1932 -- The Ford V8 Engine: A Remarkable Video

Hi folks -- this video is surprisingly good. Representative of the times and the people. It tells a remarkable tale in the history of technology using period film footage.

Historic Vehicle Association Registry -- Cars Designated to Date

This is what I have so far on the HVA list of cars to make their registry. It is eclectic to say the least, and seemingly scattershot in terms of relevance and impact on American life.  One big question is how are these cars chosen?  Is there any system to these decisions? How does personalities, power, influence and possibly investment come into the equation?

This list takes on importance beyond just a list established by an organization funded by Haggerty Insurance when the Department of the Interior and the Federal Government gets involved. Senate Bill 3381 makes the beginning of taking this activity to an entirely higher level.  Who will be entrusted, if this bill is passed, to write narrative descriptions of each vehicle, collect photographic records, 3D scans, line drawings and engineering drawings that will be archived at the Library of Congress?



Here is my take on these cars.



1. 1907 Thomas Flyer -- well it was a product of a fine company in Buffalo, NY, and winner of the race around the world.  Plenty of recent promotion by the grandson of one of its drivers, George Schuster. More important but unanswered is the role of French engineers who worked at Thomas at this time.

2. 1918 Cadillac Type 57 -- I saw this car in Allentown last October. A representative Cadillac perhaps, but what makes this Cadillac more significant than many other years and models?

3. 1938 Buick Y-Job -- OK, Harley Earl's longer, lower, chrome light-value demonstrator. I agree on this one.

4. 1920 Anderson Convertible Roadster -- Yes, I know this was manufactured in Rock Hill South Carolina and thus is distinctive for that reason alone. Did this car have much impact on American life?  I doubt it.

5. 1940 Ford Pygmy (Precursor the the Jeep) -- Sure.  But one should stress the imacpt on the home front as well as in WWII -- literature, film, song.
6. 1947 Tucker "48"-- no quibble with this choice.

7. 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe -- maybe from the standpoint of racing history.
8. 1964 Myers Manx "Old Red" -- on a scale of 1 to 10 a 5.
9. 1911 Marmon Wasp -- yes, because it won the first Indy 500.

10. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro -- why not a number of other choices, including the GTO, Barracuda, Mustang?
11. 1938 Maserati 8CTF -- the Mike Boyle special.  Read Brock Yates book on this car.

12. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL -- it captivated the automotive imagination of many Americans.  Germans were maybe not as bad as thought previously.
13. President William Howard Taft's 1909 White Steam Car  -- yes, presidents and their cars.
14. 1962 Willys Jeep CJ-6 -- Why?
15. !940 GM Futurliner -- Motorama had a vision of a future of American automoblity that was patricianly realized with unintended consequences we live with today.

Cars and Coffee, at the Greene, Beavercreek, Ohio April 15, 2017

Hi folks -- I got there quite late own Saturday morning, and did not spend a lot of time at the event.  By the time I got there a good number had left, although maybe 60% of the lot was still filled with cars.  Lots of kids on the  side of the road leading up to the parking garage, and on the ramp going up.

My only complaint is that the younger crowd with high performance cars really should be more respectful when leaving -- you don't have to peel out to show off your stuff. The noise can be offensive to some, and the site could be lost if a number of outsiders complain.

So three cars featured here -- a DeLorean, a newer version of the Avanti -- I don't know what iteration this one was, although it is not an original -- and a low-rider.

Greene County Ohio Cruise-In, April 14, 2017

I only spent a few minutes at the Cruise-In yesterday. Of all the cars there, one in particular, a vintage Midwest dirt track racer that began its life in 1948 caught my eye.  Here are a few photos from yesterday:

World Endurance Championship at Silverstone, Easter Weekend, 2017

04/14/2017

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WEC: High tension expected for first duel of the season

The coming weekend, April 14 to 16, sees Porsche start the first out of nine rounds of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship. The Silverstone six-hour race will be the first duel between the reworked Porsche 919 hybrid and the latest Toyota TS050 Hybrid. It also marks the return of a Porsche GT works team following a year-long development period.

Porsche, world champions and Le Mans winners in 2015 and 2016 respectively, targets the defence of both titles. But in England the LMP team expects a difficult start. In support of the aerodynamic strategy for the entire season, the Porsche 919 Hybrids will run at the Northamptonshire circuit with significantly less downforce than the fast bends of the challenging Grand Prix track realistically demand.

The race marks the return of the Porsche GT works team following a year-long development period. It runs two newly developed 911 RSR. The 510 hp race car from Weissach, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, celebrated its successful debut in January at the 24 Hours of Daytona. FIA, as the world’s governing body of motorsport, has further enhanced the GT category of the WEC by officially giving it world championship status this season for the first time.

The eagerly anticipated first race for the 27-car field gets underway on Sunday at 12 hrs. Track action on the 5.9 kilometre long Formula One circuit can be followed live from basically all over the world.

The race

The Silverstone Circuit with legendary corners such as Becketts, Copse and Stowe is one of the world’s most storied racetracks. On 13 May, 1950, the circuit hosted the first modern-day Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The Porsche drivers

The newly assembled line-up of the Porsche LMP1 works drivers feel well-rehearsed after winter testing and the WEC Prologue in Monza (IT). Reigning world champion Neel Jani (CH) has the number 1 on the car he shares with Nick Tandy (GB) and Porsche newcomer André Lotterer (DE). The number 2 sister car belongs to the two New Zealanders, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley, together with Timo Bernhard (DE).

Four works drivers tackle the GTE-Pro class with the new 911 RSR for the Porsche GT Team at the season-opening round in Silverstone. Sharing the cockpit of the #91 vehicle are Richard Lietz (Austria), the WEC GT Champion of 2015, and Frédéric Makowiecki (France). Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kévin Estre (France) man the #92 car. In the GTE-Am class, the Porsche customer team Dempsey Proton Racing campaigns a 911 RSR from last season with the Porsche Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy), Christian Ried (Germany) and Marvin Dienst (Germany) sharing driving duties.

The new 919 Hybrid

The vehicles

The Porsche 919 Hybrid

The Porsche 919 Hybrid has been widely reworked for the 2017 championship. 60 to 70 per cent of the Le Mans prototype’s components are new developments. This goes especially for the areas of aerodynamics, chassis and combustion engine. However, the power train in principle remains the same. The innovative hybrid race car develops a system power of around 900 HP (662 kW) that comes from a compact two-litre turbo charged V4-cylinder (nearly 500 PS/368 kW) and two different energy recovery systems – brake energy from the front axle combined with exhaust energy. The combustion engine drives the rear axle while the electro motor boosts the front axle with an output of more than 400 PS (294 kW). The electrical energy that comes from the front brakes and the exhaust system is temporarily stored in a liquid-cooled lithium ion battery.

The Porsche 911 RSR

The 911 RSR is a completely new development: the suspension, body structure, aerodynamic concept, engine and transmission have all been designed in Weissach from scratch. Depending on the size of the restrictor, the motor, which is now positioned in front of the rear axle, puts out around 375 kW (510 hp). Thanks to the particularly large rear diffuser combined with a top-mounted rear wing, the level of downforce and the aerodynamic efficiency were significantly improved. The 911 RSR also contests the WEC sporting the further developed factory design with the primary colours white, red and black.

The new 911 RSR

Quotes before the season’s opening race

LMP Team

Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1: “The team has done an amazing job during the recent weeks and months. Now it’s time to finally go racing. The Prologue has proven that we can expect a very tough fight with Toyota. Silverstone is going to be a six-hour sprint race.”

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: “With regards to reliability, we have been fine at our 30-hour test in Paul Ricard as well as at the Prologue in Monza. We feel well prepared for the first six-hour race. However, with regards to lap-times, Silverstone is going to be difficult. In the name of cost saving, the 2017 regulations permit only two aero kits per season. We have managed our resources the way that we focus on developing and testing our Le Mans aerodynamics until the third race of the season is over. This means low downforce for the benefit of low drag and this unavoidably will be a disadvantage in Silverstone. After the Le Mans 24 Hours in June we will consequently arm the 919 with more downforce for the remaining championship rounds. Another new challenge that is addressed by the rules is the reduced amount of tyres. Two fuel tank fillings – in other words about 90 minutes racing – with the same set of slick tyres will be standard. This requires very sensible tyre management.”

GT Team

Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “It feels good to be back in the WEC with the GT works team and with our entirely newly developed 911 RSR. At the Prologue a week ago in Monza, our team was able to prepare for all possible racing situations and the drivers’ feedback on the 911 RSR was very positive. Still, the competition in the extremely popular GTE-Pro class is hard to gauge. After the first race we’ll have a better idea of where we stand. In any case, Silverstone promises to be an exciting start to the season.”

Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Manager GT Works Motorsport: “We travel to Silverstone well prepared. We used the WEC Prologue at Monza to work on setting up the car and try out double stints on one set of tyres with a view to the first race of the season. The grip level on the Silverstone Circuit is very high and puts very special demands on the setup. The fact that we’re only permitted four sets of tyres per race this season makes it all the more important to use the tyres optimally.

The Deal of a Lifetime: 340 Vintage Cars for Sale along with British Columbia Canada Preperty

This project will keep you busy for the rest of your life.  340 cars, along with a renovated 2 bedroom home and a shop are up for sale in  British Columbia. A De Lorean and 1941 Dodge 3 window coupe are featured in this sale.  Frankly, these cars don't look very special, but if you have many talented restoration friends and time, this could amount to be living the dream. Original story in the British Sun, 4/12/17.