, Opel had acquired a car factory.
The factory was in the state of Anhalt, Germany, and it belonged to one Friedrich Lutzmann. The Opel brothers (Adam’s sons) worked in partnership with Lutzmann for two years while they built up the production of automobiles in Rüsselsheim.

In 1901, Opel separated from Lutzmann and in 1902 they began producing French Darracq models under licence and selling them under the brand name Opel-Darracq.
At the same time, the Opel brothers were working on their own designs to make cars more reliable and affordable. In the autumn of 1902, their first design, the 10/12 hp model, made its debut at the Hamburg Motor Show.

In order to promote the “motorization of the people” effectively, the company expanded its line of products in 1901 to include motorcycles. The first Opel trucks were being produced as early as 1899.
As successes in the following years proved, the young automobile company was on the right track. By 1906, these newcomers on the automobile market had already built their one-thousandth vehicle, and their business was developing fast.

The big breakthrough occurred in the year 1909 with the Opel 4/8 hp model - known as the “Doctor’s Car”. Its reliability and robustness were appreciated above all by physicians, who did a lot of cross-country driving back then when they made their calls, since hard-surfaced roads were still something of a rarity at the beginning of the century.

At 3,950 marks, the legendary “Doctor’s Car” cost just half as much as the luxury models of its day. Only ten years into the industry and nine years into the new century, Opel had already taken a giant step towards providing wide sections of the public with access to motor vehicles.
The success of this model, combined with their groundbreaking production systems, meant that by 1914 Opel had outstripped its competitors and become the largest German manufacturer of motor vehicles.

• 1920
In 1924, with an investment of one million gold marks, Opel introduced assembly-line mass production to Germany. This revolutionary production process brought substantial advantages for Opel customers.
The first model to roll off the new assembly lines was the “Laubfrosch” or “Tree Frog” (Opel 4/12 hp). Thanks to the drop in manufacturing costs made possible by the increased production volume and the enormous demand, the already moderate introductory price was reduced from 4,500 to only 1,990 marks within six years.

Despite the general inflation, Opel had made yet another contribution towards making cars affordable. The automobile was no longer an expensive and fragile luxury item for the wealthy; it was on the way to becoming a trouble-free, reliable means of transport for all.
With a market share of 37.5 percent and 42,771 units sold, Opel was again the largest automaker in Germany in 1928.

Much of their success rested on their groundbreaking sales approach. In the early summer of 1929, Opel became the first German automotive company to establish an insurance company and a company for financing installment sales.
Around this time, Opel attracted a great deal of attention with their pioneering RAK rocket-propulsion program. It included record-breaking land runs with RAK 2 and 3 and a successful flight with the RAK 1 Friedrich aircraft.

Primarily because of the economic crisis, the Opel brothers began looking around for a strong partner as the 1920s wore on. In March 1929, the descendants of Adam Opel reached an agreement with representatives of the General Motors Corporation (GM). The world’s largest automaker took over the majority of the shares, but left Opel its independence in all areas.
From then on, all activities were focused on the “core business” of making automobiles. Opel was able not only to fortify its strong market position, but also succeeded in expanding it.

• 1930
By the mid-1930s, the company was Europe’s largest producer of automobiles. In 1935, Opel built more than 100,000 vehicles in a single year for the first time - a figure that included 25,000 Blitz light trucks built at the new plant in Brandenburg.
That same year saw the production of the legendary Opel Olympia. It was the first mass-produced German car to have an all-steel integral body and frame.

While all this was happening, Opel was posting international sales successes. The connection with GM had given it greater access to the world market. New bases were established in Japan, China, and various countries in South America.
During this period, the production capacity for bicycles was steadily reduced in favor of the constantly rising demand for passenger cars. In 1937, Opel finally sold this segment of its business to NSU. Altogether, Opel had produced about 2.6 million bicycles up to that point.

• 1950
The first post-war Opel, a 1.5 ton Blitz truck, left the plant as early as 1946. In 1947, passenger car production restarted with a revised version of the pre-war Opel Olympia model.
By 1950, the plant was completely repaired, and three years later, annual production had risen again to more than 100,000 vehicles.

As early as 1956, Opel was able to sell 207,010 vehicles and achieve a market share of 17.6 percent. That same year, they produced the two-millionth Opel. The anniversary model, a pastel-colored Kapitän with a full-width body, had gold-plated fittings, and received considerable attention at numerous exhibitions.

• 1970
In 1962, the 100th anniversary of the company’s establishment, Adam Opel AG opened a second plant in Bochum. The new Kadett rolled off the production lines there, with the slogan “A new car from a new plant”.

In order to be able to offer an attractive model to the growing community of sports car fans, the company developed a coupé in the mid-1960s. With the GT, Opel confirmed its reputation as the maker of particularly dynamic automobiles.
A business record was also set in 1972: with a market share of 20.4 percent, the company again became Germany’s largest automaker.

With the first oil crisis and changing customer expectations, Opel developed a completely new model range at the end of the 1970s to meet the demands of the coming decade.
People were looking for cars with plenty of performance combined with the lowest possible fuel consumption. With its aerodynamic shape, the Rekord E embodied this new philosophy and was received enthusiastically by the general public.

In order to boost production in Europe further, the company opened an additional work in 1982 in Zaragoza, Spain. The Corsa sub-compact produced there quickly became the best-selling car in its segment. source