Alfa Romeo Car History

               Alfa Romeo Car History

Romeo is not only a thespian Shakespearean character but also represents part of an Italian mechanical deity, devoted to constructing automobiles at godly standards for mortal drivers. It is the Alfa without the Omega for ever since it began producing cars back in 1910, never has its activity been threatened by permanent halting. The Alfa Romeo coat of arms looks like it bears the marks of early religious involvement with a red cross on a white background reminding of the crusades juxtaposed with a dragon headed snake that resembles the devilish creature slain by Saint George but it was actually designed by human heads with only one purpose in mind: devotion and performance.                                                        
Although the firm is widely deemed as 100% Italian, its beginnings prove otherwise. The company was originally founded as Societa Anonima Italiana Darracq by French automobile industry.Although the firm is widely deemed as 100% Italian, its beginnings prove otherwise. The company was originally founded as Societa Anonima Italiana Darracq by French automobile industry entrepreneur Alexandre Darracq with help from Italian investors in 1906. One of the high-rollers, an aristocrat known by the name of Ugo Stella, later became chairman of the newly formed Milano- based corporate entity that would have a hard time selling cars by 1909.

Ugo then took a decisive step by founding a new motor company in association with the other investors and Darracq. The ALFA, an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili translated to Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company. The early Alfas were undoubtedly some fine pieces of machinery, and helped the company succeed in making cars that appealed to the Italian market and that would later become a corner stone in auto-engineering and design. In 1915, Neapolitan Nicola Romeo – a mathematical teacher – took over the company's management during World War I and brought significant changes to the factory's assembly lines in order to comply with the high demand of military equipment at the time.
                     
Alfa Romeo has also been involved in racing, having won competitions ever since the birth of their first 24 HP model in 1910 – which entered the famous Sicilian Targa Florio competition. Soon after its fulminatory start, many victories would come on equally numerous racing tracks all over Europe. The immense success of the Alfa Romeo models throughout the upcoming 5 decades – whose image benefited greatly from their impressive performances in motor racing – did not translate into economic growth for the Italian company. Consequently, Alfa Romeo was purchased by Finmeccanica S.p.A. – a government-controlled industrial group – some 50 years later, in order to avoid bankruptcy.

However, the state would not hold on to it too long and eventually gave it up (again) because of its financial difficulties. Before becoming stray and disoriented, Fiat adopted it as one of the group's subsidiaries. Alfa has been rolling with Fiat since 1986.

The marque is one of the few European ones currently unavailable in the US, having halted all exports to the North American market in 1995. However, it may be planning a return to US grounds through a mutually beneficial partnership with luxury manufacturer Maserati.

Acura Car History

                                Acura Car History

History
Acura is distinguished as being Japan’s first luxury automotive brand. What is really interesting about the brand is that it is a sub division of the famous automaker, Honda. Ever since the Acura history started, it proves to be a worthy adversary to countless other luxury automotive manufacturers. It was launched in 1986 in Canada and the United States and has since then come a long way. Let’s talk about the Acura logo, their company’s history timeline, main competitors and their current car lineup.
The success of its very first flagship vehicle (the Legend) caused quite a stir and in fact inspired many other Japanese auto manufacturers like Nissan and Toyota to introduce their own luxury brands (Infiniti and Lexus, respectively). In this article you will learn a lot more about the history of Acura and important events along with a complete list of its current vehicles.After nearly a decade of research, Honda finally inaugurated 60 new car dealerships across North America in 1986, in order to support its Acura division. Since it was the first ever Japanese luxury car brand, failure was not an option. This is why it was introduced as a vehicle crafted with precision and superior performance. The brand was originally introduced through two models, the Integra and the Legend. Fortunately, the two cars proved to be quite successful and its introduction worldwide caused renowned companies like Lincoln to take notice.Five years later, Acura finally introduced its next masterpiece, the NSX. The vehicle was powered by a V-6 engine and was a rear-wheel drive. NSX stands for New Sports Experimental and was fully capable of competing with well established brands like Porsche and Ferrari. But that is not all, as it was the very first of its kind to actually introduce Honda’s innovative VTEC technology. Additionally, it was also one of the very first cars to have been manufactured using aluminum. Since the car was reliable, durable and of high quality, it became an everyday sports car that anyone could afford.
                                      

Even though the NSX started strong, Acura began to suffer in terms of sales in the latter years. Many critics blame Honda for failing to come up with innovative designs and instead focused on supplying re-branded Hondas as Acura in the markets. By 1996, the 3.5 RL replaced the Legend and the Vigor was introduced as 3.2 TL and 2.5 TL. Acura made little changes to the NSX’s design during the 90s and also withdrew the Integra Sedan from Canadian markets. However, they did introduce the Acura 1.6 EL, which was yet another Honda in disguise.By the beginning of the year 2000, Acura had reintroduced itself with several new luxury cars, each with their own innovative designs and specifications. The Acura 3.2 TL was the first to be launched and was an upscale model of the original sedan. Even though it could not outdo its competition, it did have plenty to offer in terms of design and sportiness. Eventually, the car did garner a lot of attention, but future iterations failed to deliver in this aspect.

On the other hand, the MDX was also announced and then introduced about the same time. Being a popular SUV, it easily replaced the Honda SLX, which was not as effective as it should have been. But then again it was yet another Honda redesign of the Isuzu Trooper. Even though it met the demands of the luxury car market, it had limited off road capabilities. During this time, other cars introduced included the 3.2 CL, 3.2 TL and the RSX, which was previously known as the Integra hatchback.By the end of 2014, Acura had unveiled an all new sports sedan known as the TLX. The vehicle is equipped with new features that are not only innovative, but will change how luxury auto manufacturers approach their target market. The vehicle is planned to replace the TL and TSX sedans and will be offered as a 2.4 liter and a 3.5 liter V-6 model with a new transmission system and handling controls, which were never seen before.

Acura has plans on developing new and innovative luxury vehicles in order to compete with its European and American rivals. Till now Acura has only managed to compete with its rivals by offering luxury automobiles that are extremely affordable, but things are about to change as Acura has plenty more to offer except for affordability.

INTERESTING NEWS

Acura has been popular for quite some time now, so much so that it has been in a professional agreement with Marvel. Since their agreement in 2010, it comes as no surprise that their models have made several appearances in movies like Captain America, Thor and even The Avengers!

Ferrari History and images

                                         Ferrari History and images

The company’s story officially began in 1947 when the first Ferrari emerged from the historic factory entrance on Via Abetone Inferiore in Maranello. The 125 S, as it was known, embodied the passion and determination of the company’s founder.

Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena on February 18th 1898 and died on August 14th 1988. He devoted his entire life to designing and building sports cars and, of course, to the track. Having been made an official Alfa Romeo driver in 1924, within five years he had gone on to found the Scuderia Ferrari on Viale Trento Trieste in Modena which assisted mostly gentlemen drivers in racing their cars.

In 1938, Enzo Ferrari was appointed head of Alfa Corse but quit the position in 1939 to set up his own company, Auto Avio Costruzioni, which operated out of the old Scuderia buildings.

               

This new company produced the 1,500 cm³ 8-cylinder 815 spider, two of which were built for the Mille Miglia in 1940.

All racing activities ground to a halt, however, with the outbreak of the Second World War and, in late 1943, Auto Avio Costruzioni moved from Modena to Maranello. The end of the war saw Ferrari design and build the 1,500 cm³ 12-cylinder 125 S, which made its competitive debut in the hands of Franco Cortese at the Piacenza Circuit on May 11th 1947.

On the 25th of the same month, it won the Rome Grand Prix at the city’s Terme di Caracalla Circuit. Since that fateful day, Ferrari has garnered over 5,000 victories on the world’s tracks and roads, becoming a modern-day legend in the process. In order to meet growing market demand, Enzo Ferrari sold the Fiat Group a 50% stake in the company in 1969, a figure that rose to 90% in 1988.

                               

Ferrari’s share capital is currently divided as follows: 90% Fiat Group, 10% Piero Ferrari. After the founder passed away in the late 1980s, the shareholders decided to relaunch the struggling company, appointing Luca di Montezemolo as Chairman in 1991.

Under the latter’s guidance, Ferrari returned to predominance in Formula 1, launched a string of new models and opened up new markets whilst still retaining the core values from its past. Ferrari also embarked upon Formula Uomo, a major renovation programme that puts employees firmly at the centre of company life by creating a bright, safe, innovative and eco-friendly working environment.

Up to now Ferrari’s list of racing plaudits read as follows: 15 F1 Drivers’ World titles, 16 F1 Constructors’ World titles, 14 Sports Car Manufacturers’ World titles, 9 victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours, 8 in the Mille Miglia, 7 in the Targa Florio, and 216 in F1 grands prix.

                          

Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena on February 18th 1898 and died on August 14th 1988. He devoted his entire life to designing and building sports cars and, of course, to the track.

Ferrari has garnered over 5,000 victories on the world’s tracks and roads, becoming a modern-day  legend in the process. In order to meet growing market demand, Enzo Ferrari sold the Fiat Group a 50% stake in the company in 1969, a figure that rose to 90% in 1988

                            

Cars History and Pictures

                               Cars History and Pictures

The early history of the automobile can be divided into a number of eras, based on the prevalent means of propulsion. Later periods were defined by trends in exterior styling, size, and utility preferences.

In 1768, the first steam-powered automobile capable of human transportation was built by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot.

                   

In 1807, François Isaac de Rivaz designed the first car powered by an internal combustion engine fueled by hydrogen.

In 1886, the first petrol- or gasoline-powered automobile, was invented by Karl Benz. This is also considered to be the first "production" vehicle as Benz made several other identical copies.

At the turn of the 20th century electrically powered automobiles appeared but only occupied a niche market until the turn of the 21st century.

                  

17th and 18th centuries

Ferdinand Verbiest, a member of a Jesuit mission in China, built the first steam-powered vehicle around 1672 as a toy for the Chinese Emperor. It was of small enough scale that it could not carry a driver but it was, quite possibly the first working steam-powered vehicle ('auto-mobile').

Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version

A replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 road locomotive 'Puffing Devil'

Steam-powered self-propelled vehicles large enough to transport people and cargo were first devised in the late 18th century. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnotdemonstrated his fardier à vapeur ("steam dray"), an experimental steam-driven artillery tractor, in 1770 and 1771. As Cugnot's design proved to be impractical, his invention was not developed in his native France. The center of innovation shifted to Great Britain. By 1784, William Murdoch had built a working model of a steam carriage in Redruth. The first automobile patent in the United States was granted to Oliver Evans in 1789, and in 1801 Richard Trevithick was running a full-sized vehicle on the roads inCamborne.

                           

19th century

Many vehicles were in vogue for a time, and over the next decades such innovations as hand brakes, multi-speedtransmissions, and better steering developed. Some were commercially successful in providing mass transit, until a backlash against these large speedy vehicles resulted in the passage of the Locomotive Act (1865), which required many self-propelled vehicles on public roads in the United Kingdom to be preceded by a man on foot waving a red flag and blowing a horn. This effectively halted road auto development in the UK for most of the rest of the 19th century; inventors and engineers shifted their efforts to improvements in railway locomotives. The law was not repealed until 1896, although the need for the red flag was removed in 1878.

Among other efforts, in 1815, a professor at Prague Polytechnic, Josef Bozek, built an oil-fired steam car. Walter Hancock, builder and operator of London steam buses, in 1838 built a four-seat steam phaeton.

In 1867, Canadian jeweller Henry Seth Taylor demonstrated his 4-wheeled "steam buggy" at the Stanstead Fair in Stanstead, Quebec, and again the following year. The basis of the buggy, which he began building in 1865, was a high-wheeled carriage with bracing to support a two-cylinder steam engine mounted on the floor.

                          

The American George B. Selden filed for a patent on May 8, 1879. His application included not only the engine but its use in a 4-wheeled car. Selden filed a series of amendments to his application which stretched out the legal process, resulting in a delay of 16 years before theUS 549160 was granted on November 5, 1895.

Karl Benz, the inventor of numerous car-related technologies, received a German patent in 1886.

The four-stroke petrol (gasoline) internal combustion engine that constitutes the most prevalent form of modern automotive propulsion is a creation of Nikolaus Otto. The similar four-stroke diesel engine was invented by Rudolf Diesel. The hydrogen fuel cell, one of the technologies hailed as a replacement for gasoline as an energy source for cars, was discovered in principle by Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1838. The battery electric carowes its beginnings to Ányos Jedlik, one of the inventors of the electric motor, and Gaston Planté, who invented the lead-acid battery in 1859.

The first carriage-sized automobile suitable for use on existing wagon roads in the United States was a steam-powered vehicle invented in 1871, by Dr. J.W. Carhart, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in Racine, Wisconsin. It induced the State of Wisconsin in 1875, to offer a $10,000 award to the first to produce a practical substitute for the use of horses and other animals. They stipulated that the vehicle would have to maintain an average speed of more than five miles per hour over a 200-mile course. The offer led to the first city to city automobile race in the United States, starting on July 16, 1878, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and ending in Madison, via Appleton, Oshkosh, Waupun, Watertown, Fort Atkinson, and Janesville. While seven vehicles were registered, only two started to compete: the entries from Green Bay and Oshkosh. The vehicle from Green Bay was faster, but broke down before completing the race. The Oshkosh finished the 201 mile course in 33 hours and 27 minutes, and posted an average speed of six miles per hour. In 1879, the legislature awarded half the prize.