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Aston Martin	It all started in 1913 when two cycling buddies, over a couple pints at the end of a long day on the hill climbs (ok, I'm embellishing the back story a bit here) decided to go into business together. The two men where Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. They started out selling Singer automobiles. They were both handy mechanics and Lionel was an accomplished driver. He was often seen racing at the near by Aston Hill Hillclimb races near Aston Clinton. In 1914 the two decided to start to build there own vehicles and Aston Martin was born. The name came from the combination of "Aston" from the hillclimb races and Lionel Martin's last name. I could never find out how or why Bamford's name was not involved, I envision a nagging wife that didn't want to have the tax collector come pocking around the household finances, but I somehow think that Martin-Bamford's would have had the legacy that Aston Martin now enjoys. As with all great endeavors there are successes and challenges. What makes Aston Martin such a great marquee is that even though the challenges always seemed to outweigh the successes the product was always notable. As such were the early years. Soon after the first Aston Martin rolled out of the garage he first world was started and the company shuttered up for the duration. Once the war was over, and with fresh cash from Count Louis Zborowski, the company started to roll out vehicles that competed in races such as the French Grand Prix and Brooklands. The early racing successes didn't result in a beneficial partnership for the two founders and Mr. Bamford sold his interest to Mr. Martin in 1922. Money was tight and cash flow was kept positive by infusions by the Count. Unfortunately, in 1924 the Count died in a racing accident and the future of Aston Martin became uncertain. In comes John Benson, later to be named Lord Charnwood (I'm American so I have no idea what it takes to go from just John to Lord Charnwood. However, I imagine it to be quit painful). he Lord had the cash and the desire to continue Aston's reputation in the racing world. He, however, didn't care for Mr. Martin and in 1925 Lionel hit left the company. Lord Charnwood didn't last for long. By 1926 he had sold Aston Martin Motors to Renwick & Bertelli, a recently formed engineering company, for 4000 pounds. It was at this time the company moved to Victoria Road, Feltham. These new owners where also not to last. About a year later Renwick and Bertelli broke up and had to seek outside investors to keep the concern running. By 1936 the Bertelli's had left and the largest investors, the Sutherland family, took control. Now things were to get bad - like I said, what makes Aston Martin so great is the blood and sweat it took to build it. From the beginning, Aston Martin was destined to become the world's greatest marquee. Even at the expense of it many many owners. It indeed had a soul of it's own. During WW II Aston Martin was assigned to making tooling and spare parts for aircraft joysticks. It was during these years that in the back corners of the works one of Aston's earliest stars, Claude Hill, continued work on a sports saloon - the Atom. It was the Atom that would spring board Aston Martin back to it's intended path. In 1946 David Brown saw a small classified ad in the London Times offering Aston Martin for sale for only 30,000 pounds. He went over to Feltham to check the place out and drive the Atom. He fell in love with Atom and bought the company for the discounted price of on 20,500 pounds from the Sutherland family. Aston Martin now had the leader it needed to become what it was meant to be. Mr. Brown's core business was tractor parts. Specifically gears and transmissions. At first he did little with Aston Martin as his attention was devoted to finishing a new gear design. However, a friend of his convinced him to buy another automotive company, Lagonda, and merge it together with Aston Martin. After some shrud positioning he acquired Lagonda for 52,500 pounds. Aston Martin Lagonda was born. Yes, now you know why this site's domain name is AML. In 1954 the company moved to its Newport Pagnell facilities. With David Brown came the "DB" vehicles. First there was the Aston Martin 2-litre, later called the DB1, built between 1948 and 1950. In 1950 the DB2s started to roll out of the plant followed by "DB"'s up till the DBS V8 built from 1967 to 1972. For more information on each model built please see our Gallery section. Unfortunately, the company, which had always just squeaked by, could no longer go in alone. In 1972 Mr. Brown sold the company to Company Developments Ltd. Company Developments was a second string asset stripper - remember that crazy in the 80's (see Pretty Women, Other Peoples Money, and Wallstreet, for a refresher). Things did not look good. But before they could rip the company apart two American enthusiasts, Peter Sprague and George Minden, bought the company. They focused on the product. Streamlining operations and improving quality. By 1981 things had greatly improved at Aston Martin but the American's couldn't keep it going and sold the company to CH Industrial. Who then sold it to Automotive Investments in 1983. They lasted just a year before selling the company to Peter Livanos and Victor Gauntlett. Could you imagine working at this place! You would never know how the boss was. Then in 1986 Ford bought 75% of the the company and the future of Aston Martin started to look a bit more promising. In 1993 Ford finally bought the rest of the company from Victo Gauntlett and took over complete control of the operations. Ford invested heavily into modernizing the plants and focusing on innovative designs and technologies. For a company that averaged only a few hundred examples a year started to produce hundred then thousands of autos under Ford's leadership. In 2002 the company produced 6000 DB7's. More than all of the previous "DB"s ever built. Ford Sells Aston Martin! On Aug 31st, 2006 Ford has announced that Aston Martin Lagonda is up for sale. Now we have been here before and sometimes we have been in much more dire straights. Since Aston Martin's humble beginnings in 1913 the company has been sold: - 1946 Sold to David Brown - 1972 Sold to Company Developments - 1975 Sold to Peter Sprague and George Minden - 1981 Sold to CH Industrial - 1983 Sold to Automotive Investments - 1984 Sold to Peter Livanos and Victor Gauntlett - 1986 Ford buys 75% - 1993 Ford buys entire company This time it's Ford that is in dire straights. The automotive giant is struggling to navigate the new world economy with an old world pension, health care program, and union. Let alone a product line up only second to GM. It's time for Ford to streamline operations and generate some fast cash to fundamentally change their business. The good news is that this is the first time in Aston Martin history that the company is set up to deliver consistent profits. The product line up includes the DB9, Vanquish, and the Vantage V8. Along with many specials like the upcoming DBS - which may pr may not become a production vehicle. This means that Aston Martin could be purchased and ran without the buyers taking on a company under water. The bad news is that since Aston Martin is above water financially it may be purchased for investment reasons rather than the love of the marques. The worst case scenario in my opinion is a VW buyout, or similar company, that folds Aston Martin into it's current global supply chain. For example, is it me or is the Bentley Continental Flying Spur a VW Pheaton? (nothing against VW -my day drive is a Passat!) What we need is an owner that will fundamentally understand that Aston Martin is a brand that will only retain its status if it retains its exclusivity. David Richards and friends buy Aston Martin for $925MM! In early 2007 Ford sold 92% of Aston Martin to the Aston enthusiast and CEO of Prodrive, David Richards. The sale once again sees our cherished marque in British hands and being lead by true enthusiasts. Prodrive is the automotive technology and racing company behind Astons racing program. In addition to David Richards, the American John Sinders and two Kuwaiti investment firms where part of the deal -- a deal that went down just as Aston Martin started to turn a profit. The company now has 100 worldwide dealerships selling around 6500 vehicles per year. Considering that in the 1990's they were producing fewer than 50 examples per year I'd say Aston is on a roll. Location Aston Martin Rent Aston Martin Аренда Aston Martin Link : www.astonmartin.com

Audi	The Audi history begins with a man called August Horch, who founded the Company HORCH & CO in 1899.He invented his first car 1901 with the help of 15 fellow workers. The car had a max. speed of 32 km/h. In 1909 Mr. Horch had to leave his company due to major problems with the commercial management and founded another company called Audi. " Audi" is the Latin translation for "Horch" and he took that name because he wanted to build cars under his own name. So the brand "AUDI Automobilwerke GmbH" was registraded in 1910. Until the First World War some of the cars built under the Audi name won several rallies, which helped to establish the name worldwide. During the first war Audi was forced to produce vehicles for the war effort, and then after the war the recession was also a tremendous problem for the company. Therefore the founder August Horch left the management in 1920. The company managed to get through the hard times from 1927 to 1930, but in 1931 the management recognized that only a union with other vehicle manufacturer could keep Audi alive. At that time the AUTO UNION was founded, the members were DKW, HORCH, WANDERER and AUDI. The new companies insignia to show the union of the four companies was the now familiar 4 rings , which are still used by Audi today. The new union had great success in motor sport in the ensuing years. The most powerful car that was build before the 2nd world war was a 6 litre V 16 engine with 382 KW( 582PS) in 1936. In the years during the 2nd world war the AUTO UNION once again were forced to build vehicles for German military. Many motorcycles, engines, different war vehicles and even parts for submarines were build until 1945. At that time all factories in Germany were completely destroyed by American bombers. After the war had ended there were about 60 000 DKW military vehicles worldwide that needed spare parts and maintaince. This was the reason a new start in Ingolstadt, southern Germany was made. Soon after the war there were again many cars produced, the most important for me was the DKW Munga, a four-wheel jeep with 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine. Invented in 1956 for the German military, there were only 250 cars produced for testing purposes. On of these cars made a trip around the world and drove over 240 000 km without major problems. This was the beginning of the later concept called Quattro. Nearly 57 000 Mungaswere built until 1968. In the following years many different engine- and car types were invented and produced in large amounts. The 2-stroke system was replaced by the 4 stroke one in 1965, a milestone in the engine development. For the power or the engines has been risen continually, the company thought about a new drive train concept. An performance of over 100 KW with front wheel drive shows heavy abrasion on the front tires and dangerous Ferrari a effects. The Iltis jeep what had replaced the Munga hadn’t that problems and the reason for that was not the minor performance of 75hp, it was the 4 wheel concept. Mr.Bensinger, the father of the Quattro, made many tests and tried to convince the management to give him green light for building a four wheel drive concept in an street car. The board of directors were not very pleased with that idea because the thought that nobody will buy such an car and especially if it was a high technology one not build by Porsche or Mercedes. These two firms were the only ones that had the name to do such huge inventions. One has to notify that the Auto Union at that time had no reputation in build high tech cars. Fortunately Mr.Bensinger did a good job, the project QUATTRO was born and the management decided to make this drive train concept famous all over the world with high activities in motor sport. The name AUDI should become as worthfull as Porsche and Mercedes. To get the car ready in an short time many parts of available other types were used. The engine came out of the 200, the body was from the Audi 80 at first and the drive train came out of the Iltis, the successor of the famous Munga. Certainly many parts were braced, changed in size and improved for the high performance the car should have. After two years of improving, testing and rallying the first real ur-quattro with the new coupe body was build in 1980. The power has been risen to 200hp in the testing time, not a bad number if you think that most of the other car producer did with an 2.2l engine. Location Audi Rent Audi Аренда Audi Link : www.audi.com

Bentley	Ten mad years! Jazzy, noisy, fun loving, fast moving, a devil-maycare attitude about everything - those were the "Roaring Twenties." The decade and the car went together. The car was the hard-driving, earsplitting complement to the gay life. What the Stutz Bearcat meant to the college youth of America, the Bentley meant to the young bloods of England. It underscored, and quite noisily, the hysterical relief and reaction that followed World War I. And when the twenties ended, the Bentley was ended. It became sedate, silent, and aristocratic; for it was now being made by Rolls-Royce. The original Bentley Motors, Limited, existed for only twelve years, from 1919 until 1931. A short life, but a fast-paced whirl of racing success and financial problems. As in so many other automotive com panies, two brothers were involved - W. O. and H. M. Bentley. W. O. was the engineering genius, racing driver, and irascible head of the firm. His brother quietly handled the business management. The Bentley brothers got started in 1912 with a sales concession for three cars: Buchet, La Licorne, and the D. F. P. which stood for Doriot, Flandrin and Parant. The D.F.P. was a racing machine for which W. O. designed new aluminum alloy pistons. His success with the D.F.P. led to the adoption of the pistons by Rolls-Royce and Sunbeam, and to the design of an aircraft engine. Following World War I, Bentley decided to build a car that would completely satisfy him. He had a fine concept. The Bentley car would be reliable, solidly built, docile at a city-street pace, but also capable of brutal acceleration and savage speed - a stock car that could race. The new stock cars did race and they began to win. The races provided advertising, and sales followed - but very slowly. Very often cars were built just in time for delivery, and sometimes the demonstration car was the one to be sold. But both the press and the public were excited about the Bentley racing success, and soon there was a clamor for a Le Mans victory. The twenty-four-hour Le Mans run in France was the big race of the year, and the British sportsmen could not bear to be outdone by the French, Germans, and Italians. In 1923, a 3-liter Bentley finally placed at Le Mans. It came in fourth, but more important, it had recorded the fastest lap time during the race. Finally in 1924, the great moment arrived. Drivers Duff and Clement muscled the big green car into the lead, held it against forty other machines, and came home with the trophy. But the company remained in financial straits. Bentleys were expensive, and people were afraid to drive them. The reputation for speed had created the impression that driving a Bentley was like trying to handle a skittish horse. Things looked bleak until 1926, when Woolf Barnato, millionaire and racing driver, saved the firm by buying most of the stock and becoming its managing director. Racing did not stop, and the 1927 Le Mans provided the strangest accident in racing history. It may not seem possible, but the three 41/2-liter Bentleys in the race all crashed into each other! It happened at night. Callingham in the lead Bentley was speeding into one of the severe turns on the course. Pulling down to 70 miles per hour, the correct speed for the corner, he suddenly saw a car broadside in front of him. It was a Schneider which had hit the wall and bounced back on the track. Callingham avoided it, but smashed into the ditch. He had barely left the car, when Duller in the Number Two Bentley came flying into the corner. Seeing the Schneider, Duller tried Callingham's tactic, but Number One already occupied the ditch. He crashed into it, and both cars bounced out into the right-of-way. Next came ace driver Sammy Davis in Number Three. At 82 mph he attempted to avoid the tangle of wrecked machinery. He deliberately threw his Bentley into a skid, hoping to hit the mess tail first. Only partly successful, Davis came to a stop as part of the pile of cars. Then there was a frantic search for the drivers. When Davis was satisfied that the Bentley team was alive - though battered - he drove Number Three back to the pits. It came in, one headlight out, two fenders dragging, and the front axle bent. Benjafield relieved Davis, lashed a flashlight in place of the headlight, and took the wounded machine out again. Through the night and the rain, the wrinkled and flapping car sped at over 90 mph: When daybreak arrived the big green car was still running and Davis returned to the wheel and drove it to final victory. This machine, in its fully battered state, was actually brought into the elegant dining room of the Savoy in London, where it was the guest of honor at the celebration dinner. Such were the Twenties! In 1928 the racing green of Britain was carried by Bentley to another victory at Le Mans, and 1929 saw the big machines take the first four places. But the most spectacular thrill came in 1930. Bentley entered the event with three supercharged 41/2-liter and three new 61/2-liter cars. The only real competition was a single silver Mercedes piloted by the great Rudolph Caracciola. Birkin, driving the lead Bentley chased the German car relentlessly, finally passing it on the grass shoulder to the right. With the Bentley in front of him, Caracciola saw an amazing sight. The left rear tire of the Bentley began to shred into ribbons, but the beautifully balanced car held the road as it screamed through corners and flashed down the straights. After a wheel change it returned to the race. During the night the generator of the Mercedes burned out and the Germans retired the car. Once more Bentley had captured the Le Mans trophy. Four years in a row! Then Barnato announced that Bentley would retire from racing. The expenses were too high and the public was getting the wrong impression of the car. A beautiful passenger limousine was built with a mon strous engine of 8 liters, almost twice the size of a modern American engine! This car had two accelerator pedals, one for the city and the other for the open road. It could not stave off the coming financial disaster, and in 1931 Bentley Motors Ltd. closed its books. Rolls-Royce bought up the assets and began to produce Bentleys. They turned out many elegant motor cars which reflected the Rolls-Royce luxury, but slowly the Bentley became a copy of the Rolls-Royce. Today it is an exact duplicate, retaining only its own radiator grill as a memory of the fierce green cars of the Twenties. The last appearance of the old "Blower Bentley" was at Le Mans in 1950. There, largely as a nostalgic gesture, one of the big green brutes entered the race against all the streamlined modern machinery. For the first time in two decades, the old Bentley thunder sounded again, this time amidst the staccato rap of the Ferraris, Maseratis, Mercedes, and many other entries. It was a voice from the past. The old car looked huge and clumsy against the sleek, aerodynamic speedsters. But the old voice still spoke with authority. The twenty-year-old car came in fifth! Location Bentley Rent Bentley Аренда Bentley Link : www.bentleymotors.com

BMW	Although BMW's current fame and reputation as one of the greatest automobile manufacturers can be mostly linked to models produced in the last two decades, the history of the marque stretches back almost 90 years and contains numerous achievements that have established it as a benchmark. The origins of BMW trace back to 1913 when Karl Friedrich Rapp, a Bavarian who had been a well-known engineer in a German aircraft company, formed Rapp Motoren Werke in a suburb of Munich. The company specialized in airplane engines however Rapp found that they were problematic and suffered from excessive vibration. Nearby, Gustav Otto, also an airplane specialist, set up his own shop, Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik, building small aircraft. Because of the faulty engines, Rapp Motoren Werke secured a contract with Austro-Daimler, who was unable to meet its demands, to build V12 Aero engines under license. The company expanded too quickly, however, and by 1916 Rapp resigned from the company because of financial troubles. In his place Franz Josef Popp and Max Friz, two Austrians, took over the company. In March that same year, Rapp Motoren Werke merged with Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik to form Bayersiche Flugzeungwerke. It was shortly afterwards renamed Bayersiche Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works), or BMW, forming the company we know today. In 1917, BMW's first aircraft engine went into production, the 6 cylinder Type IIIa. In 1919, using an aircraft powered by its successor, the Type IV, Franz Zeno Diemer set an altitude record of 9,760 metres (32,013 ft). After the Treaty of Versailles was signed in the same year, prohibiting BMW from building aircraft engines, production switched to air brakes for railway cars. When BMW started once again to build aircraft engines in 1922, no fewer than 29 world records in aviation were set with them. The current BMW logo, introduced in 1920, was based on the circular design of an aircraft propeller. The first BMW motorcycle, the R 32, went into production in 1923 at the newly constructed Eisenach factory next to the Munich airport of the day. The R 32 used a flat-twin engine transversely mounted in a double-tubular frame producing 8.5 horsepower at 3300 rpm. The 2-cylinder 494cc motorcycle could reach a top speed of 59 mph (95 km/h). BMW manufactured 3090 of them during its 3 year life span. It was 1928 that made history in terms of the BMW car. Produced at the Eisenbach factory, the Dixi 3/15 PS marked the beginning of BMW automobile production. It was built under license from Austin and was essentially the same model as the US Bantam and the Japanese Datsun. The first Dixis used an open roof and were powered by a 743cc 4 cylinder engine producing 15 horsepower. Top speed was in the neighbourhood of 50 mph (80 km/h). In 1929 a new improved version was launched, the DA2, which employed an all-steel body and 4-wheel brakes, and in 1930 the Dixi scored its first wins in motor racing. Total production: 18,976 units. 1932 was the year the BMW AM 4 (Ausfuhrung Munchen 4 Gange - Munich Version 4 Speeds) - a.k.a. BMW's first "real" car - went into production. The AM 4, also called the 3/20 PS, was the successor to the Dixi and the first production car to be built entirely in-house by BMW. The powerplant was a 782cc 4 cylinder unit which featured suspended valves and a double chain driving the camshafts, producing 20 horsepower at 3500 rpm and providing the saloon with a 50 mph top speed. The next year mark ed the introduction of the 303 saloon and the first BMW inline-six cylinder power unit, a configuration that remains BMW's typical choice even in contemporary cars. The 303 was also the first BMW to use the twin-kidney shaped radiator grilles, another cur rent trademark. Using a welded tubular steel frame, independent front suspension and rack and pinion steering, the 303 was a benchmark in technological achievements. Its 1173cc engine provided 30 horsepower and a top speed of 56 mph (90 km/h). 3 years later, in 1936, the BMW 328 was introduced. It was the most popular and remains BMW's most famous pre-war sports car, the successor to the 315/1 (1934-36). The 328 was built mainly for motor sport, where it proved itself successful by winning the Mille Miglia in Italy in its class in 1938, but quickly became a popular road car as well. A curb weight of only 1830 lb was achieved through the use of an extra-light tubular spaceframe and light alloy parts for the hood, doors and tail end. Using a 1971cc inline-6 cylinder engine with three carburettors that produced a healthy 80 horsepower at 5000 rpm, the 328 could reach a maximum speed of 93 mph (150 km/h). 462 units of this classic were produced in total. In 1935 BMW entered the record books once again, this time on two wheels. Riding a streamlined 500cc compressor machine developing 108 hp and an amazing power-to-weigh ratio (282 lb curb weight), Ernst Henne set a world speed record for motorcycles of 173.7 mph (279.5 km/h) in 1937. It stood for nearly two decades. BMW's success was unfortunately short lived. After the Second World War, the company lay in ruins. Its factories had been destroyed or dismantled and a three-year ban on any production activities was imposed by the Allies in response to the production of aircraft engines and rockets by BMW during the War. The first post war model, the V8 equipped 501 luxury sedan produced in 1951 was a poor production choice for a country that was also devastated by the war. Demand was low and the 501 did not even com e close to meeting BMW's expectations. It was a totally different approach that started to bring BMW back on its feet. In 1955, the Isetta 250 was launched and participated very successfully in the mini-car era of the 1950's. It was built under license from the Italian manufacturer Iso and used a motorcycle engine and a single door at the front. The engine was a single cylinder 245cc unit producing 12 horsepower at 5800 rpm and a top speed of 53 mph (85 km/h). During its 7 year production run a total of 161,728 Isettas were built. A couple of years later, with BMW still having no secure financial foothold, one of the most memorable models in its history was introduced. Launched in 1956, the BMW 507 quickly became famous. The light-alloy 2-door bodyshell with a retractable soft top, designed by Alberecht Graf Foertz, has remained timeless as evidenced by the newly introduced Z8, which draws unmistakable clues and its overall shape from it. A large 3168cc V8 engine using dual downdraught carburettors powered the 507 and provided 150 horsepower at 5000rpm, enough for an impressive 124 mph top speed (200 km/h) but not enough to topple its main rival, the Mercedes 300SL. While only 252 examples of the instantly recognizable 507 were ever produced, it remains a symbol of BMW's struggles and ultimate triumphs during the fifties after the end of the War. The next step in BMW's evolution and the predecessor to the cars we know today was launched in 1962. The 1500, which had been developed during the crisis of the '50s, was another of BMW's saviors. The excellent suspension and striking design for its time, employing a low waistline with a low-slung engine compartment and rear lid characterized the 1500. A 1499cc 4-cylinder engine producing 80 horsepower at 5700 rpm and providing a top speed of 92 mph (148 km/h) powered it. During its two year production run sales amounted to only 23,807 units; however between all of the models in its range (1500,1600,1800,2000) production totaled 334,165 cars. Based on these cars, the first generation 5 series, the E12, was launched 10 years later in 1972. The 3 series was introduced 3 years later and the 7 series 2 years after that, in 1977. In 1990 BMW re-entered the aircraft engine manufacturing business after forming BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH jointly with Rolls Royce. In 1998, after extended talks concerning the sale of Rolls Royce, BMW officially bought the rights to the Rolls Royce name and logo from Volkswagen, with the transition expected to take place in 2003. 1994 brought about another purchase, as BMW acquired the Rover Group PLC. After heavy losses, the company was finally sold in 2000, with Rover being split up from Land Rover which was purchased by Ford. BMW held the rights to the new Mini and the hot-hatch goes on sale in early 2002. Today, the Z3, Z8 and all of the 3, 5, 7 and Motorsport series models continue the BMW tradition of building excellent automobiles with a special emphasis on performance, style and technological advancements. 1992 was another year-to-be-remembered for BMW when it, for the first time, outsold Mercedes in Europe. Hopefully in the future the rivalry between these and other makes will persist and companies such as BMW will continue to build great cars. Location BMW Rent BMW Аренда BMW Link : www.bmw.com

Bugatti	The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is a mid-engine sports car produced by Volkswagen AG subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS introduced in 2005. It is the quickest accelerating and decelerating road-legal production car in the world, and it was the world's fastest road-legal production car until it was beaten by the SSC Ultimate Aero TT in 2007. Powered by a 1,001PS (987hp/736kW) W16 engine, it is able to achieve an average top speed of 407.47km/h (253.19mph). The car reached full production in September 2005, and is handcrafted in a factory Volkswagen built near the former Bugatti headquarters in Château St Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France). It is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti firm. History Development of this vehicle began with the 1999 EB 18/4 "Veyron" concept car which itself had a chassis based on that of the Bugatti 18/3 Chiron concept car. Introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show, it was similar in design and appearance to the final Veyron production car. One major difference was the EB 18/4's use of a W18 engine with three banks of six cylinders. The Veyron's head designer was Hartmut Warkuss with exterior designed by Jozef Kabaň of Volkswagen rather than Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign who had handled the three prior Bugatti concepts too. Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch announced the production Veyron at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show. It was promised to be the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car in history. Instead of the W18, the production model would use a VR6/WR8-style W16 engine. First seen in the 1999 Bentley Hunaudieres concept car, the W16 would get four turbochargers, producing a quoted (metric) 1001 horsepower (see engine section for details on the power output). Top speed was promised at 407km/h (253mph), and pricing was announced at €1 million. Development continued throughout 2001 and the EB 16/4 Veyron was promoted to "advanced concept" status. In late 2001, Bugatti announced that the car, officially called the "Bugatti Veyron 16.4", would go into production in 2003. The car, however, experienced significant problems during development. Achieving the required high-speed stability was difficult - one prototype was destroyed in a crash and another spun out during a public demonstration at the Monterey Historics event in Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. Production of the Veyron was delayed pending resolution of these and other issues. Piëch retired that year as chairman of the Volkswagen Group and was replaced by Bernd Pischetsrieder. The new chairman promptly sent the Veyron back to the drawing board for major revisions. Neumann was replaced as Bugatti president by Thomas Bscher in December 2003, and substantial modifications were made to the Veyron under the guidance of former VW engineer, Bugatti Engineering head Wolfgang Schreiber. Each Veyron is being sold for €1,100,000 (net price without taxes), prices vary by exchange rates and local taxes (like value added taxes). Prices for the UK or the US are about over £800,000, or 1.2 million American dollars (net). The production costs of the car are approximately £4 million per vehicle[citation needed]. As Bugatti and, therefore, Volkswagen are taking such a loss, it has been compared by automotive journalist Jeremy Clarkson to the supersonic jetliner Concorde in that both were huge engineering achievements, but the car will probably, like the plane before it, be discontinued after proving to be an economic failure. It will be several years before Volkswagen will be able to see if their investment in developing ground-breaking technology has paid off. One key measure is how much (if any) of the technology developed for the Veyron finds use in mass-produced cars. Official unveiling The production Veyron was shown for the first time on October 19, 2005 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The official United States launch for the production version occurred at the 2006 Los Angeles International Auto Show in January. Visual differences between the prototype and production Veyrons are slight, but noticeable marks include the addition of marker lights or reflectors on the front fenders and a more pronounced "dorsal spine" on the hood (reminiscent of the Bugatti Atlantic), especially near the windshield. Six Veyrons were sold at the 2005 Dubai Motor Show in December, reportedly including the demonstration models used on the stands there. These would be the first reported private sales of the car. Sales and service Bugatti originally planned to build 300 Veyrons over five years. In March 2006, Bugatti president Bscher claimed to have 70 firm orders, selling out 14 months of production. The company is reportedly speeding up production in response, with all 70 cars expected to be built in 2006. The March, 2008 issue of Winding Road (confirmed by Autoblog) reports that 220 of the 300 cars to be produced have been sold and 132 have been delivered to customers. Potential buyers based in and around the London area can expect VIP treatment. One buyer (Farboud family scion Arash Farboud) wrote in a column for Lusso Magazine: "Dominic Lancaster, the head of Jack Barclay Bugatti in London, arranged for a private jet to take my wife and I over to the factory at Molsheim, in the top right hand corner of France." Maintenance will be possible at Bugatti dealerships but repair service will require a flown-in mechanic, who the company promises will be available 24 hours a day. Pur Sang special edition On 10 September 2007 a special version of the Veyron called the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron "Pur Sang" was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The difference from a standard Veyron is the body finishing: the Pur Sang has none. Instead it reveals the Veyron's pure aluminium-carbon fibre body. Pur Sang is French, meaning thoroughbred or pure blood (literally). Production will be limited to 5 cars. The car will be included with high-gloss aluminum wheels with a diamond cut finish. Fbg par Hermès special edition At the Geneva motor show in 2008 Bugatti announced a partnership with the French fashion house Hermès. The Bugatti Veyron Fbg Par Hermès was the result. It features several new features as well as a redesigned front end. The interior is done in Hermès leather and it comes with a specially designed Hermès suitcase to fit in the trunk. Specifications The Veyron features a W16 engine—16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders, or the equivalent of two narrow-angle V8 engines mated in a "W" configuration. Each cylinder has 4 valves for a total of 64, but the narrow V8 configuration allows two camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only 4 camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 8.0L (7,993cc/488in³) with a square 86mm (3.4in) by 86mm (3.4in) bore and stroke. Putting this power to the ground is a dual-clutch Direct-Shift Gearbox computer-controlled manual transmission with 7 gear ratios via shifter paddles behind the steering wheel boasting an < 150ms shift time, designed and manufactured by Ricardo of England. The Veyron can be driven by full automatic transmission. The Veyron also features full-time all-wheel drive based on the Haldex system. It uses special Michelin run-flat tires designed specifically for the Veyron to accommodate the vehicle's top speed. Curb weight is estimated at 1,888kg (4,160lb). This gives the car a power to weight ratio of 529bhp/ton. The car's wheelbase is 2,710mm (106.3in). Overall length is 4,462mm (175.8in). It measures 1,998mm (78.7in) wide and 1,204mm (47.5in) tall. The Bugatti Veyron has a total of 10 radiators. 3 radiators for the engine cooling system. 1 heat exchanger for the air-to-liquid intercoolers. 2 for the air conditioning system. 1 transmission oil radiator. 1 differential oil radiator. 1 engine oil radiator. 1 hydraulic oil radiator for the spoiler It has a drag coeffeint of 0.36 , and a frontal area of 2.07m . This gives it a CdA ft² value of 8.02. Performance Power According to Volkswagen (and approved by TÜV Süddeutschland) the final production Veyron engine produces 736kW (987hp) which is equivalent to 1001 PS (metric horsepower). However, the car is advertised as producing "1001 horsepower" in both the US and European markets. Top Speed Top speed was initially promised to be 407km/h (253mph) but test versions were unstable at that speed, forcing a redesign of the aerodynamics. In May, 2005, a prototype Veyron tested at a Volkswagen track near Wolfsburg, Germany recorded an electronically limited top speed of 400km/h (247mph). In October, 2005, Car and Driver magazine's editor Csaba Csere test drove the final production version of the Veyron for the November 2005 issue. This test, at Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track, reached a top speed of 407.5km/h (253.2mph). The top speed was verified once again by James May on Top Gear, again at Volkswagen's private test track, when the car hit 407.9km/h (253mph), which equated to precisely one-third of supersonic speed at sea level. When getting close to the top speed during the test he said that "the tires will only last for about fifteen minutes, but it's OK because the fuel runs out in twelve minutes." He also gave an indication of the power requirements, at 249km/h (155mph) the Veyron was using approximately 270bhp (201kW), but to get to its rated 407km/h (253mph) top speed required far more from the engine. Aerodynamic friction or drag is proportional to the square of the speed; for example doubling speed quadruples drag. Work is a product of force applied over a distance travelled. Comparing a vehicle travelling at 100mph (160km/h) with one travelling at 200mph (320km/h), over a given period of time (e.g. 1 second), the faster vehicle must overcome 4 times the aerodynamic drag, and travel twice the distance of the slower one. Thus it does 8 times the work of the slower vehicle in that period of time. As power is work done / time taken it follows that the faster vehicle, travelling at twice the speed requires 8 times the power of the slower one. German inspection officials recorded an average top speed of 408.47km/h (253.8mph) during test sessions on the Ehra Lessien test track on April 19, 2005. The car's everyday top speed is listed at 375km/h (233mph). When the car reaches 220km/h (137mph), hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 8.9cm (3½inches). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. This is the "handling mode", in which the wing helps provide 3425 newtons (770 pounds) of downforce, holding the car to the road. The driver must, using a special key (the "Top Speed Key"), toggle the lock to the left of his seat in order to attain the maximum (average) speed of 407km/h (253mph). The key functions only when the vehicle is at a stop when a checklist then establishes whether the car—and its driver—are ready to enable 'top speed' mode. If all systems are go, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers close and the ground clearance, normally 12.5cm (4.9inches), drops to 6.5cm (2.6inches). Acceleration The Veyron is the quickest production car to reach 100km/h (62mph) with a proven time of 2.5 seconds. It reaches 60mph (97km/h) in approximately 2.46 seconds. This is an average acceleration of 1.18 g. The forward acceleration in a Veyron may also be strong enough to cause head-up illusion, which gives passengers the impression of driving up a slope, very much like what is commonly experienced in a jet liner that accelerates for take off. This could arguably lead to false perception of stopping distances. The Veyron reaches 200 and 300km/h (124 and 186mph) in 7.4 and 16.7 seconds respectively. And according to the February 2007 issue of Road & Track Magazine, the Veyron accomplished the quarter mile in 10.2 seconds at a speed of 142.9mph (230.0km/h). Other tests, however, have the Veyron hitting 150mph (240km/h) in 9.8 seconds (see below), so the quarter mile time is actually faster, making the Veyron the most rapidly accelerating production car in history. Fuel Consumption The Veyron consumes more fuel than any other production car, using 40.4L/100km (6.99mpgimp/5.82mpgUS) in city driving and 24.1L/100km (11.7mpgimp/9.76mpgUS) in combined cycle. At full throttle, it uses more than 115L/100km (2.46mpgimp/2.05mpgUS), which would empty its 100L (26US gal/22imp gal) fuel tank in just 12 minutes 46 seconds. Braking The Veyron's brakes use unique cross-drilled and turbine-vented carbon rotors which draw in cooling air to reduce fade. The front calipers have eight titanium pistons and the rear calipers have six pistons. Bugatti claims maximum deceleration of 1.3g on road tires. Prototypes have been subjected to repeated 1.0g braking from 194 to 50mph (312 to 80km/h) without fade. With the car's acceleration from 50 to 194mph (80 to 312km/h), that test can be performed every 22 seconds. At speeds above 124mph (200km/h), the rear wing also acts as an airbrake, snapping to a 55-degree angle in 0.4 seconds once brakes are applied, providing 0.68 g (4.9m/s²) of deceleration (equivalent to the stopping power of an ordinary hatchback). Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from 400km/h (249mph) to a standstill in less than 10 seconds. The Veyron's performance was tested by Top Gear's Richard Hammond in a race against a Eurofighter Typhoon. Final numbers Production figures 2005: 5 2006: 44 2007: 83 Critics and comments Previews Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1 (which for many years was the fastest production car ever built) said the following about the Bugatti Veyron in UK auto magazine evo during its development period: Murray was impressed with the Veyron after he test drove one, but still apprehensive about it in an article he wrote for Road and Track magazine. Reviews After the car had reached production, Murray went on to write an article for another UK auto magazine, Top Gear, retracting a lot of his past criticism of the car. He also declared in the article that: "The braking is phenomenal. ... And the primary ride and body control are impressive too" and "It's a huge achievement."[citation needed] The trend of backtracking on negative comments about the Veyron continued when prominent UK car show host Jeremy Clarkson declared on Top Gear that it was "The best car ever made" after initially saying it was ridiculous and would never exist. He would later extend this by saying he would spend the night with British reality TV star Jade Goody (whom Clarkson vehemently dislikes) to get his hands on one.[citation needed] The Veyron was proclaimed the Top Gear Magazine Car of the Year for 2005 along with the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1. The Veyron was also declared the Grand Award winner for the Autotech category of 2006 by Popular Science magazine Location Bugatti Rent Bugatti Аренда Bugatti Link : www.bugatti.com

Cadillac	I promised a little history so here it is. I guess to start properly, I’ll have to go back to 1701 in what was known as “French North America.” A small party of men made their way upstream from Lake Erie. They stepped ashore on the west bank downstream from Lake Saint Clair. The officer commanding the detachment was a tall, handsome figure in thighboots, dark blue frock coat and red sash, white lace jabot and cuffs—his blue cocked hat and sword at his side, symbols of leadership and authority from a noble family. It was decided to build a stockade and establish a trading post and a permanent settlement where they were. It was to be called Ville d’Etroit. The name of the man who just established the site of what was to ultimately be called Detroit was Le Sieur Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Fast forward to February 16, 1843 near Barton, Vermont, when Zilpha, the wife of a farmer named Leander B. Leland, presented her husband with their sixth son. He was named Henry Martyn Leland. His Quaker parents taught him Christian ethics and a set of moral standards to guide him throughout life with an emphasis on practical Christianity—square dealing, kindness, and assistance to others. He also received patient instruction in everyday duties on the farm—the necessity for doing every job properly, no matter how small. Henry went to work at the age of 11 and began showing his aptitude for improving methods. He developed a way to peg soles that enabled him, as a schoolboy, to earn money comparable to adult pay levels. He later went to work at Colt (who had produced the first successful revolver) as a mechanic and made precision his passion. Then he went to work for another company called Brown and Sharpe, prosperous manufacturers of precision machinery where he enhanced his precision standards. They produced the first practical quantity produced hand micrometers with compensation for wear and accurate to one-thousandth of an inch in measurement. They advertised their tools as "The World’s Standard of Accuracy." Leland later began to think seriously about his own business and was attracted to the city of Detroit where he had a friend with a business selling machine tools. He met a wealthy man named Robert C. Faulconer and convinced him the city had a need for machine shops and they created the firm of Leland, Faulconer, and Norton in Detroit in 1890. Their main work was gear grinding and the design and building of special tools. Their business was booming with an emphasis on gear making. The bicycle boom swept the country at this time and Leland was asked to design and develop trouble free gears. The gears were accurate to a half thousandth of an inch and fully interchangeable. The company then went into motive power, both steam and internal combustion which was shortly to prove invaluable. Down the road in Lansing, Michigan, Ransom Eli Olds founded the Olds Gasoline Engine Works. While he and his father built gasoline engines for farm use, early Olds vehicles were steam powered. By this time, the gasoline vehicle idea was making headway, following the pioneering work of Daimler and Benz in Germany in the mid 1880’s. Back in America, Olds joined a group of American inventors in the early nineties and completed one of the pioneer gasoline automobiles in Michigan. In 1897, the Olds Motor Vehicle Company was established. They had a big problem with the gears in their transmissions trying to make them mesh not to mention the fact that they were intolerably noisy. Olds went to Leland and Faulconer (now called L and F), to make a quiet running transmission where the gears were precision ground and interchangeable from car to car without any hand fitting. In 1901, L and F was given a contract to make two thousand engines for Olds. There were 2 other brothers named Dodge that also supplied engines for Olds. The Dodge engine produced about 3.0 horsepower while the Leland engine produced about 3.7 horsepower. The Leland engine ran at higher speeds and had lower friction than the Dodge engine thanks to closer machining due to the higher craftsmanship (some things never change! ). Leland realized that his expertise could be of great use in the new industry. He had his team improve their original engine which now developed 10.25 horsepower. Leland presented his newly developed engine to Olds but they were selling so many cars that they didn’t have a need for a new engine, especially one that would increase cost and delay production. This was disappointing for Leland but it wouldn’t be long before his engine got some use. In August of 1902, two men came to see Leland about a company they were trying to liquidate. It had been organized three years previously and was named the Detroit Automobile Company. It had only produced a few cars but the company failed in 1900. It was revived and reorganized a year later with the chief mechanic now in charge. He renamed it after himself. It was called the Henry Ford Company but Ford left after 3 months when the company was failing again. The investors claimed that Ford only wanted to build race cars but Ford said the company was in too much of a hurry to make a profit and had no long term plans. The investors, now trying to just get out, asked Leland to appraise their automobile plant and equipment for sale. Leland agreed and went to look the factory over. This gave him a tremendous idea. He went and got his new engine and took it for his meeting. When he later met with the investors, he told them “I believe you are making a great mistake in going out of business. The automobile has a great future. I have brought you a motor which we worked out at L and F. It has three times the power of the Olds motor. Its parts are interchangeable, and I can make these motors for you at less cost than the others for the Olds works and it is not temperamental” (which was a problem back then). Impressed by the man before them, they voted to continue the business and gave him the leading role in the company which now needed a new name. The investors hoped that their new company would be the first successful automobile company in Detroit so what more appropriate title than the one the great French adventurer had first brought to that very spot some two hundred years before? It was dubbed the Cadillac and shortly afterward, the Cadillac family crest was adopted (the design was prepared using the celebrated many-quartered shield surmounted by a seven-piked coronet and garlanded with a laurel wreath) and registered as a trademark. Cadillac became the first American automobile manufacturer to win the coveted Dewar Trophy for the standardization of automobile parts. The Dewar trophy was instituted in 1904 to encourage technical progress. It was sponsored by a wealthy member of the British Parliament, Sir Thomas Dewar. It was awarded annually to the company making the most important advancement in the automotive field. From the beginning, Leland stressed the concept of parts interchangeability. “No special fitting of and kind is permitted,” he wrote in a factory manual. “Craftsmanship a Creed, Accuracy a Law.” In 1908, Leland became the first industrialist to employ the Johannson Gauges for checking the accuracy of his tooling. They were the creation of a Swedish-American toolmaker named Carl Johannson. These devices were extremely accurate blocks which measured tolerances down to two-millionths of an inch. The Royal Automobile Club of Britain became aware of Lelands boastings so they decided to test them. They selected 3 Cadillacs out of 8, dismantled them, mixed in spare parts for good measure, and then were re-assembled with no special fitting which was unheard of at that time. Most parts were hand fitted. Each of the cars started immediately and were then driven for 500 miles with no problems. Cadillac became the only company to win a second Dewar Trophy for its revolutionary Delco system of electric starting, lighting, and ignition developed by Leland and Charles F. Kettering of the Datyon Engineering Laboratories. The Delco system was a breakthrough and was the forerunner of the automobile electrical system as we know it today. It was also a breakthrough for woman since they could now start a car with a push a button instead of having to wind that heavy crank. Another important part of Cadillac history is when it first caught the attention of William Crapo Durant in 1908, the founder of General Motors. Durant was the man who first envisioned the “diversified product line” form of marketing, an idea which would make GM the industry’s dominant force in later years. He wanted to be able to offer someone their first automobile and as that person grew older and attained status in life, to be able to move that person through his automobile ranks ultimately achieving a new Cadillac. Durant started by buying Buick in 1904. It was a successful franchise that enabled him to acquire the Olds Motor Works in 1908. That same year, Durant’s desire for a high-quality product aimed at the price range just above Buick led him to offer Leland $3 million for Cadillac. Leland held out for $3.5 million and Durant declined. After more success at Cadillac, Durant tried again but Leland had upped the price to $4.125 million and then $4.5 million! Leland finally accepted and Durant actually paid in cash that he had earned from Buick. He invited Leland to stay on and run Cadillac until he finally left in 1917 when his control over Cadillac was waning. Leland later went on to found Cadillac’s biggest competitor—the Lincoln Motor Company! On January 2, 1915, a Cadillac ad appeared in the Saturday Evening Post that has become a classic. It was chosen one of the 100 greatest advertisements of all time. It was written by Theodore F. MacManus and is considered by some to be the greatest of all advertisements. There were no pictures or artwork—just text. It really makes you think. It is called “The Penalty of Leadership” In every field of human endeavor, he that is first must perpetually live in the white light of publicity. Whether the leadership be vested in a man or in a manufactured product, emulation and envy are ever at work. In art, in literature, in music, in industry, the reward and the punishment are always the same. The reward is widespread recognition; the punishment, fierce denial and detraction. When a man’s work becomes a target for the shafts of the envious few. If his work be merely mediocre, he will be left severely alone if he achieves a masterpiece, it will set a million tongues a-wagging. Jealousy alone does not protrude its forked tongue at the artist who produces a commonplace painting. Whatsoever you write, or paint, or play, or sing, or build, no one will strive to surpass, or to slander you, unless your work be stamped with the seal of genius. Long, long after a great work or a good work has been done, those who are disappointed or envious continue to cry out that it cannot be done. Spiteful little voices in the domain of art were raised against our own Whistler as a mountebank, long after the big world had acclaimed him its greatest artistic genius. Multitudes flocked to Bayreuth to worship at the musical shrine of Wagner, while the little group of those whom he had dethroned and displaced argued angrily that he was no musician at all. The little world continued to protest that Fulton could never build a steamboat, while the big world flocked to the river banks to see his oat steam by. The leader is assailed because he is a leader, and the effort to equal him is merely added proof of that leadership. Failing to equal or excel, the follower seeks to depreciate and to destroy—but only confirms once more the superiority of that which he strives to supplant. There is nothing new in this. It is as old as the world and as old as the human passions—envy, fear, greed, ambition and the desire to surpass. And it all avails nothing. If the leader truly leads, he remains—the leader. Master-poet, master-painter, master-workman, each in his turn is assailed, and each holds his laurels through the ages. That which is good or great makes itself known, no matter how loud the clamor of denial. That which deserves to live—lives. Excerpts were taken from: The Cadillac Century, Cadillac—Standard of Excellence, Cadillac—The Complete History Location Cadillac Rent Cadillac Аренда Cadillac Link : www.cadillac.com

Caterham	TIP: Click any image above to enlarge. CATERHAM HISTORY '''Caterham Cars''' are a manufacturer of specialist lightweight sports cars based in Caterham, Surrey, England and part of the British motor industry. Their only model, the Caterham 7, is a direct development of the Lotus Seven designed by Colin Chapman. The founder of Caterham Cars, Graham Nearn, purchased the rights to manufacture the Lotus 7 design from Chapman in 1973. The cars are constructed from aluminium sheet attached to a tubular steel chassis, brazed together by hand. Their extremely high performance is achieved through light weight (less than 500 kg on some versions) rather than particularly powerful engines. The most extreme engine/chassis combination available from the factory as of 2004 was the R500 with the 230 bhp (169 kW) MG Rover engine, bringing the car's 430 kg (948 lb) from zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. This model also has the current production car world record (as of 27 April 2004) for 0-100-0 mph at 10.73 seconds. However, the new Caterham CSR model surpasses the R500 in power, and in 2005 may be expected to take the records for itself. Caterham buyers often assemble their cars themselves and usually modify them heavily, installing better engines, gearboxes and suspension. Caterham also produced a model called the '21' during the late-90's. Mechanically the 21 was almost identical to the 7, but instead of the uncompromising open body and wheels, the car had a much more mainstream roadster body, including a proper windscreen and fold-away hood. The model was launched following the success of similar models from Mazda and MG, however while a good car, the 21 never sold particularly well and was killed off after only a few years. Model Line-up Classic The old school Caterham that used to have a live rear axle that is generally believed to have a poorer handling on rough roads. Now only available with the de dion axle. Engine: 1.4-litre (105 bhp). Roadsport An updated rear suspension with a deDion axle and optional Watts linkage, paired with an adjustable anti roll bar allows for a more detailed control of the rear wheels during heavy cornering. Engines: 1.6 and 1.8-litre (115 to 160 bhp). SV Same construction as the Roadsport, but lengthened by 80 mm and widened by 110 mm. This results in a somewhat less cramped interior at the price of 25 kg (55 lb) extra weight. The handling penalty of the additional weight is offset by the wider stance of the front and rear wheels. Engines: 1.6 and 1.8-litre (115 to 160 bhp). Superlight A pure track version of the Roadsport with glass fibre nose cones, fenders and other parts replaced by carbon fibre. The windshield has been replaced with a wind deflector, making a helmet more or less mandatory while driving or traveling. Engines: 1.8-litre (160 to 230 bhp). CSR Introduced in late 2004, these new models are similar in size to the SV but are in fact a completely new chassis with independent rear suspension and inboard, push rod style front suspension. They use Ford Duratec engines tuned by the Cosworth company instead of the old MG Rover powerplants. Engines: 2.3-litre (200 to 260 bhp). It is expected to provide extremely high performancem with 0 - 60 Mph times of 3.1 seconds. Engines Historically, engines have been supplied by Ford, using the Ford Kent engine or a Cosworth-derived race-prepared BDG unit, enlarged to 1.7 litres and generating 150 bhp. In the late 80s, Caterham started using powerplants from various sources, with the least expensive models using a 1.4-litre K series from MG Rover for the base model, followed by a Ford Zetec 1.8-litre and a race-tuned Opel engine at the top, capable of achieving 175 or 210 bhp. In 2001, Caterham entered a partnership with MG Rover, where the British manufacturer became the sole supplier for factory-built Sevens (Ford Zetec, Honda Fireblade, Yamaha Firebird or Suzuki Hayabusa engines were available for home assembly). These were based on the K series and carried the Xpower branding. The partnership apparently came to an end with the introduction of the 2005 model, now powered by a Ford Duratec engine. The output from these power plants range from 140 to approximately 300 bhp, depending on modifications carried out on them. The gearbox is either the classic Ford Ford T9 five speed or the Caterham in house six speed box. The T9 is cheap and durable, but has gear ratios meant for a much heavier car. The six speed gearbox is expensive but is also considered the perfect match for the Seven. Independent companies such as Quaife provides replacement gearkits for the T9 and even sequential boxes for those with a racing fever and a large wallet. Caterham have previously also made the Caterham 21 model but this was not a sales success and has been discontinued. The 21 used the 7 tube frame chassis with a plastic bodyshell on top. All engines available throughout the 7 range could be used, but Caterham recommended the 210 bhp Opel VHPD powerplant. Motor racing Due to its low cost, the Caterham has been a favourite among club racers since the beginning of its career. In the United Kingdom, the Caterham is used in a variety of one-make series and sports car championships, both national and regional. Due to its power-to-weight ratio, the Caterham has proved successful against bigger and more powerful sportscars, to the point that it has been banned from FIA competitions and most international races, coining the phrase "too fast to race". Location Caterham Rent Caterham Аренда Caterham Link : www.caterham.fr

Chevrolet	In 1911, Chevrolet Motor Company of Michigan is incorporated in November of 1911 by Louis Chevrolet, William Little and Edwin Cambell, William Durant's son-in-law. Headquarters are in Detroit. On September 13, 1915, Durant incorporates Chevrolet Motor Co. of Delaware. The new corporation includes the original Chevrolet Motor Company and becomes a holding company for auto companies Durant had put together after losing control of GM. In 1916, Durant announces that Chevrolet owns 54.5 percent of GM's outstanding shares and takes over the GM presidency from Charles W. Nash, who had been GM president from 1912 to 1916. In 1918, General Motors buys the operating assets of Chevrolet Motor Company in May. In 1921, GM decides to proceed with commercial application of Kettering's 'copper-cooled' engine, intended to replace the traditional piston engine. The initial target is to put the copper-cooled engine in all of Chevrolet Division's cars. The program is officially ended in 1923, with a total of fewer than 800 copper-cooled engines ever being produced and only 300 sold to dealers, all of which are recalled by GM. In 1923, GM's first European assembly plant is established in Copenhagen under the name General Motors International A/S. It is to build Chevrolets for sale in Scandinavian countries, the Baltics, and Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary and Russia. The first GM vehicle assembled outside the U.S. and Canada, a Chevrolet utility truck, comes off the Copenhagen assembly line on January 7, 1924. In 1924, William S. Knudsen becomes president of Chevrolet and joins the GM Board of Directors. In 1929, Chevrolet introduces its new six-cylinder engine for use in commercial vehicles. This engine is nicknamed 'the cast iron wonder' for its remarkable durability. In 1935, Chevrolet introduces the Suburban Carryall, a 1/2-ton truck with seating capacity for eight. In 1950, Chevrolet introduces the Powerglide transmission, becoming the first competitor in the low-price field to offer fully automatic shifting. In 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette is introduced. It is the first volume production sports car and the first production car with a plastic body to be produced in quantity. In 1954, Chevrolet introduces small-block V-8 engine on 1955 trucks. In 1958, Chevrolet introduces the El Camino, designed to combine big car comfort with the utility of a pickup truck, as a 1959 model. In 1959, Chevrolet introduces the Corvair. As part of the 1962 model year, Chevrolet introduces a new line of smaller cars, the Chevy II. In 1962, The U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, charges GM and three Chevrolet dealer trade associations in criminal and civil suits for violation of the Sherman Act by restricting sales of Chevrolets in the Los Angeles area through discount houses. In 1966, the U.S. District Court for Southern California enters the final judgment enjoining GM from conspiring with any group or association of Chevrolet dealers to limit sales by such dealers or through discount houses or referral services. In 1963, Chevrolet introduces its midsize Malibu as a 1964 model. In 1966, Chevrolet introduces the F-body Camaro as a 1967 model. The following January, Pontiac introduces the Firebird, its third line of cars, as a 1967 model. In 1968, Six passenger car and truck assembly plants previously operated by Fisher Body and Chevrolet Motor Division are transferred to the management of GM Assembly Division. Chevrolet is to have additional responsibility of engineering, producing and distributing a new American-built small car. In 1969, Chevrolet announces that it is discontinuing production of Corvair. In 1975, Chevrolet introduces the Chevette in October. This U.S.-built T-car was first designed by Opel and is also manufactured by GM subsidiaries in Argentina, Brazil and England and sold under the names Kadett, Chevette, Gemini and K-180. In 1976, GM introduces its downsized Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac full-size and luxury cars in September. In 1979, GM introduces newly designed front-wheel-drive compact cars, the Buick Skylark, Chevrolet Citation, Oldsmobile Omega and Pontiac Phoenix X-body models. In 1981, GM's new worldwide Truck & Bus Group is formed with responsibility for the design, engineering, manufacture, sales and service of all GM trucks, buses and vans in North America and throughout the world. In 1982, the truck manufacturing and assembly operations of GM Assembly Division, Chevrolet Motor Division, and GMC Truck and Coach Division are merged to form Truck & Bus Manufacturing Division. Headquarters for both are to be located in Pontiac, Michigan. In 1983, GM and Toyota Motor Corporation agree to form a joint venture, New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), to produce a small Chevrolet automobile in the Fremont, Calif., assembly plant previously operated by GM. The 1984 Chevrolet Corvette is introduced, with the car's first major styling change in 15 years. In 1988, Chevrolet introduces its Geo line of small vehicles with Geo Metro, Spectrum and Tracker. In 1993, Toyota and GM sign an unprecedented supply and sales agreement under which GM will build right-hand drive Chevrolet Cavaliers in the U.S. Toyota will purchase these models from GM and sell them in Japan. In 2001, The Chevrolet Cruze is launched in Japan. Developed by GM and its alliance partner Suzuki, the Cruze is the first GM vehicle to be built in Japan since the 1930s. General Motors announces that its Ste. Therese, Quebec plant, which builds the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, will close in September 2002 in conjunction with discontinuation of the Camaro and Firebird models. In 2002, the Chevrolet Corvette celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. In 2003, GM announces that the 2005 model year GMC Envoy XL, Envoy XUV and Chevrolet trailblazer EXT will be the first vehicles to showcase its innovative Displacement on Demand fuel-saving technology, which enhances fuel economy without compromising performance or the ability to carry heavy loads. Displacement on Demand is to be a standard feature in the vehicles' optional Vortec 5300 V-8 engine. The technology, which boosts the Vortec engine's fuel efficiency by 8 percent, is also to be introduced in other GM engines in the 2006 model year. The Chevrolet Corvette celebrates its fiftieth anniversary with a caravan of 5,000 Corvettes driven by owners from each of the 50 states converging at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky. GM Powertrain introduces its new Ecotec 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which is to be available on the all-new 2005 model year Chevrolet Cobalt. Bringing variable valve timing to the Ecotec engine family for the first time, the Ecotec 2.4-liter engine offers improved low-end torque and fewer emissions than the previous 2.2-liter version. In 2004, for a record sixth time, Chevrolet Corvette is picked as the official pace car for the classic Indianapolis 500 race. General Motors delivers the world's first full-size hybrid pickup truck to Miami-Dade County during the tenth National Clean Cities Conference. The hybrid Chevrolet Silverado delivers up to 12 percent fuel economy improvement over comparable pickups, giving it the best highway fuel economy of any full-size truck on the market. Hybrid versions of both the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Silverado pickup are scheduled to go on sale in the fall. Location Chevrolet Rent Chevrolet Аренда Chevrolet Link : www.chevrolet.com

Chrysler	-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chrysler Corporation The Chrysler Corporation was a United States-based automobile manufacturer that existed independently from 1925–1998. Chrysler and its subsidiaries became part of the German-American based DaimlerChrysler AG after being purchased by Daimler-Benz in 1998. Before being taken over in 1998, Chrysler Corporation traded under the "C" symbol on the NYSE. The U.S. operations are generally referred to today as the "Chrysler Group." History The company was formed by Walter Percy Chrysler on June 6, 1925, with the remaining assets of Maxwell Motor Company. In 1928 Chrysler founded the Plymouth brand at the low end, the DeSoto brand at the low-medium end and purchased the Dodge Brothers automobile company; all of this was in order to set up a full range of brands similar to that of the General Motors corporation. This process reached its logical conclusion in 1955, when the Imperial was made a brand of its own and Chrysler marketed a GM-like five-brand lineup. Well before then, though, Chrysler Corporation had become noted both for its engineering features as well as its periodic financial crises. By the end of the 1930s, the DeSoto and Dodge divisions would flip-flop spots in the corporate pecking order making the lineup Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial. In the 1930s, the company introduced the Chrysler Airflow, featuring an advanced streamlined body which was among the first to be designed according to scientific aerodynamic principles. Chrysler also created the industry's first wind tunnel to develop them. Unfortunately, it was not well accepted by the public, and it was the humble Dodge and Plymouth divisions, which had not been given an Airflow model, which pulled the firm through the Depression years with its conventional but quite popular bodystyles. Plymouth was one of only a few marques that actually incresed sales during the cash-strapped thirties. It was during this decade that the company created a formal parts division under the Mopar (Motor Parts) brand, with the result that Chrysler products are still often called Mopars. The unsuccessful Airflow had a chilling effect on Chrysler styling and marketing, which remained determinedly unadventurous through the 1940s and into the 1950s, with the single exception of the installation of hidden headlights on the very brief production run of the 1942 DeSotos. Engineering advances continued however, and in 1951 the firm introduced the first of a long and famous series of Hemi V8s. In 1955, things brightened after the questionable designs of the 1953 and 1954 Chryslers with the introduction of Virgil Exner's successful Forward Look style. With these cars, Chrysler seized the industry's design leadership and produced several genuine classics, most notably the 1956 Plymouth Fury and the 1957 Chrysler 300C. With the inauguration of the second generation Forward Look cars for 1957, Torshion-Aire was introduced. This was not air suspension, but an indirect-acting-torsion-spring suspension system which drastically reduced unsprung weight and shifted the car's center of gravity downward and rearward, resulting in both a smoother ride and significantly improved handling. However, a rush to production led to quality-control problems (mostly related to body fit and finish resulting in major rust-out issues), and coupled with a national recession, soon the company was once again found itself in recovery mode. As the 1960s opened, the firm made both good and bad moves. In 1960, Chrysler introduced unibody construction in its cars, the first to offer it of the Big Three, across the board, excepting the Imperial. This gave the body more rigidity and less rattles and would soon become an industry standard. Its new compact line, the Valiant, opened strong and continued to gain market share for well over a decade. Valiant was introduced as a division of its own but would become adopted by Plymouth in 1961. Alternators would replace generators in the 1960 Valiant and then all of the 1961 models as standard equipment, an industry first. The DeSoto marque was axed after the introduction of the 1961 models due in part to the broad array of the Dodge lines being marketed and the general neglect of the division. The same affliction plagued Plymouth as it also suffered when Dodge crept into Plymouth's price range. (This would eventually lead to the demise of Plymouth several decades down the raod.) An ill-advised downsizing of the full-size Dodge and Plymouth lines in 1962 hurt sales and profitability for several years. In April 1964, the Plymouth Barracuda, which was technically a Valiant sub-series, was introduced. The huge glass rear window gave the impression of a hatchback with its "love-it-or-hate-it" styling. Beating the Ford Mustang to the market by almost two weeks, it could be argued that the Barracuda was really the first pony car. However, unlike the Mustang, it did not rob sales of other division's models. In spite of better build quality than the Mustang, the Mustang still outsold the Barracuda 10-to-1 between April 1964 and August 1965. In 1966, Chrysler expanded into Europe, by taking over the British Rootes Group, and Simca of France to form Chrysler Europe. The former purchase unfortunately turned out to be a major mistake for the company, inheriting a major industrial relations problem which afflicted the British motor industry at the time, coupled to the archaic factories and outdated product range that Rootes manufactured. Chrysler retired all of the Rootes marques in favor of the Chrysler name. The Simca division was more successful, but in the end the various problems were overwhelming and the firm gained little from these ventures. More successfully, at this same time the company helped create the muscle car market in the U.S., first by producing a street version of its Hemi racing engine and then by introducing a legendary string of affordable but high-performance vehicles such as the Plymouth GTX, Plymouth Road Runner, and Dodge Charger. The racing success of several of these models on the NASCAR circuit burnished the company's reputation for engineering. The 1970s brought both success and crisis. The aging but stalwart compacts saw a rush of sales as demand for smaller cars crested after the first gas crisis of 1973. However, an expensive investment in an all-new full-size lineup went largely to waste as the new 1974 vehicles appeared almost precisely as gasoline prices reached a peak and large-car sales collapsed; that same year marked the end of Barracuda production — 10 years to the day. At mid-decade, the company scored a conspicuous success with its first entry in the personal luxury car market, the Chrysler Cordoba. However, the introduction of the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare twins in 1976 did not repeat the success of the discontinued Valiant/Dodge Dart line, and the company had delayed in producing an entry in the now all-important subcompact market. Problems were mutliplying abroad as well, as Chrysler Europe essentially collapsed in 1977. It was offloaded to Peugeot the following year, ironically just after having helped design the new Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni, on which the increasingly-desperate company was pinning its hopes. Shortly thereafter, Chrysler Australia, which was now producing a rebadged Japanese Mitsubishi Galant, was sold to Mitsubishi Motors. The subcompact Horizon was just beginning to reach the U.S. market when the second gas crisis struck, devastating sales of Chrysler's larger cars and trucks, and the company now had no strong compact line to fall back on. In desperation, the Chrysler Corporation on September 7, 1979, petitioned the United States government for US$1 billion in loan guarantees to avoid bankruptcy. At the same time, Lee Iacocca, a former Ford executive, was brought in to take the position of CEO, and proved a capable public spokesman for the firm. A somewhat reluctant Congress passed the "Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act of 1979" (Public Law 96-185) on December 20, 1979 (signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on January 7, 1980), prodded by Chrysler workers and dealers in every congressional district who feared the loss of their livelihoods. With such help and a few innovative cars (such as the K-car platform), especially the invention of the minivan concept, a market where Chrysler brands are still important, Chrysler avoided bankruptcy and slowly fought its way back up. By the early 1980s, the loans were being repaid at a brisk pace and new models based on the K-car platform were selling well. A joint venture with Mitsubishi called Diamond Star Motors strengthened the company's hand in the small-car market. The acquisition of AMC by Chrysler in 1987, mostly for its Jeep brand, bolstered the firm further, although Chrysler was still the weakest of the Big Three American auto makers. In the early 1990s, Chrysler made its first tentative steps back into Europe, setting up car production in Austria, and beginning right-hand drive manufacture of certain Jeep models in a 1993 return to the UK market. The continuing popularity of Jeep, bold new models for the domestic market such as the Dodge Ram pickup, Dodge Viper sports car, and Plymouth Prowler hot rod, and new "cab forward" front wheel drive sedans put the company in a strong position as the decade waned. Daimler-Benz merger Chrysler merged in 1998 with Daimler-Benz to form DaimlerChrysler AG. This was initially touted as a merger of equals, but within a couple of years the truth was evident; it was effectively a buyout of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz, with the latter being very much the dominant partner. As if on cue, the company went into another of its financial tailspins soon after the merger, greatly depressing the stock price of the merged firm and causing serious alarm at headquarters in Germany, which sent new CEO Jurgen Schremp to take charge. The Plymouth brand was phased out in 2001 and plans for cost-cutting by sharing of platforms and components began. The strongly Mercedes-influenced Chrysler Crossfire was one of the first results of this program. A return to rear wheel drive was announced, and in 2004, a new Chrysler 300 using this technology and a new Hemi V8 appeared and became a solid hit. Ironically, by most standards, Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler vehicles have surpassed the parent Mercedes in quality. Financial performance began to improve somewhat, with Chrysler now providing the lion's share of DCX profits, but the long-standing partnership with Mitsubishi appeared to be unraveling as DaimlerChrysler divested its stake in that firm. On April 7, 2005, a conclusion was announced by U.S. District Judge Joseph Farnan Jr. presiding over a bench trial in Wilmington, Delaware between Kirk Kerkorian and DaimlerChrysler AG regarding allegations that Jürgen Schrempp of Daimler Benz AG, prior to the 1998 merger, lied and manipulated the Security Exchange Commission and Chrysler Corporation's shareholders (the largest of which was Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Corporation) by touting the 1998 merger as a merger of equals, and not an outright acquisition. The judge was found to be in favor of DaimlerChrysler's position by rejecting Kerkorian's case. However, another case (based on the same merit) was settled in 2003 for $300 million to other shareholders. The Kerkorian case called for many more causes of action that undoubtedly needed to be carefully dealt with and took over one year to decide on. Logos The design shown at the top of the page is an adaptation of the original winged logo which Chrysler used on its cars at its inception in 1925. The logo was revived for the Chrysler division in the mid-1990s, and was surrounded by a pair of silver wings after the Daimler-Benz merger in 1998. In 1963, the company had switched over to a star design which became known as the Pentastar (right) and was extensively used on dealer signage, advertisements, and promotional brochures. Contrary to popular belief, it was not designed to symbolize the five divisions of the corporation at the time, Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, Imperial and Dodge Truck. By 1963 there were only two auto divisions in the United States, Chrysler-Plymouth and Dodge. As well there were over a dozen other divisions in the Chrysler Corporation family, and management were after a symbol that all divisions could use. Then Chrysler head Lynn Townsend was looking for a symbol that could be used by all divisions, on packaging, stationery, signage, advertising, etc. He wanted something that would be universally recognizable as "Chrysler" to anyone who saw it, from any perspective, from any culture. Chrysler's trademark symbol, the pentastar, was simple and easily recognizable from any perspective, even in motion on revolving signs. The symbol also facilitated Chrysler's expansion in the international market by removing the need to translate any text that is commonly used on logos. Thus all divisions of Chrysler adopted the Pentastar. All car brands (Valiant, Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, Imperial, Hillman, Humber, Sunbeam, Singer, Simca), truck brands (Fargo, DeSoto, Dodge, Commer, Karrier), and all the other Chrysler divisions (air conditioning systems, heating, industrial engines, marine engines, outboard motors, boats, transmissions, four wheel drive systems, powdered metal products, adhesives, chemical products, plastics, electronics, tanks, missiles) and services (leasing and finance) were identified by the Pentastar. It united the firm's various products and services in the public's eye as no other auto firm has done. The Pentastar appeared consistently but inconspicuously on the lower passenger-side fender of all Chrysler products, including foreign brands from 1964-71. It was placed on the passenger-side fender so it could be viewed by passers-by, a subtle method of getting the symbol ingrained in the public's mind. A nameplate has to be read, but a symbol is recognizable even to the illiterate. Thus North American and French cars had the Pentastar on the right fender and British on the left. The practice was revived in the 1990's. Beginning in 1981, the Pentastar replaced individual logos that had been used by Plymouth, Dodge and Chrysler and had in some cases identfied individual models, such as the Chrysler New Yorker in uses such as hood ornaments and decklid badges. By 1993, Chrysler started to phase out the Pentastar, with Dodge getting its own "Ram" logo, and by 1995, Chrysler revived the rosette symbol it had used prior to the Pentastar; Plymouth was given a new sailboat logo. The Pentastar's last badging appearance was on the steering wheel and keys of the Chrysler minivans produced from 1996 through 2000. Currently the only remaining traces of this motif are a large, star-shaped window at DaimlerChrysler's American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and Pentastar Aviation, a former DaimlerChrysler subsidiary which reverted to its original name after being purchased, ironically, by a member of the Ford family. It is also likely that many dealerships still have signage and other traces still visually apparent to the Pentastar. Today, glass on Chrysler Group cars and trucks still have the Pentastar on them, however, its days appear to be numbered. Location Chrysler Rent Chrysler Аренда Chrysler Link : www.chrysler.com

Dodge	The Dodge brothers started their business making spares for Ford, and other car makers. Since the fist automobile was produced in 1914, the company has grown significantly to acquire a reputation of being the reliable car-producer. As of 2005, it has been primarily known for its trucks, making nearly 78% of all market sales. However, the first Dodge trucks were not introduced until 1926, two years before the company was purchased by Chrysler. The last original Dodge truck was designed in 1929, shortly after its acquisition by Chrysler. Since 1933, Dodge trucks has abandoned their engines, using Chrysler engines, and borrowing from DeSoto and Plymouth. These were six cylinder engines, used until 1960. The year 1936 witnessed the introduction of a new series of Dodge trucks, prominent for their fore-point load distribution. However, the six-cylinder engine remained unchanged, producing seventy horsepower from 201 cubic inches. In 1937 the cylinder was enlarged to 218 cubic inches, sufficient for producing 75 horsepower. Another redesign occurred in 1939, entailing numerous changes. Dodge was one of two automakers to produce its own diesel engines before World War II, the other being Mack. B-Trucks were introduced in the postwar period at the same time as Ford pickups. They had a great cab, providing better visibility owing to large glass area and taller seats. While Dodge pickup trucks of the B series enjoyed wide popularity, the C series introduced more powerful trucks with V8 engines, producing 145 horsepower. In the early 1950's, Hemi engines were introduced, starting with 133 horsepower and moving gradually to 172 horsepower. A few years later, a once successful C series trucks was updated. This resulted in the new name - Power Giant, introduced by Dodge in 1957. The next year brought the growth of each model's wheelbase by more than six inches, along with the stronger frames. Other major changes included approaching to the 34 inch cross members, which are seen now as the industry's standard. This resulted in the increased durability and capacity of trucks. The subsequent years witnessed many technological advances and improvements. Among the current Dodge trucks, produced by the company are the Dodge Dakota (introduced first in 1987 with the latest redesign in 2005), Dodge Ram (1981) and Dodge Sprinter (1995). Historic Dodge trucks include Dodge A100, produced by Chrysler in the 1960's; Dodge B Series, the name of two different vehicles: a van and a pickup truck; Dodge C Series, produced from the 1950's through 1975; Dodge D Series, a line of pickup trucks sold during the period of 1961-1980; Dodge Power Wagon, produced from 1945 through 1968; Dodge Rampage, released first in 1982 and declined two years later, and the Dodge Ram 50, produced by Mitsubishi Motors in the late 1970's, and sold by the Chrysler Corporation till 1993. In 1962, the Franks established the Early Dodge Motor Home, which then changed its name to Dodge Motor Home. In 1963, the company was sold and renamed in Travco two years later to avoid conflicts with other car-makers. Location Dodge Rent Dodge Аренда Dodge Link : www.dodge.com

Ferrari	Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena Italy on February 18 1898. He came from a well to do family that owned a metal foundry making railroad parts, they were the first in his town to own a car. When WWI came Enzo’s father and brother (Dino) were drafted into the Italian army, whom both died from influenza in 1916. Enzo was forced to leave school to run the foundry, when the business collapsed he started work as a metalworker at the Modena Fire Brigade workshop in order to support his widowed mother. Enzo himself was later drafted into the Italian army where he worked shoeing mules for the mountain artillery, after a few months he becomming seriously ill and was released from the military. Not interested in going back to shcool and against his mothers will, he found work as a test driver in Turin in late 1918. Enzo then moved to Milan to work at CMN (Costruzioni Maccaniche Nazionali) as a racing car driver. His first real race came in the 1919, the Parma-Berceto, he then entered the Targa Florio that same year. Enzo then founded Scuderia Ferrari, (literally means Ferrari Stable) who were mainly sponsers and trainers for Alfa Romeo. He was officially hired by Alfa Romeo as head of their racing department in 1938, then in 1940, upon learning of the company’s plan to take control of his beloved Scuderia, he quit Alfa. Since he was prohibited by contract from racing for several years, the Scuderia briefly became Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari, which ostensibly produced machine tools and aircraft accessories for Piaggio and RIV as Italy was gearing up for WWII. Ferrari did in fact produce one race car, the Tipo 815, in the non-competition period; it was thus the first actual Ferrari car, but due to the war it saw little competition. In 1943 the Ferrari factory moved to Maranello, where it has remained ever since. The factory was bombed in 1944 due to making machines for ball bearing production, it was rebuilt in 1946 to include a works for road car production. The first Ferrari road car was the 1947 125 S, powered by a 1.5-litre V12 engine; Enzo reluctantly built and sold his automobiles to fund the Scuderia. Since then, company cars, driven by the best drivers, have racked up over 5,000 successes on race tracks and roads all over the world, creating a legend. The most important achievements have been 9 Formula 1 Drivers’ World titles, 14 Manufacturers’ World titles, 8 Formula 1 Constructors’ World Championships, 9 wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours race, 8 at the Mille Miglia, 7 at the Targa Florio, and, up to the end of 1997, 113 wins in Formula 1 Grands Prix. WhileÂ Enzo’s beautiful and blazingly fast cars quickly gained a reputation for excellence, Enzo maintained a famous distaste for his customers, most of whom he felt were buying his cars for the prestige and not for racing. Ferrari has long been one of the ultimate toys for the rich and young (or young-at-heart). Ferrari cars feature highly-tuned small V8 and V12 engines, often in a mid-engined configuration. But until the introduction of fuel injection in the 1980s, they were quite temperamental and were dificult to maintain. Before the mid 1980s they carried a reputation for unreliability and bad engineering, though these were written off by enthusiasts as “character.” Ferrari owners have famously and religiously defended the merits of their cars while virulently criticizing other brands. In 1969, to meet growing market demand, Enzo Ferrari sold 50% of the share capital to the Fiat Group, and investment that increased to 90% in 1988. In spite of this Ferrari has always maintained a strong autonomy, thanks to its specialist activities. Enzo Ferrari died in Modena on August 14, 1988. As of the writing of this article, FIAT owns 56% of Ferrari, Mediobanca owns 15%, Commerzbank AG owns 10%, Lehman Brothers owns 7%, and Enzo’s son Piero Ferrari owns 10%. Location Ferrari Rent Ferrari Аренда Ferrari Link : www.ferrariworld.com

Hummer	In 1979, AM General began preliminary design work on the M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced Humvee, a 1.25-ton truck intended to replace the M151 and other light tactical vehicles. The U.S. Army awarded AM General a prototype contract in 1981 and the development and operational testing was conducted over a five-month period in 1982. In March 1983, AM General won an initial $1.2 billion contract to produce 55,000 Humvees to be delivered in five basic models and 15 different configurations over a five-year period. The Army subsequently increased their order with over 15,000 additional vehicles, raising the total contract order to 70,000 Humvees valued at $1.6 billion. The Humvee offers exceptional speed, mobility and agility and is built upon a multi-purpose platform, which will accommodate a broad range of configurations. Humvees feature full-time four-wheel drive, independent suspension, steep approach and departure angles, 60 percent gradeability and 16 inches of ground clearance. Humvees are currently in use by the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy at locations throughout the United States and overseas. In 1979, AM General began preliminary design work on the M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced Humvee®) In 1983, the LTV Corporation bought AM General from American Motors Corporation and established it as a wholly owned subsidiary of the LTV Aerospace and Defense Company. In 1984, the AM General headquarters moved from the American Motors AMTEK Building to Livonia, Michigan, and two years later to South Bend, Indiana, where the primary manufacturing operations were located. On January 2, 1985, AM General rolled the first HMMWV (aka. HUMMER) off the assembly line of their new South Bend facility. The first HMMWV was a standard Military vehicle. In 1989, AM General completed its remaining medium truck business and closed the Chippewa Avenue facilities in South Bend which had been acquired from Studebaker in 1964. In early 1990, the AM General headquarters relocated from Chippewa Avenue to its current offices in downtown South Bend. In August 1989, the U.S. Army awarded AM General a new multiyear contract for continued production of more then 33,000 Humvees. First deliveries under this new contract began in January 1990. Total value of this second multiyear contract was approximately $1 billion. Options raised the number of vehicles produced to nearly 50,000. The U.S. Army awarded AM General an additional contract in 1994.The latest U.S. Army contract, awarded in 2000, calls for the production of up to 31,474 additional Humvees through 2007. Over 175,000 vehicles have been built and delivered to the U.S. Armed Forces and more than 50 friendly overseas nations. The workhorse Humvee was very prominent in the U.S. military action in Panama in 1989-90, and even more so in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, where some 20,000 Humvees won high praise from U.S. troops. More recently, Humvees have played important roles in Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. Wherever American soldiers go, their Humvees go with them. In April 1992, The Renco Group, Inc. of New York City purchased AM General Corporation from LTV In 1992, AM General began production of versions of the Humvee, called the HUMMER for civilian use. Known as "the world's most serious 4x4," the vehicle has found favor with commercial users who appreciate the value of HUMMER's long life and amazing performance, and individuals who seek the ultimate in toughness and mobility. In 1999, AM General incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, General Engine Products, Inc., (GEP) and constructed a new plant in Franklin, Ohio, to build 6.5-liter diesel engines. GEP supplies service engines to General Motor's Service Parts Operation (SPO), and builds engines for AM General's use, as well as for other customers. In December 1999, AM General and General Motors Corporation finalized an agreement to jointly pursue product, marketing and distribution opportunities for HUMMER. GM acquired the exclusive ownership of the HUMMER brand name worldwide and the current HUMMER was renamed the HUMMER H1. In 2002, AM General began assembling the HUMMER H2, a new "next generation" sport utility vehicle designed by GM, at a new factory in Mishawaka. GM now has responsibility for marketing and distributing all HUMMERs. In April 2002, AM General was converted to a limited liability company. AM General also provides parts and training support for all its products and its Engineering and Product Development Center provides systems technical support for several military vehicle systems in addition to the Humvee. During eight decades of growth, AM General has established a reputation as the world leader in the design, engineering and production of military and special purpose vehicles. Humvee is a registered trademark of AM General LLC. HUMMER, H1, and H2 are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. In 2005 General Motors is rolling out the 2006 HUMMER H3 midsized SUV Location Hummer Rent Hummer Аренда Hummer Link : www.hummer.com

Ford	1863 — Birth of Henry Ford 1896 — Runs Quadricycle experimental car on Detroit streets ADVERTISEMENT 1899 — Persuades investors to underwrite Detroit Auto Co., quits Detroit Edison; venture fails 1901 — Jobless, moves his wife and son back into his father's home on Grand Boulevard in Detroit; Ford, driving own car, beats Alexander Winton in automobile race, attracts investors who form Henry Ford Co. 1902 — Ford withdraws, company becomes Cadillac 1903 — Ford Motor Co. founded by Malcomson group; Model A produced in rented Mack Ave. plant 1904 — Company builds Piquette Ave. plant at corner of Beaubien; still standing and being restored; Ford of Canada chartered in Windsor, Ontario 1906 — Ford overtakes Olds, Buick and Cadillac combined to become No.1 auto maker in U.S., Henry Ford becomes company president and majority owner 1908 — Introduction of legendary Ford Model T 1909 — Offer from Billy Durant to buy out Ford and fold it into nascent General Motors fails when NY bankers won't provide the cash up front Henry demands 1910 — Highland Park plant opens, assembly of Model T transferred from Piquette, which closes 1911 — First overseas assembly plant in Manchester, England; Ford wins Selden patent suit 1913 — Moving assembly line inaugurated at Highland Park 1914 — Announcement of $5 workday at Ford 1915 — Purchase of land for Rouge plant in Dearborn; 1-millionth Ford built 1918 — Henry Ford loses Senate race as Democrat 1919 — Henry Ford buys out minority stockholders 1921 — 5-millionth Ford built 1922 — Ford Motor Co. acquires Lincoln Motor Co. 1925 — First pickup introduced; Ford of Germany established 1927 — Model T production ends with 15-millionth built; Model A introduced after 6-month shutdown for retooling 1932 — Introduction of Ford V-8 and English Ford Model Y 1933 — Ford falls to third place behind GM and Chrysler 1935 — Lincoln-Zephyr introduced, 1st medium-priced Ford 1937 — 25-Millionth Ford built 1938 — '39 Mercury introduced as 2nd medium-price entry 1939 — Edsel Ford impresses friends with custom-built Lincoln-Zephyr Continental, production begins 1941 — War production begins with quarter-ton GPs at Dearborn and B-24 bombers at Willow Run (8,485 are built by war's end in 1945); First UAW contract signed 1943 — Death of Edsel Ford, Henry Ford elected president, Henry Ford II released from Navy to help run company 1945 — Civilian production resumes, Henry Ford II elected president 1946 — Henry Ford II begins restructuring company with former GM executives under Ernest Breech, “Whiz Kids” from Army Air Corps and college graduate trainees 1947 — Death of Henry Ford 1948 — Introduction of 1949-models, company's first all-new post-war cars 1950 — Ford overtakes Chrysler to regain 2nd place 1954 — Introduction of '55 Thunderbird 1955 — Introduction of '56 Continental Mark II 1956 — Sale of Ford Motor Co. common stock begins; new Central Office Building opened (later World Headquarters and now Henry Ford II World Center) in Dearborn 1957 — Introduction of '58 Edsel 1958 — Late introduction of 4-seat '58 Thunderbird 1959 — 50-millionth car, a Ford Galaxie; Edsel discontinued 1960 — Introduction of '60 1/2 Mercury Comet “luxury compact,” '61 Econoline “compact truck”; Henry Ford II elected chairman of the board, replacing retiring Breech, Robert McNamara becomes president but resigns to join Kennedy Administration as Secretary of Defense 1962 — “intermediate” Ford Fairlane and Mercury Meteor introduced; Ford acquires Philco Corp. 1964 — Introduction of Mustang “pony car” 1965 — Introduction of Ford Transit van in Europe, first transnational European design; Introduction of '66 Bronco in U.S., first Ford sport/utility vehicle 1967 — Ford of Europe formed 1968 — Semon Knudsen hired from General Motors as president 1969 — Company reorganized with Henry Ford II as chairman, Lee Iacocca as president of Ford North America Automotive Operations 1970 — Formation of Ford Motor Land Development Co.; Introduction of sub-compact '71 Ford Pinto; Lee Iacocca becomes president 1972 — Henry Ford II announces plan for Renaissance Center on Detroit waterfront 1973 — Introduction of “downsized” '74 Mustang II 1976 — Introduction of sub-compact front-wheel-drive (FWD) Ford Fiesta in Europe 1977 — Introduction of “Fox” chassis compact cars 1978 — Introduction of “Panther” chassis large body-on-frame cars, still basis of Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car; Phillip Caldwell named president, replacing Lee Iacocca, fired by Henry Ford II; 150-millionth Ford vehicle worldwide is built 1979 — Henry Ford II retires as CEO, succeeded by Phillip Caldwell; Ford obtains initial 25% interest in Toyo Kogyo of Japan, later renamed Mazda 1980 — Phillip Caldwell named board chairman and CEO with Donald Petersen as president and chief operating officer; Introduction of '81-model Ford Escort “world car” 1982 — Introduction of '83 Ranger compact pickup; Henry Ford II retires as company officer and employee; Introduction of first “jelly-bean” styled cars, ‘83 Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar 1985 — Donald Petersen succeeds Caldwell as chairman and Harold Poling elected president; Introduction of FWD midsize '86 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable 1987 — Death of Henry Ford II; Introduction of '88 Lincoln Continental; Hertz Corp. acquired by Ford and a partnership 1988 — Edsel Ford II and William Clay Ford Jr. join William Clay Ford as family members on board of directors 1989 — Ford sells Rouge steel, acquires financial service company The Associates and Jaguar Cars 1990 — Harold Poling succeeds Petersen as chairman and Philip Benton Jr. elected president; Introduction of '91 Ford Explorer SUV 1992 — Introduction of Mercury Villager minivan, joint venture with Nissan 1993 — Introduction in Europe of Ford Mondeo “world car”; Alex Trotman succeeds Poling as chairman and CEO 1994 — Introduction of '94 Ford Windstar minivan 1996 — 250-millionth Ford vehicle built 1997 — Ford sells heavy-truck business to Freightliner; Introduction of Lincoln Navigator SUV; 1998 — Lincoln-Mercury headquarters moved to Irvine, CA; Edsel Ford II resigns as president of Ford Credit; Introduction in Europe of Focus compact car 1999 — Bill Ford Jr. becomes chairman, replacing retiring Trotman, and Jacques Nasser becomes president and CEO; Acquisition of Volvo Cars and TH!NK electric car 2000 — Introduction of Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type models; Acquisition of Land Rover from BMW; Visteon Corp. parts-making organization spun off 2001 — Nasser resigns as president, replaced by Nick Scheele; Bill Ford Jr. assumes active management role as CEO, fourth generation of the founding Ford family; Introduction of retro 2-seat Ford Thunderbird 2002 — New design unveiled for '04 Mustang, the last surviving “pony car” 2003 — F-150 redesigned; Rouge plant overhaul nears completion en route to 2004 startup with multi-platform capability Location Ford Rent Ford Аренда Ford Link : www.ford.com

Jaguar	On September 4, 1922, in Blackpool, England, two young motorcycle enthusiasts, William Lyons and William Walmsley, set up the Swallow Sidecar Company to produce sidecars for motorcycles. The company continued to make sidecars until the advent of WWII. In 1926 the company built the small Austin Seven, a "people's car" of rather Spartan design. At this point the company changed its name to the Swallow Sidecar and Coachbuilding Co. and moved to a larger manufacturing space. There it made custom bodies for such cars as Morris, Fiat, Wolseley, Swift, and Standard. The company's first car, the SS1, was based on a Standard six-cylinder engine and a modified Standard chassis. It was introduced to the public at a London exhibition in 1931. The smaller SS2 had a four-cylinder engine In appearance the larger SS1 was a long, low vehicle with a short passenger compartment, wire wheels, and a luggage boot with a spare tire at the rear. Its expensive looks belied its excellent monetary value. In 1933 the name of the company was changed to SS Cars Ltd. with Lyons becoming managing director. He bought his partner out in 1936. Jaguar: The First Jaguars. In 1934, Harry Weslake, regarded as one of the industry's top engine experts, joined the company. His new cylinder head with OHV valve arrangement was quite reliable. The name Jaguar was used for the first time in 1935. Also in 1935, William Heynes joined the company as chief engineer. The firm's production included limousines, convertibles, and sports cars fitted with 1.5-litre, 2.5-litre, and 3.5-litre engines. The most notable vehicle of the period was the 3.5-litre SS 100 model. This was the fastest and most famous pre-war Jaguar, with speeds of 100 mph and acceleration from rest to 60 mph in about 10.5 seconds. The engine had a compression ratio of 17.5:1. Racing successes in the Marne Grand Prix of Reims, the Villa Real International event, the Alpine Rally, The Monte Carlo Rally, and the RAC Rally made this one of the most famous Jaguar cars. During WWII, production shifted to the war effort, of course. After the war, the company's name was changed to Jaguar Cars Ltd. and production resumed. The first Jaguars were produced with the option of left-side driving controls! Jaguar: Jaguar XK. In 1946, in addition to updating the older models, Lyons developed a new sports car, the XK 120, which was inspired by the BMW 328 model and fitted with a six-cylinder x 2 OHC engine with a capacity of 3442 cc. In 1948 at the Earls Court Motor Show, Jaguar introduced the fastest motorcar to date, the XK 120 Roadster with an alleged top speed of 120 mph, superb roadholding and styling plus a smooth ride. In 1951 The XK 120 Fixed Head Coupe was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show. This touring car was better trimmed with a veneer dashboard, and wind-up door windows. In 1953 the XK 120 Drophead Coupe was introduced with a fully-trimmed convertible hood. The XK 120 proved to be a super competition car. In 1954 the XK 140 included rack-and-pinion steering, larger bumpers, extra chrome, a cast grill, and 190 hp. The XK 140 also had room for very small children behind the seat. In 1957, the Jaguar XK 150 came in with a low roar because the XK design was looking slightly outdated. This excellent car, however, was produced until 1961. Jaguar: Jaguar MK. In the mid-fifties Jaguar had reached a point in its history of selling only luxury and sports vehicles. The company also sold a great deal of its production in foreign markets. This put Jaguar in a precarious position because: A recession could crush the market for luxury and sports vehicles. A foreign government could close its market to Jaguar for no real reason. Jaguar needed to cement a stronger position by producing a car that could be sold at home and to a larger market. Thus, the Jaguar MK I was introduced at the 1955 Motor Show. The vehicle was designed to fill their product gap and to appeal to the home market. This Jaguar was of monococoque construction which in itself was new for the company. The Jaguar MK II evolved as an instant success with a much larger glass area and a redesigned dash. Leather seats were fitted as standard until 1967 when leather became optional to keep the base cost down. Another Jaguar classic, its fog/spot lights, also became optional at this time. Several other Jaguar variations were produced to fill a market gap between the 3.8S and the large MK X Jaguar. In 1960 Daimler was bought by Jaguar. In 1966 Sir William Lyons stepped down as Managing Director of the Jaguar Group, but he remained Chairman and Chief Executive. Grice and England became joint managing directors. On July 11, 1966, Jaguar Cars Ltd. and the British Motor Corporation Ltd. announced they would merge. Also by the mid-60s, hind-sight could see that Jaguar was beginning to make too many models. Jaguar: Recent Jaguar History. In 1968 a merger with Leyland formed the largest British car complex. In 1972 Sir William Lyons retired, 50 years after forming Swallow Sidecar Company on his 21st birthday. His retirement was followed by a period of confusion and confusing changes at Jaguar. Whole departments, such as sales and service, disappeared into BL power. The Ryder report, partially published in 1975, made it clear that Jaguar would not continue as an entity. Leyland Cars was formed and the brand new Jaguar XJ-S was thrown in with BL's other Earls Courts motor show offerings. There was no single head man at Jaguar and the winter of 1979-1980 saw Percy Plant as nominal chairman of Jaguar. Plant was mainly known for his skill at closing factories. Morale among workers dropped to a low point in April of 1980 when a strike over grading and pay provoked Sir Michael Edwarde's ultimatum "return to work or lose your jobs." Jaguar needed a boost as never before. It also needed a full-time chairman. Enter Jaguar's new full-time chief executive John Egan in April of 1980. He came from parts directorship of Massey Ferguson Construction and Machinery Division. He was 40 years old, the "new blood" Jaguar so desperately needed. Egan's first quote was, "One cannot have better ground to build on." He definitely brought an air of optimism and new life to Jaguar that was soon reflected in production and morale. By 1985 it was clear that Jaguar was stable once more and that Jaguar people do not give up! Sir William Lyons died in 1985. Location jaguar Rent jaguar Аренда jaguar Link : www.jaguar.com

Koenigsegg	Christian von Koenigsegg grew up with the dream of creating the perfect sportscar. After several years of planning he launched the Koenigsegg project in 1993. Designer David Craaford provided a design concept following Christian's guidelines. A tight-knit group of comp