A Brief History of the GT Automobile
#1
05-15-2009, 03:31 AM
Join Date: Nov 2008
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A Brief History of the GT Automobile
This is a writing project I've recently become involved in, and I hope it may be of some interest-
Liability
The information contained herein is believed to be true and accurate; however we make no guarantees concerning the veracity of any statement. The writer assumes no responsibility, expressed or implied, due to misuse or misinterpretation of the information or methods used, or for any vehicle damage or injury that may occur due to the suggestions and information offered.
Porsche - The very first Porsche, a hand-built aluminium prototype, was completed on June 8, 1948. The history of Porsche automobiles goes back much farther, however, all the way back to 1900 when Dr. Ferdinand Porsche introduced his first design, a Lohner-Porsche.
In the ‘30s a Ferdinand Porsche designed a very innovative: a V-16 4.5-liter engine placed ahead of the rear transaxle, tube frame, aluminium skin weighing 99 pounds, gas tank between the ****pit and the engine (in the centre of the car so that weight gain or loss with gas load did not unduly impact handling), a front suspension of torsion bars and trailing arms, and a rear suspension of swing axles, semi-elliptical springs, and tube-type shocks.
In June of 1934, the Third Reich signed a contract to build prototype Volkswagens. By the winter of 1936, three prototypes, the VW3, had been built in the garages of Professor Porsche's home. In early 1937, the **** 'oversight' organization, the RDA (Reichverband der Deutschen Automobilindustrie) recommended further development and that 30 additional prototypes be built by Daimler-Benz. During the testing of the VW3O, the Reich selected an estate northeast of Hanover to become the site of the Volkswagen factory. "Die Autostadt" was born; today it is Wolfsburg, still the worldwide headquarters of Volkswagen.
During the winter of 1947-48, a Zurich car distributor ordered five Porsches and the Type 356 was put into production in the old saw mill in Gmund. Built entirely by hand, these cars adopted a more Volkswagen-like layout in order to have vestigial back seats: the engine was moved behind the transaxle
1963 – To date The Porsche 911 is one of the few cars that have such a long history. In the more than 30 years the 911 exists, over 50 different models have been available. Through continuous improvements and cosmetic changes Porsche kept the 911 up-to-date
BMW - 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.
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.
Ferrari - Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena Italy on February 18 1898. Later on 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 sponsors and trainers for Alfa Romeo
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.
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%.
It was so big that it made more than half the cars sold in the United States and the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division was threatening to break it up. In the vast 21st century, it's almost hard to imagine how overwhelmingly large GM was back then. But it didn't make a sports car. The idea of a car coming from stodgy GM that could compete with Jaguar, MG or Triumph was almost absurd.
Corvette - Harley J. Earl, GM's chief designer (formally the head of the Art and Colour Section) and the man who invented the "concept car" with the 1938 Buick Y-Job, was in charge of the corporation's ambitious musingsWhile the car was conceived with rigorous attention to the bottom line and production feasibility in mind, it was still only intended to be part of GM's Motorama exhibit at the 1953 New York Auto Show.But first Cole needed to name it. So he called Myron Scott, founder of the All-American Soap Box Derby and an assistant advertising manager for Chevrolet, into a special meeting of executives researching the name. Scott suggested "Corvette," Cole loved it and the rest is history.
The public at the New York show loved the 1953 Motorama Corvette almost as much as Cole did. Thousands of potential buyers wanted to know when they could buy one. Just six months later, they could. The 1953 Corvette, virtually identical to the Motorama prototype, went into production on June 30, 1953, in Flint, Mich. The year 1955 brought the single most important development in the history of the Corvette: Chevrolet's brilliant small-block V8. Originally displacing 265 cubic inches
Big news came in the form of a big engine for 1962 as the small-block V8 grew to 327 cubic inches. The base four-barrel engine now knocked out 250 horsepower with higher output versions available in 300- and 340-horsepower versions. The dual-quad option was dropped, but the fuel injection system was back and it was now rated at a thrilling 360 horsepower.
More than four decades after its introduction, the C2 Sting Ray (1963-1967) remains one of the most startling, engrossing and completely delightful automotive designs of all time. For many discerning enthusiasts, the '63 to '67 Corvettes are the most compelling of the series.
Information resource-
1. The Automotive Century: Most Influential People
2. The History of BMW
3. Ferrari History
4. Chevrolet Corvette History - Edmunds
5. Automotive Detailing Inside & Out; a Knowledge Base for the Perfectionist, by Jon Miller
6. TOGWT™ Series of Detailing Articles, by Jon Miller
Detailing Articles
This is one of is one of a series of unbiased and informative, knowledge based, subject specific articles, which are dedicated to the automotive detailing enthusiast or professional detailer in search of development and further education
Liability
The information contained herein is believed to be true and accurate; however we make no guarantees concerning the veracity of any statement. The writer assumes no responsibility, expressed or implied, due to misuse or misinterpretation of the information or methods used, or for any vehicle damage or injury that may occur due to the suggestions and information offered.
Porsche - The very first Porsche, a hand-built aluminium prototype, was completed on June 8, 1948. The history of Porsche automobiles goes back much farther, however, all the way back to 1900 when Dr. Ferdinand Porsche introduced his first design, a Lohner-Porsche.
In the ‘30s a Ferdinand Porsche designed a very innovative: a V-16 4.5-liter engine placed ahead of the rear transaxle, tube frame, aluminium skin weighing 99 pounds, gas tank between the ****pit and the engine (in the centre of the car so that weight gain or loss with gas load did not unduly impact handling), a front suspension of torsion bars and trailing arms, and a rear suspension of swing axles, semi-elliptical springs, and tube-type shocks.
In June of 1934, the Third Reich signed a contract to build prototype Volkswagens. By the winter of 1936, three prototypes, the VW3, had been built in the garages of Professor Porsche's home. In early 1937, the **** 'oversight' organization, the RDA (Reichverband der Deutschen Automobilindustrie) recommended further development and that 30 additional prototypes be built by Daimler-Benz. During the testing of the VW3O, the Reich selected an estate northeast of Hanover to become the site of the Volkswagen factory. "Die Autostadt" was born; today it is Wolfsburg, still the worldwide headquarters of Volkswagen.
During the winter of 1947-48, a Zurich car distributor ordered five Porsches and the Type 356 was put into production in the old saw mill in Gmund. Built entirely by hand, these cars adopted a more Volkswagen-like layout in order to have vestigial back seats: the engine was moved behind the transaxle
1963 – To date The Porsche 911 is one of the few cars that have such a long history. In the more than 30 years the 911 exists, over 50 different models have been available. Through continuous improvements and cosmetic changes Porsche kept the 911 up-to-date
BMW - 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.
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.
Ferrari - Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena Italy on February 18 1898. Later on 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 sponsors and trainers for Alfa Romeo
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.
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%.
It was so big that it made more than half the cars sold in the United States and the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division was threatening to break it up. In the vast 21st century, it's almost hard to imagine how overwhelmingly large GM was back then. But it didn't make a sports car. The idea of a car coming from stodgy GM that could compete with Jaguar, MG or Triumph was almost absurd.
Corvette - Harley J. Earl, GM's chief designer (formally the head of the Art and Colour Section) and the man who invented the "concept car" with the 1938 Buick Y-Job, was in charge of the corporation's ambitious musingsWhile the car was conceived with rigorous attention to the bottom line and production feasibility in mind, it was still only intended to be part of GM's Motorama exhibit at the 1953 New York Auto Show.But first Cole needed to name it. So he called Myron Scott, founder of the All-American Soap Box Derby and an assistant advertising manager for Chevrolet, into a special meeting of executives researching the name. Scott suggested "Corvette," Cole loved it and the rest is history.
The public at the New York show loved the 1953 Motorama Corvette almost as much as Cole did. Thousands of potential buyers wanted to know when they could buy one. Just six months later, they could. The 1953 Corvette, virtually identical to the Motorama prototype, went into production on June 30, 1953, in Flint, Mich. The year 1955 brought the single most important development in the history of the Corvette: Chevrolet's brilliant small-block V8. Originally displacing 265 cubic inches
Big news came in the form of a big engine for 1962 as the small-block V8 grew to 327 cubic inches. The base four-barrel engine now knocked out 250 horsepower with higher output versions available in 300- and 340-horsepower versions. The dual-quad option was dropped, but the fuel injection system was back and it was now rated at a thrilling 360 horsepower.
More than four decades after its introduction, the C2 Sting Ray (1963-1967) remains one of the most startling, engrossing and completely delightful automotive designs of all time. For many discerning enthusiasts, the '63 to '67 Corvettes are the most compelling of the series.
Information resource-
1. The Automotive Century: Most Influential People
2. The History of BMW
3. Ferrari History
4. Chevrolet Corvette History - Edmunds
5. Automotive Detailing Inside & Out; a Knowledge Base for the Perfectionist, by Jon Miller
6. TOGWT™ Series of Detailing Articles, by Jon Miller
Detailing Articles
This is one of is one of a series of unbiased and informative, knowledge based, subject specific articles, which are dedicated to the automotive detailing enthusiast or professional detailer in search of development and further education
Last edited by TOGWT; 05-15-2009 at 03:37 AM.
#2
05-15-2009, 09:28 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 130
Rep Power: 21
great information. It would probably be better served in one of the other forums, not the detailing forum. That way more people would probably see this awesome information!
Very interesting stuff though!
D!
Very interesting stuff though!
D!
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