Automotive bull5hit facts thread

[Chas4545]

Car leasing is a financially sound idea, especially for poorly paid young couples who take advantage of it being a main dealer loss leader.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

In 1960 The Ford Motor Company purchased A Morris Mini Minort to evaluate how BMC could make such an advanced car for the money.

Ford discovered that,in fact, the underpinnings were traditional longitudinal A Series and irear wheel drive. Due to technical problems the first 2 years production of Minis were re skinned A35s . Ford then blackmailed BMC into letting them always outsell them in the UK market no matter how technically inferior their product. BMC and latterly Leyland had to employ some desperate measures to keep to this deal, but with the invaluable assistance of the Unions and Government managed to keep to the agreement.

All was well until Honda discovered the deal in 1988 and insisted Ford were paid off, Jaguar was gifted to Ford in full ad final settlement.

The early rear wheel drive Minis? Most were converted at the first service and no one was any the wiser ,although one did slip through the net and was famously crashed by John Cooper on the A3 in 1965, the press were told it was a twin engined prototype,as if!

[purplebargeken]

Reliant Robins were actually created for use by the armed forces, predominantly the Parachute Regiment. Robins were dropped out of planes without fear of detection by enemy radar due to the fibreglass body shell. Transport planes could carry greater numbers of Robins due to the relatively light weight and stacking ability.

 

The cars could transport 3 hairy Paras and their gear in relative comfort whilst the single front wheel presented less risk of hitting regular landmines, the fibreglass body also presented a significant reduction of risk re: magnetic mines. However, designers forgot about the two rear wheels in relation to the whole mine thing and the project was deemed a failure resulting in several cover ups by the MOD. The Robin was then adapted for civilian use and the rest is history.

[alf892]

The Hillman Imp should have been front wheel drive. Due to the poor reading skills prevalent in 1960s Scotland the factory put the dash and steering wheel in the wrong end.

[brownnova]

Greek financial problems stem from the 1970s when the Greek prime minister on a state visit to a British Leyland saw the prototype for a Rover SD1 Estate.  Spying a money making opportunity he nipped down to the Greek bookies λαδβηοοκ and placed a 100million drachma bet that Rover would release the SD1 estate.  When this didn't happen the Greek economy stood on the cusp of bankruptcy, until an enterprising young politician called James Callaghan made an agreement that British holidays to Greece would be promoted and boost the Greek economy, if British tourists were always given a free shot of Ouzo at their hotels.  This is why the sight of a Rover SD1 always makes Greek people angry (well, even more angry). 

[inconsistant]

In the 90s Austin Rover engineers helped design the new Airbus.

[Taff]

Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson doesn't actually hold a full UK driving license.

[alf892]

Many people credit BMW with the design of the new Mini or BINI as they have become known.

 

As you know this is incorrect. The basic design work for the BINI was actually done by BL in the late seventies.  This design was actually for a modern and spacious update on the Maxi - hence the increased size.

 

A couple of mock ups were produced clad in hastily modified Mini panelwork for secrecy. This project was abandoned through shortage of cash.

 

When BMW were rifling through the drawers at Rover some years later the drawings were taken, along with those for the SD1 Rover.

 

Munich liked the new Maxi outline and tasked their engineers with decreasing the generous interior space to give a more Mini feel. By now funds were short so all they could do to achieve the classic German ride was fit run flat tyres. The effect of this gave the previously a smooth and complaint riding car a nasty harsh feel on even smooth roads. The factory were delighted with the resulting trim rattles/squeaks as they added to the retro feel.

 

A similarly masterful approach was applied to the Rover design to arrive at the 5 series coupe

[inconsistant]

The Austin MiniMetro was universally regarded as the saviour of British Leyland, but not many people know that it was the first BL car in over a decade that wasn't more aerodynamic going backwards.

[doobietoo]

The original Austin Princess styling buck was crafted out of cheese

 

Unfortunately mice got into the studio The night after the shape was signed off. BL engineers realised the problem and in an attempt to remedy the situation imported Italian steel which was used with no rust protection. This idea worked like a dream as in as little as two years the princess looked like it had been eaten by mice

[LC Torana]

The Fiat SuperBrava had an option of having the rear seats face backwards.

[inconsistant]

In 1979 the newly elected PM Margaret Thatcher was given the first Maestro Vanden Plas off the production line as a thank you for providing the female voice for the talking dashboard.

[inconsistant]

Maxi doors were originally designed to accept Marina door handles.

[Ghosty]

Lancia are having to rename all their cars: in light of the financial crisis, the Greek alphabet can't be used any more due to austerity.

[LC Torana]

Riley's planned replacement for the RM, based on a stretched Healey 100-6 platform was scrapped after the Riley Big 4 couldn't be made to fit under the bonnet.

[martc]

Ford named the Escort & Fiesta after popular gentleman's magazines. The Ford Razzle was hastily renamed the Mondeo when Paul Raymond started to smell a rat.

 

After leaving approved school in the 50's, Albert "Cosmo" Ford's first naming job resulted in the Coventry Climax, he then moved onto FoMoCo as detailed above. After his undignified departure he got a job as head of BL's name factory the result was the Mini Mayfair. He was then poached by Skoda and after much research in the toilet came up with the Favorit Forum.

 

His consultancy work with Honda was not a success as Honda decided the moniker Jazz Mag was too long for the boot lid.

 

Albert has retired due to partial blindness and hairy palms interfering with his work.

[LC Torana]

The Tata Indicar was built on the floorpan of the Vauxhall Viva HA, and certain components like seat mountings and door hinges remain common between these cars.

[inconsistant]

The NASA moon rover was actually made by Rover, and had a gas turbine engine because as we all know, there's no petrol in space.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The BMW Mini Clubman was designed to use up massive stocks of Landcrab/Maxi offside doors that were discovered in a secret tunnel at Cowley.

Unfortunately it was discovered the handles didn't comply with EU safety standards so BMW reverted to using the Mini hatchback doors on both sides and asked a former Leyland production engineer to make them fit, without it being obvious they couldn't afford to re-tool the bodyshell.

[Bobthebeard]

The NASA moon rover was actually made by Rover, and had a gas turbine engine because as we all know, there's no petrol in space. Unfortunately it couldn't run on moon gas so the astronauts had to walk and hop. They just shoved it into a moon garden and left it there. Will doubtless reappear as a crater find once eBay conquer the moon.

[inconsistant]

When BMW introduced the M3 into the UK, the Department of Transport claimed copyright infringement and demanded BMW pay 333 Euros royalties for each car sold. This made it uneconomical to convert the model to RHD so they didn't. 

 

Audi avoided similar problems when they introduced the A4 because A roads are deemed to be jointly owned by the communities they pass through.

[Bobthebeard]

When BMW introduced the M3 into the UK, the Department of Transport claimed copyright infringement and demanded BMW pay 333 Euros royalties for each car sold. This made it uneconomical to convert the model to RHD so they didn't. 

 

Audi avoided similar problems when they introduced the A4 because the drivers were in too much of a hurry to notice.

Fixed.

[inconsistant]

Before he became famous for being the singer out of The Smiths, Morrissey worked for Vauxhall, as referenced in his album titles "Vauxhall and Me" and Viva Hat".

[Noel Tidybeard]

a jensen interslapter used the same length sill on both sides of the car

[inconsistant]

I think I'm right in saying that the Porsche model numbering system comes from the extension numbers of the designer's offices, all based on the 9th floor of the then Porsche Headquarters in Stuttgart.

[John F]

I think I'm right in saying that the Porsche model numbering system comes from the extension numbers of the designer's offices, all based on the 9th floor of the then Porsche Headquarters in Stuttgart.

 

Definitely plausible, as the first operational German tank, the A7V, was named after Abteilung 7, Verkehrswesen (Department 7, Transportation) of the German War Department.

[inconsistant]

In recognition of widespread post-war peasant inumeracy, French law barred Renault from releasing model numbers above 25. On appeal the Renault 30 was approved as it was based on the Renault 20 so an average was accepted.

[Noel Tidybeard]

ford were going to use a job lot of maxi doors bought cheap on the rs200 but had to use cut down sierror doors after they realised the maxi doors were all rears at the last moment

[inconsistant]

The Tagora was named after the designer's favourite daughter.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The Prince song Little Red Corvette was a subtle rewrite of a 1974 song by Luton's own Paul Young. It was written by Young after his father came home from work one day and told him of the new high speed production line for red versions of the new ( as yet unnamed ) T-Car. Paul's version Little Red Viva Hatchback only made it to number 75 in the charts.