1.
MG K-type
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The MG K-type Magnette is a motor car produced in the United Kingdom by MG from October 1932 to 1934. Launched at the 1932 London Motor Show, the K-Type replaced the F-Type Magna, the chassis was similar to the Magna but strengthened and had the track increased by 6 inches to 48 inches and was available in two lengths with a wheelbase of either 94 inches or 108 inches. The steering was modified with a patented divided track rod which was claimed to reduce kick back at the steering wheel, the brakes were cable operated with 13-inch drums made of Elektron, a light magnesium alloy, with shrunk in steel liners. Suspension by half-elliptic springs and Hartford friction shock absorbers all round with rigid front, wire wheels with 4.75 x 19 tyres and centre lock fixing were used. The engines were based on a Wolseley overhead camshaft design used first in the 1930 Wolseley Hornet and subsequently used by MG in the F-Type but subject to a major re-design. The stroke was reduced from 83 mm to 71 mm to reduce the capacity from 1272 cc to 1087 cc, fitted at first with triple SU carburetors it produced 39 bhp at 5500 rpm. In early 1933 a modified version of the engine was announced that had improved valve timing and this engine was called the KB and the previous version, which continued in use, the KA. In late 1933 they were joined by the KD with a larger 1271 cc capacity by returning to the F-Type stroke of 83 mm but with the cylinder head. In addition there was the KC engine for the racing cars and this retained the 1087 cc capacity but with the aid of a supercharger power was up at 120 bhp at 6500 rpm. Drive was to the wheels through either a four-speed non-synchromesh gearbox or ENV made pre-selector type. All the road cars were capable of reaching 75 mph and this was the original K having the long chassis and was first shown with the saloon body, KA engine and pre-selector gearbox all costing £445, quite expensive at the time. It was soon joined by a tourer with KB engine and manual gearbox, later the saloon could also be had with KD engine and pre-selector. 54 K1s with KA engines,74 with KB engines and 53 with KDs were made, not many of the saloons were sold and surplus bodies/chassis were later fitted with MG N type engines and sold as the MG KN Magnette. The K2 was the open 2-seater and so had the shorter chassis and it had at first the KB engine and manual box but later cars could have the larger KD with preselector gearbox. 16 were made with KB engines and a further 4 with KD engines, the K3 was the racing variant and used the short chassis. The KC engine at first used a Powerplus supercharger replaced later by a Marshall-made one and they were prominently mounted in front of the engine below the radiator. The K3s greatest international success came in the 193424 Hours of Le Mans and this car is on display at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, PA. The K3 attracted the names of the racing world – Sir Tim Birkin of Bentley fame, Whitney Straight
2.
MG N-type
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The MG N-type Magnette is a sports car that was produced by MG from October 1934 to 1936. The engine was a development of the 1271 cc 6-cylinder KD series overhead camshaft engine used in the K-type. Modifications were made to the block and head and fitted with twin SU carburettors it produced 56 bhp at 5500 rpm. Drive was to the wheels through a four-speed non-synchromesh gearbox. The car had a wheelbase of 96 inches and a track of 45 inches, semi elliptic leaf springs, wider and longer than those used on previous cars, were fitted all round and the body was mounted to the chassis using rubber pads. The factory-supplied body was new and taller than on earlier cars, the slab type fuel tank at the rear which had featured on earlier models was no longer seen on the N-Type, being hidden in the tail. As well as the cars, an Airline Coupé model was also available. The NB, announced in 1935, had a body with lower lines. The doors were now front hinged, better seats were fitted, the Airline Coupé body was still available as well. The ND was a model using unsold MG K2 bodies fitted to the N-Type chassis probably only available in 1934. The number made is uncertain as the model does not seem to have officially listed. The NE was the competition variant built for the 1934 Tourist Trophy race, lightweight 2-seat bodies were fitted and the engine was further tuned to give 68 bhp at 6500 rpm. In 1935 three of the cars were fitted with P-Type style bodies and formed the Musketeer racing team which with factory support gained considerable success in various trials, a-Z of Cars of the 1930s
3.
MG Cars
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Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés. Kimber was an employee of William Morris, MG underwent many changes in ownership starting with Morris merging with Austin in The British Motor Corporation Limited in 1952. MG became the MG Division of BMC in 1967 and so a component of the 1968 merger that created British Leyland Motor Corporation. By the start of 2000 MG was part of the MG Rover Group which entered receivership in 2005 and the assets, production restarted in 2007 in China, and later at Longbridge plant in the UK under the current manufacturer MG Motor. The first all-new model from MG in the UK for 16 years, the original MG marque was in continuous use, except for the duration of the Second World War, for 56 years following its inception in 1923. The production of predominantly two-seater sports cars was concentrated at a factory in Abingdon, between 1982 and 1991, the MG marque used to badge-engineer sportier versions of Austin Rovers Metro, Maestro, and Montego ranges. A second revival came in the summer of 1995, when the high-volume MG F two-seater roadster was launched, the MG marque, along with the Rover marque, went to the MG Rover group in May 2000, when BMW broke up the Rover Group. The assets of MG Rover were bought by Chinese carmaker Nanjing Automobile in July 2005, subsequently bought by SAIC in December 2007, kimber had joined the company as its sales manager in 1921. He was promoted to manager in 1922, a position he held until 1941. Kimber died in 1945 in a railway accident, the site of the garages was redeveloped in 1980, retaining the original frontage, and is now used as student accommodation by New College. Others dispute this and believe that MG only properly began trading in 1925, the explanation may lie in the distinction between the MG business and the company of that name which may have come to own it later. The first cars which were rebodied Morris models used coachwork from Carbodies of Coventry and were built in premises in Alfred Lane, demand soon caused a move to larger premises in Bainton Road in September 1925, sharing space with the Morris radiator works. Continuing expansion meant another move in 1927 to a factory in Edmund Road, Cowley, Oxford, near the main Morris factory. In 1928, the company had large enough to warrant an identity separate from the original Morris Garages. Car Company Limited was established in March of that year, the MG Car Club was founded in 1930 for owners and enthusiasts of MG cars. Originally owned personally by William Morris, MG was sold in 1935 to Morris Motors, MG was absorbed with Morris into The British Motor Corporation Limited, created in 1952 to merge Morris Motors Limited and The Austin Motor Company Limited. Long-time service manager John Thornley took over as manager, guiding the company through its best years until his retirement in 1969. Under BMC, several MG models were no more than badge-engineered versions of other marques, BMC took over Jaguar Cars in September 1966 and that December BMC changed its name to British Motor Holdings
4.
British Motor Corporation
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The British Motor Corporation Limited was a UK-based vehicle manufacturer, formed in early 1952 to give effect to an agreed merger of the Morris and Austin businesses. BMC acquired the shares in Morris Motors and the Austin Motor Company, Morris Motors, the holding company of the productive businesses of the Nuffield Organisation, owned MG, Riley, and Wolseley. The agreed exchange of shares in Morris or Austin for shares in the new holding company, BMC, in September 1965, BMC took control of its major suppliers, Pressed Steel, acquiring Jaguars body supplier in the process. In September 1966, BMC merged with Jaguar Cars Limited, on 14 December 1966, BMC changed its name to British Motor Holdings Limited or BMH. BMCs headquarters were at the Austin plant at Longbridge, near Birmingham, the use of Morris engine designs was dropped within three years and all new car designs were coded ADO from Amalgamated Drawing Office. Austins management systems, however, especially cost control and marketing, were not as good as Nuffields and as the changed from a shortage of cars to competition. The biggest-selling car, the Mini, was analysed by Ford Motor Company. At the time of the mergers, a well established dealership network was in place for each of the marques, among the car-buying British public was a tendency of loyalty to a particular marque and marques appealed to different market segments. This meant that marques competed against each other in some areas, the Riley and Wolseley models were selling in very small numbers. Styling was also getting distinctly old-fashioned and this caused Leonard Lord, in a move for him. In 1958, BMC hired Battista Farina to redesign its entire car line and this resulted in the creation of three Farina saloons, each of which was badge-engineered to fit the various BMC car lines, The compact Farina model bowed in 1958 with the Austin A40 Farina. A Mark II A40 Farina appeared in 1961 and was produced through 1967 and these small cars used the A-Series engine. The mid-sized Farinas were launched in 1958 with the Wolseley 15/60, other members of the group included the Riley 4/68, Austin A55 Cambridge Mk. III, and Morris Oxford V. Later, the design was licensed in Argentina and produced as the Siam Di Tella 1500, Traveller station wagon, the mid-size cars used the B-Series straight-4 engine. Most of these lasted until 1961, though the Di Tellas remained until 1966. They were replaced with a new Farina body style and most were renamed and these were the Austin A60 Cambridge, MG Magnette Mk. IV, Morris Oxford VI, Riley 4/72, and Wolseley 16/60 and these mostly remained in production until 1968, with no rear-wheel drive replacement produced. Farina also designed a large car, launched in 1959 as the Austin A99 Westminster, Vanden Plas Princess 3-Litre, and Wolseley 6/99, it used the large C-Series straight-6 engine
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.
Mid-size car
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A mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact. In Europe mid-sizers are referred to as D-segment or large family cars, the automobile that defined this size in the United States was the Rambler Six that was introduced in 1956, although it was called compact car at that time. The mid-size class then grew out of the compacts of the early-1960s, for example, the Ford Fairlane was referred to at its introduction in 1962 as a compact intermediate because it was barely bigger than its close relative, the Falcon. General Motors first entries in the class, such as the Oldsmobile F-85, Pontiac Tempest, and Buick Special were not mechanically related to the compact Chevrolet Corvair, at that time vehicle classes were defined more by their wheelbase than interior passenger space and cargo capacity. The class began to rapidly, and for the next ten years each expansion in size in the full-size field was followed by a proportionate growth in the mid-size models. By the mid-1960s, they were as big as the cars of the mid-1950s. By the mid-1970s, they were nearly as big as the cars of the mid-1960s. During the 1970s, the class was generally defined as vehicles with wheelbases between 112 inches and 118 inches. A turning point occurred in the late 1970s, when rising costs and government fuel economy regulations caused all car classes to shrink. Automakers moved previously full-size nameplates to smaller platforms, new official size designations in the U. S. were introduced by the EPA, which defined market segments by passenger and cargo space. Formerly mid-sized cars that were built on the platform, like the AMC Matador sedan, had a combined passenger and cargo volume of 130 cubic feet. The situation was complicated when General Motors began to downsize its models about two years before everybody else, in 1978, the Chevrolet Malibu nameplate had been redesigned on a 108-inch wheelbase, while the Ford Granada moved to the 105-inch wheelbase of the Ford Fairmonts Fox platform in 1981. Both competed with the Chrysler standard and extended K-cars, often classified as compact, former mid-size platforms such as the Plymouth Satellite would be rebranded as full-size, rebodied, or dropped in the face of the downsized Chevrolet Caprice. Some were subsequently replaced by used to be large compacts. The Granada would be badged with the LTD moniker before being replaced by the class-defining Ford Taurus, similarly, import models such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry that had been classified by the EPA as compact in 1985 grew to the mid-size class by the 1990s. The Accord later grew even larger, its eighth North American sedan version was classified by the EPA as a full-size car, the current ninth generation North American sedan was slightly smaller than its immediate predecessor, putting it once again in the mid-size class. Mid-size vehicles today usually have wheelbases between 105 inches and 110 inches, another widely used definition is that of the EPA, which classifies cars between 110 cubic feet and 119 cubic feet of interior volume as mid-size. Mid-size cars are the most popular category of cars sold in the United States, in Japan, the term mid-size car probably does not have the intermediate sense that it does in other markets
7.
Sedan (automobile)
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A sedan /sᵻˈdæn/ or saloon is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with A, B & C-pillars and principal volumes articulated in separate compartments for engine, passenger and cargo. The passenger compartment features two rows of seats and adequate passenger space in the compartment for adult passengers. The cargo compartment is typically in the rear, with the exception of some rear-engined models, such as the Renault Dauphine, Tatra T613, Volkswagen Type 3 and it is one of the most common car body styles. A battery electric sedan such as the Tesla Model S has no engine compartment, but a front cargo compartment, the primary purpose of the sedan is to transport people and their baggage on ordinary roads. Sedan versions of the body style have a central pillar that supports the roof and come in two-. Sedans usually have a two-box or three-box body, popular in the U. S. from the 1950s through the 1970s, true hardtop body designs have become increasingly rare. For example,1962 Rambler Classic sedans feature identical windshield, A-pillar, roof, C-pillar, and rear window. A two- or four-door design built on a chassis, but with a shorter roof and interior space. Originating from the car on a Pullman passenger train that was well appointed. A notchback sedan is a sedan, where the passenger volume is clearly distinct from the trunk volume of the vehicle. The roof is on one plane, generally parallel to the ground, the window at a sharp angle to the roof. A fastback sedan is a sedan, with continuous slope from the roof to the base of the decklid. They are not fastbacks because their bodyline changes from the roof to the rear deck and their steeply raked rear windows end with a decklid that does not continue down to the bumper. Instead, their ends are tall — sometimes in a Kammback style — to increase trunk space. Typically this design is chosen for its aerodynamic advantages, automakers can no longer afford the penalty in fuel consumption produced by the traditional notchback three box form. In historic terminology, a sedan will have a frame around the door windows, a true hardtop design also has no center or B pillar for roof support behind the front doors). This pillarless body style offers greater visibility, however, it requires extra underbody strengthening for structural rigidity. The hardtop design can be considered separately, or it can be called a hardtop sedan, during the 1960s and 1970s, hardtop sedans were often sold as sport sedans by several American manufacturers and they were among the top selling body styles
8.
Automobile layout
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In automotive design, the automobile layout describes where on the vehicle the engine and drive wheels are found. Many different combinations of engine location and driven wheels are found in practice, factors influencing the design choice include cost, complexity, reliability, packaging, weight distribution, and the vehicles intended handling characteristics. Layouts can roughly be divided into two categories, front- or rear-wheel drive, four-wheel-drive vehicles may take on the characteristics of either, depending on how power is distributed to the wheels. Front-wheel-drive layouts are those in which the front wheels of the vehicle are driven, the most popular layout used in cars today is the front-engine, front-wheel drive, with the engine in front of the front axle, driving the front wheels. As the steered wheels are also the wheels, FF cars are generally considered superior to FR cars in conditions such as snow, mud. The weight of the engine over the wheels also improves grip in such conditions. Electronic traction control can avoid wheelspin but largely negates the benefit of extra torque/power, a transverse engine is commonly used in FF designs, in contrast to FR which uses a longitudinal engine. This is another reason luxury/sports cars avoid the FF layout, exceptions do exist, such as the Volvo S80 which uses transversely mounted inline 6 and V8 engines, and the Ford Taurus SHO, available with a 60° V8 and front-wheel drive. There are some exceptions to this as rear engine designs do not take away interior space and it also has fewer components overall and thus lower weight. However, this may apply for cars with moderate power-to-weight ratio. According to road test with two Dodge Daytonas, one FWD and one RWD, the layout is also important for what configuration is the fastest. Weight shifting limits the acceleration of a front-wheel-drive vehicle, however, since front-wheel-drive cars have the weight of the engine over the driving wheels, the problem only applies in extreme conditions in which case the car understeers. On snow, ice, and sand, rear-wheel drive loses its traction advantage to front or all-wheel-drive vehicles which have greater weight over the driven wheels. Rear-wheel-drive cars with engine or mid engine configuration retain traction over the driven wheels. A rear-wheel-drive cars centre of gravity is shifted rearward when heavily loaded with passengers or cargo, on front-wheel-drive cars, the short driveshaft may reduce drivetrain elasticity, improving responsiveness. Instead, the tunnel may be used to route the exhaust system pipes. Weight, Fewer components usually means lower weight, improved fuel efficiency due to less weight. Cost, Fewer material components and less installation complexity overall, however, the considerable MSRP differential between a FF and FR car cannot be attributed to layout alone. Few modern family cars have rear-wheel drive as of 2009, so a direct cost comparison is not necessarily possible, assembly efficiency, the powertrain can often be assembled and installed as a unit, which allows more efficient production
9.
Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
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In automotive design, an FR, or front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout is one where the engine is located at the front of the vehicle and driven wheels are located at the rear. This was the automobile layout for most of the 20th century. Modern designs commonly use the front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, the first FR car was an 1895 Panhard model, so this layout was known as the Système Panhard in the early years. The layout has the advantage of minimizing mechanical complexity, as it allows the transmission to be placed in-line with the output shaft. In comparison, a vehicle with the engine over the driven wheels eliminates the need for the drive shaft, in order to reduce the relative weight of the drive shaft, the transmission was normally split into two parts, the gearbox and the final drive. The gearbox was produced with its highest gear being 1,1. The final drive, in the axle, would then reduce this to the most appropriate speed for the wheels. As power is the product of torque and angular velocity, spinning the shaft faster for any given power reduces the torque, in an era when gasoline was cheap and cars were heavy, the mechanical advantages of the FR drivetrain layout made up for any disadvantage in weight terms. It remained almost universal among car designs until the 1970s, after the Arab oil embargo of 1973 and the 1979 fuel crises, a majority of American FR vehicles were phased out for the FF layout – this trend would spawn the SUV-van conversion market. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most American companies set as a priority the eventual removal of rear-wheel drive from their mainstream, chrysler went 100% FF by 1990 and GMs American production went entirely FF by 1997 except the Corvette, Firebird and Camaro. This configuration is referred to as a transaxle since the transmission. In Europe, front-wheel drive was popularized by small cars like the Mini, Renault 5 and Volkswagen Golf, upscale marques like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar remained mostly independent of this trend, and retained a lineup mostly or entirely made up of FR cars. Japanese mainstream marques such as Toyota were almost exclusively FR until the late 1970s, toyotas first FF vehicle was the Toyota Tercel, with the Corolla and Celica later becoming FF while the Camry was designed as an FF from the beginning. The Supra, Cressida, Crown, and Century remained FR, luxury division Lexus has a mostly FR lineup. Subarus BRZ is an FR car, currently most cars are FF, including all front-engined economy cars, though FR cars are making a return as an alternative to large sport-utility vehicles. In North America, GM returned to production of FR-based luxury vehicles with the 2003 Cadillac CTS, as of 2012, all but the SRX and XTS are FR-based vehicles. Chevrolet reintroduced the FR-based Camaro in 2009, and the Caprice PPV in 2011, Pontiac also had a short run with the FR-based G8 and Pontiac Solstice. A Chevrolet replacement for the G8 called the Chevrolet SS was released in 2013, chrysler and Dodge reintroduced the 300 and Charger on a FR platform
10.
MG Y-type
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The MG Y-Type is an automobile produced by MG in England from 1947 to 1953. It was offered in saloon and limited production open four-seat tourer versions. When production ceased,8,336 Y Types had been produced,6,131 of which were YA saloons,904 were YT Tourers and 1,301 were YB saloons. In the years immediately before the Second World War, MG had sought to supplement its popular range of sports cars with three saloons of various sizes and engine capacities. These were the S, V and W models, the WA had an engine displacement of 2,561 cc, the SA2,288 cc and the smallest of the group, the VA, had an engine of 1,548 cc. The prototype Y Type was constructed in 1939 with a launch at the Earls Court Motor show. However, as a result of the hostilities the public had to wait a further eight years before production commenced, all prototypes originating from the MG Factory at Abingdon were allocated numbers prefixed by the letters EX, this practice continued until the mid-fifties. Although the prototype of the MG Y Type was primarily a Morris concept from Cowley, as a result it was allocated the prototype number EX.166. When the car was launched the MG Sales Literature stated A brilliant new Member of the famous MG breed, a ‘lively’ car, the new One and a Quarter Litre provides higher standards of performance. The UK price of the car was £525.0.0 ex works plus purchase tax of £146.11. 8d, the car featured an independent front suspension layout designed by Gerald Palmer and Jack Daniels. Independent front suspension was much the latest technology at the time. The separate chassis facilitated the ‘Jackall System’, which consisted of four hydraulically activated rams that were bolted to the chassis, two at the front and two at the rear. The jacks were connected to a Jackall Pump on the bulkhead that enabled the front, the power unit was a single carburettor version of the 1,250 cc engine used in the latest MG-TB. This engine, the XPAG, went on to both the MG-TC and MG-TD series. The MG Y Type saloon developed 46 bhp at 4,800 rpm, with 58.5 lb ft of torque at 2,400 rpm, the YT Tourer develop 54 bhp. With the exception of only the Rover Ten, which managed 2 additional bhp, indeed at the time many manufacturers were still producing side valve engines. The MG Y Type had a high standard of interior furnishing and finish. The facing surfaces of all seats were leather, as were the door pockets, the rear of the front seats were made from Rexine, a form of leathercloth, which matched the leather fronts, as were the door panels themselves
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