Automotive bull5hit facts thread

[fred]

Most 'Head rests' are only comfortable after a serious accident and your dead

[fred]

The New Viva is almost a clone for the old Viva with new modern mechanical bits added

[fred]

Honda make reliable cars.

Red card!

[castros_bro]

Because of the natural similarity of their automotive products Harley Davidson fit Porsche engines to some of their motorcycles.

[castros_bro]

Because of the natural similarity of their automotive products Fiat got moped manufacturers PUCH to make their 4x4 Panda.

[RichardK]

Mk 1 Ford Escorts used platinum suspension bolts, and a small diamond bearing in the rear differential. This was only discovered in 2012, and Ford owners have kept it a secret ever since - whilst paying increasing amounts for the cars to secure the rare elements.

[Tamworthbay]

The mk1 escort Mexico was named after the designers favourite food's country of origin and was originally called the Escort Fajita, The Cortina India, originally the Cortina Rogan Josh and the Granada Turkey, originally the Granada donner kebab are less known special editions but now very sought after by collectors in the know. Owners will sometimes give a cheeky nod to the original names by leaving empty takeaway food cartons in their cars.

[RichardK]

Mercedes are planning on releasing a limited edition S-class on August 31st, 2017. Just 20 will be produced, with a graphic of a white Fiat Uno on the rear door and "Queen of Hearts" embroidered on the striking black & red leather interior. The in-car entertainment will be equipped with video clips of Royalty attending functions, with no other controls - Princess Diana will therefore ALWAYS be on the radio. A new tunnel-avoidance system will be trialled as a modification for distronic.

 

Suggestions that the car will be exclusively available through Harrods are yet to be confirmed.

[DSdriver]

The Fiat X19 has bicycle brake cables controlling everything because FIAT had just bought bankrupt Campagnolio and had a whole lot of cable that they didn't know what to do with. They did however manage to unload some of the stock to Alfa Romeo to use for the window mechanisms of the Montreal.

[DSdriver]

I wonder how long it will be before any of these facts are re-published elsewhere by editors looking for quick information to pad out well researched articles by automotive journalists. 

[Tamworthbay]

I wonder how long it will be before any of these facts are re-published elsewhere by editors looking for quick information to pad out well researched articles by automotive journalists. 

probably where some have come from anyway!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Enzo Ferrari, famously owned a Mini , what is not so well known is that he gifted an early 206 GT Dino to Alec Issigonis .

Issigonis was so impressed with the build quality and rustproofing properties of the Dino that he immediately stopped the planned galvanising of all future ( Maxi,Allegro,Princess ) models in favour of the cheaper Italian method.

It is thought it entirely coincidental that Fiat baled Ferrari out in 1969, just before their fwd range of cars took Europe by storm and ensured their survival into the 21st Century, unlike the unfortunate BMC/BL/Rover

[pompei]

The swivelling headlights on the prototype Citroen DS were originally operated by owls.

[rml2345]

I wonder how long it will be before any of these facts are re-published elsewhere by editors looking for quick information to pad out well researched articles by automotive journalists.

It should be the mission of this thread to get one of the facts* published in a magazine or book or something.

 

Anyway, the reason the BMC ADO16 was styled by Pininfarina is that Issigonis lost a bet with Alex Moulton that he could get the new BMC family car to be shaped like an aubergine.

[richardthestag]

Audi Q7 headlight aim is controlled by GPS satellite, This valuable safety function ensures the entire road ahead is fully lit regardless.

 

As a side benefit owners dont need to bother with stick on plastic deflectors when driving on the incontinent. GPS automatically recognises that you are overseas and adjusts the headlamp direction to avoid blinding oncoming motorists.

[anonymous user]

Audi Q7 headlight aim is controlled by GPS satellite, This valuable safety function ensures the entire road ahead is fully lit regardless.

 

As a side benefit owners dont need to bother with stick on plastic deflectors when driving on the incontinent. GPS automatically recognises that you are overseas and adjusts the headlamp direction to avoid blinding ensure they blind oncoming motorists.

FTFY

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Audi Q7 headlight aim is controlled by GPS satellite, This valuable safety function ensures the entire road ahead is fully lit regardless.

 

As a side benefit owners dont need to bother with stick on plastic deflectors when driving on the incontinent. GPS automatically recognises that you are overseas and adjusts the headlamp direction to avoid blinding oncoming motorists.

 

LEDs arranged in a matrix use data recorded by the camera, sensors and navigation system to illuminate the surroundings precisely and selectively. The convenient functions of the lighting assistant are supplemented by the travel mode which uses GPS data to switch between right and left-hand drive modes.

[rml2345]

^ What was that about headlamps? I appear to have become distracted...

[Taff]

I wonder how long it will be before any of these facts are re-published elsewhere by editors looking for quick information to pad out well researched articles by automotive journalists. 

 

 

It should be the mission of this thread to get one of the facts* published in a magazine or book or something.

 

 

 

That is my hope. Previously when bored, I may have gone on to celebrity wiki pages and altered them. Nothing unpleasant or mailicious, just something random & unlikely, in the hope that a lazy journo will spot one of my edits and ask the celeb in question about it. 

 

"So, Lord Prescott, could you tell me a bit more about your 1:2 scale working model of a Briggs & Stratten engine made entirely from Meccano?" 

[Taff]

The idle bypass valve as fitted to the K-series engine (otherwise known as the stepper motor)  was designed by Canadian John Kay, lead singer with rock band Steppenwolf

[castros_bro]

John Prescott made a working half scale Briggs & Stratton engine  entirely from Meccano

[Tamworthbay]

That is my hope. Previously when bored, I may have gone on to celebrity wiki pages and altered them. Nothing unpleasant or mailicious, just something random & unlikely, in the hope that a lazy journo will spot one of my edits and ask the celeb in question about it. 

 

"So, Lord Prescott, could you tell me a bit more about your 1:2 scale working model of a Briggs & Stratten engine made entirely from Meccano?"

 

This can backfire, someone where I work still believes one of the lads got arrested dressed as Batman while driving his Reliant Robin, is was really funny until the point the boss asked him about as they count arrests as unacceptable behaviour and hence cause for dismissal. Luckily the lad was in on the joke and explained to the boss who thought it was hilarious. The women still believes it even though we have told her it was a joke, she thinks we are covering up for him

[RichardK]

Tatra, literally translated, means "Happy Goat".

 

Reliant experimented with a V6 powered Kitten, called the Ocelot. 3 were built, though only one survives.

 

Peugeot experimented with plastic engine blocks and cardboard cylinder liners in an effort to reduce weight and improve planned obsolescence. Though the results were promising, they ended up selling the technology to Renault, who perfected it in the Laguna II.

[vulgalour]

1990s Fiat Multiplas are not available in green because Dunlop, the manufacturer of Frog Wellies, won a court case on the basis of copyright infringement.

[Captain Mainwaring]

Among Hollywood superstar Will Smith's most prized possessions is an imported 1986 Austin Metro 'Chairman', purchased by him whilst in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire to film box office smash 'Wild Wild West'.

[inconsistant]

Ah yes, John 'two Jags' Prescott. One of them was actually a Daimler.

[RichardK]

Speaking of Daimler. the SP250 was sold in Russia as the Faimler Fart, due to an issue with the Cyrillic alphabet.

[RichardK]

VW's series of rock-star tie ins - the Polo Genesis, the Golf Pink Floyd, the Derby Bay City Rollers, also extended to their parts department.

 

When ordering parts for the Polo, for example, if you wanted tools, such as a sledge hammer, you'd ask for bits from a Polo Peter Gabriel.

Brakes - e.g. drums - would be from the Polo Phil Collins.

 

Similarly, if you needed a new gear control for the Golf, you'd ask for a Roger Waters - Knob.

[Felly Magic]

Contrary to popular belief, legendary car designer Harris Mann did not have a fetish for cheese, even though he liked to draw cars shaped like a block of Cheddar, and had a similar lifespan as a block left out in the sun for a week

[John F]

image.jpgimage.jpg

 

LEDs arranged in a matrix use data recorded by the camera, sensors and navigation system to illuminate the surroundings precisely and selectively. The convenient functions of the lighting assistant are supplemented by the travel mode which uses GPS data to switch between right and left-hand drive modes.

 

I actually translated that text for Audi