It's a Careful Process...
You wonder why Japanese importing wreckers can't always deliver parts and cars in pristine condition? Here's the wrecking process in one Japanese yard, with words and pix courtesy of Adelaide Japanese Dismantlers (www.adelaidejap.com.au).
Cars are carefully transported to the yard.....
...and are then removed from the truck using techniques designed not to cause scratches and panel damage.
They are then stored to minimise any possible damage before...
...parts are removed using precision tools!
I'm coming back as a Hyundai!
The First V8
In 1932 Henry Ford stunned the automotive world by launching a mass-produced, affordable car fitted with a 65 horsepower V8 engine. Ford Australia released the same model a few months later on August 25. The Model B was already available with a 4-cylinder engine so the new car was called the Model 18. Priced from 327 pounds, the car was an enormous improvement over the 4 and 6-cylinder models available at the time, however, the launch coincided with the start of the Great Depression and sales were affected badly by the economic crash. Ford sold only 740 in 1932 and 608 in 1933 before the launch of the Model 40 which boosted sales by a further 1229 in that year. Sales literature for the V8 boasted of 65 horsepower and 65 miles an hour performance and urged prospective buyers to 'watch the Ford V8 surge to the front in traffic" and wonder at its "flashing acceleration to gain the lead and the endurance to hold it".
New Holden Race Car
The Holden Racing Team has taken the covers off its new look V8 Supercar VT Commodores as it prepares to defend its Championship title for a third consecutive year. The HRT racing Commodores carry a much stronger Holden corporate colour scheme, while Mobil, joint long-time supporter of the Holden Racing Team, has confirmed a further three year agreement.
Roo Two
Holden has replaced its long-serving kangaroo test dummy, dubbed Robo Roo, with a new model. The original Robo Roo was created in 1994 to assist Holden safety researchers studying the effects of vehicle-to-kangaroo collisions and evaluating crash performance. Although it enjoyed a brief period of international media stardom when its photograph appeared in US and European daily newspapers, Robo Roo led a life of hard knocks at Holden's automotive proving ground at Lang Lang (Vic) and finished up very much the worse for wear.
Just like its predecessor, the 59kg Robo Roo Series II is a 90th percentile composite of the Western Grey and Red Kangaroos and was developed with the aid of field collision data analysis. Approximately 20,000 vehicle-to-kangaroo collisions occur annually throughout rural Australia, and the consequences include vehicle damage, vehicle immobilisation and occupant injury.
Safety engineers working on future Holdens will combine the results of physical testing using Robo Roo and computer modelling to further research effective crash protection systems.
Quickies
- Hyundai Motor Company is set to become the largest car manufacturer in China following the announcement in Beijing of a joint venture agreement with the Jiangsu Yueda Group. Passenger car production facility with an annual capacity of 300,000 units will be developed jointly by Hyundai and Kia, which already has an agreement with Jiangsu Yueda. The existing facility will be developed to produce 150,000 units per year by 2002 following the investment of US$ 300 million. Further development will take production on to 300,000 units per year.
- Honda climbed to No.2 position among Japan's automakers in 1999, with worldwide Honda production reaching a record 2.45 million units. Honda increased overseas production to 1,229,000 units, up 9.8 per cent on 1998, and its domestic production reached 1,220,000 units. This is the first time Honda's overseas production has exceeded the company's domestic production.
- Honda's red-hot Prelude Indy pace car will appear at the Brisbane International Motor Show from February 4.
|