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The British have an atypical view of the automobile. In fact, you can almost call it a national admiration for automobiles, especially vintage cars. With their attitude towards autos, it’s not hard to appreciate the esteem for which the British hold for the Bentley Motor Car Company. Although Bentley has had a number of trials and troubles in its nearly 90 year history, British fans remain loyal. The best example is that of the national excitement displayed by the British when a Bentley race car finished third at the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports automobile endurance race in France. Never mind that Bentley is now owned by Volkswagen and that the engines used in the Bentley race car was the save as the Audi R8s that took first and second. It was the first time that a Bentley had place in the top three in 71 years and the British fans gave little regard to the ownership or engine used. W.O. Bentley began his career as an apprentice to a railroad engineer around the 1900 turn of the century. But he had a passion for racing and immediately got into it with the motorcycle circuit, which was a common engagement among young British men prior to World War I. After the end of World War I, Bentley became determined to develop his own auto manufacturing company, thus the beginning of Bentley Motors, Ltd. Established in 1919, the company was held with very little capital for the next decade. At the time, the only Bentley for sale was attractive to a small niche market. Being a racer at heart, Bentley’s first cars were high performance race cars and became immediately established as winners in the world of European racing. Bentley racers won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 4 times between 1923 until 1931 when the company went a different route. Bentley realized early that there was little market and profitability in building race cars, and to succeed his company would have to make consumer minded vehicles that would offer functionality, style and most importantly, pay the bills. The Bentleys for sale during this era where rolling chassis fitted with fancy coachwork bodies, built to suit the wealthiest of clients. With its new line of Bentleys for sale, Bentley quickly became a major competitor of Rolls-Royce as the next British luxury car maker. However, the Great Depression got in the way of progress and W.O. put up Bentley for sale. Although Bentley himself was planning to sell the company to another firm, the deal was grabbed by Rolls-Royce in 1931. The Bucciali was a French automobile manufactured from 1922 until 1933. Built by the brothers Bucciali, it began life at Courbevoie as a cyclecar under the name Buc. Initial offerings were powered by twin-cylinder two-stroke 1340 cc engines. In 1925 a 1600 cc SCAP-engined model appeared, available in two versions, the "Tourisme" and the "Quatre Speciale" supercharged. A six-cylinder car of 1500 cc was also offered. 1928 saw the creation of a TAN six-cylinder and an eight-cylinder with front-wheel drive and Sensaud de Lavaud's steering and automatic gearbox, both of which caused a sensation. In the 1930s the company produced the Double Huit, also a front-wheel-drive model, which was powered by a pair of straight-eight Continental engines mounted side by side. The last of the prototypes took a Voisin 12-cylinder engine. Very few of the front-wheel-drive Buccialis ever reached the road. While it is not known exactly how many of the TAV 12 models were produced, only two are known by automotive enthusiasts to still exist: one in America and one in France. The black Bucciali that still exists was rebuilt by Bruce Kelly with the help of Robert LeMire at Lake Country Classics in Minneapolis Minnesota. By 1860, the gasoline engine had been invented in Europe and in 1885, Karl Benz had introduced the first gasoline powered automobile. His car ran on 3 wheels and looked like a very big tricycle that had no pedals and could hold two people. In America, the first gasoline-powered auto to grace the rough horse and buggy roads was in 1891. The man to build this car was John W. Lambert. The vintage era lasted from the end of World War I (1919) through the stock market crash at the end of 1929. During this period, the front-engined car came to dominate, with closed bodies and standardized controls becoming the norm. In 1919, 90% of cars sold were open; by 1929, 90% were closed Development of the internal combustion engine continued at a rapid pace, with multi-valve and overhead cam engines produced at the high end, and V8, V12, and even V16 engines conceived for the ultra-rich. Information about the Tony Huber Classic Car image: French made 1903 Tony Huber Classic Car. Two cylinder petrol engine producing eight horse power. A vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930. There is little debate about the start date of the vintage period—the end of World War I is a nicely defined marker there—but the end date is a matter of a little more debate. The British definition is strict about 1930 being the cut-off, while some American sources prefer 1925 since it is the pre-classic car period as defined by the Classic Car Club of America. Others see the classic period as overlapping the vintage period, especially since the vintage designation covers all vehicles produced in the period while the official classic definition does not, only including high-end vehicles of the period. Some consider the start of World War II to be the end date of the vintage period. The modern era is normally defined as the 25 years preceding the current year. However, there are some technical and design aspects that differentiate modern cars from antiques. Without considering the future of the car, the modern era has been one of increasing standardization, platform sharing, and computer-aided design. Some particularly notable advances in modern times are the wide spread of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, the adoption of the V6 engine configuration, and the ubiquity of fuel injection. While all of these advances were first attempted in earlier eras, they so dominate the market today that it is easy to overlook their significance. Nearly all modern passenger cars are front wheel drive unibody designs with transversely-mounted engines, but this design was considered radical as late as the 1960s. Body styles have changed as well in the modern era. Three types, the hatchback, minivan, and sport utility vehicle, dominate today's market yet are relatively recent concepts. All originally emphasized practicality but have mutated into today's high-powered luxury crossover SUV and sports wagon. The rise of pickup trucks in the United States and SUVs worldwide has changed the face of motoring, with these "trucks" coming to command more than half of the world automobile market. The modern era has also seen rapidly rising fuel efficiency and engine output. Once the automobile emissions concerns of 1970s were conquered with computerized engine management systems, power began to rise rapidly. In the 1980s, a powerful sports car might have produced 200 hp (150 kW)—just 20 years later, average passenger cars have engines that powerful, and some performance models offer three times as much power. The Coupe deVille (sometimes spelled Coupe Deville or Coupe DeVille) was a model of Cadillac from 1949 through 1993. The name has become famous through pop culture, with references in pop songs, movies, and other media. Classic cars are a popular collectible that appeals to car enthusiasts and antique dealers. There are many things that factor in to making a car a classic. The definition of a true classic remains one of those things that many people constantly disagree on. You can ask a dozen different people what they feel defines a car as classic and you will likely get that many different answers. An antique car is not the same as a classic though so it's best to gather as much information as you can when determining what makes a classic a classic. The term "classic" is a very broad term that differs among resources. Even dictionaries have different answers for this definition. Of course, that can make it incredibly difficult to form your own opinion when all of the reliable sources can't agree. We all know that a classic is something that has earned a certain level of status. Age often plays into this as well. According to the Classic Car Club of America, a classic automobile is one that was manufactured between 1925 and 1948. However, there are other groups and websites that refer to these cars as vintage so you may need to seek out more than one opinion. Many insurance companies define a classic car as one that is at least twenty years old or older. The insurance company's definition might be your best bet for getting a straight answer. A classic car rarely has anything to do with the make and model of the car. It is often based solely on age. Any car can be a classic if it is old enough and maintained in a way that retains some of its original value. Age is the primary point when it comes to classic, antique or vintage cars. If you are interested in buying a classic car, have the age and all other necessary information proven with the appropriate legal documents. There are some states that consider a car to be a classic if it is fifteen years old. Many automotive enthusiasts do not agree with this definition citing that fifteen years is not enough to make a car a classic. This is something that could be controversial when it comes to insuring a car of that age. This is another reason why you should take the time to consult an expert in classic cars before purchasing or insuring one. Because of the sticky situation involved in defining a classic car, many enthusiasts believe they should be separated into two different categories. A modern classic is not at all the same as a true classic. A car that is almost one hundred years old certainly is not the same class of classic that a car twenty-five years old would be. There needs to be better clarification regarding these details. Seeking out an expert on classic cars is a good idea when it comes to investing in one. You need to know exactly what you are getting. The advice that you can get from an expert is priceless and could save you plenty of money and hassle in the long run. Let us look in detail what an antique car is and about antique car history. According to the Antique Automobile Club of America and several other organizations worldwide, an antique car can be defined as any car which is more than 25 years of age. Sometimes it is seen that some classic cars are misrepresented as antique cars, but the real classic cars are those certain specific high quality cars from the pre-World War II era. However antique cars are not profitable to use for everyday transportation, these antiques cars are much popular for leisure driving. Antiques cars which had survived for more than 25 years are considered great survivors. And that’s why owning, collecting and restoring such rare antique cars are considered as a well-liked hobby by people all over the world. The 1930 Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK ‘Trossi Roadster’ shone out as the natural winner. Specially imported from the USA for the Goodwood event by the Ralph Lauren Car Collection, the Trossi Mercedes proved a huge hit with the Festival of Speed visitors.       The only one if its kind in the world, the car has an illustrious history and was once owned by Count Trossi himself. The Cartier class of exquisite coachbuilt supercharged Mercedes-Benz of 1925-1939 also included the class winner, a 1927 680 S Torpedo Roadster, owned by Miguel Gonzelez. Other class winners included the famous 1911 ‘Golden Ford’ in the 100 years of the Ford Model T class. The ‘Great Britons’ class of stars of the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show was won by the pristine 1948 Land Rover Series 1 of Tim Dines. The victor of the rear-engined revolution, celebrating 60 years of Porsche innovation, was Thomas Straumann’s original 356 ‘Gmund’ coupé. A new perspective, with adventurous design from post-War America, saw the pioneering 1948 Tucker Torpedo of John Jackson win his class. The dawn of the Supercar class was won by the stunning Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale, whilst the 1999 Bugatti Chiron 18.3 was the surprise winner of the audacious supercar concepts of 1980-2000 class. Car number plates act as a vehicles unique identifier. Similar to DNA, there are no two number plates the same and one specific registration can only be found on one specific vehicle. All the information regarding registration numbers is held on a central database which, administered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency commonly known as the DVLA. Over the years car number plates have followed various formats to meet the increase in the amount of cars our roads. Car registrations were first made compulsory in 1903 when the Motor Car Act was introduced. Back then the DVLA did not exist so it was the local council’s responsibility to administer registration numbers. Problems arose however when vehicles were sold or the owners move to a different area as it was necessary for the registration details to be transferred to another council. Over time this problem grew with the massive rise in the volume of traffic on our roads. It was clear that the council system of car registrations could not cope. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre (DVLC) was formed in 1965 and took over the responsibility of administering car number plates across the country. The head office was based in Swansea and had 81 local offices supporting the administration of car registrations as well as other road and vehicle related issues such as supplying information on vehicles to the Police. Gradually even Post Offices became involved in the car registration system causing many local DVLA offices to close. The number of local offices had reduced to 53 by 1985 and the DVLC changed its name to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Currently there are 40 local offices across England, Scotland and Wales. Since the introduction of the DVLC/DVLA, there have been 3 different registration number formats: suffix registration numbers, prefix registration numbers and the current or new style registration numbers. Suffix number plates began being issued in 1963 and ran until 1983. The format displayed three letters, up to three numbers and then an age identifier letter for example ABC 321A. Prefix car registration numbers were released when the suffix series was exhausted and reversed the format by putting an age identifying letter at the beginning of the registration plate. This was followed by up to three numbers and then three letters for example A321 ABC). I, U, Z, Q and O registrations were never issued for either the suffix or prefix series. Our current style of DVLA number plates were first issued in 2001. These registration numbers display the format of two letters, two numbers followed by three letters. The numbers give an estimate of the age that the vehicle was first registered and the first two letters related to the area where the vehicle was first registered. An example of a current style DVLA number plate is NE02 ABC. Since the introduction of car number plates there have literally been millions of combinations created so the chances of finding a private plate to suit you are high. Nevertheless, popular names and initials sell incredibly fast and are therefore extremely scarce. Nowadays number plates are no long just an identifier for our vehicles, rapidly becoming collector’s items and the ultimate car accessory. By Ross O'Donnell Published: 11/26/2006 The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) keeps a list of plates that it has not approved because of words formed by their sequence of numbers and letters, an MP has found.Reportedly included on the list is 054MA, which could be seen to resemble the first name of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qa'eda chief. Other terrorism-related banned plates are H057AGE (hostage), MA56ACA (massacre), HE580LA (Hezbollah) and even BU580MB (bus bomb). The DVLA is also thought to prohibit combinations resembling jihad or Hamas. The MG is a British brand of sports car, which has been around for over eighty years. Although the last model of the MG went bankrupt in 2005, the ownership has been moved to Nanjing Automobile Group, who plan to produce the cars once again in 2007. The “MG” name stood for “Morris Garages”, who was a car dealership in Oxford. The company started creating customized cars with designs from Cecil Kimber, who eventually became the General Manger of the company. Now, under its new ownership, the “MG” is going to stand as “Modern Gentleman”. Zhang Xin, the boss of the group, says that he wants “to see that this brand represent grace and style”. Although MG is mostly known for their two-seat sports cars, the company has also produced coupés and saloons. The company was originally based in Oxford, but in 1925, one year after it was created, MG moved to the larger Bainton Road premises, due to high demand for the vehicles. After the car was finally shown at the London Motor Show, demand of their cars went higher still and they were forced to move again. In 1929, MG moved to their permanent location, which is Abingdon, Oxfordshire. In 1935, William Morris, the owner, sold the company to Morris Motors. The consequences of this deal were that the British Motor Corporation would later absorb the MG brand in 1952. During the 1960s, British Leyland had control of the brand, but was in trouble due to a lagging economy. Up until 2005, the MG brand was part of the MG Rover Group, which was based in Longbridge, Birmingham. The original 1924 model MG, known as the MG 14/28, was essentially a sports car body on a Morris Oxford steel frame. It wasn’t until 1929 that the popular vertical MG grille was finally on the car. The main sports car that MG created was in the Midget series. The car company quickly got recognition as it did quite well in international automobile racing. A more modern sports car was built in 1962 due to high demand for the company to create a more modern car. Unfortunately, due to the numerous ownership trades and financial problems, the car company ran out of steam in 2005. There are rumors that Project Kimber might want to work with Nanjing, the group that now has the rights to the MG name, in order to create a new sports car inspired by the design of the discontinued microcar Smart Roadster. Although the car has had a tough history recently, it was quite popular when it was first released to the public due to its power at the time. The car is also famous for its distinctive look, which sports the classic grille and popular classic car body. Unfortunately, car enthusiasts will remember the car not only for its great design and performance, but for its financial troubles and constant switching of ownerships as well. Hopefully Nanjing Automobile Group will be able to revive the brand as “Modern Gentleman” and really make the car shine once again. Motivated by their racing success, Henri Chapron bought two used Delahaye Type 145 competition cars to rebody them in his own way. With performance credentials to win events like the Pau Grand Prix, this chassis was one of the fastest in its day - a very special Type 145 adorned with simple cigar bodywork won a million francs from the French government for breaking the speed record at Montlhery. With such a potent chassis and graceful body design to complement it, these two Coupes became Chapron's masterwork. It's obvious he had a keen sense to rebody Delahaye's most sporting chassis, even if it meant including complicated racing engines that were difficult to repair. The first car, chassis 48772 entered shop in 1939, but wasn't completed until after the war due to delayed payments. By 1951 the chassis was mated with its new body and it was shipped to New York. After a less than a year of driving, the used racing engine needed to be rebuilt. Unfortunately, the engine was never completed and the car sat dormant for twenty years. The electric vehicle was the preferred choice of many because it did not require the manual effort to start, as with the hand crank on gasoline vehicles, and there was no wrestling with a gear shifter. While basic electric cars cost under $1,000, most early electric vehicles were ornate, massive carriages designed for the upper class. They had fancy interiors, with expensive materials, and averaged $3,000 by 1910. Electric vehicles enjoyed success into the 1920s with production peaking in 1912. By the 1930s most of the mechanical technology used in today's automobiles had been invented although some things were later "re-invented", and credited to someone else. For example, front-wheel drive was re-introduced by André Citroën with the launch of the Traction Avant in 1934, though it had appeared several years earlier in road cars made by Alvis and Cord, and in racing cars by Miller (and may have appeared as early as 1897). After 1930, the number of auto manufacturers declined sharply as the industry consolidated and matured. Automobile design finally emerged from the shadow of World War II in 1949, the year that in the United States saw the introduction of high-compression V8 engines and modern bodies from General Motors' Oldsmobile and Cadillac brands. The unibody/strut-suspended 1951 Ford Consul joined the 1948 Morris Minor and 1949 Rover P4 in waking up the automobile market in the United Kingdom. In Italy, Enzo Ferrari was beginning his 250 series just as Lancia introduced their revolutionary V6-powered Aurelia. Throughout the 1950s, engine power and vehicle speeds rose, designs became more integrated and artful, and cars spread across the world. Alec Issigonis' Mini and Fiat's 500 mini cars swept Europe, while the similar keicar class put Japan on wheels for the first time. The legendary VW Beetle survived Hitler's Germany to shake up the small car market in the Americas. Ultra luxury, exemplified in America by the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, reappeared after a long absence, and GT cars, like the Ferrari Americas, swept across Europe. The market changed somewhat in the 1960s, as Detroit began to worry about foreign competition, the European makers adopted ever-higher technology, and Japan appeared as a serious car-producing nation. General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford tried radical small cars, like the GM A-bodies, but had little success. Captive imports and badge engineering swept through the U.S. and UK as conglomerates like the British Motor Corporation consolidated the market. Eventually, this trend reached Italy as niche makers like Maserati, Ferrari, and Lancia were acquired by larger companies. By the end of the decade, the automobile manufacturing world was much smaller. From the public domain comes 12 vintage auto vector clipart cars from a prior age. They range from the first horseless carriages to motorized coaches to turn of the century gangster and “Great Gatsby” age cars. Click image for full screen size The first piston engines did not have compression, but ran on an air-fuel mixture sucked or blown in during the first part of the intake stroke. The most significant distinction between modern internal combustion engines and the early designs is the use of compression and, in particular, in-cylinder compression. The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine which uses a rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating pistons. Its four-stroke cycle is generally generated in a space between the inside of an oval-like epitrochoid-shaped housing and a roughly triangular rotor. This design delivers smooth high-rpm power from a compact, lightweight engine. Since its introduction the engine has been commonly referred to as the rotary engine, though this name is also applied to several completely different designs. The engine was invented by engineer Felix Wankel. He began its development in the early 1950s at NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU) before completing a working, running prototype in 1957. NSU then subsequently licenced the concept to other companies across the globe, who added more efforts and improvements in the 1950s and 1960s. Because of their compact, lightweight design, Wankel rotary engines have been installed in a variety of vehicles and devices such as automobiles including racing cars, along with aircraft, go-karts, personal water craft, chain saws, and auxiliary power units. The most extensive automotive use of the Wankel engine has been by the Japanese company Mazda. The Austin 7 was a vintage car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. It was one of the most popular cars ever produced there and wiped out most other British small cars and cycle cars of the early 1920s, its effect on the British market was similar to that of the Model T Ford in the USA. It was also licensed and copied by companies all over the world Thomas Humber founded the Humber cycle company in Sheffield in 1868, but it was not until much later that the company would become involved with the production of motor vehicles. The Humber company expanded through the 1870s to the point where it was producing bicycles in Nottingham, Beeston and Wolverhampton. Factory number four was opened in Coventry in 1889, by which time Humber was seriously looking at motorized transport. There was a brief flirtation with such oddities as tricycles and quadricyles — one of which sported front wheel drive and rear wheel steering. In 1899 the first Humber car, the 3 1/2 horsepower Phaeton, was built at Beeston, but the first Coatalen designed car, the Voiturette, did not appear until 1901. This was followed by the 1903 Humberette, which sported a tubular frame and 5hp single-cylinder engine. Larger cars came in the shape of the 1902 four-cylinder 12hp, which was soon followed up in 1903 by a three-cylinder 9hp and a four-cylinder 20hp model. By this time, Humber car production was concentrated at a new factory in Folly Lane, Coventry, which - coincidentally - was situated close to Hillman. After 1905, the smaller engined models were dropped, allowing Humber to concentrate on the production of its staple 10/12hp model and the larger 16/20hp. In 1907, this range was supplemented by the arrival of the Humber 15hp. The Jonckheeres made an extravagant body which eventually won the ‘Prix de Cannes’ award. The car has oval doors and sliding left and right vents. It also happens to be the only few Phantom I which had modified grill. Max Obie restored the car with silk headliner and seats that could be folded into beds. After being resurrected the car was sold at an auction in the 1980s and was procured by a Japanese collector who retained it for 20 years. The car eventually came back to U.S. in pieces and Tired Iron works in California were assigned the task of putting the pieces together. At the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours, it won the Lucius Beebe Trophy for the finest Rolls-Royce along with the hearts of many a people. The car has also been spotted at various other Concours events like Measowbrook and Ameila Island. A man in the UK has recorded the fastest ever speeding offence in the nation’s history with a 172mph (277km/h) run in a Porsche 911 Turbo. Timothy Brady, 33, was travelling on the A420 roadway near Oxfordshire at more than 100mph (161km/h) over the 70mph (113km/h) posted speed limit. The previous record for a speeding offence in the UK was held by a Jason McAllister who was clocked doing 156.7mph (252km/h) in an M3. Brady was eventually stopped by local police after they set up a roadblock, reports the Daily Mail. For the offence, the speed-freak had his license immediately suspended Motorists are almost universally required to take lessons with an approved instructor and pass a driving test before being granted a license. The trend has been towards increasingly tougher tests in recent decades. Almost all countries allow all adults with good vision to apply to take a driving test and, if successful, to drive on public roads. Saudi Arabia, however, bans women from driving vehicles (whether pedal or motor powered) on public roads. Saudi women have periodically staged driving protests against these restrictions. In many countries, even after passing one's driving test, new motorists may be initially subject to special restrictions. For example, in Australia, novice drivers are required to carry "P" ("provisional") plates, and are subject to lower speed limits, alcohol limits, and other restrictions for their first two years of driving. This varies between states. Most countries have also implemented laws in relation to driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The limits up to which drivers are permitted to drive vary according to the jurisdiction in which the offence occurs As with all collectible antiques, current value has everything to do with current supply vs. demand, and very little else; certainly little to do with the car's price when new or any objective standard. Thus, rare cars that are highly desired are highly expensive, while vehicles that are not fashionable to collect can be very cheap. Condition, of course, influences value. At the present time, the variation in purchase price between a poor condition and good condition vehicle is generally much less than the cost of restoring a poor condition car; thus it is cheaper in the long run to buy the better vehicle. Thrust SSC (SuperSonic Car) is a British-designed and built jet-propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers and Jeremy Bliss. ThrustSSC. ThrustSSC holds the World Land Speed Record, set on October 15, 1997, when it achieved a speed of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) and became the first land vehicle to officially break the sound barrier (not considering the earlier, unsubstantiated claim of the Budweiser Rocket). The car was driven by Royal Air Force fighter pilot Squadron Leader Andy Green in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, United States. It was powered by two afterburning Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines, as used in British F-4 Phantom II jet fighters. It is 16.5 m (54 ft) long, 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and weighs 10.5 tons (10.7 t). The twin engines developed a thrust of 223 kN (50,000 lbf) and burned around 4 Imperial gallons per second (18.2 l/s or 4.8 US gallons/s). Transformed into the usual terms for car mileages based on its maximum speed, the fuel consumption was about 5,500 l/100 km or 0.04 mpg U.S. British cars hold a special place in American history. At a time when most sports cars were huge and bulky, the powerful but small British cars created a different segment in the car market in America. There were many British cars that were popular in America, such as the MG, Austin-Healey, and Triumph, to name a few. They became a dream machine for Americans and sold well during the 1950s and 1960s. Not only were they cheap, but they also had a unique simplistic composition and design that endeared them to the American populace. This popularity of British cars continues even today. One can find antique British cars in almost every American city, despite most British cars having stopped export in the late eighties and early nineties. The old cars of yesteryear were -and indeed still are- treasured by connoisseurs. The American public takes pride in owning old British cars and refurnishing them to their pristine glory, despite the heavy expenditure.

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