VW's Beetle Now a Senior Citizen

By Bill McLauchlan

This month, Volkswagen’s decidedly homely yet loveable little Beetle passed another major milestone of the many it has marked in its accomplished life.

That cause for celebration was the 65th. anniversary of its arrival in North America. Well, the U.S. actually, if you want to pick nits. On January 17, 1949, a Volkswagen ‘Type 1’, or Beetle, was shipped to New York City by Ben Pon Sr., a Dutch businessman and the world’s first official VW importer. That car – and another subsequent Beetle – found buyers the same year, marking the first time that Volkswagen products were sold on this continent.

First Beetle is unloaded in New York as importer Ben Pon Sr. (left) watches.

The passage of that special day brought back some fond memories for me, not the least of which is that I took my first driving lessons in a Beetle 55 years ago. Yikes, where did the time go? A Beetle played a principal role in another memorable, if less pleasant, memory. One which, on the way uphill out of Watkins Glen after the U.S. Grand Prix, had me leaning half-way out the passenger side window in a driving rain as I barfed the remains of a dodgy hotdog consumed earlier in the day. As they say, making memories …

Incidentally, the Beetle didn’t make it to Canada until three years later in 1952 when the first shipment of eight Beetles arrived in Toronto.

A cultural touchstone for an entire generation and one of the most iconic cars in the world, the Beetle led to the establishment of the first Volkswagen of America headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. in 1955. In 65 years, those first two pioneers grew to a brand that now offers almost a dozen different models that are sold by hundreds of dealers.

By the mid-50s, more than 35,000 Beetles had crawled ashore and by 1960 nearly 300,000 had found buyers. Americans were not only drawn to the affordability and practicality of the early Beetle – helped immensely by some very clever and creative advertising from Doyle, Dane and Bernbach – but were so charmed by its unique design, its size, and its fuel economy that they’d forged an emotional bond with the cars.

2014 Volkswagen New Beetle (rear) has come a long way since the first Beetle disembarked in 1949.

From custom paint jobs to open-top Dune Buggy bodies, the Beetle fit perfectly into the counter culture of the 1960s. Almost 450,000 Beetle vehicles a year were sold in the U.S. and Canada by 1968. In 1971, the last ‘Type 1’ Beetle rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg, Germany, though branch plant production continued in other markets for some time after.

Then, after its New Beetle concept took the Detroit auto show by storm, VW introduced a production version in 1998 – a vehicle that paid styling homage to its predecessor although it sported a water-cooled rather than air-cooled engine, and mounted at the front rather than at the rear. While staying true to its roots, today’s Beetle (revised again in 2011) would be unrecognizable to buyers in the ’50s.

Sadly, Ferdinand Porsche, instrumental in the design of the original Beetle, or “People’s Car”, as it was first called, didn’t live long enough to see his creation achieve such success. He died 62 years ago yesterday, at age 75, following a stroke, three years after the first Beetles landed in America.

One Man's Cure for a Mid-Life Letdown

By Bill McLauchlan

I doubt the celebrated British poet John Masefield served as inspiration for Scott Fisher when he penned “It is good to be out on the road, and going one knows not where. Going through meadow and village, one knows not whither nor why.”

But you must admit they seem pretty appropriate given his driving ambition to take a break from the daily worries and cares involved in building and running a successful business.

You see, Scott Fisher is a man with a mission. Not the kind of mission with deadlines and meetings but a mission to reconnect with his 1967 Datsun Fairlady roadster – which pre-dates the Japanese automaker’s iconic 240Z that put Datsun (now Nissan) on the map here in the early ’70s – and discover the wide-open spaces of North America. Fisher has blogged the entire trip in detail at RoadsterRoadTrip.com, sharing an impressive array of his photographs from the road.

“I had owned a manufacturing business in Las Vegas for 16 years. I knew I needed to kinda’ get out, and unwind, and get my mojo back,” said Fisher. In his travels, he has covered more than 48,000 km (30,000 miles) to date, starting from his Las Vegas home last spring and heading up the West Coast.

“I got up into the Northwest when it was hot in the South, and I got over into the Northeast for fall, which has allowed me to keep the top down, maybe 80 percent of the time. I drove through the Polar Vortex cold snap. The car even ran well through that. Started right up, idled, didn’t seemed fazed by it at all,” said Fisher.

Now, with 44 states and seven Canadian Provinces behind him, the Nevada-based roamer has taken a detour into Tennessee to show off his red roadster to the folk at Nissan headquarters and share some tales from the road. 

The day started with a visit to Nashville’s Lane Motor Museum, a place where a car guy like Scott Fisher can check out vintage automobiles and relive a childhood memory. “This exact car would have been one of the cars I watched racing when I was growing up. Nissan brought these in and started cleaning up. I definitely didn’t think I’d be sitting here when I woke up, let alone back then,” said Fisher.

Then he headed down the highway to Smyrna to tour Nissan’s Assembly plant.
The extensive road trip has become more than just a chance to decompress and enjoy driving a machine from a simpler time. It is a connection with the natural beauty of a continent and the hospitality of its people that has given Fisher a renewed optimism for life.

“Pretty much anywhere I stop people will come up and talk to me. The car is like a little ambassador. Like traveling with a puppy, people want to come up and look at it, pet it,” he said.

Part of Scott’s Tennessee stopover was a tour of the company’s Smyrna assembly plant, where he witnessed a level of modern automobile manufacturing automation that was not around when his Fairlady rolled off the line at the Shatai plant in Japan in the mid-1960s.

It was a day of unusual hustle and bustle for a man on a year-long journey travelled at his own pace, stopping and taking in landmarks and natural beauty whenever the opportunity presents itself. “I feel like I’ve got a better sense of the country than before I started, for sure,” said Fisher.

Then it was off again, down the Natchez Trace Scenic Highway toward more undiscovered states and beautiful scenery passing by as the soothing sounds of a 45-year-old carbureted Datsun purr under the hood.

“I’m planning on taking my time down through Mississippi, and then getting over into New Orleans. The trek that began as stress relief has become something much bigger; a blog started for close friends and family now has legions of followers. And for Scott Fisher, a man of many talents, the next curve brings a window of discovery to be shared with an old friend.

Porsche's P1 and 918 Bridge Past and Present

By Bill McLauchlan

For most of us who can remember that far back the first Porsche branded design was the chunky 356 that emerged from its rudimentary production facility in Gmund, Austria, in 1948. In a run of succeeding versions the 356 put Porsche firmly on the map in Canada and the U.S. in the Fifties and early Sixties.

But, in fact, the very first vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche dates back to 1898 with the electrically powered “Egger-Lohner C.2 Phaeton" model, known as the “P1” for short. Now we learn, after 115 years, the original and unrestored P1 has been recovered from a warehouse and untouched since 1902.

To mark the occasion, this phantom from Porsche’s past has been put on permanent display at the company’s museum in Stuttgart, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary.
Designed and built by the 22-year old Porsche, the P1 took to the streets of Vienna, Austria on June 26, 1898. During the build process, he engraved the code P1 (standing for Porsche, number one) onto all of the vehicle’s key components, thus giving the electric vehicle its unofficial name. It was the start of a legendary journey that has taken Porsche all the way to today’s latest 918 Spyder – a sensationally fast, lightweight, hybrid electric challenger to Ferrari and McLaren for the “green” supercar crown.

With that in mind, it’s worth taking a look at how the P1 and 918 Spyder are similar in some ways yet so strikingly different in others.

For instance, the P1’s highly compact rear mounted electric drive produces three horsepower and for short periods up to five hp could be achieved in overdrive mode, allowing the P1 to reach speeds up to 34 km/h (21 mph). Its modern 918 relative, fed by 312 lithium-ion batteries feeding juice to a pair of electric motors (one for the rear wheels, another powering the front set) can do 150 km/h (94 mph) in electric mode alone. Alone, you ask? Yup, there’s also a 600+ hp 4.6-litre V8 assisting the hybrid mix. Combined the three different propulsion sources contribute 875 hp and help the Spyder attain a 340 km/h (211 mph) top speed.

The P1’s speed is regulated by a 12-speed control unit and its overall range could cover up to 79 km (49 miles). The 918, courtesy of a 7-speed transmission, has a zero-emission range of up to 30 km (18 miles) on its electric motors alone and can do up to 150 km/h (95 mph) in electric mode.

One innovation where the P1 differs, however, is in the Lohner alternating vehicle body, which was mounted on a wooden “chassis” and allowed it to be a coupe style or an open Phaeton design. The modern 918 Spyder employs a state-of-the-art carbon fibre chassis and when you stow the removable roof panels you pretty much sacrifice any luggage space. We could go on, comparing packaging, instrumentation, brakes, etc., but I think you get the picture: 115 years makes a hell of a difference in some ways and none at all in others.

But back then, and still today, Porsche came out ahead in competitive terms. An all-electric race over 38 km (24 miles) was held in Berlin in 1899. With three passengers aboard, Porsche steered his machine across the finish line 18 minutes ahead of the next finisher. He also came out on top in the efficiency category, as the P1 recorded the least amount of energy consumed.

Five years on from the museum’s 2009 opening, the P1 will form the centerpiece in a display that introduces visitors to the first part of the newly structured product and motorsport history exhibition, bridging the gap between the past and present-day developments.

A Big Victory for the Small Car

By Bill McLauchlan

Looking back across the past half-century, some exceedingly special cars have passed through the annals of time. None more so than British Motor Corporation’s original Mini, a Sixties car that became an icon around the globe. A car inextricably linked with the Flower Power decade but still in production today, albeit in more modern form and under BMW ownership.
  
Back then, the sportier Mini-Cooper version became a British icon – largely due to Paddy Hopkirk and his victory in Europe’s famous Monte Carlo Rally. Small car, huge win.

It’s now 50 years since one of the most spectacular victories in the history of international motor sport. On 21 January 1964, the Mini Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time. It was the pairing of Northern Ireland’s Patrick (“Paddy”) Hopkirk and his co-driver Henry Liddon that pulled off the big surprise, resisting the supposed superiority of significantly more powerful rivals in their small British car. Its faultless run over country roads and mountain passes, ice and snow, tight corners and steep gradients laid the foundations for the underdog-turned-giant-slayer to cement itself in both the hearts of the public and the annals of motor sport legend.

Indeed, the classic Mini’s dominance of the Monte Carlo Rally continued over the years that followed, Hopkirk’s Finnish team-mates Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen adding two further overall victories – in 1965 and 1967 – to the British manufacturer’s collection.

Now 80 years old, Paddy Hopkirk’s eyes still light up when he recalls the driving qualities of his winning car: “Although the Mini was only a little family sedan, technically it had a lot of advantages. Its front-wheel drive and front-mounted transverse engine were a great advantage, and the fact the car was smaller and the roads were plowed, they were quite narrow, so I suppose that was an advantage. We were very lucky – the car was right, everything happened at the right time and came together at the right moment.”

It was the legendary “Night of the Long Knives”, the penultimate stage of the Monte, which put the Mini Cooper S with car number 37 and the now famous licence plate 33 EJB on course for victory that winter of 1964. Hopkirk crossed the finish line just 17 seconds off the pace set by his chief adversary Bo Ljungfeldt in the far more powerful V8-powered Ford Falcon. The handicap formula at the time – designed to even out the weight and power differences between the various cars – meant the classic Mini actually led the way in the overall standings. And Hopkirk defended his advantage in the sprint through the streets of Monte Carlo that rounded off the rally. At the winner’s ceremony he shared the cheers of the crowed with his team-mates. Timo Mäkinen’s fourth-place finish and Rauno Aaltonen’s seventh overall set the seal on the success of the Mini Cooper S and ushered in the era of the “Three Musketeers” in the Monte Carlo Rally.

The classic Mini’s victory was celebrated with particular excitement in its native Britain. Hopkirk received a congratulatory telegram from the British government and the Beatles were also among those leading the applause. “I got a telegram from the Beatles,” remembers Hopkirk. “That was followed by a photograph of the four of them autographed to me saying: ‘You’re one of us now, Paddy.’ And it’s very nice to have that nowadays.”

The triumph of the classic Mini in the Monte was lauded as a sensation by motor sport fans around the world. But this wasn’t a success that came entirely out of the blue: the small car developed by Alec Issigonis, then Deputy Technical Director at the British Motor Corporation, possessed an inherent sporting talent from birth. The first person to spot this potential was John Cooper. The sports car designer was the driving force behind construction of a more powerful version of the car. The Mini produced only 34 hp at launch, but its front-wheel drive, low weight, wide track and comparatively long wheelbase made it an extremely agile four-seater and paved the way for its forays onto race circuits and rally courses.

As early as 1960, big-name racing drivers like Graham Hill, Jack Brabham and Jim Clark were spotted testing the cornering flair of the John Cooper-tuned small car on the Silverstone race track. However, the classic Mini was most at home in rally competition. Pat Moss, sister of grand prix driver Stirling Moss, piloted it to wins in the Tulip Rally and Baden-Baden Rally in 1962. And by the following year, the diminutive British car was ready to burst into the public consciousness at the Monte Carlo Rally. Preceding years had been a tough learning experience for the works team, but now they would make people sit up and take notice. Rauno Aaltonen and Paddy Hopkirk drove the 55 hp Mini Cooper to a 1-2 finish in their class, which was good enough for third and sixth places overall.

It was clear that the classic Mini was better equipped than any other car to pull off the classic David vs Goliath act. John Cooper had long suspected that the car had what it took. Back in 1959 he instructed Roy Salvadori to drive a prototype to the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The journey itself turned into a race between Salvadori and fellow racing driver Reg Parnell at the wheel of an Aston Martin DB4. The result confirmed what Cooper had foreseen in his mind’s eye: the Cooper-prepared classic Mini arrived around an hour earlier than the much more powerful Aston.

Identifiable from a distance with their tartan red bodywork and white roofs, the six small racers dispatched by the BMC works team for the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964 were – at least on paper – fighting against the tide once more. The Mini Cooper S lined up at the start for the first time. Its new four-cylinder engine now had an increased 1071cc capacity and output had also been boosted to around 90 hp. This was a lot more than in previous years but still modest in the face of competition from the likes of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE and Ford Falcon, whose six-cylinder and V8 units had three or four times more power at their disposal.

The 33rd edition of the Monte Carlo Rally began – as was traditional at the time – with a nod to the origins of the event, the cars starting from nine European cities before converging on the French city of Reims. The Hopkirk/Liddon partnership got their journey with the Mini Cooper S under way in Minsk, while for Rauno Aaltonen and Tony Ambrose the Monte adventure started in Oslo, and Timo Mäkinen and Patrick Vanson set off from Paris. The classic Mini successfully negotiated all these journeys and all six works cars were able to take their place in the 277-strong field in Reims. The first stage of the rally to Saint-Claude brought together the two cars which were to define the 1964 Monte from start to finish. Bo Ljungfeldt roared to the top of the time sheets in his Ford Falcon, but Paddy Hopkirk remained hot on his heels in his Mini Cooper S.

The next leg of the rally was made up largely of mile-long flat-out sections, but Hopkirk refused to let his big-engined rivals build up a decisive advantage. The “Night of the Long Knives” would become the day of reckoning; this was the classic Mini’s chance to demonstrate its talents to the full. “It was quite snowy that year, so we had done a lot of practising and preparing,” explains Hopkirk. “The Mini was particularly good downhill, and all the tests were up and downhill, so what we lost going up, I think we made up for going downhill.”

A nice silverware haul for Hopkirk (left) and Lidden (right)

Irresistible handling, correct tyre choice, Hopkirk’s gifts at the wheel and the snow – which slowed the bigger cars down – all came together and ensured that Hopkirk was able to take over the lead on the 1,607-metre (5,270 ft) Col de Turini. However, it remained a tight contest all the way to the finish, with Bo Ljungfeldt, as expected, again posting the fastest time on the final stage through Monte Carlo. However, Hopkirk was also squeezing everything from his Mini Cooper S once again and hung onto his advantage to wrap up the win. “It’s not like rallying today when you know where you are. I had to do the final circuit, then the journalists told me I had won and I couldn’t believe it. It surprised the world and us, so it was very nice,” recalls Hopkirk.

Paddy, though, insists that the Monte win wasn’t the high point of his career. He insists he is even more proud of his later Mini victories in the 1967 Acropolis Rally and in the French Alpine Rally. Second place in the first London to Sydney (Australia) Marathon is another highlight in his memory bank.

Topless Jag Touched by Scandal Seeks Sugar Daddy

By Tom Mack

If you’re old enough to cast your mind back half a century, and have the financial means to indulge in a little risqué activity, then here’s an intriguing temptation to consider. It may involve some undercover work, clandestine travel and nerves of steel – financial, that is.

A gorgeous 1959 Jaguar XK150 convertible, with connections to one of the most famous British political scandals of all time, goes under the auction hammer next month in Silverstone Auctions’ sale, February 22nd and 23rd.

The car was owned by Dr Stephen Ward, the osteopathic physician at the centre of the Profumo Affair in 1963. Ward was the man who introduced John Profumo, Conservative MP and Secretary of State for War, to longstanding friend, model and showgirl Christine Keeler, who at the time was also allegedly in a relationship with a Soviet spy.

The subsequent revelations of their affair led to Profumo’s resignation amid fears of a national security breach. After the scandal surfaced Ward was prosecuted with living off the earnings of prostitution and took his own life just as his trial was coming to an end.

Commenting on the car, Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions, said: “Few Jaguars can boast such a fascinating ownership record and one that seemingly defined the era when it was first driven. Few cars offered at auction have such an amazing connection to such important events in British political history.”

The zaftig XK150 benefitted from a ground-up restoration in 1990. Both the interior and bodywork are in superb condition, having only covered 15,300 km (9,500 miles) since.

The sale of the car comes amid heightened interest in the scandal, which marked its 50th anniversary last year, the launch in December of a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Ward, based on the affair, as well as for calls for Ward’s conviction to be overturned.

If your travels take you to the other side of the pond in mid-February, it might be worth your while to drop by the auction for a more intimate inspection of this scandalous beauty. You never know, it could be the start of a long-term affair.

For more information on the car visit http://www.silverstoneauctions.com/1959-jaguar-xk150-drophead-coupe-2932

Kudos for Caddy's Eco-Conscious Coupe

By Tom Mack

You must admit the main meal of a performance coupe with a side order of lithium-ion batteries is a bit of an oxymoron. But if the thought of reducing your car’s carbon footprint is something you’d relish then this news is bound to spark your interest.
   
Green Car Journal today awarded the Cadillac ELR electrified luxury coupe its 2014 Green Car Technology Award for its Regen on Demand system, which allows the driver to use paddle shifters on the steering wheel to temporarily regenerate energy and store it as electricity in the battery pack for later use.

Photo:Newspress.com

The award was announced today at The Washington Auto Show in D.C.

“Regen on Demand is one of the key systems enabling the Cadillac ELR to merge performance with efficiency in a dynamic new way,” said Jim Vurpillat, director of emerging markets at Cadillac. “Putting regenerative braking at the driver’s fingertips supports the ELR’s 340-mile (550 km) total driving range while also adding a fun-to-drive element to the premium luxury coupe.”

Traditional performance vehicles allow drivers to upshift and downshift the mechanical transmission through steering wheel-mounted paddles. The ELR’s Regen on Demand feature is unique to it and builds on the GM division’s performance-bred heritage.
The exclusive feature has cleverly evolved a common electric-drive efficiency system into an intriguing feature that adds a new dimension to the driving experience, the publication noted in making the presentation. Ever-increasing efficiency is crucial to our driving future, yet efficiency itself is not an attraction for a great many car buyers. This is an inspired example of how technology can increase efficiency while connecting with a driver, enhancing driving dynamics along the way.

Beyond the exclusive Regen on Demand system, the ELR comes equipped with standard advanced technology features such as Cadillac CUE with Navigation, light-emitting diode, or LED, front and rear exterior lighting, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, and the Safety Alert Seat.

The ELR interior features handcrafted leather complemented by authentic wood grain and chrome trim. Powering the coupe is a combination of pure electric drive and an efficient, range-extending 1.4-litre gasoline-powered electric generator. A T-shaped, 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is located along the centerline of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels to make the most of weight distribution. The pack supplies energy to an advanced electric drive unit to propel the vehicle.

Malibu Joins 5-Star Safety Ranks

Chevrolet’s 2014 Malibu midsize sedan has received the highest possible 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program.
   

Photo: Newspress.com

“Safety is an increasingly important consideration for new vehicle buyers, especially for those in the midsize segment,” said Gay Kent, General Motors general director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness. “The customer is at the centre of our day-to-day operations and when we design vehicles, it’s their safety that we have in mind.”

Safety technologies featured on the Malibu include an ultra-high-strength steel safety cage, rollover protection and 10 standard airbags including knee airbags for both driver and front passenger.

In addition to these passive safety features, several other available active safety technologies, such as Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning, can assist in avoiding a collision. Side Blind Zone Alert uses sensors to warn drivers of vehicles entering their blind spot on either side. The pairing of Rear Cross Traffic Alert, new to Malibu for 2014, and rear vision camera can make backing out onto busy streets a less-stressful affair.

Every Malibu comes with OnStar service standard for the first six months. In the event of a collision, OnStar Advisors can contact the vehicle even if occupants cannot respond.

Technology Tips the Scales for Domestic Brand Car Buyers

By Bill McLauchlan

Despite the recent flood, never mind growing confusion and complexity, of the latest whiz-bang electronic auto gadgetry adorning new cars these days, it seems that very technology appeals to new-vehicle buyers who opt for a home-grown brand.

Thirty eight percent of those buying a domestic vehicle cite the latest tech features as a reason for their purchase decision. That compares with 33 percent who bought an import.
That’s the word from a just-released J.D. Power Avoider Study, based on responses from some 29,000 owners surveyed in 2013. The study examines the reasons consumers purchase, reject and why they do not consider – or avoid – particular models when shopping for a new vehicle.

Photo: Sam VarnHagen/Ford Motor Co.

And here’s the interesting twist: 40 percent of those who bought a domestic vehicle, but previously owned an import model, are even more likely to plump for ‘homie’ wheels due to its new technology and features.

By offering vehicles with the latest technological features, domestic brands are carving out a niche for themselves and it “appears to be getting the attention of consumers,” said Jon Osborn, research director at J.D. Power.


For both buying groups, having the latest tech toy is among the top 10 purchase reasons. But, for a third straight year, fuel mileage continues to be the most influential purchase reason (15 percent) and is the second-most-frequently given reason for rejecting a vehicle – behind price.

Styling, though, remains the most powerful reason for buyers to avoid shopping other models in the segment in which they bought (33 percent).

In other findings: Eighty one percent said they trolled the Internet to access online ratings and reviews prior to their purchase. Fifteen percent also reported online ratings and reviews as a reason they avoided a specific vehicle – a four percent jump since the last Avoider Study in 2010.

The latest study also noted the top five influential purchase reasons are quite different for mass market and luxury vehicle shoppers.

As you’d expect for the family transport/daily commute mass market crowd: Fuel economy rated first, followed by reliability (freedom from breakdowns), the “deal” (interest rates/rebates), styling, and performance. But performance (power, handling, etc.) was most influential for luxury buyers with quality (workmanship, materials, fit and finish) quoted second. Styling, the image the vehicle portrays, and reliability rounded out their top five purchase influencers.