Foundations and Performance of Pontiac Car

Pontiac is a division of General Motors that was introduced in 1926. General Motors wanted Pontiac as another division separate for the Oakland Motor Car line that it had previously introduced. The name Pontiac was chosen for a Native American that fought against the British during the French and Indian War. While General Motors had introduced the Pontiac line to supplement Oakland Line up, the Pontiac was so successful when it was introduced that it completely eclipsed its parent line, Oakland. Pontiac sales rose sharply at the same time that sales of Oakland cars were declining. The gap was so pronounced in fact that Pontiac became the only companion line ever introduced to survive its parent company.

The Pontiac Chieftain was introduced in 1927 and immediately began outselling other cars in its class. In its first six months of production, the vehicle sold 39,000 units. The car was so popular because it was priced so low. The Chieftain was the cheapest selling vehicle with the inline 8 engine in the country and quickly became the top selling car in the United States. Pontiac held on to its spot from its days during the depression through until the post world war 2 days. It carried with it an image of a solid reliable if somewhat underpowered vehicle that fit very well into the budget of most American families at that time.

Unfortunately, it was this same imagine of reliance and dependability that would cause a problem for the line heading into the fifties and on into the sixties. The newer generation of young, up and coming citizens would view Pontiac as the old-fashioned car that had belonged to their parents. This generation wanted a vehicle that was new and fresh looking as themselves.

What Pontiac needed was a makeover and in 1956, the former dowdy line of cars got just what it needed. Bunkie Knudsen took over as the General Manager for Pontiac and went to work immediately on updating Pontiac's image. First to go were the hallmarks of the Pontiac line, the "silver streaks" that had been on the hoods of every Pontiac for years. With Knudsen joining in the middle of 1956, the immediate change would take place just a short time before the '57 models were rolled out on to the showroom floors. Knudsen was also responsible for the introduction of the Bonneville, Pontiacs first fuel injected car. With a completely new design form and offering many first time features, the Bonneville was priced at over $5700.00. For this price, one could go and pick up a new Cadillac and many of the Bonneville's critics expected to go over like a lead balloon. However, the public was intrigued with the new styling of the Bonneville, just as Knudsen had foreseen they would be. The car stirred the interest of consumers who had grown bored with all the look alike cars on the market at that time. The Bonneville was so successful in fact that it became its own line.

The Bonneville became one of the cornerstones of the Pontiac line up. It did receive help from some of the other popular cars that Pontiac introduced over the years such as the GTO and Pontiac's first pony car, the Firebird.

About the Author

Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at used Pontiac engines. He writes about used Pontiac engines and other industry specific topics.

Best Aston Martin Car Show

Aston Martin is a luxury sports car manufactured in Britain. The car company derived its name from the two founders, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. In 1913, Martin and Bamford decided to make their own car. By 1920, Bamford had left and Aston revitalized the company. The initial cars were all developed to compete on the racing circuit in Europe. The cars were known as the Bertelli cars in the 20s and 30s and included the 1 ½ liter T type the international.

The company struggled financially and stopped car production during the 2nd World War.
After the war, under new leadership of David Brown, the company regained it elite status both on the racing circuit and with consumers. In the 50s, the DB cars were produced for racing and the company had developed a solid track record of success.

In the 70s and 80s, again the company ran into financial trouble and worldwide the sales were diminished. The 80s saw more restructuring and the company was bought by Victor Gauntlet. Gauntlet again revived fame for Aston Martin by supplying the car for the James Bond movies. This was followed by more dealing with Ford who finally took over the company in 1994. During this time period, the DB 7 and the V12 vantage models were produced.

In 2003 Aston Martin released the AMV 8 Vantage Concept car. The vantage had a V8 engine to compete with the large American cars. AM has returned back to the sporting world. Despite all the success, Aston Martin has always struggled financially. In 2007, the corporation was again sold to David Richards and a number of other investors. Today, there are dealerships in China and in 2008, it revealed the Lagonda Marquee. The global economic downturn has not left Aston Martin unscathed. At the end of last year, the company had to lay off more than 1/3rd of its workforce and more are planned for the coming year.

Learn more about Aston Martin at http://www.eurorennen.com and sign up for the Aston Martin Car Show

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The Jeep Patriot 2009

The Jeep Patriot 2009 is a 5 passenger sports utility vihecles and has 4 door.
2.4 liter, 172 horsepower engine that achieves 23 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

The Jeep Patriot 2009 is a carryover from 2008.

Meanwhile the Jeep Patriot 2009 4x4 has 2.4 liter, 172 horsepower engine that achieves 22 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on thw hghway.

A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional.

Top 5 Latest Sports Utility Vihecles

This are the top 5 Latest Sports Utility Vihecles this year 2009.

1. 2009 Jeep Patriot
2. 2009 Nissan Rogue
3. 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
4. 2009 Honda CR-V
5. 2009 Vokswagen Tiguan

Best Bugatti Car Model

Bugatti, a legendary maker of high performance vehicles in Molsheim, France was established by a re-known Italian born car designer. It produced some of the most exclusive and fastest high end sports car between 1909 and the mid 1950s. It was largely a family based operation that failed to survive transition of its key founders. This is because it closed production in the fifties after some financial problems but it was bought out in the sixties for its high potential airplane business. Currently the Volkswagen group is the new owner of bugatti brand name that it uses to release limited edition high end sports cars.

The bugatti car models were known for their highly detailed designs and their elegant artistic outline. Some of the greatest achievements of bugatti during it hay days includes winning the first Monaco grand prix, Targa Florio, French grand prix, Italian grand prix, Spanish grand prix, German grand prix, Belgian grand prix, Czechoslovakia grand prix and topping it up by becoming number one during the 24 hour of Le mans race in 1937 and 1939. In terms of design, the engines received a hand built design with a fine tuned polished look. This ensured that its flat gaskets could work well without sealing and it could be wired safely with elaborate corded patterns. It also used fewer light weight but durable parts for its forged spring axels.

Some of the most notable car models that boosted the public opinion rating of bugatti include type 35 "royale", type 55 and type 57 "atlantic". During its extant, bugatti rolled out close to seven thousand cars but only two thousand of them can be currently accounted for when using the firm's re-known T (type) mark on the drive train and chassis. Other known bugatti prototypes include type 36; type 56 electric cars, type 64 coupes and type 73c. Bugatti also produced a few road model cars for the well off between 1910 to 1962 like the type 252 convertible 2 setter, and type 18 garros. It also produced race car edition that were on offer between 1910 and 1956 are type 32 tank and type 251.

Another landmark of the bugatti car model was in 1989 when its new owner Romano Artoili contracted car designers from Lamborghini and cauntach to produce the Bugatti EB110 sports car. However, this success was short lived as it closed production due to the economic recession of the mid 1990s. It was later acquired by Volkswagen AG in 1998 who commissioned production of the Bugatti EB118 touring sedan. This car was unveiled at the Paris auto show during the same year. It featured the first passenger car18 cylinder engine that had a horse power of 555. This model was followed by newer versions of Bugatti 18/8 Chiron and Bugatti EB 16/4 Veyron.

The next generation of bugatti was launched in 2000 it had a 1001 horse power engine driven by 16 turbo charged cylinders with top speeds of 407 kilometers per hour and acceleration from 1 to 100 kilometers per hour in less than 2.5 seconds. The bugatti car model has evolved over years getting even better with contemporary designs put in place.

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The Classic Duesenberg Car

The first Dursenberg sports car was built by two self taught German born engineers in 1913 using the Duesenberg Automobile & company Inc brand name in Des Moines, Iowa USA. This hand built cars were in the league of the most desirable sports cars when they were introduced. In fact, the Dursenberg car won a number of races that includes the Indianapolis 500 and the French grand prix between 1921 and 1927. Even though this classic car model was a marvel during its hay days, it failed the mass production test because the company had no profitable sales volume so it became bankrupt and closed up.

The classic Dursenberg was later bought out by Auburn Automobile Company among many others who used the advanced Dursenberg Brothers engineering know how to produce several luxury sport cars using the Dursenberg brand name. The model J was the first Dursenberg luxury car design to be rolled out after it was bought out. It was released during the 1928 New York car show. This vehicle model had all the markings of a high-end luxury sports car. It boasted of unheard top speeds of 119 miles per hour with high gear acceleration rates that could shoot to 94 mph when moved to gear two. Beside that, it had a supercharged 256 horsepower engine that supported eight straight dual camshaft overheads.

However, while the engine work was done by Dursenberg all the bodywork was subcontracted to specialized car chassis builders form North America and Europe who gave the Dursenberg luxury car its elegant finish. The chassis value when adjusted for time plus inflation in 2004 went for 8500 dollars with the complete model going for 13000 dollars. However, users had to get a top of the range Duesenberg model for $20,000. Between 1913 and 1927, before the original company went bankrupt, the Duesenberg luxury sports car brand manufacturers presented model A and X. But after Cord Corporation bought it out in 1929, it released sports cars under the model J series until 1937 when they started getting fazed out of the market gradually.

Another notable achievement in the history of this classic high-end luxury car was in 1932 when the Duesenberg SJ model was launched. A three hundred and twenty five supercharged horsepower engine that could achieve high speeds of close to one hundred and thirty five miles per hour powered this classic sports car. With this new sports car edition, the Duesenberg vehicle became a household name across America among the rich and famous. Some of the most prominent individuals of that era who are known to have owned or driven the Duesenberg SJ model include the Duke of Windsor and Clark Gable.

However, this success story of Duesenberg did not last beyond 1937. This is largely because production of this luxury car ceased when the business empire of their new owners was burst with the worldwide economic depression of 1930s. Currently, only 481 Duesenberg model J and SJ can still be traced with auction values of $2 million and beyond.

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The Evolution of the Mitsubishi Eclipse

The Mitsubishi Eclipse made its debut in 1990. The new car was a brainchild of an alliance between Chrysler and Mitsubishi. These companies had joined to form Diamond Star Motors.

The car itself was not a brand new design but rather a new spin on a car that had already appeared under several other names. The twins to the Eclipse are known to the general population as the Eagle Talon and the Plymouth Laser, however due to some slight design changes and heavier advertising, it was the Mitsubishi Eclipse that would prove to be the most popular of the three. The all three versions of the vehicle would be produced at the same plant in Illinois and all were introduced at the same time.

The design of the Mitsubishi Eclipse has been a popular one with younger consumers as it was intended to compete as entry-level sports coupe. The Eclipse itself was originally offered with four different packages. The car is a study in smooth lines, upscale interior and powerful engines all the while retaining the affordability that makes it within reach of up and coming twenty something's. By remaining true to the original style lines that have made the car so popular, Mitsubishi has been able to retain its hold on this portion of the sports coupe market.

Named after a racehorse from the eighteenth century that won an astounding 26 races in one year, the sports car has eclipsed most other vehicles in its class.

The original two versions of the car were kept very similar to hold down design costs and indeed most parts from these first generations are interchangeable. They are easily identifiable by their pop up headlights, a design that lends sleekness to the cars lines but have a tendency to show problems with the motor responsible for opening the headlights. Although most cars today have converted over to front wheel drive, the Eclipse has not. It has instead retained a rear wheel drive system that has proven to be reliable and needs very little repair. It has been suggested that Japanese auto makers had long been seeking to create their own version of the pony car and indeed many feel that with this Mitsubishi sports coupe that goal has been reached.

There have been several technological changes to the cars and several additions to body styles. 1996 saw the first major body style changes. Popularity of the vehicle slipped somewhat and many felt this was due a key body change. The 1996 version was shorter and thicker leading some to predict that this particular version of the Eclipse would be its last. The chief complaint seemed to be that long lean lines of its predecessor were lost. Although it would take some time, Mitsubishi heeded the call of consumers and by the year 2000, the sports car once again had longer lines that are more curvaceous.

From 2000 through 2005, the car would retain the hatchback style. Although there had been some talk among executives of dropping the manual transmission and offering the car solely as an automatic, this never materialized and all trim models continued to be offered with both five speed manual transmissions as well as a four speed automatic.

Although the sports coupe has received slight body style redesigns with added standard equipment, it remains virtually unchanged since 2006. The car still holds a firm share of sales for its division and the car should continue to be produced for several years into the future.

Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at Eclipse Car Tuner. He writes about mitsubishi car parts, used auto parts and other industry specific topics.

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Best Volvo Car Show 2009

The Volvo is a well known Swedish car company as founded in 1927 and today is a leading supplier of trucks, buses, construction equipment and aerospace components. Volvo meaning "I roll" has done remarkably well for an expensive car. The first cars produced in 1927 were for domestic use and did not fare well. The cars underwent more redesigning and only became famous after the 2nd world war.

The company has primarily remained stable because of its diverse interest in many other business sectors. It has also been innovative when it comes to promotional strategies. As one of the first car companies to sponsor sports events, golf tournaments and for this reason; consumers quickly became aware of the Volvo trade mark. The cars have been known to be extremely safe and often hold the records for most mileage and durability.

The cars have always been of high quality and are of the most respected Swedish cars. Volvo is the 2nd largest manufacturer of trucks and buses world wide- the sales have been booming. The other sector where this company has capitalized is in consumer transport, with their buses are used world wide. Almost every country uses Volvo buses for mass public transit.

Today, Volvo cars are available worldwide and have patented many safety system including the SIPS, SHIPS, ROPS and IC to name just a few. There are plans to make hybrid and electric cars in the near future mean to compete with Japanese manufactures like Honda and Toyota. Unlike many other companies, the future of Volvo appears safe and sound.

Learn more about Volvo at http://www.eurorennen.com and sign up for the Volvo Car Show

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