BMW

1920
During World War I, BMW aircraft engines founded a tradition of excellence and reliability. It was Baron von Richthofen, the "Red Baron", who praised the BMW engines that powered the legendary Fokker Triplane of 1917. In 1919 an aircraft fitted with a BMW engine gained the world altitude record. Later, BMW engines powered Dornier flying boats which flew all over the world.


It was in 1923 that BMW built its first motorcycle, and in 1928 its first motor car, a version of the Austin Seven built under licence.
In the early thirties, BMW developed a light 6 cylinder engine which powered the classic 328 sports cars. These cars dominated their class in the European sporting arena and claimed the record as the first 2 litre production car to average 100 miles in the hour.


During World War II, BMW made engines for the German air force and most famously for the high performance Focke Wulf FW190. It also made one of the first operational jet turbine engines. After the war, the company lost its car plant behind the 'Iron Curtain' but continued operations with its Munich plant. In post-war Europe, BMW made both saloons and sports cars as well as the Isetta "Bubble" car, reflecting post-war frugality and petrol shortage due to the Suez Crisis.

• 1960
The 1960s saw the introduction of the 'Neue Klass' 1500 and the 02 Series, the forebear of the 3 Series, and created the market for small performance saloons. The 1970s brought further growth with the 3, 5, 6, and 7 Series. This decade saw the emergence of BMW as a serious competitor to the established makes, especially Mercedes Benz.During the 60s and 70s, BMW cars dominated touring car races in Europe and the USA, and motorsport was seen as a key factor in proving and promoting BMW's technical superiority.


• 1990
In January 1987, BMW introduced a new class of car, the BMW 7 Series. With an aerodynamic luxury body, the 7 Series was hailed by the independent press as a car which set new standards for its class. This car was followed by the executive class 5 Series, which again was highly praised as the best car in its class. The 5 Series range was joined by the BMW Motorsport M5 and Touring body style, engineered with the world's first five-speed automatic gearbox.


BMW's commitment to innovative engineering has led to a profusion of specialist models and concept vehicles. In 1990 an entirely new BMW coupe, the 850i , was introduced, featuring BMW's 12 cylinder engine, pop-up headlights, a new six-speed gearbox, a self-steering rear suspension system, multiplex electronics and a low 0.29 drag factor.

The range was completed in 1991 by the introduction of the new 3 Series which has been the most successful BMW model series of all time.

1994 saw the launch of the new generation 7 Series setting international standards for ride comfort, safety and equipment. New technology creates new opportunities and the BMW Navigation System was introduced on BMW's complete range of 7 and 5 Series models. The navigation system functions by using GPS (global positioning satellite) technology.

The fourth generation 5 Series was introduced in 1996 - an all-new car comprising 12,571 new components, many of which bring innovation and novelty to the executive car sector. The Z3 roadster was also launched in this year. With its classic styling, long hood, short rear and low seating position, demand was so strong that BMW moved production of the 318i from Spartanburg to Germany to leave greater production capacity. In 1998, February saw two world premieres in Geneva: BMW preserved the new 3 Series saloon and the M5 for the first time. The 530d and 730d with the new 3 litre, six cylinder diesel engine were also introduced. Then in 1999, touring and coupe models were added as further variants to the already successful BMW 3 Series. A new market segment was opened at the end of the 20th Century for the BMW brand with the introduction of the BMW X5 Sports Activity vehicle. source: histomobile.com

1900
Surprisely the history of Alfa Romeo starts in France. Carmanufacturer Alexandre Darracq putted up a factory in Portello near by Milan. In this factory cars with one or two cylinder engines were build from parts imported from Paris. This project was not that succesfull as Alexandre Darracq hoped for and in 1909 he sold his factory to the Italian Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, shortly A.L.F.A.

• 1910
In 1915 Nicola Romeo, a very skilfull engineer and keen on autosport became the head of this fabbrica and the name of this firm became Alfa Romeo. The early four-cylinder engines were replaced by six- and eight-cylinder engines from Merosi and Jano. Later on engines with double overhead camshafts and a compressor were used. Examples are the 3-litre 8-cylinder Tipo B, the Bimotore with two 8-cylinder engines and a 4.5-litre V12.




• 1920

Opera-singer Guiseppe Campari gave Alfa Romeo her first race-victory in 1920. He also won the french Grand Prix with Alfa’s first Grand Prix car, the P2 designed by Vittorio Jano.

• 1930
Alfa’s P3 was the first monoposto (oneseater) Grand Prix-car. This car made its first appearance in 1932. The P3 was a very beautifull racecar and a born winner in which great drivers like Nuvolari scored many victories! The experience gathered with all races and triumphs were used into the development of production-models like f.e. the 1932 two-seats Spyder with 2300cc 8-cylinder engine. Thanx to Alfa we have the so much misused word ‘GT’. This concept ‘Gran Turismo’ was used for the 6-cylinder sportscar with long wheelbase (1750cc with compressor).



Financial problems in 1933 leaded to a take-over by the Italian state. Mussolini stimulated Alfa Romeo to stay racing and Enzo Ferrari (yes, the one and only!) became the head of the race-departement!

In the pre-war period Alfa Romeo was very succesfull and the foundation was laid for a total of 11 victories at the ledgendary Mille Miglia and 4 on Le Mans. The greatest victory in this period was gained in the 1935 German Grand Prix at the treacherous Nürburgring in which Nuvolari surpassed the supreme teams of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union.

In 1938 Enzo Ferrari instructed the highly gifted technician Gioacchino Colombo to design the Tipo 158 ‘Alfetta’ Grand Prix-car. After World War II this car showed up again and dominated the 1948 Grand Prix-season. With an updated version of the Tipo 158 Guiseppe Farina won the first world championchip in 1950. The only other Grand Prix-winner that season was Juan-Manuel Fangio also driving a Tipo 158 with an 8-cylinder 1.5litre engine (line-configuration) with two Roots-compressors. The Tipo 158 was described as ‘old but invincible’! In the following year Fangio could keep the Formula 1-title for Alfa Romeo, but it was clear that a new period was born. Although the pre-war race- and productioncars with single (SOHC) or double overheaded camshafts (DOHC)-engines designed by Jano and with bodies designed by Zagato and Touring were fantastic and exciting, people asked for cheaper and more reachable cars.

• 1940

In 1947 already the 2.5 litre Freccia d’Oro (Golden Arrow) made its appearance. This car was a coupe with 5 seats and column mounted gearchange. In 1950 introduced Alfa her first 4-cylinder engine within 25 years: the 1900 Berlina.

• 1950
Coupé-versions called Super and Sprint followed soon, just as racing-version called Disco Volante (Flying Saucer) in 1952. This car with a subversive designed body by Touring in Milan did not reach production, but a more conventional race-version of the Disco Volante with a 3.0litre 6-cylinder-engine captured a second place in the Mille Miglia from 1953 and won the Grand Prix from Merano.

In 1954 Alfa Romeo introduced the Giulietta, a concept reachable for the big public. This car had a 1300cc 4-cylinder-engine with double overhead camshafts and perfectly combined performance with low costs! It was delivered as coupé with two doors or saloon with four doors. Later on versions followed tuned by Pininfarina, Zagato and Bertone.

In the period 1950 till 1955 the Italian carproduction grew very fast and of course the Giulietta joined responsibility. This car and its versions were responsible for the growth Alfa Romeo knew for 8 years! In 1962 a bigger Giulia was presented. This car was equipped with a 1570cc engine, a five-speed gearbox and disc brakes on all wheels. The 1900 Super was build till 1956 and replaced by the bigger and more luxurious 2000 in 1958 which in 1962 appeared with a 2.6litre engine. All these types were deliverable with different kind of bodies and engines and they became very popular because of their outstanding performance and handling.

• 1960
The following year the build of a new factory was started in Arese near by Milan. This new factory replaced the one in Portello which had become too small. In the new factory the Tipo 33 racesportscar was developed. This Tipo 33 had a 2.0litre midplaced V-8 engine with DOHC. In 1971 the 3.0litre version of the 33 won the Targa Florio, the 1000km-race of Brands Hatch and the 6-hours race of Watkins Glen. And although the 33 was not without problems this car was the concept of perfect racesportcars as real Alfa Romeo traditions propagate!



At the international carexhibition of Montreal in 1967 the Montreal designed by Bertone made its first appearance. It made use of a 2.6litre V-8 engine developed from the 2.0litre version, with fuelinjection and a five-speed gearbox. This very beautifull 2+2-seater was a very fast sportscar with real racequalities. A topspeed of 220km/h was given! The Montreal was build on the same chassis as the Giulia 1600 coupé and had the same stiff rear axle and its disc brakes on all wheels. This car got a outstanding reputation and became the pride of Alfa Romeo. In the period 1970 till 1975 3925 Montreals were build.

In 1966 on the Salon the Genève Alfa Romeo introduced the 1600 Spider Duetto. This concept should be deliverable for almost 25 years!

In 1968 also the Giulia with an 1779cc engine made its appearance and at the same time the Italian government had persuaded Alfa Romeo to build a new factory near by Naples on behalf of employment in the poor south. This new factory was opened in 1971 at the same time with the presentation of the Alfasud (Alfa South). This totally new developed car had a 1186cc boxerengine with SOHC, a four-speed gearbox, frontwheeldrive and McPherson frontsuspension. The design of Hruschka an Giugiaro was highly praised because of the outstanding road-handling, thanks to wide track of the car and the great balanced rearaxle. Disc brakes on 4 wheels and a 63bph engine encouraged to a lively and sportive way of driving. Marketing technical speeking the Alfasud was a winner and with faster versions Alfa Romeo took care that this car was a unbeatable offer in the sportive and compact marketsection.

• 1970
In 1971 the 1750cc engine was upgraded to 1962cc and one year later the name Alfetta was reborn. Now it was used for a saloon with a 1779cc 4-cylinder engine, a De Dion-rearaxle and a next to the diff placed 5-speed gearbox, just like the Grand Prix-car of 1951. Because of the concept engine frontside and the remaining components like gearbox and so on placed at the rearaxle the Alfetta had a very balanced and sportive handling when driving! Later on versions with the economical 1.6litre Giulia engine and 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0litre G.T.’s were added to the deliveryprogram.



• 1980
In 1981 the Alfasud got a fifth door. In 1984 the Sud was replaced by the Alfa Romeo 33. This car also got boxerengines with 1351cc, 1490cc or 1712cc and was continuing a great succes.

In 1984 (but I can be wrong) Alfa introduced the Alfa 90 which replaced the Alfa 6. For this great car can be chosen from a 2.0litre 4-cylinder, a 2.0litre V-6, a 2.5litre V-6 or a 2.0litre VM-dieselengine.

In 1986 after more than 20 years the name ‘Giulietta’ disappeared with the arrival of the Alfa Romeo 75, called Milano in the USA. The name 75 was given because of the 75 year jubilee of Alfa Romeo. The chassis with the rearplaced gearbox and the De Dion rearaxle was kept and the 75 could be equipped with engines from 1779cc till 2959cc with an 190bph. From 1988 on a 1570cc engine is also delivered for the Alfa 75.

In 1987 Alfa Romeo is incorporated by the Fiatgroup and will represent the sportive part in the concern, where Lancia stands for luxurious cars and Fiat for the mainstream cars.

In 1988 Alfa Romeo introduced the 164 with frontwheeldrive as the topmodel. Also is re-introduced the twinspark-system on the 1962cc engine (for the 164 and 75). This double ignition was already used in 1923 by Alfa and later on the GTA and the GTAm had such a system. In 1990 the 164 Quadrifolglio was presented to the world with a 200bph 3.0litre V-6 engine and in 1994 this engine got a 24valve-head so the engine could give a maximum output of 230bph!

In 1989 during the Salon Genève Alfa Romeo amazed the world with the presentation of the SZ (Sport Zagato), also called ‘The Beast’. There should only be build a 1000 of this brutal car. The SZ was based on the 75 and had a 3.0litre tuned V-6 engine. In 1994 the RZ, a cabriolet based on the SZ is introduced.

• 1990
In 1992 the Alfa Romeo 155 replaced the 75. The 155 has frontwheeldrive so at this moment only the Spider, designed by Pininfarina in 1966 has rearwheeldrive untill she will be replaced by a new Spider in 1993.
After a long time a new GTV is born in 1994, shown at Salon de Paris. The open version of this GTV is called Spider and replaces the former Spider.



In 1997 the 155 was replaced by the 156, a beautifull design from Alfa’s own Centro Stile (Walter de Silva) with retro styling characteristics. It became car of the year 1998 (of course!). End of 1999 a sportswagon of the Alfa 156 will be ready for production and here another tradition will be picked up where the production of the 33 Sportswagon was stopped.

In 1998 is Alfa back in the upperclass of cars with the 166, also developed in Alfa’s Centro Stile by Walter de Silva. This car is the succesor of the 164 which production already was stopped in 1997. The 166 is a beautifull, slim lined and sportive limousine with great highpowered straight-four and V-6's engines.

• 2000
In 2000 Alfa Romeo amazed the world again with introducing the 156 Sportswagon, a very beautifull and very handy car. Here Alfa Romeo picks up a short history of creating sportwagons, like the 33 in the eighties. Coming a 3 years later than the original 156 this car should do it very well in the lease-concept which should be leased by 156-owners and new-comers ending their one lease contract and starting an other.
In novembre 2000 the 147 was introduced. The 147 is the successor of the 145 / 146-range. With this car Alfa Romeo will start in the upper-middle class, starting with prices in the Netherlands from 42.000 guilders on. More about the 147 in 'The history of the Alfa Romeo 145'.



Alfa Romeo news: There are plans to develop an off-road. An prototype is already there. If this car reaches production it will be sold somewhere the year 2001. Also news is (and almost not survivable!) that Alfa, part of the Fiat-group maybe will work together with GM in the future, aarrgghhh, why should Fiat share knowledge, parts and money with a company like this? Good news is that there are rumours again about re-introducing rear wheel drive! Nothing sure, but hopefully true! source: histomobile.com

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In 1929 Enzo Ferrari foundedScuderia Ferrari, in viale Trento e Trieste in Modena, with the purpose of helping members compete in motor races.
Racing activities, in Alfa Romeo cars, continued until 1938, the year in which he became Racing Manager of Alfa Corse. After two years, Enzo Ferrari split with Alfa Romeo and founded Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari, in the old Scuderia Ferrari headquarters, to manufacture machine tools, particularly oleodynamic grinding machines.

In spite of a promise of non-competition (which at the moment of their divorce prevented Enzo Ferrari from bulding cars using his own name for four years), the company began to study and design a racing car, an 8- cylinder 1500 cc open car known as the 815, two of which were built to take part in the 1940 Mille Miglia. The outbreak of World War II put an end to racing.
In 1943 the workshops moved from Modena to Maranello, where construction of oleodynamic grinding machines continued until 1944, when the plant was bombed.
At the end of the war, the company changed its name to Ferrari and designed the 125 Sport, a 12-cylinder, 1500 cc car which Franco Cortese drove on the Piacenza circuit on May 11, 1947. The car had to retire, but it was ahead in the last lap, in what was a good debut. Two weeks later, in fact, Cortese and the 125 Sport won the Rome Grand Prix.
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.
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. source: histomobile.com

• 1950
1946: In October, Soichiro Honda established the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu, Japan, to develop, and later produce, small 2-cycle motorbike engines.

1947: In March, production began on the 50cc, 2-cycle engine.
1948: In September, Honda Motor Company, Ltd., was established, and soon after it had designed and was producing complete lightweight motorcycles.

1950 - 1960: During this decade, the line of Honda motorcycles was greatly expanded. This advertising campaign had a dramatic impact on the entire U.S. motorcycle industry.

1959: American Honda Motor Co., Inc., was established with a small storefront office in Los Angeles. With six employees to start, fewer than 200 motorcycles were sold in the U.S. But in the 1960s, sales really took off, led by the Super Cub and the Dream. A few years later, Honda established motorcycle assembly plants in Hamburg, Germany, and Belgium.

• 1960
1963: American Honda launched the "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" advertising campaign, which helped revolutionize the U.S. motorcycle industry. Honda started to produce T360 light trucks and the very sporty S500 roadster for the Japanese home market.

1964-1965: Honda's product line was expanding with light trucks, compact cars, outboard motors, power generators and a long line of motorcycles, motorbikes and motor scooters, with rapidly expanding export markets.
1965: Honda always believed in the benefits of racing both motorcycles and automobiles as a way to greatly improve the company's engineering skills. And in 1965, a Honda Formula One racecar won the prestigious Mexican Grand Prix.

• 1970
1970: The first Honda automobile imported to the U.S. was the 1970 Honda N600 2-Door Sedan. It was introduced in March 1970. This car was powered by a 2-cylinder, air-cooled engine and featured front-wheel drive. These cars were very small by U.S. standards at that time, and with a price of around $1,300, those first Hondas in the U.S. sold for about a dollar per pound!

1972: A Honda AZ600 Coupe model was added to the 600 series

1973: The first Honda Civic was launched in early 1973. These cars had a water-cooled, 4-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. While still very small cars, they were much larger than the Honda 600 series. They were available as a 2-door sedan or 3-door hatchback.

1975: The 1975 model-year Civic series was expanded to include a line of cars with a new CVCC engine. CVCC means Compound Vortex-Controlled Combustion. These 1500cc CVCC engines used an advanced ratified charge design for low emissions, and were the first to meet federal Clean Air Act standards without the use of a catalytic converter. While the hood and front fenders were extended to make room for the larger CVCC engine, these cars shared much of the same sheet metal as the conventional Civic. A new 5-speed 3-Door hatchback and 4-Door Wagon, both with CVCC engines, were added to the Civic line for the 1975 model year.

1976: In June, Honda launched the first Accord models, an all-new, larger Accord 3-Door Hatchback. The Accords were powered by a larger version of the CVCC engine.

1979: This model year saw the addition of the 4-Door Sedan to the Accord series (October, 1978 - $6,365 POE for a 5-speed; $6,515 POE for the "Hondamatic"). The first Prelude was shown to dealers in September , 1978, and went on sale in March, 1979.

• 1980
1981: An all-new Civic 4-Door Sedan, powered by the 1500cc engine, was added to the 1981 model line. The Accord series expanded to include a deluxe sedan, the SE or Special Edition.

The second generation 1980 Civic series was totally redesigned, with all-new body shells and increased interior room. The models still included the 3-Door Hatchback, with either a 1300cc or 1500cc CVCC engine. The Wagon models were all powered by the 1500cc engine. The 1980 Civic was chosen "Import Car of the Year" by Motor Trend magazine.

1982: The second generation Accord was introduced in the 1982 model year. It was completely resigned as a larger, more powerful automobile.
Later that year, Honda achieved another first in this country. In November, 1982, American Honda became the first Japanese automobile company to assemble their vehicles in the U.S. The first automobile to roll off the Marysville, Ohio, American Honda assembly line was the 1983 model-year Accord Sedan. The first Accord assembled in the U.S. is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
1983: In March, the second generation Prelude was introduced. It was a totally redesigned car, with new double wishbone front suspension.

1988: The fourth generation 1988 Civic models were launched in the fall of the previous year as all-new, larger cars, as was the redesigned CRX line.
In January, for the second time, Honda swept the top three places of the Motor Trend "Import Car of the Year" award - an achievement no other car company has matched.
A sporty new Accord Coupe model was introduced with the 1988 models. Assembled exclusively in Honda's Marysville, Ohio, plant, it was the first time a Honda passenger car was designed with the needs of the U.S. market foremost in mind. Soon these vehicles were exported to Japan. was the first time a Japanese manufacturer had exported a U.S.-assembled automobile back to Japan.

1989: The Accord became the best-selling car in the U.S. for the first time, beating out Ford Taurus by 14,646 cars. Soichiro Honda was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Midland, Michigan.
In December, Honda added a second automobile plant when East the Liberty plant began producing Civic Sedans.

• 1990
1990: The fourth generation of the Accord series was launched as a 1990 model. The Accord became the top selling series of automobiles in the U.S. for the second year in a row, by a margin of 103,905 at years end.

1993: This model year introduced the Civic del Sol, the replacement for the CRX. It combined the sporty look of the previous CRX with the fun of an open-top roadster. This was Honda's first venture towards a "convertible" style automobile in the U.S.

Also new for 1993 was the exciting Civic Coupe, assembled exclusively in North America. This new expansion of the Civic line provided a more personalized style while still remaining a practical choice for consumers. The EX Coupe with option package was the only car in its class with standard dual airbags (SRS).

1995: In 1995, Honda did two things it had never done before. For the first time, it offered the Accord with a V-6 engine and formally entered the minivan market with the Odyssey.

Fitted with stylish looks and features to match the powerful 2.7 liter, 24-valve V-6 engine, the Accord V-6 Sedan gave consumers one more reason to fall in love with an Accord.

The Odyssey provided customers with a combination of car-like handling, four doors for ease of use, stylish good looks and the capacity to seat up to seven people. The Odyssey also featured a unique retractable forl-down third-row bench seat, which folded completely into the floor to provide more coargo room.

1995 marked Honda's 25th anniversary of selling vehicles in the U.S. On July 17, 1995, Honda sold its 10-millionth car in the United States.
1996: This model year introduced the sixth generation Civic. Offered as a hatchback, coupe and sedan, the Civic incorporated significant improvements in performance, a larger interior, new exterior styling, a quieter cabin, plus many more enhancements.

1997: The 1997 fifth generation Prelude was equipped with such advanced features as an available Sequential SportShift™ 4-speed automatic, the Immobilizer Theft-Deterrent System and an Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS™) (Type SH)

The CRV provided customers with a compact, space efficient design, plus Real Time™ 4WD and 4-wheel-double wishbone suspension for greater driving control and comfort.

1998: The sixth generation Accord made its debut in 1998, with a complete redesign. The Accord Coupe and Sedan were built from different platforms, with the Coupe's styling providing a much more aggressive appearance than before. A redesigned, more powerful V-6 engine was available in the Coupe as well as the Sedan. Both vehicles were sold in LX and EX trim levels.

The 4-cylinder Accord EX equipped with automatic transmission was also recognized for being the first mass-produced gasoline engine to meet California's strict Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) standard.
The Passport was also all-new for 1998. Both LX and EX models received an increased list of standard equipment as well as new interior and exterior styling..

1999: As large as any full-size competitor, with the most powerful V-6 engine available, the 1999 Odyssey raised the standards in minivan performance, safety, comfort and convenience. Available in LX and EX models, the Odyssey was the first to offer dual power sliding doors (EX).

• 2000
2000: The S2000 is an ultra-high-performance 2-seat sports roadster designed to be a driving enthusiast's dream. A showcase of race-derived technology, its 20 liter, DOHC VTEC engine produces 240 hp. Just as remarkable, this engine is rated as a California LEV (Low-Emission Vehicle), proving that a pure sports car can be powerful and environmentally conscious.

The Honda Insight was the first production car in the U.S. with a gasoline-electric hybrid system, called Integrated Motor Assist (IMA™). The Insight is fun to drive, meets the California ULEV standard and still delivers the highest fuel economy of any gasoline-powered production car in the U.S.
In 2000, a 4-cylinder Accord EX Sedan with leather, available only in California, was the first gasoline-powered Super Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle (SULEV) brought to market .

2001: The completely new 2001 Civics are well-equipped and larger compared to their sixth-generation predecessors. Honda stylists worked hard to increase the differentiation between the Coupe and Sedan, giving the former a sportier, European-styled shape., and the latter a very modern, user-friendly family appeal. In both cases, the Civic now has a longer 110,000-mile scheduled tune up interval thanks to ignition and spark-plug improvements.

The new Civics also have environmental appeal - every model is certified as an Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle (ULEV) under California's strict regulations. Additionally, the Civic Hatchback and Si Coupe have been deleted from the lineup.

For 2001, the Accord has undergone minor changes aimed at improving its competitiveness among midsize passenger cars. These enhancements include a stronger, more refined, yet sportier exterior. Inside, key new features add value and enhance Accord's well-known reputation for providing a balance of quality, dependability, functionality, comfort and safety. source: histomobile.com

• 1900
1907 Hatsudoki Seizo Co., Ltd. established for the manufacture and sales of internal combustion engines.

• 1930
1930 Production of 3-wheel vehicles began.

• 1950

1951 Company name changed to Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.
1957 Midget compact 3-wheel vehicle marketed.

• 1960

1967 Business tie-up signed with Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., and Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd.

• 1970

1977 Charade (993cc) passenger car marketed.

• 1980
1981 Cuore marketed.

1984 Rocky marketed.
CKD production of Daihatsu 850 Cab/Cab Van models commenced in China on October 18th.
KD production of Hijet in Tianjin, China started in November.

1985 Accumulated automobile production exceeded 10,000,000.

1986 CKD production of the Charade commenced in China on November 1st.
1989 Feroza marketed.
Applause marketed.

• 1990
1990 Daihatsu entered into a technical cooperation agreement with Asia Motors Co., Inc. of Korea.

1992 Daihatsu entered into a new joint venture with P.T. Daihatsu Indonesia in January.
Cumulative engine production hit the15 million mark.
Local production of the Hijet (joint venture with Piaggio V.E.) began in Italy in December.

1993 Charade GTti captured a 1st place win in class A-7 and 5th place overall in the 41st Safari Rally.

1994 Joint venture production of Malaysia's Second National Car, Kancil, (based Cuore) began in August.

1995 New Zebra Espass marketed in Indonesia in April.
New mini passenger car Move marketed in Japan in August.

1996 Production of Malaysia's National 1-Box Car, Rusa, began in April.
New light commercial vehicle Midget II marketed in Japan in April.
A technical assistance agreement was signed between Daihatsu and Liuzhou Wuling Motor Co., Ltd., in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous District, China.
Compact Wagon Pyzar (Gran Move) marketed in Japan in August.

1997 Daihatsu celebrated its 90th anniversary.
Compact 4WD Terios marketed.
Accumulated light vehicle production exceeded 10,000,000.
Accumulated production of the Kancil in Malaysia exceeded 100,000.

1998 New passenger car Sirion marketed.
Mira, Move and Terios Kid models compliant with Japan's new mini-vehicle standards were put on the market.
An Opti model compliant with Japan's new mini-vehicle standards was put on the market.

Cumulative vehicle production hit the 20 million mark.

1999 Atrai and Hijet models compliant with Japan's new mini-vehicle standards were put on the market.
The tada Plant obtained ISO 9001 Authentication.
Light passenger car "Atrai Wagon" marketed.
Head (Ikeda) Plant obtained ISO 14001 Authentication.
Shaiga (ryuo) Plant obtained ISO 14001 Authentication. source: histomobile.com

On February 15, 1967 Malcolm Bricklin and Harvey Lamm form Subaru of America (SoA) in Pennsylvania and contract with Fuji Heavy Industries to import the Subaru and in 1968, the first year, import 332 cars. In 2000 SoA sold 172,216 cars which is 14,351 per month or about 20 cars per hour around the clock every day of the year.

In 1953, five Japanese companies merge to form Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, with a “Subaru” cluster of stars as its official logo for its cars. Better known by the Greek name Pleiades, part of the Taurus constellation, Subaru is also Japanese for 'unite'.

1968-1969: Subaru 360. It's small (very small, see above)
1970 Subaru Star. It was 1000cc, FF-1 1300 Star with a 1100 cc engine.
1971 SoA introduces the very first Japanese mass production front-wheel-drive car to the US, the Subaru 1000 (first made in Japan 1966). The 1000 costs $1,699 and uses the Boxer engine design still used by Subaru.
1972-1973 GL, DL models introduced. While the models changed over the years, the names were used until 1989.

1974 4x4 introduced as a 1975 model, just pull the lever for 4x4. The 4x4 is a success.

1976 Subaru 4x4 is the car of choice for the US Ski team! They runs TV ads showing how well a Subaru does in in the snow, and advertise 'Inexpensive and built to stay that way'. Subaru is the 6th largest import car in the US.

1977 Subaru is now the 5th largest import in the US. The Brat is introduced (discontinued in 1987) and re-born in 2003 as the Baja. Brat is 'Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter'.

1980-84 Subaru advertises as the Ski Car. These models made 1980-1984 as Subaru starts a 5 year product cycle. The 'hill holder' introduced (previously on Studebaker etc) so cars with a manual transmission won't roll backwards. All Subarus now available with 4x4, turbo introduced, 4x4 Hi/Lo available starting in 1981?

1983 Subaru sells it's 1,000,000th car in the US.
1985-1989 New GL/DL, RS, and XT models introduced, Hi/Lo dual range 4x4 is optional. These models are discontinued in 1989. The XT defines aerodynamic styling and available for a short time in a 6cylinder.
1986 full time All Wheel Drive offered on certain models, the part time system available through 1989.

1987 Subaru offers All-Wheel-Drive (awd) automatically varying the power delivered to wheels (Audi's Quattro system introduced in 1980). Subaru makes both AWD and On-Demand 4WD until 1994 when the last model with on-demand, the Loyale, was discontinued. Justy introduced, 3 cylinder, available in 1988 with the 1st ECVT (electronic continuously variable transmission) in the US.

1990 5 year re-design. Subaru renames the GL/DL as the Loyale (with on-demand 4wd, made until 1994) and introduces the new all-wheel-drive and front wheel drive Legacy and the 2.2L engine. There are a number of Legacy models. Many Legacys are made in Lafayette, Indiana, all are made there by 1994.

1991 The quirky SVX luxury sport coupe 3.3L 6cylinder available as a 1992 model. Discontinued in 1997, the SVX retains cult popularity years later. Right-hand-drive Legacy postal wagon available for rural mail carriers (discontinued in 1999 though aftermarket conversions are available).
1993 25 years selling in the US. Subaru introduces the smaller Impreza. Impreza continues with minor changes until it's re-designed in 2002. Special 25th Anniversary models SVX and Legacy available.
1994 Last year for the 1st generation Legacy and there are a number of Legacy versions available that year.

1995 5 year re-design, major changes for the Legacy including an all new body, interior, new standard dual front airbags (no more passive 'automatic' seatbelts). Outback is introduced as a trim package on the Legacy L. Subaru makes a few front wheel drive Legacy L models: Traction Control using the ABS system, a Convenience pkg with factory sunroof etc. All Legacys are now made in Lafayette, Indiana.
1996 New 2.5L DOHC engine introduced in the Legacy Outback and Legacy LSi models, automatic transmission only. The first real Legacy Outback is introduced, not just a trim package on the 1995 L. The Outback is a rugged road version of the Legacy wagon with more ground clearance, 2 tone with grey lower body molding, the new 2.5L engine etc. It's a huge hit. The Impreza Outback Sport version of the Impreza wagon is also introduced. The SVX is being phased out. Subaru makes 5000th right-hand-drive postal Legacy wagon. Subaru.com introduced.

1997 Outback Limited with leather introduced. All Subarus are now all wheel drive, which most were anyway. Legacy LS, LSi, and SVX models discontinued with only app 700 SVXs sold that year.

1998 Forester small SUV introduced, based on the Impreza platform. It's smaller than the Outback but bigger than the Impreza. Impreza 2.5L RS coupe with gold wheels introduced. The Outback Limited is available with optional dual sunroofs.

1999 Special '30th Anniversary' Legacy and Outbacks available (1969-1999 = 30 years)

2000 5 year re-design. Subaru completely re-does Legacy and Outback, finally offering power driver's seat, better cupholders, driver focused dashboard, a quieter ride among other improvements. ST-X concept truck, made as 2003 Baja (remember the Brat).

2001 First 6 cylinder 4door sedan and wagon offered in all new models: LL Bean wagon, VDC wagon, VDC sedan. (The 6cyl SVX and XT were 2door coupes).

2002 Impreza re-designed for the 1st time since it's 1993 introduction, and new World Rally winning turbo Impreza WRX sedan and wagon introduced after being available overseas for years. The WRX is a very popular and firmly Subaru in the perfomance car world. Outback now standard with All Weather pkg (heated seats etc), center console re-designed with 2 cupholders.

2003 Forester re-designed (front side airbags now standard) and Baja 4door truck introduced in an attempt to find a younger, warm climate, non-wagon buyer. Legacy available in a SE (special edition) package, Outback Audio Edition available mid-year with upgraded stereo system but no All Weather pkg.

2004 first year for 2.5L turbocharged Forester XT, Baja and the super high performance, limited production Impreza WRX-STi sedan with 300hp. Legacy L and Outback H6 available in a 35th Anniversary package.

2005 Major 5 year re-design for the Legacy and Outback, with all new performance turbo and higher-horsepower 6 cylinder models and other improvements as they strive for a high-end and performance market. New 2.5L turbo models include Legacy GT and Outback XT, joining the Forester XT, Impreza WRX, WRX STi, and Baja turbos. The Impreza line gets minor upgrades including improved front cupholders, gray headlight lens, new alloy wheels, STi gets a stereo, wider rear wheels etc, limited production Outback Sport SE and RS sedan Sport packages offered. Baja turbo with leather (late availability) includes new standard 2piece hard tonneau cover.

2006 New model: B9 Tribeca SUV with optional 7 passenger arrived May 2005. Subaru's first 7 passenger (optional), 250hp 3.0L 6 cylinder. Legacy
and Outback model lines refined with slow selling manual transmission models dropped, a new 6 cylinder cloth Outback and new Legacy 2.5i SE models added. Limited production Legacy GT SpecB available late in the year, only 500 to be produced, each with a numbered plate, all are GT Limited sedans, 5spd manual transmission, Titanium silver with brick red leather interior, 18" alloys, Bilstein suspension, Navigation system (only way to get Navigation with a manual) etc.

All Imprezas get a new front grill similar to the Tribeca, Advanced Front Airbag system, new tail-lights, aluminum hood and other upgrades.
WRX gets new 2.5L turbo replacing 2.0L, also gets standard 17" alloys, slightly decontented TR (tuner ready) sedan, and new Limited models with leather, sunroof, all weather pkg etc available for the first time (new for wagon, replaces WRX Premium sedan). STi gets new rear roof spoiler and other minor performance upgrades. Impreza RS renamed 2.5i. Impreza 2.5i sedan and wagon and Outback Sport now have new side airbags (they've been on the WRX and STi already).

Baja comintues with few changes, only 3 colors available for 2006.
Forester gets new names, loses the cloth XT and base XS models, all models get new front end and tailights, slight horsepower increase with active valves, (Xs now 172, XTs 230hp), Advanced Airbags and other minor refinements.

2007 Many models get stereo auxilliary input (iPod) plug except on base versions. Satellite radio available for the first time. Tribeca gets a new grill, optional SE package with chromed wheels, satellite radio, mesh grill; Navigation includes back-up camera, optional back-up beeper, fewer color combinations and models. Impreza remains much the same with few changes. New STI Limited available, only 800 made, 400 gray and 400 white, all with leather, small rear spoiler, sunroof and sells out quickly. New mid-year Impreza 2.5i SE sedan model has sunroof and auxilliary stereo plug. Forester remains much the same. All models except X gets aux plug. 2 mid year models available December: X Sports with new grill and aux stereo plug and XT Sports with new grill, cloth interior and VDC AWD, a first for the Forester. Legacy remains much the same with VDC AWD standard on the GT sedan with navigation model. Limited production Legacy GT spec.B to 3000, with a new 6 speed transmission and VDC. The Outback VDC model dropped, and VDC AWD is now standard on LL Bean and XT models. This is the first time VDC has been available in a non 'VDC' model. $1000 price drop on Outback 2.5i. New Outback 2.5i 'Basic' is less expensive than the 2.5i model and deletes All Weather package, 17" alloy wheels, power seat, tire pressure monitoring, roofrack cross bars, cargo cover and tray etc. 2 new mid-year LL Bean 4cylinder models with Navigation, a cloth 2.5i LL Bean and leather 2.5i Limited LL Bean. This is the first time the LL Bean name has been used on a 4 cylinder Outback, previously it was only for 6 cylinder Outbacks (and 4 cylinder Foresters of course). cars101

Based on technology and parts from Mitsubishi, production of the first model, the Proton Saga began in September 1985 at its first manufacturing plant in Shah Alam, Selangor. Initially the components of the car were entirely manufactured by Mitsubishi but slowly local parts were being used as technologies were transferred and skills were gained.

The 100,000th Proton Saga was produced in January 1989. [1]
Until the end of the 1990s, the car's logo featured the crest from Malaysia's coat of arms, featuring a crescent and a fourteen-pointed star. The new Proton logo features a stylized tiger head.

In 1993, a model called Proton Wira was introduced based on the Mitsubishi Lancer/Colt. More than 220,000 units were sold between 1996 and 1998 [2]. Proton Perdana based on the Mitsubishi Eterna, was first produced in 1994, intended for higher end market.

By 2002 Proton held a market share of over 60 per cent in Malaysia, which was reduced to barely 30 percent by 2005 and is expected to reduce further in 2008 when AFTA mandates reduce import tariffs to a maximum of 5%.

Proton Waja (Proton Impian in UK) is the first car model designed internally by Proton. It was launched on February 8, 2004.

With the acquisition of Lotus technologies in 1996 from Bugatti, Proton has gained an additional source of engineering and automotive expertise. This lead to the production of Proton Gen-2 which was code name Wira Replacement Model (WRM) before the launch. The Gen-2 is the first of cars to be manufactured and assembled at the new manufacturing plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak which is part of Proton City development project. The plant was opened in 2004. On June 8, 2005 Proton introduced the second model to be manufactured in Tanjung Malim, the 1,200 cc 5-door supermini, the Proton Savvy. Both the Gen-2 and Savvy, were models that MG Rover was looking to rebadge when the British firm entered into collaboration talks with Proton. However these joint-venture talks were unsuccessful and MG Rover subsequently collapsed.

In December 2004, Proton purchased a majority share in MV Agusta of Italy. MV Agusta is the manufacturer of MV Agusta, Husqvarna, and Cagiva motorcycles. A year later, Proton sold off its 57.7% share in MV Agusta to another Italian company for a token of one Euro. Due to heavy debt by MV Agusta, the selling enabled Proton to write off the losses off its book.

In October 2004, Proton announced that an understanding has been reached with Volkswagen AG of Germany to establish a strategic partnership. Under the tie-up, the two carmakers are expected to exploit each other's strengths. Proton would gain access to Volkswagen's superior technical capabilities and technology. In return, Volkswagen may utilise Proton's spare capacity at the latter's Tanjung Malim to assemble cars for export to the South-East Asian market, where the German auto giant has a weak presence. Furthermore, the tie-up may see Volkswagen assist in distributing Proton vehicles in China while Proton does the same for Volkswagen in South-East Asia. Nonetheless, none of the parties announced detailed and concrete plans for the partnership. On January 13, 2006, Volkswagen announced that negotiation of the partnership has failed because VW's plans were different and clashes with the terms and condition that proton offers. source: histomobile.com

Kia Motors Corporation of South Korea origins began as a steel tubing and bicycle parts manufacturer from 1944. Through the decades that followed, the company progressed into building motorcycles and trucks. It can be said that Kia's goal is to provide quality vehicles at prices below that of the competition coupled with a personable customer relations program.

Some notable Kia achievements are being the first Korean automotive manufacturer to build internal combustion engines and passenger cars. An impressive list of awards within the industry is associated with Kia, highly centered around quality control.
Kia entered the U.S. market in 1994 to sell vehicles at a network of dealerships. Their U.S. headquarters is in Irvine, California.

October 1998 brought about a new majority equity holder of Kia, long time competitor, Hyundai Motors. More information about Kia can be found by visiting the two links below. source: histomobile.com

The Toyota Motor Co. Ltd was first established in 1937 as a spin-off from Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, one of the world's leading manufacturers of weaving machinery.
The Toyoda Automatic Loom Works was then headed by Japan's 'King of Inventors' Sakichi Toyoda. The patent rights to one of his machines had been sold to Platt Brothers (UK) and provided the seed-money for the development and test-building of Toyota's first automobiles.

August 1997 marked the 60th anniversary of TMC. The fledgling company founded by Kiichiro Toyoda, Sakichi's son, has since blossomed into the leader that it is today.
In 1950 the company experienced its one and only strike. Labor and management emerged from this stoppage firmly committed to the principles of mutual trust and dependence, and that corporate philosophy still guides our growth today.
Production systems were improved in the late 1950s, culminating in the establishment of the 'Toyota Production System.' It became known as TPS in 1970 but was established much earlier by Taiichi Ohno. Based on the principles of Jidoka, Just-in-time and Kaizen, the system is a major factor in the reduction of inventories and defects in the plants of Toyota and its suppliers, and it underpins all our operations across the World.

Toyota launched its first small car (SA Model) in 1947. Production of vehicles outside Japan began in 1959 at a small plant in Brazil, and continued with a growing network of overseas plants. Toyota believes in localizing its operations to provide customers with the products they need where they need them; this philosophy builds mutually beneficial long-term relationships with local suppliers and helps the company fulfill its commitments to local labor.
Over and above manufacturing, Toyota also has a global network of design and 'Research and Development' facilities, embracing the three major car markets of Japan, North America and Europe.

In every community in which the company operates, Toyota strives to be a responsible corporate citizen; close relationships with people and organizations in the local community are essential contributors to mutual prosperity. Across the world, Toyota participates enthusiastically in community activities ranging from the sponsorship of educational and cultural programmes to international exchange and research.

Today, Toyota is the world's third largest manufacturer of automobiles in unit sales and in net sales. It is by far the largest Japanese automotive manufacturer, producing more than 5.5 million vehicles per year, equivalent to one every six seconds. In the time it has taken you to read this paragraph, at least another three or four cars will have been produced! source: histomobile.com

The origins of the Mitsubishi car can be traced back to 1917, when Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. produced the Mitsubishi Model A car. The car was completely hand-built and only 22 were made.

In 1934, The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was created after a series of mergers. But at the end of world war two, the company was split in three with a focus on motor vehicle development. During the 1960`s Mitsubishi moved into family car production. In 1964, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was formed.

In 1970, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) was formed. In 1971, Chrysler took a 15% share in the company, but this later lead to some friction. By 1980, production had exceeded one million cars a year.
In 1988, Mitsubishi Motors went public. Expansion into other countries quikly followed. Chrysler eventually sold its interest in Mitsubishi Motors. source: histomobile.com

• 1930
1897 The design of an electric motor for wheel hubs by Ferdinand Porsche lays the foundation for numerous other inventions.

1900 Lohner-Porsche electric car
1907 Ferdinand Porsche is a pioneer in the field of aviation engines. At Austro-Daimler he designs engines for airships and "aeroplanes."

1917 Ferdinand Porsche becomes Director of Austro-Daimler and designs a large, six-cylinder car.

1923 As Technical Director at Daimler in Stuttgart, Ferdinand Porsche develops the legendary/supercharged MercedesBenz SS and SSK sports cars, among others.

1931 First contract for the newlyfounded design offices of the Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH in Stuttgart was a six-cylinder car for Wanderer in Chemnitz (Porsche Type 7).

1931 Wanderer 6 Chemnitz, Porsche Type 7

1936 Auto-Union-GP race car, Porsche Type 22

1936 Start on legendary first test runs for a prototype of the most-produced car in the world, the Volkswagen (Porsche Type 60), in the countryside around Stuttgart.

1939 The Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, built under
Ferdinand Porsche's direction, was finished in September but production of the Volkswagen (Porsche Type 60) could only begin after the war.

• 1950
1948 The Roadster, Type 356 No. 1, was built in Gmund under the direction of Ferdinand Porsche Jr. - the first automobile to carry the Porsche name. Ferdinand Porsche Sr. dies during 1951.

1951 Porsche goes to the start at the 24 hour race in Le Mans for the first time. A Porsche 356 Coupe wins its class.

1958 More than 25,000 356 Porsches from Zuffenhausen were sent around the world in the first ten years. Many of them are still running. A 1600 Coupe cost 12,700 marks at that time.

• 1960
1961 Work on a new Porsche with six-cylinder engine began behind closed doors. Body designer was Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, oldest son of Ferdinand Porsche Jr.
1963 The Porsche 911, then called the Type 901, made its debut at the International Automobile Salon in Frankfurt. It proved to be a design of exceptional development potential.

1964 The Type 904, designed by F. A. Porsche, anticipates many technical features which only later became common in race car construction. It was the first Porsche with a fiberglass body.

1968 Porsche wins the Targa Florio, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Rallye Monte Carlo.

1969 The mid-engined sports car, VW Porsche 914, was launched on the world's markets in a marketing cooperative with the Volkswagen factory. It was joined by the Type 914/6 with 911 engine. Porsche captures the World Championship for Makes for the first time.

• 1970
1970 Porsche is always found at the front. Overall winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time, World Champion for Makes again and a third victory for a 911 in the Rallye Monte Carlo.

1972 The Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche KG is turned into a stock company. Weissach Development Center is ready for business.

1973 Epochal development of racing engines with exhaust turbocharging begins at Porsche. Highlight: the 917/30 CanAm Spyder. The Porsche "Longlife Car" study causes a sensation .

1976 Porsche was the first manufacturer to offer standard, hotdip, galvanized bodies. The Porsche 924 with transaxle chassis arrived as successor to the VW Porsche 914.

Porsche is World Champion for Makes again; a first time for the 935 trubo race sports car which dominates until 1981.
1978 The new Type 928 becomes the first sports car chosen "Car of the Year."

• 1980
1981 The Type 944 extends the Porsche model range in the year of the firm's 50th anniversary. A 936 Spyder wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
1982 The 911's offered for the first time as a Cabriolet too. The great career of a new Porsche design, the Type 956/962 C race sports car, begins.

1983 Porsche 956-victory in Spa

1983 The "Group B" technology study first shown at the IAA in Frankfurt, leads to the Type 959, built in a small series.
1986 Three 959s with electronically controlled all-wheel drive, entered by Porsche in the Rallye Paris - Dakar, finished in places 1, 2 and 6. Three World Championships in a row are captured by the TAG-Porsche engine in the Formula 1 Mc-Laren single-seater.

1989 Ferdinand (Ferry) Porsche, founder of the Porsche automobile marque, celebrated his 80th birthday. Porsche set new standards for automatic transmissions with its Tiptronic gearbox in the "classic" 911 Carrera 2.

1991 A new Porsche sports car bears the model designation 968. Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche had been entered in the Stuttgart trade register just 60 years earlier. And there was another anniversary: Porsche's triumphant Le Mans history started 40 years before. source: histomobile.com

• 1930
Literally, the word "volkswagen" means "people's car." In Germany, the idea of a people's car wasn't exactly a new one. Before the 1930's, there had been many efforts to create simple cars that everyone could afford, but none met with profound success.
Almost all cars before 1930, even if they were designed to be simple enough for the average person, ended up costing more than the average worker's yearly wage.

Meanwhile, the year is 1930, and Ferdinand Porsche had just set up an automotive design company, which became known as the Porsche Büro. The company patented a sophisticated independent front suspension system, which consisted of transversely mounted torsion bars connected to two trailing arms on each side. At the time, this was lighter than most other common types of suspension. In 1931, a German motorcycle company, Zündapp, asked Porsche if he could design a suitable car for them. Porsche came up with a streamlined 2 door sedan, which had lines similar to the Beetle. It was designated the Type 12. Zündapp wanted to put in a 1.2 liter radial engine from one of their motorcycles...this was the end of the line for this design, as it didn't make it any further.

Porsche then designed a car for NSU in 1933 that was known as the Type 32. This car looked even more similar to the upcoming KdF Wagen than the Type 12 did. This car looked similar to the Tatra V570, and shared many mechanical similarities. After World War II, the Volkswagen company paid Tatra for compensation, since Tatra believed its technology and design was pirated in development of the KdF Wagen. Eventaully, NSU dropped the Type 32 project.

Later in 1933, Adolf Hitler met with Ferdinand Porsche to discuss Hitler's idea of a volkswagen. Hitler proposed a people's car that could carry 5 people, cruise up to 62mph, return 33mpg, and cost only 1000 Reich Marks. This was an opportunity for Porsche to push his idea of a small car foward, as was it to help Hitler get a real people's car for the citizens of Germany.

Initially, Porsche designated this design the Type 60, but it was soon changed to the V1 (experimental 1). Hitler also proposed to have a convertible version produced: it was designated V2. Porsche was not able to make the deadline to finish the first two prototypes, as there was not enough time to physically design the cars and to built them. In any case, they were completed and driving by 1935. Soon, the V1 design was updated, and three cars were produced. This new design was the VW3. These cars were put through rigorous testing in 1936.

These cars looked very similar to the KdF Wagen, that was to appear later. Eventually, the VW3s had metal floors, swing axle rear transmissions, Porsche's front independed suspensions, and backbone floorpans. Several engines were tested, and eventually a flat four cylinder aircooled four stroke engine was chosen. Surprisingly, the engine that was chosen was cheaper and more reliable than some of the four cylinder two stroke engines that were tested. This 22.5 hp four cylinder "boxer" engine was roughly the same as the engines that would later be incorporated into Volkswagen Beetles that are still produced today.

After data was collected from the tests of the VW3s, the next version, the VW30 was created, and in all, 30 were produced. Due to Hitler's regime, control of the company and testing of the VW30 was given to a government organization called the DAF. Now, members of the SS were required to drive the VW30s to confirm that all the problems of the V3s were fixed. For the most part, these tests showed that most of the problems in earlier cars had been fixed.

In 1938, construction began on the KdF Wagen factory, and on the town that was going to be next to the factory. In 1939, several VW38s (pre-production) and VW39s
(demonstration cars) were produced just to show that the factory did work, and to show what the final version of the car would look like. These cars were different from their predecessors in that they had front hinged doors (all the VW designs before had "suicide" doors), split windows in the rear, larger hoods, and many other minor differences. This edition of the car was the basis of the Beetle after the war was over.

When the V38s were introduced, Hitler abruptly changed the name of the car to KdF Wagen. KdF stood for "Kraft durch Freude" which meant "Strength through Joy." This upset Porsche, as he was not a member of the Nazi party, and he didn't support Hitler's use of propaganda when advertising the car.

• 1940
The German government sold special stamps that could eventually be used to purchase a real KdF Wagen. In theory, as soon as 200 stamps were collected, they could be redeemed for a car. However, the KdF Wagen was not to be, and it never progressed beyond the prototype/demonstration stage. In later years, many people who collected these stamps took Volkswagen to court seeking compensation, since VW never made good on the KdF stamps. The KdF Wagen factory was busy pumping out Type 82s: Kübelwagens. The Kübelwagen was a simple looking military vehicle that basically used the same parts as the KdF Wagen, but had a flat-sided body, and increased ground clearance. It was essentially the Germany's "jeep" in WWII. During the war, the company also produced an amphibious vehicle, which was known as the Type 128, and later as the Type 166: the Schwimmwagen. This vehicle was powered by a 25hp engine, and had a retractable ducted propeller in the rear for water use. In the water, the Schwimmwagen could achieve up to 5mph, and surprisingly steered in the water with its front tires. There were over 50,000 Type 82s produced, and less than 16,000 Schwimmwagens produced during the war. There were several military off-shoots of the KdF Wagen produced during the war:

Kommandeurwagen: KdF Wagen with ragtop sunroof, four-wheel drive, increased ground clearance
Papler: The Papler company built several four door versions of the KdF Wagen for use in parades and for police
Hebmüller: Hebmüller produced hundreds of custom two seat KdF Wagen convertibles

Porsche even experimented with very unusual powerplants, such as a wood-gas engine, compressed CO2 engines (very short range), and more.

The KdF Wagen factory was a prime target for allied forces during the war, and before long, it was partially destroyed. After the war was over, the British Army took over the factory. The British were interested in the factory, because they needed light transportation: what else could they do? The factory was brought back up (it was still damaged, however) with leadership provided by Major Ivan Hirst of the British Army, and by the end of 1945, had produced more than 2000 cars. Most of them were produced from spare parts that were left in the factory. Within a year, the factory had produced over 10,000 cars, all thanks to assistance from the British government. Sometime after 1945, the company was named Volkswagen by the British, who also renamed the town at the factory "Wolfsburg", which was the name of a local castle. The British sought to give control of the company to able hands: the Ford company turned the offer down because it thought it would be a waste of money, the French government refused; nobody seemed to want the company. In 1949, the British government was finally able to relinquish control of the company to the German government. Heinrich Nordhoff was appointed as the senior executive of Volkswagen, a move which proved to be a very good one.

• 1950
After 1949, production at Volkswagen steadily increased. Nordhoff's experience and knowledge proved invaluable for the company. Late in 1949, an idea for a utility/transport vehicle was developed, and by 1950, the VW transporter was born.

Volkswagens were being exported to neighboring European countries such as Denmark, Sweeden, Luxemburg, Belgium, and Switzerland. As early as 1950, Volkswagen began producing Beetles in South Africa (They were now known as Beetles) as well. Volkswagen comissioned an old German coach building company, Karmann, to build their Beetle convertibles. Every single convertible Volkswagen Beetle was completed by Karmann: hence the special badges on VW convertibles. In 1952, a Volkswagen dealership was opened in England: which was the first there. A few Volkswagens were imported into the United States in 1949 by Ben Pon, but they didn't immediatley gain popularity. Very few were sold in their first year in the US.

The Hoffmann company of New York, which imported Beetles in the early 1950s, eventually abandonded Volkswagen, and imported Porsches instead. Volkswagen did not sell many cars in the United States until later in the mid-1950s.
In 1951, Volkswagen began to export a deluxe version of the beetle. There was already a "standard" Beetle, which was only available in a dull gray color. These standard Beetles were spartan: they lacked synchromesh transmissions, exterior and interior chrome, and other special extra options that one might expect to have as standard in cars today. There were also regular export cars, that were available in several colors. The export cars also had chrome and more options as standard, such as a radio. The American export cars had even more chrome than regular export cars, and were generally the most elaborate with options and features. The American deluxe Beetles got hydraulic brakes in 1952, and lost their semaphores (flag-like turn signals) in 1955.
Volkswagen transporters were not as popular as Beetles, and in the first 5 years of production, there were 4 times fewer Buses built as Beetles. The Buses (and all other transporters) produced before 1955 had characteristically large engine access doors. Today, they are largely known as "barndoor" buses. Some people think that barndoor is supposed to be a reference to the side doors, but it is a misconception. These early barndoor transporters are very rare today.

Still in the 1950s, Volkswagen had already acted on its global goals by building factories in several countries. A factory began building Beetles in England, the plant in South Africa was building them, and a plant in Brazil provided a South American connection. Later, in 1960, a plant in Australia opened up, but never ended up being as successful as the other factories.

Beetles built before 1953 (and some during that year) looked almost identical to the KdF Wagen designed before WWII. Midway in 1953, Volkswagen changed the rear split windows of the Beetles, and added a slightly larger oval window. This oval window was said to increase visibility out of the rear of the car up to 33%. By 1955, Volkswagen came out with a new model called the Karmann Ghia. It used many parts from the Beetle to keep production cheaper, and less complex. The Karmann Ghia was a joint venture by companies Karmann (builds VW Beetle cabriolets) and Ghia.

Volkswagen production kept increasing through the late 1950s. In 1958, the larger rear window that most people see in Beetles today (Ovals and Splits are much more rare than the larger window Beetles) was adopted. In each year, minor changes were made to the Beetle, and the other cars in Volkswagen's lineup, but nothing very drastic. Different turn signals were added, slightly improved engines, and other small things were common in the year to year changes.

Volkswagen also had a very successful advertising campaign in the 1960s which helped contribute to its success in the United States. The Disney movie, Herbie, also helped promote the Beetle. The Herbie movies portrayed the Beetle as a "love bug." Later in the 1960s, Volkswagen produced over one million Beetles each year. 1969 was the most productive year for Volkswagen.

• 1960
After the Beetle's boom years in the late 1960s, its sales began to decline. In 1967, the transporter underwent major design changes, and in 1969 on US Export Beetles, VW added CV joints in the rear of the car in an effort to improve high speed stability on American highways. The traditional swingaxle system worked Ok, but at high speeds tended to lose stability.

• 1970
In 1971, Volkswagen developed a *new* car called the Super Beetle. The Super Beetle had modern MacPherson struts in the front instead of the older transverse beam arrangement it had since the 1930s: this new suspension allowed the trunk to be deeper, thus creating more luggage space in the front trunk. The Super Beetles of '71 had the same windshields as the standard Beetles did, but from '72-'74, a wrap around curved windshield was implemented. These were the only Beetles to have anything in the way of a real dashboard. Super Beetles were smoother cruisers on the highway, but did not make good Baja Beetle platforms. Ever increasing US government regulations on safety and emissions controls pushed the Beetle to its limits. The Beetle could not be adapted to keep up with the other cars in the industry. Volkswagen stopped production of the Beetle sedan in 1977, and stopped production of the cabriolet in 1979.

• 1980
1980 - Jan. 10th, Karmann finished producing the convertible Beetle. The last 4,572 conv. Beetles were sold in the US. Jetta, Vanagon and Rabbit Pickup were introduced.
1981 - 20 millionth Beetle was produced in Puebla Mexico.
1982 - Quantum was introduced to the US. Last year of production of the air cooled Volkswagen in Germany.
1983 - Second generation Golf was introduced in Europe.
1985 - Rabbits became Golfs in US. Second generation Golf and Jetta introduced in US.

• 1990
1997 - A 1966 Beetle, owned by Albert Klein, was driven 1 million miles. Fox was introduced in the US.
1992 - Vento was introduced. No 1992 Transporter sold in the US.

1993 - Fox production ended.

1994 - Jan., Volkswagen unveiled the Concept One at the
Detroit International Auto Show.

1995 - Sharan Van was introduced in Europe.

1997 - Camper conversion done by Winebego instead of Westfalia. VR6 introduced in the Eurovan

1998 - Jan,. Volkswagen unveil the production model New Beetle at the Detroit International Auto Show. Volkswagenism becomes a "cyber" religion.

1999 - Volkswagen releases next generation line up. Volkswagenism administration complete pilgrimage to Wolfsburg, Germany. source: histomobile.com

Tractor manufacturer Ferruccio Lamborghini built his first cars as a hobby, using modified Fiat parts.
When he saw a demand for big, exclusive sports cars, he founded his Bologna car factory. Among his creations was the 3929cc V-12 Miura of l966 with a rear transverse engine.

A smaller mid-engined model was the 2463cc eight-cylinder Urraco P 250, launched in 1970, like the dohc Jarama 400 GT, another V-12. While the Jarama was a 2+2 seater, the Espada 400GT was a four-seater with Bertone bodywork. Development brought the 385 bhp Miura P 400 SV. The ultimate Urraco could be supplied with V-8 engines of 1994cc, 2463cc or 2996cc, with power up to 260 bhp. The latest Jarama 400 GTS model houses an improved 3929cc V-12 engine developing 365bhp, while the mid-engined Lamborghini Countach LP 400/400S, a Bertone coupé, houses a similar 375 bhp motor and has a top speed of 188 mph. source: histomobile.com

• 1980
Acura is a Japanese brand name used by Honda in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong since March 1986 to market luxury automobiles and near-luxury vehicles.

The brand will be expanded to the Chinese market in 2006 and the Japanese domestic market in 2008. Acura is credited with creating or being the first to tap into a market for luxury Japanese cars outside Japan. Before Acura, automobiles from Japan were primarily economical and were seen as reliable above all else.

Other Japanese luxury brands (Toyota's Lexus and Nissan's Infiniti) sprang up in North America shortly after Acura's introduction of the Legend, a V6-powered coupe and sedan, and the Integra, which was offered with a 4-cylinder engine only. Automotive journalists were impressed particularly by the Acura Legend.

In 1989, Acura introduced the NSX, a swoopy 276-hp two-door sports car. The NSX, an acronym for "New Sports eXperimental", was hailed as the first (and perhaps, to date, the only) Japanese car capable of taking on Ferrari and Porsche. The car's meticulously engineered quality and sterling reliability were icing on the cake.

• 1990
Unfortunately, after this strong start, the mid- to late 1990s, Acura's model line-up became less and less inspiring and consequently, sales suffered. During this time, Acura switched to an alphanumeric formula for nomenclature. The 1996 3.5RL, which replaced the well-loved Legend, was seen by many as the epitome of Acura's new-found blandness. Its sluggish 210-horsepower V6 (later bumped to 225 hp) and front-wheel drive, together with anonymous styling that cautiously aped the larger, more powerful and more engaging Lexus LS400, did little against more prestigious, attractive and faster offerings from BMW, Audi, and Lexus, among others. Even the swoopy NSX lost sales as Acura barely changed the car from its original 1989 trim.

Despite these letdowns, Acura did gain prominence in the 1990's with a younger group of people; the import tuner set. Parent company Honda's reputation as a maker of easy to tune and rev-happy engines with this demographic rubbed off onto Acura, and the Integra became a popular tuner car. This reputation has continued to this day, especially with the new RSX and TSX.

• 2000
In the early 2000s, Acura refreshed its line-up, arguably beginning with the introduction of the MDX, a popular three-row crossover SUV based on the Honda Odyssey minivan. The MDX replaced the slow-selling SLX, which was little more than a rebadged Isuzu Trooper. The MDX was a car-like and fun-to-drive crossover SUV with little off-road capability that catered smartly to the demands of the luxury SUV market. It was given top honors by Car and Driver in its first comparison test against seven other SUVs. Other cars in Acura's line-up during this time included the 3.2 TL, 3.2 CL, RSX (formerly the Integra), and the supercar, the NSX.
A new TL debuted in 2004, equipped with sharp, Italianate styling and a 270-hp V6, and available with a 6-speed manual transmission led to a dramatic increase in sales for Acura. The same year, Acura introduced the TSX, a European-market Honda Accord loaded with features, as a cheaper alternative to the BMW 3-series. This model became the only 4-cylinder sedan in Acura's line-up, replacing the Integra sedan. A new RL debuted in 2005, this time with a 300-hp V6, more exciting styling, and innovative Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), a system capable of sending almost all of the RL's power to just one wheel in a turn. source: histomobile.com

• 1920
Volvo was founded by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson, allegedly during a meal consisting of crayfish, in 1924. Their first car, the 1944cc Jakob, was in production by 1927.
Born in 1891, Gabrielsson had studied economics, and was sales manager for the Swedish bearings company SKF, at the time he joined up with Larson. The latter was four years older, and had worked for automotive company White and Poppe in Coventry, England, from 1911 to 1913, before joining SKF in 1917. In 1920 he left and was working as technical manager for AB Galco when he was reunited with Gabrielsson.

The scheme was to build a vehicle more suited to the Scandinavian climate than were US imports, utilizing high-quality Swedish steel and bought-in components. Gabrielson financed the completion of ten prototypes, with bodies styled by Swedish artist Helmer Mas-Olle. Marine engineers Pentaverken built and supplied the engines, and SKF was sufficiently impressed to fund the production run of the first thousand cars, built at Lundby, near Gothenberg, from 1927. SKF also allowed the partners to use one of the company's patented names: AB Volvo, which derives from the Latin 'I roll', with its obvious connotations of bearings in action.
The company had planned to build 500 cabriolets and 500 saloons but, in the event, only 205 of the steel-bodied open cars were produced, compared with 721 of the closed fabric-bodied PV4 models. In 1929, a three-liter straight-six was introduced, designated the PV650, and this enjoyed and eight-year production run until 1937, during which time there were capacity increases to 3.2 and 3.6 liters, with a few long-wheelbase chassis made for specialist coachbilders. The PV36 of 1936 bore a similarity to the Chrysler Airflow.
Concurrently Volvo was also producing 1.5 ton trucks, from 1928, and a range of taxis known as TRs, based on the PV4. The trucks actually outsold the cars until World War II.

• 1930
By 1932, the company was in profit and operating from its own factory; output was well over 900 cars a year, although demand slackened slightly due to economic factors during the mid-1930s. SKF relinquished control of Volvo with a stock flotation in 1935, and at the same time Volvo took over Pentaverken which, as AB Penta, became in 1949 the marine-engineering unit of Volvo.

Sweden's neutrality allowed Volvo to maintain production during WWII, although the production figure of 2,834 cars in 1939 fell back to a low of 99 in 1942. The 50,000 Volvo was a truck, built in 1941.

• 1950
Volvo's first post-war car was the stylish PV444, which had been conceived in 1942 and featured independent front suspention and coil springs at the rear. This proved an important model in that it gained Volvo a foothold in the US. For the first time, cars outsold trucks, prompting a major investment program which saw several derivatives of the PV444 produced, including some estates and light commercials. Some 500,000 units were made, including the PV544 development, which was built until 1965, and the PV210 estate which was in production until 1969. In 1958, Volvo invented the 3-point safety belt, considered the most important safety feature of all time.

Not noted for its adventurous styling, Volvo came out with a short fun of 67 glassfiber sports cars, based on the PV444, and styled in the US in 1955 by Glaspar. The project was squashed when the Suez crisis threatened vehicular indulgence.

• 1960
The company's next venture into the world of the semi-erotic was to be the P1800 coupe of 1961, styled initially by Italian coach builders Ghia and finished off by Frua. To start with, bodies were made by the British firm of Pressed steel after Karmann pulled out, and the vehicles were assembled by Jenson at West Bromwich, near Birmignham, England. However, Volvo found sufficient capacity and resourced to shift production to Sweden in 1963, where the car continued to be made until 1973 in the form of a sporting estate-like car called the P1800ES. The P1800 won lasting fame as the car driven by actor Roger Moore in film adaptations of THE SAINT detective stories, and the 115 bhp engine was also used by Facellia and Marcos sports cars.

Gabrielsson retired in 1956, although he remained chariman until his death in 1962. Larson died in 1968, but the pair had already intiated developement of the P120 series prior to Gabrilsson's retirement. The 121 saloon was known as the Amazon, but only marketed with this nomenclature in Sweden because of a prior claim to the name by German motor-cycle manufacturers Kriedler.

A new factory was built with Swedish Government backing at Torslanda, and opened by King Gustav Adolf in 1964. Volvo had already started to build its cars in Canada and Belguim. The millionth car was an Amazon, in 1966, and in the same year, the 140 series was announced. The six-cylinder 164 appeared in 1968 and, by 1970, the Amazon was phased out. The 144s were updated to become 240s in 1974, and a further facelift produced the 244 saloons and 245 estates, which also now include diesel and turbocharged options. The 260 series of 1974 was fitted with the PRV 2.7 liter V6 engine, a unit developed jointly by a consortium of Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo.

• 1980
By 1983, output has reached five million cars, and included the 760 series, launched in 1982. These somewhat angular cars were powered by a 2.8 liter V6 diesels from VW, or turbocharged 2.3 liter fours, and a spacious estate followed in 1985.

The same year's Geneva auto show also saw the launch of a Bertone-designed 780 coupe, based on the 760 wheelbase. This was hardly a sports model, although it did preface the introduction in 1986 of the Volvo 480ES, a front-drive hatchback which was conceptually rather similar ot the P1800 ES. The 480 used a 1.7 Renault engine, and was built in the Netherlands at the Volvo BV plant.

This particular factory came into Volvo ownership when the company acquired a 75% stake in DAF's car division. Volvo had started negotiations with DAF as early as 1969, and gained its controlling interest after a series of financial moves. In 1976, DAF's four-cylinder Variomatic -transmission 66 model became a Volvo, heralding the introduction of the rather mundane 340 series. By 1981, the Dutch government had invested sufficient capital in the company to reduce Volvo's stake to a 30% share.

Throughout the '80s, Volvo launched several new models, including the extremely popular 240, the 740, the 760, the 940, and the 960 (later the S90). These cars were very rectangular, and most were luxurious.

• 1990
As Volvo started the 1990s, much speculation surrounded it regarding a possible deal with Renault. The deal was to take advantage of economies of scale and maximize the benefits of joint activities in purchasing, with a target of raising the number of shared parts suppliers, and therefore shared components, in order to reduce product costs. The planned link would have put the Renault-Volvo group as the third largest manufacturer in Europe with a 12.3% market share. In the event, the link-up never took place.

In 1992, a new car, the 850, was launched. The 850 was a big departure for Volvo. Unlike its previous large cars, the 850 was front-drive and used an all-new five-cylinder engine. Top of the range was the 850 T5 with a turbocharged 2.3 liter engine. Performance was astounding, and surprised many drivers. The 850 was the first car in the world to have side airbags, too. The car still had Volvo's traditional angular styling, albeit updated, but had the performance of a real sports sedan. Volvo entered the T5 estate in the BTCC (racing) where it competed very succesfully against much sportier-looking cars. (The S40 eventually replaced this car in racing).

By the late 1990s, Volvo had dropped the 3-figure model names and extended its range. The biggest shock was a Volvo with curves. The S/V40 range was the result of a joint venture with Mitsubishi. The styling of the car was much more up to date than its predecessor, the 440. In fact, the V40 wagon was named most beautiful estate car by an Italian magazine.

The 850 was facelifted in 1996 with two new cars, the S70 sedan and the V70 wagon. These two cars advanced Volvo technology by adding 4-wheel drive to the list of options availiable on Volvo cars. A variant of the wagon, the V70XC, was created to battle the now growing sport-utility market. It's suspention was higher than the V70's, and it had added plastic to make it look more macho.

In 1998, Volvo introduced two new cars. The first car was an off-shoot of the S70; it was a coupe named the C70. This car was beautiful, and easily competed with rivals BMW and Mercedes. (a Convertible was launched later) The second car that was introduced by Volvo was the S80. The S80 was on an entirely new platform. The S80 was the replacement for the S90, but it was completely different. For one, it was extremely good looking, with no angles, all curves. It introduced two new safety features: whiplash protection and side impact curtain airbags. It was Volvo's safest car ever.

The S80 recorded huge sales across the world, and it was the first Volvo ever that was really able to compete with BMW and Mercedes, other than the C70.
In 1999, Volvo was bought by Ford.

• 2000
In the year 2000, Volvo introduced a new wagon, the V70, based on the S80 platform. It was a completely new replacement for the old 850-based V70. It also was the best handling Volvo ever, according to many organisations. Later that year, Volvo would introduce a facelifted version of the S40/V40 and a smaller replacement for the S70, the S60. source: histomobile.com

• 1910
In 1862, Adam Opel turned his craftsman's business into an industrial concern. The sewing machine and the bicycle were radically new inventions and that was how Opel began - building revolutionary machines.
At the close of the century, another revolutionary machine made its appearance - the car. In 1899, before the 20th century had even begun, Opel had acquired a car factory.
The factory was in the state of Anhalt, Germany, and it belonged to one Friedrich Lutzmann. The Opel brothers (Adam's sons) worked in partnership with Lutzmann for two years while they built up the production of automobiles in Rüsselsheim.

In 1901, Opel separated from Lutzmann and in 1902 they began producing French Darracq models under licence and selling them under the brand name Opel-Darracq.
At the same time, the Opel brothers were working on their own designs to make cars more reliable and affordable. In the autumn of 1902, their first design, the 10/12 hp model, made its debut at the Hamburg Motor Show.

In order to promote the "motorization of the people" effectively, the company expanded its line of products in 1901 to include motorcycles. The first Opel trucks were being produced as early as 1899.

As successes in the following years proved, the young automobile company was on the right track. By 1906, these newcomers on the automobile market had already built their one-thousandth vehicle, and their business was developing fast.

The big breakthrough occurred in the year 1909 with the Opel 4/8 hp model - known as the "Doctor's Car". Its reliability and robustness were appreciated above all by physicians, who did a lot of cross-country driving back then when they made their calls, since hard-surfaced roads were still something of a rarity at the beginning of the century.
At 3,950 marks, the legendary "Doctor's Car" cost just half as much as the luxury models of its day. Only ten years into the industry and nine years into the new century, Opel had already taken a giant step towards providing wide sections of the public with access to motor vehicles.

The success of this model, combined with their groundbreaking production systems, meant that by 1914 Opel had outstripped its competitors and become the largest German manufacturer of motor vehicles.

• 1920
In 1924, with an investment of one million gold marks, Opel introduced assembly-line mass production to Germany. This revolutionary production process brought substantial advantages for Opel customers.
The first model to roll off the new assembly lines was the "Laubfrosch" or "Tree Frog" (Opel 4/12 hp). Thanks to the drop in manufacturing costs made possible by the increased production volume and the enormous demand, the already moderate introductory price was reduced from 4,500 to only 1,990 marks within six years.

Despite the general inflation, Opel had made yet another contribution towards making cars affordable. The automobile was no longer an expensive and fragile luxury item for the wealthy; it was on the way to becoming a trouble-free, reliable means of transport for all.

With a market share of 37.5 percent and 42,771 units sold, Opel was again the largest automaker in Germany in 1928.
Much of their success rested on their groundbreaking sales approach. In the early summer of 1929, Opel became the first German automotive company to establish an insurance company and a company for financing installment sales.
Around this time, Opel attracted a great deal of attention with their pioneering RAK rocket-propulsion program. It included record-breaking land runs with RAK 2 and 3 and a successful flight with the RAK 1 Friedrich aircraft.

Primarily because of the economic crisis, the Opel brothers began looking around for a strong partner as the 1920s wore on. In March 1929, the descendants of Adam Opel reached an agreement with representatives of the General Motors Corporation (GM). The world's largest automaker took over the majority of the shares, but left Opel its independence in all areas.

From then on, all activities were focused on the "core business" of making automobiles. Opel was able not only to fortify its strong market position, but also succeeded in expanding it.

• 1930
By the mid-1930s, the company was Europe's largest producer of automobiles. In 1935, Opel built more than 100,000 vehicles in a single year for the first time - a figure that included 25,000 Blitz light trucks built at the new plant in Brandenburg.

That same year saw the production of the legendary Opel Olympia. It was the first mass-produced German car to have an all-steel integral body and frame.

While all this was happening, Opel was posting international sales successes. The connection with GM had given it greater access to the world market. New bases were established in Japan, China, and various countries in South America.

During this period, the production capacity for bicycles was steadily reduced in favor of the constantly rising demand for passenger cars. In 1937, Opel finally sold this segment of its business to NSU. Altogether, Opel had produced about 2.6 million bicycles up to that point.

• 1950
The first post-war Opel, a 1.5 ton Blitz truck, left the plant as early as 1946. In 1947, passenger car production restarted with a revised version of the pre-war Opel Olympia model.
By 1950, the plant was completely repaired, and three years later, annual production had risen again to more than 100,000 vehicles.

As early as 1956, Opel was able to sell 207,010 vehicles and achieve a market share of 17.6 percent. That same year, they produced the two-millionth Opel. The anniversary model, a pastel-colored Kapitän with a full-width body, had gold-plated fittings, and received considerable attention at numerous exhibitions.

• 1970
In 1962, the 100th anniversary of the company's establishment, Adam Opel AG opened a second plant in Bochum. The new Kadett rolled off the production lines there, with the slogan "A new car from a new plant".
In order to be able to offer an attractive model to the growing community of sports car fans, the company developed a coupé in the mid-1960s. With the GT, Opel confirmed its reputation as the maker of particularly dynamic automobiles.

A business record was also set in 1972: with a market share of 20.4 percent, the company again became Germany's largest automaker.

With the first oil crisis and changing customer expectations, Opel developed a completely new model range at the end of the 1970s to meet the demands of the coming decade.
People were looking for cars with plenty of performance combined with the lowest possible fuel consumption. With its aerodynamic shape, the Rekord E embodied this new philosophy and was received enthusiastically by the general public.

In order to boost production in Europe further, the company opened an additional work in 1982 in Zaragoza, Spain. The Corsa sub-compact produced there quickly became the best-selling car in its segment. source: histomobile.com

• 1900
1871, at the age of 27, Karl Benz got together with a partner August Ritter in Mannheim to form his first company, the "Iron Foundry and Machine Shop". Not long after, the two partners went their separate ways and Karl Benz started a company of his own.

By 1879/80, eight years after his company was founded, Karl Benz had developed his first working two-stroke engine.

1885. The first motor cycle. Gottlieb Daimler makes further improvements to the four-stroke single-cylinder engine. and fits it in a two-wheeler which he had designed himself.

1886. The Daimler Motor Carriage.Gottlieb Daimler orders a four-wheeler carriage from coach makers Wimpff & Sohn into which he fitted his 1.1 hp engine. On January 29, 1886 the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin granted Karl Benz German Patent No. 37435 for the world's first motor car. Its 0.7 hp engine was mounted horizontally at the rear of a three-wheeler carriage. The motor car was born The early 1890's brought the breakthrough for Karl Benz. With new partners and 50 employees, he now concentrated entirely on designing motor vehicles.

1893. The Benz Velo was the first cheap, mass-produced car in the world. It came onto the market in 1893.

1896. The first delivery vehicle was developed by Karl Benz on the chassis of a Viktoria car model. It was supplied to the Paris department store "Bon Marché"

1898. The name Mercedes. In 1898, Emil Jellinek, who bought and sold Daimler products, took part in the Nice-Magagnon-Nice rally under the pseudonym Mercedes, his daughter's name. He won the race in a Daimler.

1909. Daimler's star. The suggestion to use the star as a trademark came from Gottlieb Daimler's sons. Their father had once sent his wife a postcard with a star marking out the house where he was living in Deutz. "One day this star will shine down on my work", he said. In 1909 a trademark was taken out on the star. Its three points symbolizes the three branches of motorisation: on land, on water and in the air.

1903. The year of the Parsifal.The new Parsifal was the first Benz with a vertical two-cylinder engine. It was also the first Benz with modern propeller shaft drive.

• 1920
1919. Peacetime production.Drawing on experience gained with aero engines in the First World War, it was now decided to use supercharging in vehicle engines too.


1921. The first luxury models. In 1921 Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft presented two new vehicle models at the Berlin Motor Show. These were the first luxury cars of the post-war era.

1923. The Benz Drop-Shaped Car of 1923 was unusual in its basic layout and can be regarded as the first mid-engine racing car in the world..The drop-shaped car's greatest moment was in the Monza European Grand Prix.

1924. The Merger. After winning a combined 269 races, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie. co-ordinate their production activities and two years later merged into present day Mercedes Benz.

1926. Shortly after the merger, Daimler-Benz create the legendary "K Type" supercharged model. It had a top speed of 145 km/h, making it the fastest touring car in the world.
1929. The new medium-sized cars. One of the first models to appear after the merger was the "Stuttgart", a six-cylinder unsupercharged model, producing 38 hp.

• 1930
1934-1936. The dream cars of the 30's. In the 30's cars such as the 500 K and the 540 K were among the most sought after cars. Cars like the 540 K sports car are among the all-time showpieces of automotive engineering.

1934. A new racing formula led Daimler-Benz to develop a completely new car known as the W 25. Over the weight limit to enter races at first, a sand down on the paint allowed the Silver Arrow to win countless series.

• 1940
1945. A fresh start. After the War, the bombed out Untertürkheim plant put production of cars on hold, and for the first few months, the factory's output included trailers for bicycles.
1946. Car business resumes At the Sindelfingen plant, . which survived damage, production continued except it only produced as a pick-up, because the Allied Control Council, prohibited Germany from manufacturing personal cars.

1949. The first new post-war developments May of this year saw the first new post-war development: a diesel version of the 170, which soon became a best-seller.

• 1950
1954. The dream car of the 1950's. The 300 SL, which went into production in 1954 was a dream car from the moment it came onto the market. Its 215 hp 3-liter 6-cylinder engine gave the 300 SL a top speed of 250 km/h.
1955. A new roadster. The 190 SL was a "popular" version of the 300 SL. The cost of the 190 SL was only half that of the 300 SL. The roadster was fitted with a 4-cylinder engine from the 190 saloon, upgraded to 105 hp. More than 26,000 190 SL's were sold around the world.

1958. Launch of the SE series. The 220 E series was more economical the a 300 SL. With better flexibility, higher power output and substantially improved pulling power, it consumed approximately half a liter less fuel per hundred kilometers than the 220 S.

• 1960
1961. More safety for Mercedes-Benz drivers. Daimler-Benz researches were always convinced in the safety of the seat belt. They had been optionally available since 1957, however in 1961, the company started to fit the anchorage points for seat belts as standard.
1963. A new "Grand Mercedes". In 1963, Daimler-Benz presented a new model: the 600, a car of superlatives in every way and fitted out with a wide array of electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic and vacuum-operated systems. 2,600 were sold through 1981.

• 1970
1974. New convertibles. The seventies too had their SL. The running gear of the new convertibles was taken from the /8 series. Even more than their predecessors, they emphasized elegance rather than sportiness.

1977. A completely new Mercedes. The W 123 T-models presented in 1977 were a new departure in the Mercedes model range. The letter "T" stands for "tourism" and "transport".

1979. The new S-class makes its debut. Gone was the chrome trim of the predecessor. Instead, bumpers and broad side plastic moldings bore witness to a functional design philosophy. The drag coefficient of 0.36 was low for the times.

• 1980
1982. Mercedes in a new format. In late 1982, the new W 201 series saw the light of day. With their new body and running gear, these compact vehicles sparked lively discussion.
1984. Daimler-Benz introduced a new "mid-series" car, the W 124, incorporating further advances in passive safety. It featured belt-tensioners for driver and front passenger as standard equipment and a steering wheel airbag was optionally available.

1989. Silver Arrows return to the stage. Before the first event in Suzuka, the Mercedes C 9's were resprayed in silver. The Silver Arrows made a comeback worthy of the proud tradition. The Silver Arrows won 7 out of 8 races including a double win in the Le Mans 24 Hours race.

• 1990
1993. Mercedes-Benz was the first manufacturer in the world to fit a four-valve diesel engine in a car. The new engine, fitted in the new E-class models - offering enhanced performance and smoothness, along with extreme longevity.

1994. The renaissance of the roadster. The SLK study for a small convertible was given a rapturous welcome when it was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show. SLK stands for "sportlich", "leicht" and "kurz = short". The two-seater from Stuttgart is the most exciting Mercedes in years. Fitted with the latest safety technology and offered with a 4-cylinder in-line engine with or without supercharger, it develops a maximum output of 150 or 250 hp. This new dream car will start to leave the Mercedes plant in Bremen as early as 1996. It will write a new chapter in the company's long and remarkable roadster tradition. source: histomobile.com

• 1950
Colin Chapman (1928 - 1981), started his business as a racing car tuner. When he was still studying engineering in university, he bought an old Austin 7 and tuned it to race. Perhaps he was a man born to win, his first attempt rewarded by winning a few small races. In 1951, while he had graduated, his third car, Mk 3, stormed the 750cc formula class. Unlike other cars in this class, it used spaceframe tubes in construction so that rigidity and lightness out-performed others. Many other teams queued to buy this car and the Lotus Engineering Company was established in 1952. Since then Chapman began his full time automotive engineering career.

Obviously, Chapman is a pure racing car engineer heart and bone. To fund his ambitious racing project, he started building road cars. In 1957, the Mk 6 race car was transformed to the first-ever Lotus road car - Mk 7. The car is renowned for lightness and good handling. It is still building by Caterham today under license. At the same year he unveiled the Elite which employed a revolutionary composite monocoque body.

• 1960
The Elan of 1962 was the peak of Lotus. Having learned from the lesson of Elite, Chapman designed a cheaper steel backbone chassis for the new roadster. Power came from Ford’s twin cam engine. The pretty roadster ran as fast as it sold. A total production of 12,000 cars set the company’s all-time record.

After Elan is the first mid-engined sports car, Europa, which also sold well. Since the 60’s, Lotus’s business expanded to engineering consultation to other car makers, such as developing the chassis for DeTomaso Mangusta and DeLorean, the tuning of Lotus (Ford) Cortina, Lotus Sunbeam, Lotus (Opel) Omega and developed the engine for Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. The engineering business became more and more important as the car production slumped from the 70’s to the early 90’s. As a result, Lotus Engineering departed from the road car division, just like Team Lotus did in the 50’s.

The decline of car sales was due to the neglect to the road car division. Chapman concentrated on his F1 challenge and left the road cars to be handled by others.

• 1970

The Esprit of 1976 was designed to be a mid-engined supercar challenging Ferrari and Porsche, but the self-developed four cylinder 907 engine was not considered to worth the price, even in turbocharged form. The production quality and the completeness of design were never the company’s strength, so attacking the supercar market was simply a wrong decision. In addition to the oil crisis, new supercars without established brand image suffered the most.

• 1980
In 1981, Colin Chapman died suddenly due to heart attack. Lotus got into financial trouble and sold 25% stocks to Toyota in 1984. Since then the Japanese giant learned the multi-valve engine technology and put it into mass production. 4 years later, Toyota left and Lotus was completely took over by GM.

GM spent some 40 million dollars to the development of the new Elan Mk II, hoping it to pump the volume to 3,000 cars annually. However, the little roadster went to the wrong direction - a front-wheel-drive configuration, a small capacity turbo engine and an overweight body. All of these conflict with Chapman’s philosophy. Most important is that the little Lotus was very expensive compare with the Japanese competitors, most notably is Mazda MX-5.

• 1990
The car sold poorly, thus GM pulled out in 1993 and sold Lotus to Italian tycoon Romano Artioli who had already revived Bugatti.
The white-hair man did little to help Lotus. He did approved the Elise project and donated this name after his grand daughter. However, everybody would have approved this low cost project under such financial condition. The Elise was proved to be a great success, thanks to its aluminium chassis and conformation to Chapman’s principle - enhance performance through lightness. However, Artioli got into financial trouble as his Bugatti bankrupted. He sold majority shares to Malaysian car maker Proton in 1996. source: histomobile.com

• 1900
The Peugeot family, who still control the independent French motor manufacturer, began life as ironmongers, manufacturing coffee grinders, umbrella frames and bicycles - Peugeot racing bikes are still one of the best available in the world - before entering car production in 1876. In 1889 Peugeot produced a steam driven, three wheeler in conjunction with LÈon Serpollet. It had a tubular frame and a flash boiler, but steam was soon dropped in favour of Daimler V-twin engines which were installed in the frames along with handlebar steering. In 1891, a Peugeot was driven from Beaulieu-Valentigney to Paris, then on to Brest, the first such journey by a petrol-driven car. Such was the acclaim for this remarkable feat, Peugeot found there was substantial demand for its cars, rising from five sold in 1891, to no less than 72 in 1895 and a milestone 300 cars in 1899.

Britain first saw a Peugeot in 1895, when Sir David Salomons imported a 4 h.p. model. Another well-known name in motoring circles, the Hon. C.S. Rolls of Rolls-Royce fame, was selling another famous French marque, Panhard, but also took delivery of a Peugeot around this time. Again in 1895, one Andr* Michelin showed off his 2.7 litre Peugeot, fitted with the revolutionary invention: pneumatic tyres.

A new company entitled SA des Automobiles Peugeot was formed in 1897 to manufacture motor cars at Audincourt, taking over from the quaintly named ëLes Fils de Peugeot FrËres*, or The Sons of Brothers Peugeot. The cars became larger with bigger engines. In 1898 the company introduced a 3.3 litre engine and, in 1900, a monster 30 bhp, 5.8 litre engine was produced. There was, though, also a 3 hp machine which weighed only 350 kg.

Electric ignition was introduced around this time, as was a steering wheel in place of the tiller. In 1902, a factory was opened in Lille and the Peugeot range was expanded with a number of successful innovations, including honeycomb radiators and pressed steel frames. Siddeley in England began making Peugeots under licence.

In 1903, Robert Peugeot began making motorcycles in the old Beaulieu-Valentigney factory, adding cars to the line-up in 1906 under the name Lion-Peugeot.

• 1910

By 1912, Peugeot had entered racing once again - the French concern won the first ever motor race, albeit by default - and had new production models including a 10 hp machine designed by the legendary Ettore Bugatti.
Many of Ettore Bugattiís creations - including a number of Peugeots - can be seen at the impressive French National Automobile Museum, located in the south-east town of Mulhouse, close to both the German and Swiss borders. Worth a visit if you are in that part of the world.

• 1920
After the First World War, Peugeot developed a series of 3-cylinder engines and by 1923 had experimented with 2-stroke diesels. By 1922, a six cylinder, 6-litre, twin carburettor car had been introduced, and a 1.4 litre, 10 hp machine was also being developed.
The infamous 668cc Quadrilette was launched around this time, acquiring a 719 cc engine in 1926 and front brakes - previously, only rear-wheel brakes were fitted - in 1929. In 1927, a 950 cc engine was offered as an option. Also in 1927, Peugeot expanded with factories in other regions of France, when it acquired De Dion Bouton and Bellanger FrËres, the latter located at picturesque Neuilly-sur Seine.
More new models were introduced in 1928, including the two litre, six cylinder Type 183. A limited production 201X sports car was launched using a supercharged Bugatti engine.

• 1940

In 1935, Peugeot produced its last six cylinder engine, a statistic which was to stand until recent times when the V6 604 was introduced. During the Second World War, Peugeot made electric cars, known as the VLV. Capable of almost 50 km/h, the VLV was an original design with a two-seat cabriolet body.

After the war, Peugeot was one of the first European manufacturers to re-establish its production lines and, in 1946, the company sold more than 14,000 of its 202 model, introducing the 203 a year later.

• 1960
By 1955, the familiar 403 was launched, complete with synchromesh gearbox and a 1.5 litre engine. By 1962, over 1 million 403s had been built and in 1960 the Pininfarina-designed 404 made an appearance.
This model was tremendously successful, both in terms of sales and on the rally circuit, notably on the Safari Rally in East Africa.

The 403 was dropped at the end of 1966, while the 504 was launched in 1969. A rugged, no-nonsense saloon, the 504 featured an agricultural four cylinder engine, rear wheel drive and torque tube transmission - the propshaft ran inside a casing; to change the clutch, it was necessary to remove the engine, not the gearbox. source: histomobile.com

• 1910
The first Ford factory outside America opened in a former tramcar works at Trafford Park, Manchester, in October 1911, assembling Model Ts from imported components.
Apart from local coachwork in 1912-1914 and the use (at extra cost!) of a 14.9 hp engine built at Ford's Cork plant, instead of the 24 hp engine, in the Model A from 1928, cars followed the American pattern until February 1932, when the first European small Ford, the Dearborn-designed 8 hp Model Y of 933cc, was exhibited at Ford's Albert Hall Show after a gestation period of only five months. Improved, it entered production at Ford's new Dagenham factory the following August, and formed the basis of Ford light car design until the 1950s.

• 1930
It was also built at Asnières (Paris), Barcelona and Cologne. In 1934 came the 1172cc Model C Ten, ancestor of the Prefect (1939-1953). The Mode1 Y became the first and only £100 saloon car in September 1935; its 1940 development, the Anglia, was produced until 1953, when its 10 hp export variant became the Popular, built in the former Doncaster Briggs Bodies plant until 1959. Dagenham built its first 30 hp V8 in 1935, soon also offering a 22 hp version similar to the Matford, Alsace.

• 1960
This provided the coachwork for the 1947 52 30 hp Pilot V8. The first unit-constructed ohv Fords with ifs, the Consul four and Zephyr six, appeared in 1950, with convertible models and a deluxe six, the Zephyr Zodiac, available from 1953. That year unit-constructed 1172cc side-valve 100 E models of the Anglia and Prefect appeared. In 1959 came the lively 105E Anglia, with an ohv 997cc engine and reverse-rake rear window. Transitional models, the 1961 Consul Classic and Capri, heralded the MkI Cortina of 1962, which sold over a million before it was replaced in 1967 by a Mkll version.

There was even a Lotus version of the Mkl and MkIl Cortinas. The Corsair line adopted V4 engines in 1965, followed by a V4 and V6 Zephyr and Zodiac MkIVs from spring 1966.
In 1966-70, Fords Advanced Vehicle Operations at Slough built 101 examples of the spectacular road-racing GT4O. The Halewood, Merseyside, plant introduced the Escort in 1968 to replace the Anglia: 1100cc and 1300cc engines were standard, with a 1558cc twin-cam engine fitted to the sporting version.

The sporting Escort, in both MkI and Mkll versions, became the most successful individual model in the history of motor sport, its victory in the 1970 World C up Rally giving birth to the 1600cc pushrod-engined Mexico. source: histomobile.com