Tag Archives: Auto Factoids

Auto Factoids for Week of April 27, 2014

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Here is your weekly installment of Auto Factoids.

This week we are highlighting a few milestones and a birthday and a corporation formation.

Starting out with big Happy Birthday to Ferruccio Lamborghini , born 4/28/1916 in Italy.  What many don’t know is Ferruccio brought about Lamborghini, because he was happy with his Ferrari due to frequent and poorly done repairs.  They say he confronted Enzo Ferrari and that meeting didn’t go well and Ferruccio decided to build his own cars.

Ferruccio Lamborghini

On the same day in 1953 Kaiser-Frazer purchased Willys.  By 1955 Kaiser Industrial (name changed) stopped building cars in the U.S. (only   with the exception of Jeep production in Ohio.

'55 Willys Jeep Wagon

’55 Willys Jeep Wagon

'55 Willys Bermuda

’55 Willys Bermuda

 

4/29/1959  Fords 50 millionth car.   It was assembled from specially designated parts shipped to Dearborn from Ford plants throughout the country. It is powered by the 292 cubic inch 200 horsepower V8 backed by a three speed automatic transmission. It sported triple tone gold, black and white interior. It is now privately owned.

1959 Ford Galaxie.

1959 Ford Galaxie.

 

5/2/1918 Chevy becomes part of GM.   How did this come about?  Here is the short version:

Billy Durant started General Motors after taking control of Buick. He incorporated a we more car brands in with GM including Oakland, Olds and Caddilac.  He was forced out of GM and started Chevrolet with partner Louis Chevrolet.  Chevrolet did well and Billy began buy more stock in GM (he had kept his shares when he was ousted).  He completed his take over of GM by offering current GM stockholders a smoking deal on Chevy stock (7 shares) for one GM stock.

5/3/48 Willys Jeep Phaeton debuted.

1948 Jeepster Phaeton

5/3/49   Packards 50th Anniversary 2000 gold Packards.  Yes that did happen.  They were painted in a special paint code of Gold.  Each were powered with 327 c.i.d., 150 hp engine.

1949 Packard - Now the 2000 weren't convertibles only 600 plus of those were produced.

1949 Packard – None of the 2000 were convertibles –  only about 600 verts were produced.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Kitty O’Neil

time in auto history, with a timed run of 3.22 seconds at 396 | mi/h | km/h | abbr on with an average speed of 279.5 | mi/h | km/h | abbr on. …

 

 

Auto Factoids – Week of 4/20/2014

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Here are your Auto Factoids for the week of April 20, 2014;

 

Only 3 major hits this week.

The first is that the American Motor Corporation (AMC) was formed by the merger of Nash and Hudson that happened on 4/22/1954.  It was actually Nash-Kalvinator and Hudson.   Cars were still produced under the Hudson name until 1957.

Hudson Hornet Hollywood.

Hudson Hornet Hollywood.

You know that AMC brought you some pretty out of the ordinary cars (Gremblin, Pacer) as well as some class muscle, (AMX, Javelin, Rebel).

There is great article on a Rebel in the May 2014 Hemmings Muscle Machine on a 1970 AMC Rebel.
Javelin

Rebel

 

Next up Chrysler purchases Lamborghini on 4/23/1987. What?   Yes….funny now Chrysler is owned by an Italian car company (Fiat).  Oh it was a smoking deal, only $25 million dollars.  That lasted until 1994 when Chrysler sold Lamborghini to an Indonesianan company.  In 1998 Volkswagen took over Lamborghini.

 

Finally this week back on 4/25/1970 Mazda’s first cars show up on U.S. shores.

 

RX-2

Mazda’s 1970 RX-2

Thanks for reading.  

Tim    

If you liked to sponsor an Auto Factoid article drop me a note.

 

lamborghini countachamc

 

 

 

 

Auto Factoids for the Week of 3/2/2014

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Here are your Auto Factoids for the first week of March 2014.

3/4/1902 – American Automobile Association was formed.  We call ‘Triple A” and most of us think about it as an insurance or travel agency with roadside assistance and it is that for sure.  It was formed by nine motor clubs in a response to a lack of roads and highways suitable for automobiles.  The group in part included the Chicago Automobile Club, Automobile Club of America, Automobile Club of New Jersey, and others.  They began producing maps 1905 and hotel guides in 1917.  The association branched out to include other programs such as teh Racing Board in 1902 to officiate the Vanderbilt Cup International Automobile Race in long island.  This board alwo sanctioned the Indianapolis 500 and give the awards for national racing championships in 1905, 1916, 1920-1941 and 1946-1955.

3/5/1971 – Rolls-Royce get a bail-out loan from the Brittish Goverment

'71 Silver Shadow

’71 Silver Shadow

Same day in 1952 Willis introduces the Aero-Ace.  These came with the Hurricane 6 or the Lightning 6

Areo Ace

Areo Ace

3/7/1929 – GM buys Opel

Opel was a Germany car company that produced it’s  first cars were produced in 1899.  Before that they were in the sowing machine and bicycle business.  Opel designed and manufactured vehicles are also sold under the Buick brand in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China and the Vauxhall brand in the United Kingdom.

3/8/1969 – Pontiac give the world the iconic Trans Am

The Trans Am was a package for the Firebird.  Although there were a total of 87,000 plus Firebirds and Trans Am produced for the year, there are some rare Trans Am’s put together:

114 Trans Am’s carried the L-74 RAM AIR III V8 between the fenders with the Turbo-Hydramatic

520 Trans Ams had the same L-74 and RAM set up only with the synchromesh transmission

There only 8 Trans Ams convertibles made and they all had the L-74s.  If that’s not rare enough, try this: 4 of those had manual transmissions and 4 had the Hydramatic.

Likewise you count the number of  Trans-Ams that were equipped with L-67 RAM AIR IV and the Turbo-Hydramatic in single digits – 9.   There were 46 more that had the the synchromesh trans.

TRANSAM 1969_pontiac_trans_am

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Film Friday: ‘Against All Odds’ follows Trans Am with a decidedly Datsun bias

So begins the narrator for “Against All Odds,” a documentary of the 1971 Trans Am 2.5 Challenge season about the BRE Datsun team, conveniently sponsored by Datsun. (“The small car experts!” avarious Datsun ads exclaim throughout the film. “Over 900 …
SammyDaBull_

RT @tomjensen100: Wow, a 1969 Firebird Trans Am goes for $135k. #barrettjackson @foxsports http://t.co/tjn9MLmbsR

Auto Factoids for the Week of Feb 16, 2014

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Sorry let this slip a couple of days.  Here are your Auto Factoids for this week.

 

2/16/1951 – Nash Healey debuts in US

This was a totally by change partnership.  Healey was on his way back to England for the US after GM refused to sell him Cadillac engines for his cars, when he met George Mason of Nash-Kelvinator on the ship.  For 1951 Nash-Kelvinator supplied the engines and drivetrain, specifically an inline six-cylinder OHV 234.8 cu in (3.85 L) engine and three-speed manual transmission with Borg-Warner overdrive, plus torque tube and differential.  Healey made a few mods to the engine like higher-compression aluminum cylinder head (replacing the cast-iron stock item) with twin 1.75-inch (44 mm) SU carburetors that were popular on British sports cars. This increased power from the stock 112 hp (84 kW; 114 PS) version to 125 hp (93 kW; 127 PS).  The car was longer and heavier than most European cars and although the 125 hp helped, it fell short of the original expectations that included Cadillac’s 331 cu in (5.4 L).

This what we here in the US were able to purchase for the first time in 1951.

1951 Nash Healey

1951 Nash Healey

 

2/18/1952 – Studebaker 100 years

Studebaker turned 100-year-old this date in 1952 and it offered up a few beauties for their customers.

Like the Star Light, Land Cruiser and 1/2 ton Pickup.

52 Star Light - Love the 'split 4 piece' rear window.

52 Star Light – Love the ‘split 4 piece’ rear window.

 

This huge '52 Land Cruiser would get across country with room for luggage!!

This huge ’52 Land Cruiser would get across country with room for luggage!!

Workhorse 1/2 ton pickup. Hard to find one now that hasn't been customized.

Workhorse 1/2 ton pickup. Hard to find one now that hasn’t been customized.

 

2/18/1898 – Enso Ferrari born in Modena, Italy

Would you by a car from this face?

Enzo_Ferrari

 

What if they looked like this?

 

Hell Yeah!!!!

Hell Yeah!!!!

 

2/20/1954 – Detroit – Chicago Auto show saw Dodge’s Fire Arrow

Ghia Dodge Firearrow II Sports Coupe 1954

Ghia Dodge Firearrow II
Sports Coupe 1954

 

That is a nice looking car!!!  If you visually mess around it a bit, you might see some resemblance to the Crossfire.  Yes?  No?

Maybe?? A little?

Maybe?? A little?

Or something from a different manufacture.

'64_Pininfarina Corvette

’64_Pininfarina Corvette

 

2/21/1948 – NASCAR’s first race – held in Daytona, FL

Historic First - a bit dusty...but awesome (no I wasn't actually there!!).

Historic First – a bit dusty…but awesome (no I wasn’t actually there!!).

 

And let’s go waaaaay back   2/22/1732 – George Washington was born in Virgina.

George-Washington-001

Well George didn’t actually own a car…but if he did, ask yourself “What would George Drive?”  Post up what you think the father of our country would drive today.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim