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November 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

Did You Know: A Blind Invented Cruise Control

Ralph Teetor, a prolific (and blind) inventor, invented cruise control.  Teetor spent his whole life inventing things to make cars better. Teetor was blinded in a shop accident at age five, but his disability couldn’t stop his endeavor to make cars better and in contrast Teetor’s blindness actually improved his ability to invent new things.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Pennsylvania. His first job after post-graduation was to develop technology for steam turbine rotors used in torpedo used in torpedo boat destroyers during W.W.I. … Read More…
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September 17, 2012 Leave a Comment

Team Hot Wheels – Your Childhood Just Got Real

I confess, I was a die hard fan. Who am I kidding? Give me a kit now and I’ll end up spending hours making my own permutations to the already uber-cool tracks and crashing the gorgeous cars all over. Hot Wheels is the match that ignited the passion in most gearheads when they were young. The thing about such childhood passions is that inevitable and unshakable belief that these toys could be actually made. Yeah, it fades away in most of us but some never get weaned off it. Here I was, bored, skimming the www and then… Oh the delight! It was almost as if I’d met Superman, a group of “engineers” were actually crazy enough to go ahead and replicate all my childhood dreams. Real life Hot Wheels stunts. Need I say more? Corkscrews, Wall Runs, Double Loops and Jumps, all in a real self powered car with a real driver in it.… Read More…

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August 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

A Brief History Of Four-Wheel Drive

First Mechanical FWD Car- Spyker

Envisioned first in the last century and work started by a Wisconsin based blacksmith, a four-wheel drive car has become a necessity for many vehicles we see today. Harry Armenius Miller and Harry Ferguson both believed that their development would be popular in the future.
The first 4WD car was built in 1903, but it wasn’t until the early 1980’s that this unique concept came into series production. Many road cars such as the Jensen FF, Cisitalia 47 and the early 70’s prototypes of Formula one cars used this concept. But the manufacturer which had immense faith in the concept and wanted to make it an integral part of it production range was Audi with its Quattro model. The Quattro received proper attention to details and investment in research and development and marketing back up too, which boosted its early career as an unique vehicle package.… Read More…

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July 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

Did You Know: Who Is The Father Of Murciélago’s V12 Engine?

When we use the word V-12 , the first thing that strikes your mind is ‘Surplus Power’ and when its from the production house of Lamborghini, adrenalin automatically kicks in your blood!  Yet, have you ever wondered who is the mastermind behind engine of this engineering sculpture masterpiece?

Giotto Bizzarrini , who was once a chief engineer in Ferrari around the 1950s, is the father of  Murciélago’s V12 Engine. I used the word ‘father’ due to it’s current relevance and significane. In reality, Giotto did not design the V12 engine of  Murciélago himself, rather he designed the 3.5 liter 60° V12 for Lamborghini 350 GTV, and with minor modifications and improvements, the very same engine (in 6.5 litre form) has been adopted as power plant for Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640.… Read More…

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June 24, 2012 Leave a Comment

Did You Know: What’s the difference between kW, HP, BHP, PS or WHP?

ConfusedWhile reading auto magazines or watching auto shows you may have came across the power figure of an engine, where you see the engine develop X amounts of either kW, HP, BHP, PS or even WHP, and at one point in time, you’ve asked this question to yourself : What’s with the various power ratings? or  How are these power rating  different from each other ? and other similar questions. Amirite?

That’s why I’ve decided to answer these questions, and explain in simple terms just what is the difference between all these ratings, and which power rating gives you a better understanding of engine power. So lets begin.… Read More…

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June 18, 2012 2 Comments

Did You Know: Who Invented The Windshield Wipers?

Mary Anderson Anyone who’s ever driven in a rain or snow storm can attest to the dire importance of windshield wipers. What a lot of people don’t know is that windshield wipers were invented by a woman. Inventor Mary Anderson received a patent for her car-window cleaning device in 1903.

Anderson’s invention came about during a trip to New York City when the Alabama-born inventor noticed that streetcar drivers had to open the windows of their cars when it rained in order to see. As a solution, Anderson invented a swinging arm device with a rubber blade that was operated by the driver from within the vehicle using a lever.… Read More…

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June 15, 2012 Leave a Comment

Did You Know: Who Founded Volkswagen?

Adolf Hitler

Yes! you guessed it. The man in the frame is the founder of the Volkswagen.  Volkswagen was founded by Adolf Hitler, with the help of Ferdinand Porsche.

Before the rise of Hitler, the German economy was in a very bad shape; as a result people couldn’t afford to buy cars.

When Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933 he promoted the idea of a cheap, fuel-efficient car that the working man could afford. The chancellor required that the Volkswagen carry two adults and three children, go up to 60 miles per hour, get at least 33 miles per gallon, and cost only 1,000 reichsmarks. Hitler may also have named the car the Beetle. He employed the designer Porsche to adopt some of his existing plans toward this end.

… Read More…

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