Archive for March, 2009
Peugeot Cars Far Removed From Their Coffee Grinding Heritage
The Peugeot Company started by the Peugeot family originally began its life as an ironmonger. Instead of cars the main items manufactured were coffee grinders and bicycles. It was not until 1876 that the company first started to make cars for the French public. The first cars were steam driven although in later years with the help of Daimler; the internal combustion engine was adopted as the preferred means of propulsion.
In 1891 the first of these petrol driven cars was driven from BeaulieuValentigney to Paris and then onto Brest. The acclaim gained for this amazing feat cemented the car in the hearts of the French public and as a result the company sold three hundred cars in 1899 a marked improvement on the five sold in 1891. The range was further improved when the steering tiller was replaced with the wheel and electric ignition systems were added in 1902.
Development naturally continued in the 1910′s when Peugeot once again entered the world of motor sport. With the help of Ettore Bugatti the cars were further improved with stylistic design and an engine that produced an impressive ten horsepower. Examples of these models can still be seen today in the French National Automobile Museum located in the town of Mulhouse.
After the First World War Peugeot steamed ahead with production producing their one hundred thousandth car in 1925 the cars of this era predominantly had three cylinder engines although at this time the company were experimenting with two stroke diesel models. Strangely in 1926 cars were produced for the first time with front brakes previously cars had only had braking systems in the rear. During the late twenties Peugeot even released a sports car using a six cylinder Bugatti engine that had been supercharged.
The thirties saw Peugeot produce the first ever electrically retractable roof a development that the company is still proud of. During the war the company also produced an electric car named the VLV Electrique. After the war the company was also one of the first to reestablish production lines selling almost fourteen thousand model 202′s in 1946. During the fifties Peugeot still managed to dominate the European markets. In 1955 the model 403 was the first car ever to break the one million units produced mark. Also during this decade the company entered the American car market.
The sixties and seventies were a seminal period for the company. The release of the Pininfarina designed 404 dawned a period of success all over the world in terms of sales as well as success in the Safari Rally. This period also saw Peugeot produce its five millionth car. The company managers also decided to expand in this period taking over rival manufacturer Citroen in 1975 thanks to the financial assistance offered by the French government. The new company was labelled PSA although this was purely a parent company as both members of the group wanted to keep the identities of the two brands distinctly separate. The expansion however did not stop there; the company launched a successful bid to take over the European division of Chrysler in 1978.
This expansion meant that the company has overstretched itself and the early eighties were a time of financial uncertainty for PSA. Thankfully the release of the immensely popular 205 in 1983 meant that the company was able to revive its fortunes and carry on producing distinctly French cars. Today despite having to close the Coventry factory the company is still striving to produce cars that have a French nature and are popular with drivers of all ages. The motoring giant may be far removed from its humble coffee grinding heritage but the traditions of this family company have not been forgotten.
About the writer: Motoring expert Thomas Pretty looks into the history of Peugeot cars from the turn of the century to the modern day.
Personally Yours Registrations Introduce The Cherished Registrations Gold Club
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Personally Yours Registrations introduce The Cherished Registrations Gold Club.
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About Personallyyours.co.uk Personallyyours.co.uk were established in 1988 and has the experience consumers need with access to over 40 million personalised number plates. Personnallyyours.co.uk are proud to be members of all of the following Governing bodies: MIRAD Member Of The Institute Of Registration Agents Dealers :: The C.N.D.A Cherished Number Dealers Association :: R.M.I.F Retail Motor Industry Federation :: The R.N.C The Registration numbers Club :: The F.S.B The Federation of Small Business.
About the writer: David Allen Blogger and Press Releases.
Performance Air Filtersturn Your Competition Green With Envy
Adding performance modifications to your car can be a pretty daunting exercise. With so many parts available and so many levels of performance on the market its hard to even define what people consider performance. For instance a Corvette pretty much screams performance right out of the box. Then again squeezing 10 extra horsepower out of 120horse Honda motor can also be seen as major performance boost.
Some folks are after the ultimate performance Ferrari and Lamborghini style; others simply want to improve their existing performance Hyundai and Saturn style. And of course performance is relative. What 155 MPH means to one man could very well be another mans nightmare; and while one man considers 55 MPG a benchmark for performance its a total waste of time to another.
The one product that all performance seekers can agree on is the aftermarket air filter. Its a fact that engines are basically glorified air pumps. Air gets drawn into the engine where its heated exploded and shot out the exhaust. Simple physics dictates that if you can get more air in youll get more air out; which makes more power in the process. This extra power can be used to improve performancespeed mileage or otherwise.
A more powerful engine not only runs stronger it runs more efficiently. So if the mileage miser keeps his foot out of the throttle the power will translate to increased mileage. This is due to the fact that the more powerful engine has an easier time of moving the car. And of course any extra power gives the speed freak what hes afterquickness.
There are many performance air filters to choose from but most use the same basic design. About 30 years ago KN developed the cottongauze filter media which revolutionized the industry. This material lets more air pass traps more dirt and lasts much longer than traditional paper media. Since then most companies have taken KNs basic design and tweaked it a bit to gain a market foothold.
The major difference between air filter brands is going to be their list of vehicles. Large companies like KN and Green Filters have extensive application lists that include nearly every vehicle you can think of. They also produce universal fit options as well as racespecific filters for everything from Indy cars to gocarts.
So when youre looking for that performance edge whether its speed torque or mileage a performance air filter should be your first stop. Your engine will run better youll experience results instantly and installation takes only minutes. Youll feel good about the upgrade and your car will thank you for it.
About the writer: There are many air filter companies out there specializing in performance filters. For the average vehicle its best to stay with the big guys like KN green air filters and SB. Theyre more likely to have the filter you need no matter what you drive. Tim Saunier