Automotive Facts

Rolls-Royce

After the First World War, Rolls-Royce resumed car production, introducing the new Phantom I and II. By 1921 Rolls-Royce had also made a move into the United States, building a factory in Springfield Massachusetts. It was in 1931 that Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley Motors.
Rolls-Royce

Most-recognized sports and racing car in the world

Referred to as The People's Racer by some, the Porsche 911 is arguably the most-recognized sports and racing car in the world. An alphabet soup of road and race variants are chronicled in this full-color overview spanning more than 35 years of production from 1964 to present.
Porsche 911

Bentley

Bentley has a fabulous history of racing and of prestigous road cars. Bentley Motors Limited is a British based manufacturer of luxury automobiles and Grand Tourersin England. Bentley Motors was founded in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley (1888-1971). W.O. Bentley was previously known for his successful range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later versions of the Sopwith Camel.
DNA of Bentley

Porsche: The Road from Zuffenhausen

Porsche: The Road from Zuffenhausen is the first book in more than twenty-five years to chronicle in such meticulous detail the early years of the renowned automobile company.
Perfect for the more than 500,000 Porsche owners and the millions of Porsche enthusiasts, Porsche is a lively narrative of the cars and the people who created them.
Porsche: The Road from Zuffenhausen

American Cars in Europe

Germany is most often credited with the birth of the internal combustion engine. France gave rise to the first credible motor industry. The United States added a little Yankee ingenuity and came up with its own version of both. While the American automobile industry got off to a bumpy start, by 1908, U.S. automobile production had surpassed that of European manufacturers. When the outbreak of World War I all but halted European production of passenger cars, American auto makers took advantage of the opportunity to establish a toehold in Europe.
American Cars in Europe

Unbeatable BMW

Among BMW enthusiasts, the E36 platform is considered one of the best BMW designs of the past 20 years. Sales figures for 3 Series coupes, sedans, and convertibles were at all time highs in North America and Europe. Against other competititors, the E36 would repeatedly beat out the competition and won many awards from major car magazines.
Unbeatable BMW is the comprehensive history of BMW competition from 1917 through 1997. The first edition of Unbeatable BMW became a cult classic among enthusiasts, but its coverage was restricted to the years 1959-79.
Jeremy Walton weaves together the tale of BMW's engineering know-how, daredevil drivers, inimitable team leaders, and the cars they championed and drove to the winner's circle.
Unbeatable BMW

N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide

The N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide continues to be the automotive industry's primary source for determining the value of used cars, trucks, SUV's and minivans. It's used by more car dealers, insurance agents, bankers and government agencies than any other guide. Published four times annually since 1992, the Consumer Edition of the N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide contains valuable information, such as trade-in value and two retail values for domestic and import vehicles manufactured between 1993 and 2002.
N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide

Chrysler

When the Chrysler Corporation teetered on the verge of bankruptcy in 1979 and 1980, a business folk hero was born: Lee Iacocca. Ignominiously fired as president of Ford Motor Company, Lee Iacocca appeared.
Behind the wheel at Chrysler

Lexus

It is 1989 and German brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz dominate the luxury car market. Overnight, their world was changed by the launch of a brand new vehicle. The maverick newcomer is quicker, quieter, more economical and a full US$30,000 cheaper than its rivals. That car, the Lexus LS 400, sent shock waves throughout the world's automotive industry.
Lexus: The relentless pursuit

Journey through the Jaguar archives

Fascinating journey through the Jaguar archives. Reveals many fascinating and previously unknown, behind-the-scenes details of the company's engineering story. The XJ40, mainstay of Jaguar production from 1986 to 1994, was the last saloon in which Sir William Lyons had any styling involvement. It broke new ground with its technological sophistication and, despite electronic and body problems, was the saloon that reintroduced the marque to a younger buying public.
Jaguar engineering

Porsche: Excellence Was Expected

This three-volume, 1,566-page set contains the photos and artwork from the original version, enhanced by over 742 new black and white photos and 50 new color drawings of Porsche production and racing cars which were commissioned specifically for this updated edition.
Porsche: Excellence Was Expected

Siemens three-dimensional map display

Siemens has developed a navigation system with a three-dimensional map display. These true-to-life images of entire streets and intersections make it easier for drivers to find their destinations even in unfamiliar urban areas. The system will be launched on the market in mid 2008. In contrast to systems commonly used today, this new navigation system from Siemens VDO Automotive displays different levels at highway interchanges.
Siemens three-dimensional map display

Lamborghini

For forty years, Lamborghini has been one of the world's most flamboyant and exotic car marques.
The new Gallardo Spyder combines, with exclusive style, the three main characteristics of Automobili Lamborghini: extreme, uncompromising and Italian.
Lamborghini forty years

Volkswagen

In between the heyday of the Beetle's popularity in the 1960s and the unveiling of the New Beetle in the 1990s, the beloved automaker lost its focus and suffered more than its share of near misses and total catastrophes.
Volkswagen: Getting the Bugs Out

Explore Automotive

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Automotive Update

Volvo: Safety with Style
Alfa Romeo: Always With Passion

Experience the automotive fascination

It is generally claimed that the first automobiles with gasoline-powered internal combustion engines were completed almost simultaneously in 1886 by German inventors working independently: Carl Benz on 3 July 1886 in Mannheim, resp. Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Stuttgart and Austrian inventor Siegfried Marcus in Vienna.
Motorcars of the Classic Era