mini :                             

An in-depth timeline covering the history of Mini production from 1959 to 2000.

1959 – 1961
Production of Austin Se7en
Details: 2 models available – The Basic and the De Luxe in either Farina Grey, Tartan Red or Speedwell Blue.
Engine size: 848cc
Original price: £497 (Basic) £537 (De Luxe)

1959 – 1967
Production of Morris Mini-Minor
Details: 2 models available: Standard or De Luxe in either Clipper Blue, Cherry Red or Old English White. Super model launched in 1961 but replaced in 1962 with Super De luxe model. Hydrolastic suspension from September 1964. Automatic gearbox available from 1965.
Engine size: 848cc
Original price: £497 (Standard) £537 (De Luxe) £561 (Super De luxe) £606 (De Luxe Automatic)

1960 – 1961
Production of Austin Se7en Countryman and Austin Se7en Van
Details: Countryman featured wood framing. Both the Countryman and the Van had an increased wheelbase over the saloon and double swinging doors at the rear. Wheelbase increased by 4”, overall length increased by 10”.
Engine size: 848cc
Original price: £623 (Countryman) £360 (Van)

1960 – 1967
Production of Morris Mini-Traveller Mk1
Details: Morris version of the Austin Se7en Countryman. All metal version produced from October 1962.
Engine size: 848cc
Original Price: £623 (Woody) £532 (All metal body)

1960 – 1969
Production of Morris Minivan
Details: Specification as with Austin Se7en Van. Austin Minivan produced from 1962 to 1969 with different badges to Morris Minivan. Larger engine option available from 1967.
Engine size: 848cc / 998cc (from 1967)
Original price: £360

1961
Production of Austin Se7en Pick-Up
Details: Utilised the same floor pan as the Austin Se7en / Morris Minivan but had a flat loading bay and self-contained cabin. A drop down tailgate was fitted to the rear of the load bay.
Engine size: 848cc
Original price: £360

1961-1962
Production of Austin Super Se7en
Details: Improved interior and sound deadening over existing Austin Se7en models. Two tone paint incorporating a black or white roof. Different slatted grille with 9 wavy horizontal bars and 12 straight vertical bars.
Original Price: £592

1961 – 1967
Production of Austin Se7en Cooper, Austin and Morris Mini-Cooper 997cc
Details: Introduction of front disc brakes. Fitted with a close ratio gearbox. Austin version had 11 grille slats whereas the Morris Cooper had 7 although both included a contrasting roof colour.
Engine size: 997cc
Original price: £679

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the top seven designers ( old news ) :

Just like rock stars, top auto designers have their hits and misses. It's a tough business. Fashion designers wonder about what's going to look hot next spring or fall. These guys have to guess what's going to look hot three, five, ten years from now. And then they have to convince a bunch of engineers and accountants set to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on producing an all-new model that they've guessed right.

Top designers don't necessarily draw every part of every car or truck that comes out in their name; sometimes they don't draw any part at all. But each one has tweaked and polished and guided a new car from rough concept drawing to showroom floor. What you're buying is their vision, made real in steel, glass, and rubber. So here, in no particular order, are the seven designers I think are at the top of their game right now.

1) Ian Callum. A lifelong Jaguar enthusiast, Callum first sprang to prominence with the Aston Martin DB7, designed while he was working for TWR, the company that actually built the car. His muscular Vanquish, which appeared in 2001 remains the best-looking Aston yet, and though he moved to Jaguar in 1999, his influence on the DB9 and V8 Vantage is clear. Inept management by Ford means it's taken seven years for an Ian Callum Jaguar to appear, but his first two cars -- the XK coupe and the new XF sedan -- are stunners, sporting Callum's now trademark terrific proportions, taut surfaces, and muscular haunches. A lot of you have notyet seen the XF in the metal -- trust me, photos don't do it justice. It looks nothing like a Lexus. It looks like the first 21st- century Jaguar.

2) Frank Stephenson. He was born in Morocco. His father was an American of Norwegian extraction, his mother Spanish, and he's probably the most talented American car designer you've never heard of. That's because, for his entire career, Stephenson has worked in Europe, first with Ford, then BMW, then Ferrari, and now Fiat. Stephenson has designed two of the coolest cars of the past decade -- the first-generation BMW Mini (his design was chosen from 15 proposals) and now, the ultra-cute Fiat 500. Though tagged retro, both are in fact playful homages to a kinder, gentler automotive world, digitally remastered for the 21st century and ultra-modern in their detailing and execution.

3) Luc Donckerwolcke. He's now heading Seat's design team, but Donckerwolcke's reputation rests of two of the most visually exciting supercars on the planet -- the Lamborghini Murcielago and Gallardo. Unlike their Ferrari rivals -- with the notable exception of the futuristic Enzo -- Donckerwolcke's Lambos don't shamelessly reference the back catalog. They are both instantly recognizeable as Lamborghinis and yet both look exactly as you'd expect a 21st-century supercar to look. Donckerwolcke has delivered the flamboyance you expect in a Lamborghini -- scissor doors, movable scoops, exposed engines -- but with impeccable tailoring and detailing. The clumsy, overwrought Murcielago-based limited-edition Reventon revealed at the Frankfurt show last month suggests he'll be a tough act to follow.

4) Simon Cox. A longtime GM designer, he made his reputation with the quirky Isuzu Vehicross Concept (1993), which the company put into production virtually unchanged, using innovative ceramic tooling to keep costs down. After his stint at Isuzu, GM set up an advanced studio for Cox in the UK, where he produced the gorgeous Cadillac Cien concept, the car that created the whole "Art & Science" look for GM's luxury brand. Cadillac has struggled with making Cox's  "Art & Science" themes work on production models, but seems to have nailed it with the new 2008 CTS, a car that looks confident and aggressive, upscale and unique, and with none of the baroque styling elements of current BMW and Benz models. Word is his proposal for a new mid-engine Cadillac sports car is a stunner.

5) Walter de'Silva. Not surprisingly, Italian-born de'Silva began his career at Fiat, in 1972, but it was at Alfa Romeo in the 1990s where he became a name designer, with cars like the Nuvola concept, and the styling 156 and 147 production cars. He was headhunted by VW boss Ferdinand Piech to head the design studio for the company's Spanish brand, Seat, then moved to head Audi design, where he implemented the imposing single-frame grille that now adorns all Audis. Having overseen the design of two benchmark Audis -- the R8 and A5 coupe -- he this year followed his Audi boss, Piech protege Martin Winterkorn, to Wolfsburg, where he is now responsible for the design of all VW Group vehicles.

6) Martin Smith. In just three years at Ford of Europe, Smith has completely transformed the look of the Blue Oval's European lineup. More important, though, Smith's somewhat flamboyant "kinetic design" has captured the imagination of Ford fans here in the U.S., including new Ford boss Allan Mulally, who wants to see it evolved into the brand's global house style. A wily veteran of the design business, Smith has once again proven the value of a styling catchphrase as a means of linking a portfolio of products as diverse as subcompacts, minivans, and SUVs (remember Chris Bangle's "flame surfacing" or Jack Telnack's "new edge"?), even though it remains to be seen whether kinetic design will age gracefully.

7) Chris Bangle. It's somewhat ironic Ohio-born Bangle initially trained to be a minister, because he is widely regarded by many industry insiders and BMW faithful as the antichrist of automotive design. Bangle's iconoclastic design strategy -- approved by the BMW board, don't forget -- was a deliberate attempt to move BMW on from a styling vocabulary that many observers believed had grown stale by the launch of the E46 3 Series. (I was at the launch of that car in Spain and well remember my media colleagues -- many of whom later eulogized the E46 as the last of the great-looking BMWs -- complaining it was "ho-hum, just another BMW".) You only need to look at the increasingly baroque designs emanating from Mercedes-Benz and half a dozen other automakers to see why Bangle is arguably the most influential auto designer of the early 21st century.

orginal link

opel :                              

The Opel automobile family traces its roots to 1838 in the town of Rüsselsheim, Germany and the birth of Adam Opel. As a young adult, Adam Opel toured Europe extensively and learned to make sewing machines while in Paris. Fascinated by these machines, Adam Opel, then only 25 years old, opened a factory in Rüsselsheim for volume production of sewing machines.

In 1868, Adam Opel married Sophie Marie Scheller and began a family which would include five sons: Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich and Ludwig, all of whom would be involved in the family business. In 1885, Adam Opel expanded production to sell fully assembled bicycles in Germany.

When Adam Opel died in 1895, the company was making 2,000 bicycles a year and was leading Europe in sewing machine sales. With the encouragement of their mother, the Opel brothers decided to move into the fledgling automobile industry and would produce their first motorcars in 1899.

a littel bit of opel history :

Smelly and noisy, the motor car was widely considered an undesirable addition to the streets and cities when it first appeared. Yet the Opels persevered with cars, earlier they'd done the same with bicycles even though many people, including Adam Opel himself, had felt at first that two-wheelers were only hazardous toys. Adam Opel's decision to make sewing machines was in many ways his most dangerous move of all! Delivering his second machine to a customer, he expected a warm welcome, instead Opel and his machine were showered with threats and stones from angry tailors who had heard the dreaded labor saving device was coming. It was a minor setback for the 26 year old Opel, then on the threshold of his 30 year career as an importer, innovator, manufacturer, salesman, and founder of a company and also a dynasty.
Adam Opel was born on May 9, 1837, to Wilheml, a locksmith, and his wife in Russelsheim. Adam studied with his father until the age of 20, when he received his travel pass. The pass enabled him to be an apprentice locksmith in Belgium, in Liege, Brussels, and Paris, where he arrived in the Summer of 1858. While in Paris, he took an interest in the newest innovation - the sewing machine. In 1859, he went to work for a maker of sewing machines to get a closer look. Adam's younger brother, George, also came to Paris to absorb this new technology. In 1862 Adam returned to Russelsheim.

Adam's uncle offered him an unused cow stall in Russelsheim to set up a workshop in which to build his own sewing machine. In 1863 George returned from France to help in the slow production of the machines. In April of 1867 Adam was preparing to build a new two story factory near the railroad station, when his father died. Adam attached a new home to his factory and married the daughter of a well-to-do family. Sophie brought with her a substantial dowry, which helped Opel expand the plant. In 1870 he introduced a new machine named the "Sophia" after his new wife.

In the 1880's sewing machine production jumped ahead, with steady expansion of the plant, and by 1899 more than a half million machines had been made. The milestone of 1 million machines was reached in 1911, the same time a fire destroyed much of the plant. The Opel brothers decided to give up the sewing machine production and try to produce the more profitable manufacture of bicycles and cars.

Adam and Sophia had 5 sons (Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich, and Ludwig), who took wholeheartedly to wheels, and who would pilot the Opel enterprises down the automotive path. Bicycles came into the picture when Adams curiosity was stirred by a high-wheeled bicycle he saw in Paris. Intrigued, he ordered a set of parts from England. After putting together the bike, Adam tried it with disastrous results. He decided he'd have nothing further to do with those "bone breakers." Two things changed his mind; one being he found them easy to sell with a greater profit than he could earn with the sewing machines. Second, his sons begged him mercilessly for bicycles of their own.

By 1886 the Opels had made a bicycle of their own, and the following year young Carl went to England to study the new industry and bring back samples of the latest designs. This led to serious production of cycles, including low-wheeled, and three-wheeled types as early as the end of 1887. The growing bands of enthusiasts

for this new locomotion knew they could count on Opel for the newest and best ideas in cycling in Germany. Every one of the Opel brothers was an outstanding prize winning racer.

Adam Opel never lived to see the automobiles built by the company he founded. He died in 1895. His will set up for a new organization for the company in which his widow Sophie held the primary interest and his two eldest sons had lesser shares.

Their first crisis was a sudden deflation of the boom in bicycles in 1898, a collapse caused by the over expansion among the many makers of cycles. They managed to carry on. New products were introduced that kept on the more than 1500 employees, most grown up in the industry with Opel. The bicycle plant expanded eventually becoming the largest in the mid 1920's, with a capacity of 4000 cycles a day from automatic painting and plating equipment in halls pressurized for ideal cleanliness.

By the 1930's times had changed. In 1936 Opel sold its bicycle plant to NSU in Neckarsuim, which started making bicycles at about the same time as Opel. Under the company's many different names tow and a half million bikes in all had been produced. Now however, new records were being set for the manufacture of power four wheelers. By 1937, Opel could lay fair claim to being Europe's largest maker of automobiles.

nissan :                          

The founder was Yoshisuke Aikawa. He had grand plans to mass-produce 10,000 - 15,000 units per year, and was about to putting his plan into practice. Nissans first car, the Datsun passenger rolled off the assembly line in April 1935.

As with many over car makers the progression of WWII meant that production of cars and trucks had to completely stop. However November 1945 saw the first post-war car roll of the assembly line. Nissan were back in business.

May 1950 saw Nissan acquire an equity interest in Minsei Diesel Motor Co. Ltd. (Now known as Nissan Diesel Motor Co. Ltd.) and only a few years later another business venture meant they were now in technological agreement with Austin Motor Co., Ltd. of the UK.

A decade later Nissan wins its 10th Annual Demining prize for excellence in industrial engineering. The same decade saw Nissan being established in the U.S.A, Mexico and Australia.

Nissans accomplishments include the launch of Japans first satellite, OHSUMI which Nissan developed and the manufactured the rocket engine and launch vehicle, it also includes a win at the Safri Rally for four consecutive years in a row and the “Car design Award 1988, Torino-Piemonte”. 1992 also saw Nissan win ’92-’93 Japanese car of the year award.

pic of nissan gtr's sketch :

Mitsubishi Motors                 

Mitsubishi Motor’s automotive tradition goes back to 1917 when the Mitsubishi Model A, Japan’s first series-production automobile, was introduced. Over the next two decades the company established themselves as an innovator, developing, amongst others, Japan’s first diesel engine, its first large-sized bus (the start of the world famous Fuso commercial vehicle series), its first four-wheel drive passenger car prototype, and its first diesel-powered truck.

At the end of the Second World War Japan’s large industrial groups were dismantled by order of the Allied powers and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was split into three regional companies, each with an involvement in motor vehicle development.

The country’s major need at this time was for commercial vehicles, the situation being further complicated during the first few years by a severe fuel shortage. In consequence 1946 saw the introduction of a bus which could be run on either petrol or alternative fuels, and, in 1947, an electric bus; in the truck field the innovations continued with Japan’s first truck to be equipped with an air suspension system, as well as the first tilt-cab truck. Passenger vehicle production was confined primarily to Mitsubishi’s first scooter.

By the beginning of the 1960s, however, Japan’s economy was gearing up: wages were rising and the idea of family motoring was taking off. The Mitsubishi 500, a mass market saloon, fulfilled this need; followed, in 1962, by a four-seater micro-compact with a two-stroke air-cooled 359cc engine, the Minica - a name which still lives today. The first Colt -a larger, more comfortable family car, not a predecessor of the modern Colt - was also introduced in the same year, and the first Galant in 1969. This was a genuine pacesetter in the Japanese market, representing the best and latest in automotive technology and was to sire a long and illustrious line with a string of motor sports honours and consumer awards to its name.

With similar growth in its commercial vehicle production it was decided that the company should create a single operation to focus on the automotive industry and, in 1970, the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) was formed.

The 1970s saw the beginning of Mitsubishi’s considerable international rallying success with Galants and Lancers, demonstrating the qualities of performance and reliability for which they are known today. As part of a global expansion programme in 1974 UK distribution was ensured with the formation of "The Colt Car Company", a joint venture between the Mitsubishi Corporation and Colt Automotive Limited.

By the end of the decade Mitsubishi vehicles were picking up honours both at home and abroad, including South Africa’s 1977 "Car of the Year" (the Galant) and 1979 "USA’s Pick-up of the Year" (the L200). But this was just the start. In 1982 the Shogun (named Pajero or Montero in other parts of the world) was launched, a 4x4 which was quite different from anything that had been seen before. Quite incredibly, just a few months later in the Paris-Dakar rally, it took honours in the Production Class and the Marathon Class, as well as the Best Team award. Two years later it won outright and a legend was born. The Shogun became a global best-seller, winning "4x4 of the Year" awards in Britain, France, Australia, Spain and West Germany. And it was not alone on the honours list - Galants, Colts, Lancers and L200s were all being honoured worldwide.

Throughout the 1990s the Shogun continued to dominate rally events like the Dakar, and Mitsubishi vehicles also began to make their mark on the World Rally Championships. By the end of the century Tommi Makinen in a Lancer had won the Championship an historic four consecutive times whilst Lancers totally dominated the Group N Championships - for vehicles which are basically showroom standard.

Technologically this decade saw incredible advances. In 1990 MMC introduced the world’s first Traction Control System, followed by Super Select 4WD and Multi-mode ABS in 1991 and INVECS in 1992. Commercial production of the Libero electric car began in 1994 whilst 1996 saw the development of the GDI engine.

Overseas production expansion was attained with the first Carismas rolling off the line at NedCar, Holland in 1995 - a joint venture between MMC, Volvo and the Dutch government - as well as the opening of production lines in Australia and Thailand. NedCar became a wholly owned MMC facility within a year.

In 2000, MMC and DaimlerChrysler (DC) developed a business partnership that involved design, development and production co-operation. DC purchased a 37% stake in MMC and at NedCar Volvo production was replaced by Smart Four-Fours. In 2004 DC’s stake in MMC was sold to the Mitsubishi Family (comprising of Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi). However, MMC and Daimler Chrysler have maintained a successful business relationship and continue to share B & C segment platforms and engines.

In terms of motor-sport, the strength of Mitsubishi’s 4x4 heritage was yet again demonstrated by a record breaking 12th victory in the 2007 Dakar rally - the seventh successive victory for the Japanese manufacturer.

Today, MMC has manufacturing facilities in over 30 countries and its sales and after-sales organisation is present in more than 170 countries.

Mitsubishi Motors Europe

In 2002, Mitsubishi Motors Europe was established in order to coordinate sales and after-sales specifically for the European market. European product revival started with the Colt in 2004 and subsequently the Grandis, Lancer Evolution IX, new L200 and most recently the Colt CZC Cabriolet joined the range. In 2007 the full product line-up transformation was further developed with the introduction of the all new Outlander and revised Shogun.

The Colt Car Company

The Colt Car Company (CCC) was established as the sole UK distributor in 1974. Other subsidiary companies are: Mitsubishi Contract Motoring (contract hire), Shogun Finance (retail finance company) and Colt Mid West (dealerships - currently there are 9). At present the company has a network of 131 dealerships, with an aim to increase to 145.

Prior to the end of import quotas in 1996 average annual sales were around 10,000 units, with a high mix of 4x4s. The introduction of European-built models at NedCar, together with the relaxation of import quotas on Japanese-built vehicles resulted in sales expectations increasing dramatically.

In 2000 a new management team headed by Jim Tyrrell took over. A new strategy was implemented for fleet business, product and pricing and new terms for dealers. Mitsubishi soon became the fastest growing Japanese marque in the UK and annual sales more than doubled between the years 2000 - 2005 from 18,000 to 38,000 units.

The number one selling Mitsubishi vehicle in the UK in recent years has been the L200 pick-up (79,608 units sold between 1998 and 2007). The new L200 drives forward the success of Mitsubishi’s dominance of the pick-up segment in the UK, sustaining the retail share of the outgoing L200, at an impressive 35.6% in 2007.

2007 brought the launch of three new major vehicles; the new Outlander, revised Shogun and the "i" city car.

Another exciting year lies ahead in 2008 with the launch of the new Lancer and the iconic Lancer Evolution X.

pic of mitsubishi lancer evolution x :

Hermidas atabaki

He was born in Shahrivar (1343) in Tehran. When he was ten he studied in Razi high school and then he and his parents with his brother go to French.

Hermidas in 15 years old attended that he was enjoyed in industrial design  .  after high school he went to university and speedily he works in Bazaar.

When he was 22 he designed the ((Kalikow)) of Renault .After some years he designed 92 and93 Megan Renault .he has been in Renault Company for 6 years.

He wants to work for himself so he goes to America but his culture isn’t matched with cultural of America so he go to French. Today he is 41 years old and he is one of the famous designers in the world.

persian history about mr.atabaki in continue... 

iran khodro:                        

Iran Khodro Diesel Company was established initially under the name of Khawar Industrial Group in early 1966. The company started its production by assembling one truck a day but after a short period due to the increaseشvehicles developed production and assembling lines.

In 1999 Iran Khodro Company merged its bus and midi-bus production lines with Khawar Industrial Group truck production lines together and the new company Iran Khodro Diesel, public joint stock was born to manufacture different types of commercial vehicles for domestic and overseas markets.

Today, Iran Khodro Diesel has a wide production site of 600.000 sqm.

pic :

peykan

samand soren

Iran Khodro to roll out Samand Soren sedan soon

TEHRAN, Feb 7 (Mehr News Agency) -- Samand Soren sedan, an advanced product of Iran's major auto producer, Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) is to hit the markets in the next Iranian calendar year (starting March 21, 2007).

Samand gets a new facelift under the name of Soren, the car is equipped with the world's latest technologies in the field including an electronic warning system, the air bag with a host of other safety features, advanced safety belts with pretensioner devices and telescopic steering wheels. The safety equipments installed in Samand Soren are expected to reduce lethal collision injuries by up to 25 percent.

Global Positioning System (GPS), multimedia system, front seat air bag, full automatic seats, automatic transmission and, automatic ventilation are among some of the optional systems that could be used in the car.

Iran Khodro has said that by the end of this year, it will produce 250 units of the passenger car in its pilot production stage and some 12,000 in the next year for domestic markets, however, the company announced it is planning to export 10,000 units in the coming year.

The sedan also enjoys European ECE94 safety (crash) standards.

maserati:                            

Seven sons were born to Rodolfo Maserati and his wife, Carolina Losi, in Voghera, Italy. The oldest, Carlo, was born in 1881. The youngest was born in 1898. All of the brothers loved cars, engineering and design, except Mario, who was born in 1890. He became a painter and its probable that the created the Maserati logo, the Trident.

The first of the Maserati brothers to work with engines was Carlo. He worked in Affori, which is close to Milan, in a bicycle factory. While there, he designed a single engine for a velocipede. It was later produced in the motorcycle plant of Marchese Carcano di Anzano de Parco. Carlo used the engine he designed to equip racing bicycles. He set a record in 1900, when he rode 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour.) When Carcano closed its doors in 1901, Carlo went to Fiat. In 1903, he left Fiat to work as a mechanic and test driver for Isotta Fraschini. He talked the Company into hiring his sixteen-year-old brother, Alfeiri.

Carlo's career was brilliant. By the time he died at age 29, he had raced for Bianchi, served as General Manager of Junior and opened a workshop with his brother, Ettore. The two brothers build electric transformers for both high and low voltage cars. Shortly after Carlo's death, brother Alfieri, who had a similar personality and skills, took Carlo's place as driver and technician. In 1908, he placed 14th in Dieppe at the Grand Prix for Voiturettes, even though the car that Isotto loaned him had a carburetor breakdown.

Brothers Binde and Ettore were by this time working at Isotta Fraschini. Alfieri was promoted to the customer service sector in Bologna by 1912. The experience he gained there encouraged him to start his own business. He wanted to use his knowledge, creativity, talent and skill to their fullest potential.

Alfieri rented space in Bologna's historical district at Via de Pepoli in 1914. It became the first headquarters of Maserati.

Maserati 1914 to 1937

When WWI ended, Alfieri moved Maserati's offices to Bologna's suburbs. The Brothers main business was tuning cars for Isotta Fraschini, though they did work on other automobiles. Alfieri got into racing shortly thereafter and proved his worth by winning the Mugello Circuit, the Susa-Moncenisio and the Aosta-Great Saint Bernard. Much to his chagrin, he was disqualified for replacing a 2-liter engine with a 3-liter. The disqualification was imposed for five years, but was lifted after a few months.

audi :                           

The Audi history begins with a man called August Horch, who founded the Company HORCH & CO in 1899.He invented his first car 1901 with the help of 15 fellow workers. The car had a max. speed of 32 km/h. In 1909 Mr. Horch had to leave his company due to major problems with the commercial management and founded another company called Audi. " Audi" is the Latin translation for "Horch" and he took that name because he wanted to build cars under his own name. So the brand "AUDI Automobilwerke GmbH" was registraded in 1910. Until the First World War some of the cars built under the Audi name won several rallies, which helped to establish the name worldwide. During the first war Audi was forced to produce vehicles for the war effort, and then after the war the recession was also a tremendous problem for the company. Therefore the founder August Horch left the management in 1920. The company managed to get through the hard times from 1927 to 1930, but in 1931 the management recognized that only a union with other vehicle manufacturer could keep Audi alive. At that time the AUTO UNION was founded, the members were DKW, HORCH, WANDERER and AUDI. The new companies insignia to show the union of the four companies was the now familiar 4 rings , which are still used by Audi today.
The new union had great success in motor sport in the ensuing  years. The most powerful car that was build before the 2nd world war was a 6 litre V 16 engine with 382 KW( 582PS) in 1936. In the years during the 2nd world war the AUTO UNION once again were forced to build vehicles for German military. Many motorcycles, engines, different war vehicles and even parts for submarines were build until 1945. At that time all factories in Germany were completely destroyed by American bombers.
After the war had ended there were about 60 000 DKW military vehicles worldwide that needed spare parts and maintaince. This was the reason a new start in Ingolstadt, southern Germany was made. Soon after the war there were again many cars produced, the most important for me was the DKW Munga, a four-wheel jeep with 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine. Invented in 1956 for the German military, there were only 250 cars produced for testing purposes. On of these cars made a trip around the world and  drove over 240 000 km without major problems. This was the beginning of the later concept called Quattro. Nearly 57 000 Mungaswere built until 1968.

In the following years many different engine- and car types were invented and produced in large amounts. The 2-stroke system was replaced by the 4 stroke one in 1965, a milestone in the engine development. For the power or the engines has been risen continually, the company thought about a new drive train concept. An performance of over 100 KW with front wheel drive shows heavy abrasion on the front tires and dangerous Ferrari a effects. The Iltis jeep what had replaced the Munga hadn’t that problems and the reason for that was not the minor performance of 75hp, it was the 4 wheel concept. Mr.Bensinger, the father of the Quattro, made many tests and tried to convince the management to give him green light for building a four wheel drive concept in an street car. The board of directors were not very pleased with that idea because the thought that nobody will buy such an car and especially if it was a high technology one not build by Porsche or Mercedes. These two firms were the only ones that had the name to do such huge inventions. One has to notify that the Auto Union at that time had no reputation in build high tech cars. Fortunately Mr.Bensinger did a good job, the project QUATTRO was born and the management decided to make this drive train concept famous all over the world with high activities in motor sport. The name AUDI should become as worthfull as Porsche and Mercedes.
To get the car ready in an short time many parts of available other types were used. The engine came out of the 200, the body was from the Audi 80 at first and the drive train came out of the Iltis, the successor of the famous Munga. Certainly many parts were braced, changed in size and improved for the high performance the car should have. After two years of improving, testing and rallying the first real ur-quattro with the new coupe body was build in 1980. The power has been risen to 200hp in the testing time, not a bad number if you think that most of the other car producer did with an 2.2l engine.

peugeot _ the metamorphoses of the lion :

For a century and a half, the proud symbol of the lion has embodied the image of quality associated with Peugeot. Over the decades, the lion has been the link between the products, which have been as countless as they are incredibly diverse: from hand tools to automobiles...

At the beginning of the 19th Century, the quality of manufacture of their tools, in particular saw blades, brought success and prosperity to the Peugeot brothers. To symbolise this dominance, they chose as their emblem (since, at that time such a thing as a logo was unknown) the lion, which reflected, by the power of its jaws, the strength of the teeth of the blades. The analogies conjured up by the beast's other qualities were the suppleness of the blade and the swiftness of the cut.

The lion was designed in 1847 by Justin Blazer, an engraver from Montbéliard, and registered in 1858 at the Conservatoire Impérial des Arts et Métiers. In those days it walked proudly on an arrow, and could be found on a multitude of tools, often presented in cases and boxes also stamped with the king of the beasts. In order to identify the three levels of quality that characterised these tools, other logos were used — a crescent moon and a hand.

The lion emblazoned the whole, vast range of Peugeot products, so it was also to be found on bicycles, motorcycles and later, cars. The Lion-Peugeot products displayed it (walking on its arrow), but not Armand Peugeot's cars. It appeared on car grilles only after the Paris Exhibition in 1933. However, in the 1920s, Peugeot owners were proud to decorate their radiator caps with a lion (a work of the sculptors Marx and Baudichon).

Over more than a century and a half, the Peugeot lion went through several metamorphoses. After the merger in 1910 between Armand Peugeot's company and that of Eugène Peugeot's sons, it became rather bourgeois and serene. Its haughtiness was reminiscent of the majestic Lion of Belfort, created after the war of 1870.

Following this, the identity of the various Peugeot companies was characterised by specific images: a lion in combat for cycles - with or without engines - and a lion's head on a shield for automobiles. In 1927, it could be seen crouching on three legs and perched on a spur on the edge of a precipice, ready to pounce on its prey, not unlike an eagle… In 1932 the graphics were modernised.

On the 203, from 1948 onwards, the heraldic lion was borrowed from the Franche-Comté coat of arms, standing on its hind legs and in profile. From 1965 onwards, only the head was shown, which was framed in a shield. Three years later the curved lines of this image were abandoned in favour of an angular design enclosed in a square.

In September 1958 the little roaring lion mascot that had adorned the bonnet of Peugeots since the 1930s was discontinued for security reasons, thus sounding the end of an era.

The year 1976 saw the return of the heraldic lion, rampant but in a very stylised profile (the "lion outline"). In its last metamorphosis, launched in 1998, it appears as a metallic block on a blue square background. This latest change was slightly reworked in 2002. The beast has also inspired advertising campaigns along the lines of the slogan "A car manufacturer gets out its claws", and the current image of Peugeot as "the lion brand".

In the early 1900s, two bicycle makers were destined to change the auto industry forever-- they were the Dodge brothers, John and Horace. They began their careers as bicycle machinists in their father's shop in Michigan. Upon moving to Windsor, Ontario, Canada, they adapted their skills to meet the needs of the fledgling automotive industry and found success producing intricate auto parts. It wasn't long before John and Horace came to the attention of Henry Ford. He was so impressed with the brothers that he offered them one-tenth interest in his new motor car company.That partnership lasted for the next 12 years.The brothers then split from Ford to pursue their own interests in automobile manufacturing because, at the time, Ford cars were built with virtually all Dodge parts. When asked why he and his brother wanted to build their own car, John Dodge reportedly said, "Think of all the Ford owners who will someday want an automobile." In 1914, Dodge Brothers, Inc. was formed. In that first year, Dodge introduced the "Old Betsy," a rugged car built for reliability and durability. That year Dodge built a total of 249 new cars.

In 1928, Chrysler acquired the much larger Dodge Brothers, Inc. It continued expanding its line of vehicles, which included the WWII Power Wagon - a vehicle that garnered enough acclaim to continue production a decade after the war. Through the years, Dodge has led the way with a number of styling and engineering advancements, including the first 140-horsepower "Red Ram" Hemi? V8 engine in the 1953 Coronet. In the 1960s and 1970s Dodge contributed to America's fascination with high-performance "muscle cars" by manufacturing the 505 Charger Daytonas for stock- car racing and as production cars.

Never forgetting the legacy the Dodge Brothers began by constructing durable and powerful cars, Dodge and Chrysler brought the domestic convertible back to the roads in the 80s in the form of the Dodge 400 and the Chrysler Lebaron. In the 90s, the eagerly anticipated Dodge Viper put the muscle back in "muscle cars." All of which soon culminated in the new, aggressive look on the Dodge Ram Pickup, Dodge Dakota and Dodge Durango.

Dodge is proud of its heritage and is looking forward to building on a tradition of power, style and rugged dependability.

Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance

The first Le Mans was held in 26/27 May 1923 and was won by Andre Lagache and Rene Leonard in their 3 litre Chenard & Walcker. All races since then have been held in June, with the exceptions of 1956 (July) and 1968 (September). Traditionally, the race always starts at 16:00 on the Saturday, although in 1984 the race started at 15:00 due to the conflicting French General Election. The race has been held every year since then with the exceptions of 1936, and between 1940 and 1948, when the Second World War intervened.

In the original configuration, the race track used was 10.73 miles (17.26 km) long, and has subsequently been shortened on several occasions. The traditional start, where drivers ran across the track to their race cars, was last used in 1969.

The worst ever motorsport accident unfortunately occured during the 1955 Le Mans race. Having voiced his unease at the narrowness of the straight in front of the pits, Pierre Levegh's Mercedes struck the rear of an Austin Healey driven by Lance Macklin on the pit straight. The car rammed the bank, exploded, and its engine flew into the packed grandstand, killing 80. Levegh died instantly, and the entire Mercedes team was withdrawn, including Stirling Moss and Juan-Manuel Fangio. This precipitated the complete withdrawal from motorsport for Mercedes.

::     See also Maison Blanche for Le Mans History and news  & continue about lemans in countinue links  ::

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