1.
Opel
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Adam Opel AG is a German automobile manufacturer headquartered in Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Germany. It is a subsidiary of General Motors but is soon to be part of the French automotive company Groupe PSA, Opel traces its roots to a sewing machine manufacturer founded by Adam Opel in 1862. The company began manufacturing bicycles in 1886 and produced its first automobile in 1899, Opel became a share-limited company in 1929, General Motors took a majority stake in Opel that same year. General Motors assumed full control in 1931, and today Adam Opel AG is an owned subsidiary of General Motors Company. Although Adam Opel AG continues to be a company, shares of the company are not publicly listed. Adam Opel AG is the parent company of General Motors UK Limited, better known as Vauxhall, during the 1970s and 1980s, Opel and Vauxhall ranges were rationalised into one consistent range across Europe. Opel withdrew from China, where it had a network of 22 dealers, furthermore, GM is responsible to pay about US$400 million annually for 15 years to fund the existing German and U. K. pension plans. The company was founded in Rüsselsheim, Hessen, Germany, on January 21,1862, at the beginning, Opel just produced sewing machines in a cowshed in Rüsselsheim. Above all, his success was based on his perfectly customized sewing machines, because of the quick growth of his business, in 1888, the production was relocated from the cowshed to a more spacious building in Rüsselsheim. Encouraged by success, Adam Opel launched a new product in 1886, He began to sell high-wheel bicycles, besides, Opels two sons participated in high-wheel bicycle races, thus promoting this means of transportation. Therefore, the production of high-wheel bicycles soon exceeded the production of sewing machines, at the time of Opels death in 1895, he was the leader in both markets. These cars were made up of Opel bodies mounted on Darracq chassis, the company first showed cars of its own design at the 1902 Hamburg Motor Show, and started manufacturing them in 1906, with Opel Darracq production being discontinued in 1907. In 1909, the Opel 4/8 PS model, known as the Doktorwagen was produced and its reliability and robustness were greatly appreciated by physicians, who drove a lot to see their patients, back when hard-surfaced roads were still rare. The Doktorwagen sold for only 3,950 marks, about half as much as the models of its day. In 1911, the factory was virtually destroyed by fire. In the early 1920s, Opel became the first German car manufacturer to incorporate a mass-production assembly line in the building of their automobiles, in 1924, they used their assembly line to produce a new open two-seater called the Laubfrosch. The Laubfrosch was finished exclusively in green lacquer. The car sold for an expensive 4,500 marks, but by the 1930s, this type of vehicle would cost a mere 1,990 marks – due in part to the assembly line, but also due to the skyrocketing demand for cars
2.
General Motors
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With global headquarters at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan, United States, GM manufactures cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2008,8.35 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under various brands, current auto brands are Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, and Wuling. Former GM automotive brands include McLaughlin, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Hummer, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall, the company was founded by William C. Durant on September 16,1908 as a holding company. The company was the largest automobile manufacturer from 1931 through 2007, in addition to brands selling assembled vehicles, GM also has had various automotive-component and non-automotive brands, many of which it divested in the 1980s through 2000s. General Motors produces vehicles in 37 countries under twelve brands, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Holden, HSV, Opel, Vauxhall, Wuling, Baojun, Jie Fang, and Ravon. The current company, General Motors Company LLC, was formed in 2009 following the bankruptcy of General Motors Corporation, the new company purchased the majority of the assets of the old GM, including the brand General Motors. In addition to its twelve brands, General Motors also holds a 20% stake in IMM, General Motors employs 212,000 people and does business in more than 140 countries. General Motors is divided into five segments, GM North America, Opel Group, GM International Operations, GM South America. General Motors led global vehicle sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 through 2007, longer any other automaker. General Motors acts in most countries outside the U. S. via wholly owned subsidiaries, GMs OnStar subsidiary provides vehicle safety, security and information services. In 2009, General Motors shed several brands, closing Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer, in 2010, the reorganized GM made an initial public offering that was one of the worlds top five largest IPOs to date, and returned to profitability later that year. General Motors Corporation was formed on September 16,1908, in Flint, Michigan, GMs co-founder was Charles Stewart Mott, whose carriage company was merged into Buick prior to GMs creation. Over the years, Mott became the largest single stockholder in GM, and spent his life with his Mott Foundation, GM acquired Oldsmobile later that year. In 1909, Durant brought in Cadillac, Elmore, Oakland, also in 1909, GM acquired the Reliance Motor Truck Company of Owosso, Michigan, and the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of Pontiac, Michigan, the predecessors of GMC Truck. Durant, along with R. S. McLaughlin, lost control of GM in 1910 to a bankers trust, because of the amount of debt taken on in its acquisitions. The next year, Durant started the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in the U. S. and in Canada in 1915, Durant took back control of the company after one of the most dramatic proxy wars in American business history. Durant then reorganized General Motors Company into General Motors Corporation in 1916, merging Chevrolet with GM, shortly thereafter, he again lost control, this time for good, after the new vehicle market collapsed. These facilities were added to the factories that were exclusive to Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Oakland
3.
Opel Omega
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The Opel Omega is an executive car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel between 1986 and 2003. The first generation, the Omega A, superseded the Opel Rekord, was voted European Car of the Year for 1987, the second generation, the Omega B, was manufactured from 1993 to 2003. Rebadged variants of the Omega were marketed worldwide, including in North America as the Cadillac Catera, in Great Britain as the Vauxhall Omega and South America as the Chevrolet Omega. Production of the Omega was discontinued in 2003 with no direct replacement, after vacating the executive car segment, Opels tried to fill the market void with expensive versions of the then-existing Vectra and Signum ranges. Opel and Vauxhall re-entered the market segment in 2008 with the Insignia and the VXR8, the original Omega went into production in September 1986, as a replacement for the Opel Rekord, which had been in production since 1978. The body was designed as an evolution of the previous Opel design theme engineered more towards aerodynamics in view of higher fuel prices, the result was a remarkable drag coefficient of 0.28. The whole development program cost 2 billion Deutschmark and it was voted European Car of the Year for 1987. Compared to the Rekord, the Omega featured many modern technological advances and these included electronic engine management, ABS, on-board computer, air-conditioned glove compartment and even the then-fashionable LCD instrument cluster. More importantly, the Omega came with a system, whose output could be read by appropriately equipped authorised service stations. The Omega As platform was modified to form the basis of the Australian second generation Holden Commodore up to 1997. All the Omega models used an engine with a rear-wheel drive setup. The engine range consisted of 1.8 L,2.0 L and 2.4 L four-cylinder units to 2.6 L,3.0 L, and 3.0 L-24v six-cylinder units. The 1.8 L and 2.0 L four-cylinder petrol engines were all based on the Family II design, whilst the six-cylinder units and the 2.4 L four-cylinder were based on the older Opel CIH family. In Brazil the car was sold as the Chevrolet Omega and powered by 2.0 L I4 or 3.0 L I6 Opel engines until 1994, the Chevrolet Omega was produced until 1998. The four basic trim levels were LS, GL, GLS, the base LS was clearly intended for the fleet market, with the sedan unavailable to individual customers in some markets. The LS Caravan was also available as a van with rear side windows covered with body-coloured foil rather than replaced by solid panels. For the 1991 year, the Omega A was afforded a facelift, the until-then base 1.8 L engine was dropped. The LS and GLS trim levels were dropped, while the CD was joined by Club
4.
Germany
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Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe. It includes 16 constituent states, covers an area of 357,021 square kilometres, with about 82 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union. After the United States, it is the second most popular destination in the world. Germanys capital and largest metropolis is Berlin, while its largest conurbation is the Ruhr, other major cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Leipzig. Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity, a region named Germania was documented before 100 AD. During the Migration Period the Germanic tribes expanded southward, beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation, in 1871, Germany became a nation state when most of the German states unified into the Prussian-dominated German Empire. After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the Empire was replaced by the parliamentary Weimar Republic, the establishment of the national socialist dictatorship in 1933 led to World War II and the Holocaust. After a period of Allied occupation, two German states were founded, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, in 1990, the country was reunified. In the 21st century, Germany is a power and has the worlds fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP. As a global leader in industrial and technological sectors, it is both the worlds third-largest exporter and importer of goods. Germany is a country with a very high standard of living sustained by a skilled. It upholds a social security and universal health system, environmental protection. Germany was a member of the European Economic Community in 1957. It is part of the Schengen Area, and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999, Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G20, and the OECD. The national military expenditure is the 9th highest in the world, the English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine. This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz popular, derived from *þeudō, descended from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂- people, the discovery of the Mauer 1 mandible shows that ancient humans were present in Germany at least 600,000 years ago. The oldest complete hunting weapons found anywhere in the world were discovered in a mine in Schöningen where three 380, 000-year-old wooden javelins were unearthed
5.
Car classification
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Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for innumerable purposes including regulation, description and categorization, among others. This article details commonly used classification schemes in use worldwide, vehicles can be categorized in numerous ways. Regulatory agencies may also establish a vehicle classification system for determining a tax amount, in the United Kingdom, a vehicle is taxed according to the vehicles construction, engine, weight, type of fuel and emissions, as well as the purpose for which it is used. Other jurisdictions may determine vehicle tax based upon environmental principles, such as the user pays principle, another standard for road vehicles of all types that is used internationally, is ISO 3833-1977. In the United States, since 2010 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety uses a scheme it has developed that takes into account a combination of both shadow and weight. The United States Federal Highway Administration has developed a scheme used for automatically calculating road use tolls. There are two categories depending on whether the vehicle carries passengers or commodities. Vehicles that carry commodities are further subdivided by number of axles and number of units, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has developed a classification scheme used to compare fuel economy among similar vehicles. Passenger vehicles are classified based on a total interior passenger. Trucks are classified based upon their gross vehicle weight rating, heavy duty vehicles are not included within the EPA scheme. A similar set of classes is used by the Canadian EPA, in Australia, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries publishes its own classifications. This is a table listing several different methods of vehicle classification. Straddling the boundary between car and motorbike, these vehicles have engines under 1.0 litre, typically only two passengers, and are sometimes unorthodox in construction. Some microcars are three-wheelers, while the majority have four wheels, microcars were popular in post-war Europe, where their appearance led them to be called Bubble cars. More recent microcars are often electric powered, the size of ultracompact cars will be less than minicars, but have engine greater than 50cc displacement and able to transport 1 or 2 persons. Ultracompact cars cannot use standard, because of strict safety standards for minicars. The regulation about running capacity and safety performance of cars will be published in early autumn. Today, there are smaller than ultracompact cars, called category-1 motorized vehicles which it has 50cc displacement or less
6.
Executive car
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Executive car is a British term for an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by Euro NCAP, the term was coined in the 1960s to describe cars targeted at successful professionals and middle-to-senior managers. It was often a car but retained enough performance and comfort to be desirable to private motorists. Early executive cars typically offered engines of between 2.0 and 3.5 litres in size, compared with 1.6 to 2.4 litres of a family car. One of the earliest modern executive cars was introduced by Jaguar Cars in 1955 and its retrospectively known as the Mark 1 but was sold as the 2.4 Litre and 3.4 Litre. The unitary construction Mark 1 evolved into the Mark 2 and was offered with a larger 3.8 litre engine, the Jaguar S-Type and Jaguar 420 were derived from this model. This was replaced by the avant-garde XF in 2007 which is currently in its second generation. Daimler created ultra-luxurious versions of both the Jaguar Mark 2, called the Daimler 2.5 V8 and later Daimler V8-250, the executive car market was further defined in the 1960s with sporty, upmarket mid-size saloons appearing from numerous brands. In 1962 Rover previewed the innovative 2000, later available as 2200 and 3500 models, in 1963 Triumph debuted their own 2000, later expanded to 2500, which competed head-on with the Rover even when both companies became subsidiaries of British Leyland in 1968. Both cars were successful and dominated executive car sales in Britain. These cars offered the sophistication expected of a car but in a smaller. Luxurious trim, an engine and automatic transmission were available to give the cars an upmarket positioning. They were replaced in 1981 by a car with a hatchback body. The Princess and Ambassador were closer in spirit to the FWD Renault 20/30 than their in-house rivals, in the 1970s Rover replaced the P6 with the larger SD1, marketed as either 2000,2300,2600,3500 or 2400 D, depending on engine size. It was this car that was converted to the Standard 2000 in India long after Rover replaced the SD1 with the front-wheel drive Rover 800. Rovers last executive car, the 75, appeared in 1998, ford identified some of the higher-equipped Cortina models as Executives. An example of Fords executive car of the 1970s and 1980s was the Granada, larger Vauxhall models from the VX4/90 and Ventora through to the Carlton firmly fitted into this category. In the twenty-first century it is German executive models like the BMW 5-Series which are the biggest sellers in the car market
7.
E-segment
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E-segment is defined by European Commission as the fifth segment in European market car classification. It approximately corresponds to Full-size car and Mid-size luxury car segment in North America and these cars are usually denoted for their length and luxury interior styling. Body types are diverse in this segment, this includes sedans, wagons. Being large, they are often used as taxis in certain countries. Several carmakers, especially mainstream manufacturers whose best selling models have traditionally been superminis, the decision to axe the Scorpio without a successor came due to falling sales as well as the rising popularity of MPVs, SUVs and well-equipped large family cars. The earlier Granada, on the hand, had been a strong seller for Ford, regularly featuring among the top 10 selling cars in Britain during the 1970s. General Motors axed its Omega in 2003 without replacing it, the original Omega had been European Car of the Year for 1987. Rover, when still under the ownership of BMW in the late 1990s, replaced its 800 Series and 600 Series saloons with the Rover 75, peugeot took a similar step in 2010 when replacing the 407 and long-running but unpopular 607 with a single model, the 508. The current E-segment offering in Europe is limited to only 15 models, the segment has a 2. 8% market share in Europe, with models like the BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-Class, and Audi A6 accounting for the bulk of sales in the segment. The Volvo S80 and Jaguar XF also sell appreciably, the Citroen C6 has not been a great seller for PSA Group, while Tesla successfully launched their Tesla Model S electric car. FCA Group has attempted to re-badge the Chrysler 300 as the Lancia Thema in Europe and this was different for the luxury brand Maserati, which re-entered the segment with the new Maserati Ghibli, best performer in 2014
8.
Car platform
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It is practiced in the automotive industry to reduce the costs associated with the development of products by basing those products on a smaller number of platforms. This further allows companies to create models from a design perspective on similar underpinnings. Platform sharing is a development method where different products and the brand attached share the same components. The purpose with platform sharing is to reduce the cost and have a more efficient product development process, the companies gain on reduced procurement cost by taking advantage of the commonality of the components. However, this limits their ability to differentiate the products. The companies have to make a trade-off between reducing their development costs and the degree of differentiation of the products, one of the first car companies to use this product development approach was General Motors in 1908. A basic definition of a platform in cars, from a point of view, includes, underbody and suspensions — where the underbody is made of front floor, underfloor, engine compartment. Many vendors refer to this as product or vehicle architecture, the concept of product architecture is the scheme by which the function of a product is allocated to physical components. The car platform strategy has become important in new product development, the finished products have to be responsive to market needs and to demonstrate distinctiveness while — at the same time — they must be developed and produced at low cost. Adopting such a strategy affects the development process and also has an important impact on an organizational structure. A platform strategy also offers advantages for the process of automobile firms. Manufacturers are then able to offer products at a lower cost to consumers, additionally, economies of scale are increased, as is return on investment. In the 1980s, Chryslers K-cars all wore a badge with the letter K to indicate their shared platform, in later stages, the K platform was extended in wheelbase, as well as use for several of the Corporations different models. GM used similar strategies with its J platform that debuted in mid-1981 in four of GMs divisions and they were popular through the 1980s, primarily. Even Cadillac started offering a J body model called the Cimarron, a similar strategy applied to what is known as the N-J-L platform, arguably the most prolific of GMs efforts on one platform. Once more, GMs four lower level divisions all offered various models on this throughout the 1980s. For example, the Lexus ES is essentially an upgraded and rebadged Toyota Camry, after Daimler-Benz purchased Chrysler, Chrysler engineers used several M-B platforms for new models including the Crossfire which was based on the M-B SLK roadster. Other models that share platforms are the European Ford Focus, Mazda 3, differences between shared models typically involve styling, including headlights, tail lights, and front and rear fascias
9.
GM V platform (1966)
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The V platform is a rear-wheel drive automobile platform that underpinned various General Motors vehicles from 1966 through to its final discontinuation in 2007. The V platform was developed in the 1960s by the German subsidiary of GM, however, it was not without significant revision over its lifetime. The platforms phase-out began when European production ended during 2003, while the Australian variants, produced by Holden continued until 2007, the first of these Zeta cars came in 2006, with the remaining changing over in 2007. V-cars are identified by the V fourth character in their Vehicle Identification Number, although completely unrelated, the V platform designation was also used for a series of North American front-wheel drive personal luxury coupes. Buick XP20001995, Buick XP2000 Daewoo Prince 1991–1997, Daewoo Prince, Holden Commodore 1978–1988, Holden Commodore, Holden Calais. 1988–1997, Holden Commodore, Holden Berlina, Holden Calais, 1997–2007, Holden Commodore, Holden Berlina, Holden Calais, Chevrolet Lumina, Chevrolet Omega. Holden Monaro 2001–2006, Holden Monaro, Chevrolet Lumina SS, Pontiac GTO, Holden Caprice 1990–1999, Holden Statesman, Holden Caprice. 1999–2006, Holden Statesman, Holden Caprice, Buick Royaum, Chevrolet Caprice, Holden Ute 2000–2007, Holden Ute, Chevrolet Lumina Ute. Opel Commodore 1967–1971, Opel Commodore A, Chevrolet Commodore, 1972–1977, Opel Commodore B, Opel Ranger, Chevrolet Commodore, Chevrolet Iran. 1977–1982, Opel Commodore C, Vauxhall Viceroy, Chevrolet Commodore, Opel Monza 1978–1986, Opel Monza A, Vauxhall Royale Coupe. Opel Omega 1986–1994, Opel Omega A, Vauxhall Carlton Mark II, Chevrolet Omega A, Lotus Carlton, 1994–2003, Opel Omega B, Vauxhall Omega B, Cadillac Catera. Opel Rekord 1966–1971, Opel Rekord C, Opel Ranger, Chevrolet Comodoro, 1972–1977, Opel Rekord D, Opel Ranger. 1977–1986, Opel Rekord E, Vauxhall Carlton Mark I, Opel Senator 1978–1987, Opel Senator A, Chevrolet Senator, Vauxhall Royale. 1987–1994, Opel Senator B, Vauxhall Senator
10.
V6 engine
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A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankshaft in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a 60 or 90 degree angle to each other. The V6 is one of the most compact engine configurations, usually ranging from 2.0 L to 4.3 L displacement, shorter than the inline 4, because of its short length, the V6 fits well in the widely used transverse engine front-wheel drive layout. The V6 engine has become widely adopted for medium-sized cars, often as an engine where an inline 4 is standard. Modern V6 engines commonly range in displacement from 2.0 to 4.3 L, though larger and smaller examples have been produced, such as the 1991 Mazda MX3, some of the first V6-powered automobiles were built in 1905 by Marmon. This firm became something of a V-engine specialist, beginning with V2 engines, then V4s, V6s, V8s, and, in the 1930s, Marmon was one of the few automakers of the world to offer a V16-powered automobile. From 1908 to 1913 the Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik produced benzene electric train sets used a V6 as generator engine. Another V6-powered car was designed in 1918 by Leo Goosen for Buick Chief Engineer Walter L. Marr, only one prototype Buick V6 car was built in 1918, it was long used by the Marr family. The first series-production V6 was introduced by Lancia in 1950 with the Lancia Aurelia model, Lancia sought a smoother and more powerful engine that would fit into an existing narrow engine bay. A Lancia engineer, Francesco De Virgilio, began analyzing the vibration of alternative V-angles for a V6 engine in 1943 and he found that a V6 with its cylinders positioned at a 60° V-angle could be made uniquely smooth-running in comparison with other possible V-angles. There was resistance to his conclusion, because the V6 was a virtually unknown engine type in the 1950s and his design featured four main bearings and six crankpins, resulting in evenly spaced firing intervals and low vibrations. Other manufacturers took note and soon other V6 engines were designed, the use of the sweet spot of 60 degrees V-angle maximized power while minimizing vibration and exterior dimensions of the engine. In short, GMC introduced a compact V6 design at a time when the engine was considered the pinnacle of 6-cylinder design. To save design time and expense, it was much like a V8 that had two cylinders chopped off. This uneven firing caused harmonic vibrations in the train that were perceived as a rough-running engine by the buyers. GM sold the tooling to Kaiser-Jeep in 1967, later, as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. In 1977, Buick introduced a split pin crankshaft to implement a version of this engine in which cylinders fired consistently every 120°. The V6 does not have the inherent freedom from vibration that the inline-six and flat-six have, counterweights on the crankshaft and a counter rotating balance shaft are required to compensate for the first order rocking motions. This causes an end-to-end rocking motion at crankshaft speed in a straight-three engine and this results in an engine which is short, light, and relatively smooth, but too wide for most engine compartments
11.
Automatic transmission
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The number of forward gear ratios is often expressed for manual transmissions as well. The most popular form found in automobiles is the automatic transmission. Similar but larger devices are used for heavy-duty commercial and industrial vehicles. This system uses a coupling in place of a friction clutch. These systems have a set of gear ranges, often with a parking pawl that locks the output shaft of the transmission to keep the vehicle from rolling either forward or backward. Some machines with limited speed ranges or fixed engine speeds, such as forklifts and lawn mowers. Despite superficial similarity to other transmissions, traditional automatic transmissions differ significantly in internal operation and drivers feel from semi-automatics and CVTs. In contrast to conventional automatic transmissions, a CVT uses a belt or other torque transmission scheme to allow a number of gear ratios instead of a fixed number of gear ratios. A semi-automatic retains a clutch like a transmission, but controls the clutch through electrohydraulic means. The ability to shift gears manually, often via paddle shifters, can also be found on certain automated transmissions, semi-automatics, the obvious advantage of an automatic transmission to the driver is the lack of a clutch pedal and manual shift pattern in normal driving. This allows the driver to operate the car with as few as two limbs, allowing amputees and other disabled individuals to drive, the automatic transmission was invented in 1921 by Alfred Horner Munro of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and patented under Canadian patent CA235757 in 1923. Being a steam engineer, Munro designed his device to use compressed air rather than hydraulic fluid and they were incorporated into GM-built tanks during World War II and, after the war, GM marketed them as being battle-tested. However, a Wall Street Journal article credits ZF Friedrichshafen with the invention, zFs origins were in manufacturing gears for airship engines beginning in 1915, the company was founded by Ferdinand von Zeppelin. Modern automatic transmissions can trace their origins to an early horseless carriage gearbox that was developed in 1904 by the Sturtevant brothers of Boston and this unit had two forward speeds, the ratio change being brought about by flyweights that were driven by the engine. At higher engine speeds, high gear was engaged, as the vehicle slowed down and engine RPM decreased, the gearbox would shift back to low. Unfortunately, the metallurgy of the time wasnt up to the task, and owing to the abruptness of the gear change, the next significant phase in the automatic transmissions development occurred in 1908 with the introduction of Henry Fords remarkable Model T. The pedals actuated the transmissions friction elements to select the desired gear, in 1934, both REO and General Motors developed semi-automatic transmissions that were less difficult to operate than a fully manual unit. These designs, however, continued to use a clutch to engage the engine with the transmission, parallel to the development in the 1930s of an automatically shifting gearbox was Chryslers work on adapting the fluid coupling to automotive use
12.
Cadillac Cimarron
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The Cadillac Cimarron is a front-engine, front-wheel drive four door compact sedan manufactured and marketed by Cadillac for model years 1982-1988 — over a single generation. Total Cimarron production was 132,499 units, starting in 1976 GM began developing the J-body, an economy car platform intended to be shared across all its passenger car divisions. It had a 101.2 in wheelbase, torsion beam rear suspension, the unibodys front subframe carried a MacPherson strut front suspension and transverse engine/transmission unit. The result was a small, slow car whose generic economy car roots were obvious, Cimarron topped the list in favorable reaction, though ironically, it evoked economy, while Caville suggested the opposite. The price was otherwise commensurate with other J-body models equipped similarly, the Cimarron received a cool market reception with first-year sales of 25,968 – a third of projections. Buyers rejected the Cimarron, recognizing it as a largely undisguised rebadged variant of a prestigious car. Despite having grown comparatively more refined and more distinctive by its end, buyers stayed away. The last Cimarron was manufactured on June 3,1988 – with 132,499 examples manufactured over its seven-year production, the Cimarron was put into production due to several economic factors. Sales of large luxury sedans declined in favor of smaller, fuel efficient products with luxury features installed, smaller luxury vehicles were imported into North America from both Europe and Japan, and GM responded with a small luxury sedan. The Cimarrons failure is one in a series of events throughout the 1980s and 1990s which caused Cadillacs share of the US market to decline from 3. 8% in 1979 to 2 and he added that the Cimarron nearly killed Cadillac and remains its biggest shame. Forbes placed the Cimarron on its list of Legendary Car Flops, citing low sales, poor performance, carBuzz called the Cimarron a textbook example of what goes wrong when a carmaker tries to badge engineer an economy car into a luxury car. CNN Money described the Cimarron as in all important respects, a Chevrolet Cavalier and it also added thousands to the price tag. In all, it was neither a good Cadillac nor a good value, today, GM executives will readily admit that this was a bad idea. Car and Driver said a subsequent Cadillac product director, John Howell, kept a picture of the Cimarron on his wall captioned, derek Kreindlers Autoblog article on the Cimarron
