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AutoNotes #16, 07/02/94 copr. 1994, Dave Williams
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Automobile Magazine reports employed men between the ages of 25 and
54 spend an average of 1.5 hours per day in their cars.
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Automobile also reported that drivers caught ignoring red lights in
1920s Peking were executed and their heads displayed in baskets next
to the traffic signals. Frankly, I think it's an excellent idea.
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'Way back in 1990 Mitsubishi ran ads for their then-new Galant VR-4.
The ad showed a rally car in action. Too bad it was a Lancia Delta
Integrale and not a VR-4. It took a while before they noticed and
changed the ad. Before that, Mitsubishi had trouble selling their
Pajero sport-utility vehicle in South America. Apparently in some
places "pajero" is not a polite word. Lest you think Mitsubishi is
the only one who hires cretins to manage their advertising, it took
Chevrolet years to figure out why Mexican buyers avoided Novas.
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The last Checker automobile rolled off the line on July 12, 1982.
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Vehicles per person (figures from Toyota, 1992)
US 1.2 Canada 1.5 Australia 1.8
W.Germany 1.9 France 2.0 Italy 2.2
UK 2.2 Japan 2.2
Additional figures (Motor Trend, 1986)
US 1.8 Australia 2.4 France 2.6
UK 3.4 Argentina 8.4 USSR 26.0
China (Red, presumably) 10,220.0
Still more figures (Motor Trend, 1976)
Sweden 3.0 ("Fifth highest worldwide, behind the US, Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand.")
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According to a 1987 figure, South Dakota had more vehicles than
people.
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Though the former USSR had a much smaller driving population than
the USA, they had a much larger ratio of traffic fatalities per
citizen - 40,000 total killed in 1989.
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FIAT ordered some commemorative chocolates from Majani of Bologna
as part of their launch of the new model 501 back in 1919. Majani
obtained the rights to use the FIAT name and still sells FIAT-badged
candy today.
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Gas costs about 35 cents per gallon in Saudi Arabia. It costs about
the same in the USA - the other 80 cents or so is tax.
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Land of the Fruits and Nuts, Take 2: the last Trabant smoked its
way off the production line in April 1991, but a group of German
investors wants to restart production. In California. Go, Trabbi,
Go! What's next, Wartburgs?
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According to the Motor Vehicle Manufacturer's Association the median
age of cars on the road in 1989 was 6.5 years.
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One of the few options on the Lamborghini Diablo is a hand-wound
Brueget clock for only $12,000.
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With friends like these: in the last few years at least one major
US car magazine has advocated one or more of the following: seat
belts, rear seat belts, mandatory seat belt laws, air bags, dual air
bags, $1 to $2 per gallon gas taxes, gas rationing, gas guzzler
taxes, crushing of cars over 10 years old, punitive import duties for
Japanese cars, horsepower limits, displacement limits, and top speed
governors. Thanks too much, guys. Go suck a tailpipe.
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According to the Federal Highway Administration, less than 2.5% of
all trips are made with public transportation. Thank heaven. Who
wants to ride a bus or subway where winos have urinated on all the
seats, where the passengers are primarily composed of screaming
children, muggers, hoodlums, freaks, weirdos, Jesus freaks seeking
converts, moochers, and geeks? Public transportation - pfaugh!
They'll have to take my car keys from my cold dead fingers first.
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Big brother doesn't want you to drive: The Clean Air Act of 1990
requires companies in designated "non-attainment" areas nationwide to
file plans with their state environmental agencies to cut employee's
use of automobiles to get to work by 25% by 1996. Da, comrade. The
typical plan appears to be to restrict employee parking. How about a
counterproposal: All members of the Congress and Senate, and all
their staff, will set an example by sitting on the bus with the winos
to get to work. Yes? No? Why do they need chauffeur-driven
limousines anyway? Perhaps we could require them to car pool with
anyone who's heading their way. Just stick out your thumb when you
see the fancy license plate...
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Back a few issues ago I mentioned Hoechst Celanese had a new plastic
(Celazole polybenzimidazole) they felt was suitable for piston rings.
Now Total Seal in Phoenix is experimenting with the plastic. If
successful, they'll market them to racers.
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A big part of car design is NVH, otherwise known as Noise,
Vibration, and Harshness. Many manufacturers instrument their cars
and drive them over rough roads. Others, like Mercedes, use road
simulators instead. Volvo does it backwards - they generate noise in
the passenger compartment, then monitor the suspension. I guess it
works for Volvo, but I'm not usually that worried about tire noise.
It's that damned rattle under the dashboard that's driving me crazy...
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GM's Impact electric car was officially killed off, but California's
new "Zero Emissions Vehicle" law brought it clawing back from its
grave. So what if the batteries only last for ten recharges and cost
thousands to replace? That's progress!
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The June 1994 issue of Automotive Industries reported some Japanese
opthamologists have conducted tests on five different types of
airbags, using pig eyes mounted in crash test dummies. Apparently
some crash survivors have reported eye problems after the air bag
went off. The opthamologists found corneal endothelial cell loss in
the test eyes.
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The Dodge Viper gets adjustable pedals next year. Hey, just like a
Marcos! Except not as pretty, of course.
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The hottest new market for cars is Russia. Not that many individual
vehicles, but the Russians want them *bad*. Bad enough that when
Jaguar ships cars through Finland into Russia, each car is welded
into a steel container and accompanied by security guards to prevent
them from being stolen before they even reach the border. Russians
are cleaning up the used car market in Finland as well, and Finland's
car theft statistics have boomed.
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GM's 3.1 V6 is now known as the 3100, and gets cross-bolted main
caps, "double polished" crank, plastic valve covers, cast aluminum
oil pan, extra stiffening ribs in the block, and a Ford-type built-up
steel cam with roller lifters. The Dual Twin Cam 3.4 is now called
the 3400, no other changes.
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