Automotive bull5hit facts thread

[For Fiats Sake]

FIAT wanted to buy the rights from BMW to produce an Italian 75.

 

BMW being a bunch of humourless krauts BMW refused.

 

So the world will never know the FIAT Settanta Cinque.

 

FIAT retaliated by encouraging a group of inept business men to take over Rover and the rest as they say is Quentin Wilson's hairline.

 

[Justin Case]

The Chinese bought Rover and Volvo because 75 and V40 are regarded as lucky numbers in China. They didn't make any further European purchases because 208, 500 and 116d are considered to be unlucky numbers.

[rml2345]

The Chinese bought Rover and Volvo because 75 and V40 are regarded as lucky numbers in China. They didn't make any further European purchases because 208, 500 and 116d are considered to be unlucky numbers.

Similarly Laguna becomes very offensive when translated into Chinese, proving that some words transcend the language barrier.

[John F]

MG cars were originally so named because they were constructed solely from WW1 surplus machine gun parts.

[forddeliveryboy]

Audi Quattro was named after Suzi Quatro because one of Audi's marketing executives had a huge crush on her. Engineering insisted it be named Sperrdifferenzialallradantrieb.

 

Almost. The Audi boss at the time had an affair with her sister Patti, who sang in the group Fanny. He knew the family through their father, who worked for GM.

[John F]

In an emergency, Suzi Quatro can transfer up to 100% of tractive power to her arms.

[Parky]

But in order to preserve the integrity of her box, her shoes and gloves must be the same size

[Pillock]

After an autocorrect fail, Vauxhall mistakenly specced the Mk2 Cavalier GL with Velcro fabric instead of Velour.

 

Unable to correct the fault before launch, they merely edited the brochure to enable buyers to choose the "sports seating" option which promised to "grip you tightly through the bends". This was merely a special suit made out of the opposite type of velco. However Watchdog had to intervene when Mr Gleebles of Hull was trapped in his Cavalier for eight days.

[Parky]

Which was a great shame as the Astra "Sticklebrick" special edition was pulled as a result

[Split_Pin]

One lad on an Astra Facebook page thinks you can get big power from a 1.6 x16xel:

 

"When the 1.6 came out the factory it ran the same power as the 2.0 sri n/a engine (150bhp) so vauxhall put a huge inlet manifold on it that restricted them to 105bhp and because them engines are based on the corsa sport 16v engines parts are pretty cheap and got a large amount of choices, with a less restricted inlet, p+p head and a decent exhaust system and induction kit the 1.6 will run back up to the 150bhp mark just read it up mate ;)"

 

BEEN SMOKING KRAK M10z

[John F]

^ that ned needs euthanising.

[martc]

VW Santana's were made in the village of Santana on the Island of Madeira. The workers were paid in bottles of the local fortified wine. When production ceased they moved back to Wolfsburg and found employment in the Emissions dept. Many years spent avoiding/fiddling breathalyser tests gave them an idea, and the rest is history...

[sierraman]

You clock a car by using a drill on the reverse setting attached to the speedo cable. No idea if this would work, turning the hundred thou digit against the winder always worked much better...

[Pillock]

Heated Rear Windows were invented in 1964 when a factory worked reversed an early prototype Ford Sierra into an electric fence surrounding a field of horses and noticed that the electric wires demisted the glass perfectly. He was then trampled by runaway horses, but managed to scrawl a digram showing his invention into his own torso with a penknife.

[rml2345]

Volvos are the only cars in the world at risk of being clocked up rather than down.

This risk is greatly reduced by driving them to Scotland.

[John F]

The VW Santana is nearly an anagram of the German word for pineapple (= Ananas).

 

A coincidence? Ich glaube nicht.

[sheffcortinacentre]

take it the T is silent?

[For Fiats Sake]

You clock a car by using a drill on the reverse setting attached to the speedo cable. No idea if this would work, turning the hundred thou digit against the winder always worked much better...

A much easier way is simply to drive everywhere in reverse until the required mileage is attained.

[chodweaver]

 

You clock a car by using a drill on the forward setting attached to the speedo cable.

 

That's not bullshit. Sorry.

 

*doesn't work for electronic odometers though

 

Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2

 

[alf892]

As you know most manufacturers will add special features to vehicles destined for the fleet market.

 

Various marques have had their own attempts at bringing innovation to this particular market.........

 

Ford have been masters at it though. Up until the 1960s everyone knows they made market carpets and heaters extra but not many people realise tyres for new cars had less tread saving vital pennies.

 

A later, somewhat ill advised idea was the saving on the early Pinto where they saved thousands by not drilling the cam oil spray bar. When problems arose they simply blamed poor maintenance.

 

In these days of warranties they probably wouldn't get away with it.............

[alf892]

As you know........

 

Extended service intervals are a godsend and save the fleet industry millions every year.

 

This innovation is now within the reach of the ordinary motorist with the launch of Halfrauds range of conversion kits. These kits are very simple to fit as all you need to do is remove the old dip stick and replace it with a longer version.

 

STOP PRESS As part of a launch deal Halfrauds have announced the first 500 customers to purchase a kit will also receive a free cube of snooker chalk and 3 magic beans to guarantee a long and lucky life. In order to qualify for this offer customers must undertake to ALWAYS carry the chalk.

[quicksilver]

Using typical German logic, Audi's range were intended to be named after the size of paper their standard saloon car drawing had to be printed on to make a car of that size. Things started well and the A4 was printed on a sheet of A4, but due to confusion over what type of paper was loaded in the printer the A6 ended up being printed on larger paper when it should have been smaller. Germans aren't supposed to make mistakes so to avoid embarrassment they reversed the system and the A8, which was supposed to be a supermini, ended up bigger still while the flagship A3 became the bottom of the range.

[martc]

Following extensive research Audi's naming policy is based on trying to please the typical driver - an irate, impatient photocopier salesman. These poor saps can only talk in "A" sizes.

 

BMW are planning to release a range of Foolscap saloons to try and capture some of Audis custom.

[coalnotdole]

In 1980 reliant motor company built a prototype all aluminum V8 engine, these were intended to supply power for the cypher sports car project and it was hoped that it would have other automotive and industrial applications.

To save on production costs the engine was based on the cylinder liners and pistons of the 4 cylinder Reliant 750 engine. These components were arranged in an all new die cast block developed in conjunction with Birmal who produced castings for Reliant’s 4 cylinder engines. The timing was via a DOHC setup, largely reverse engineered from the company directors 1966 rolls-royce silver cloud.

 

The new engine displaced 1598 cc, Fueling was provided by a Lucas L-Jetronic fuel injected system which was developed under license from Bosch, this helped to produce a useful 167bhp. An outline agreement was in place for Bosch to use the new Reliant engine to power a range of V8 Petrol lawnmowers destined to crack the US market.

 

Three prototype engines were produced, one was sent to Lucas who used it for development work, one was fitted to a cypher for road testing and the other was used for dyno testing at Tamworth. There was even a proposal to create a supercharged version.

 

By 1981 Reliant were in deep financial trouble, sales of current models were low and the company was struggling to pay its bills. Birmal Foundry were a major creditor and after months of non payment the Reliant directors were asked to attend an emergency meeting at Brimal’s Birmingham works. The Reliant team were asked one more time to settle their account, but again they asked for more time. Frustrated Birmals’ director of sales asked the reliant management team to follow him out to the stockyard, where the V8 engine dies were sat on the ground, two workers were given the nod and proceeded to smash up the dies with sledgehammers… ending Reliants V8 dreams permanently.

 

At least one Reliant V8 survives and is owned by a 750cc racer who bought it from Reliant during a bankruptcy sale in 1992. another is rumored another survived in a Scimitar SS1 prototype loaned to Princess Anne. HRH drove it for 5 months picking up a further 9 points on her license. These were kept from the public and the palace took out a super injunction to keep the story quiet… the car is believed to still be in the garages at Sandringham.

[Station]

One lad on an Astra Facebook page thinks you can get big power from a 1.6 x16xel:

 

"When the 1.6 came out the factory it ran the same power as the 2.0 sri n/a engine (150bhp) so vauxhall put a huge inlet manifold on it that restricted them to 105bhp and because them engines are based on the corsa sport 16v engines parts are pretty cheap and got a large amount of choices, with a less restricted inlet, p+p head and a decent exhaust system and induction kit the 1.6 will run back up to the 150bhp mark just read it up mate ;)"

 

BEEN SMOKING KRAK M10z

Is this true for the Corsa GSi X16XE or C16SE? I know Lotus did the head on these, and I remember a Mantzel inlet manifold removed 'restrictions' supposedly developing 150bhp. The tale goes it was limited by GM because the C20XE also produced 150bhp.

Is the Astra X16XEL a different engine, or is it all complete rubbish?

 

http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/viewthread.php?tid=610314

[bub2006]

I can't get my head round the vocabulary on the link!

[62 Austin]

"You do not need a drivers license to drive on dirt roads or alleys."

 

My great-grandfather tried this on a cop when he was stopped for driving without a license at age 100.

[martc]

You can only achieve the MPG claimed by Mitsubishi if you use the special "calibrated" tyre pressure gauge supplied with each car.

[Felly Magic]

In a bizarre mix up at the GM gearbox factory, they actually fitted internals made from Edam, that had the shelf life of 1 week after the expiry of the warranty

[Ghosty]

After the Polo Genesis and Golf Rolling Stones special editions in the 1990s, VW considered releasing the Sharan Osbourne. However it was extremely loud and broke down a lot, so the plan was shelved in favour of the Beatle.