1.
Chrysler
–
FCA US is one of the Big Three American automobile manufacturers. FCA US has its headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan and sells vehicles worldwide under its flagship Chrysler brand, as well as the Dodge, Jeep, other major divisions include Mopar, its automotive parts and accessories division, and SRT, its performance automobile division. The Chrysler Corporation was founded by Walter Chrysler in 1925, out of what remained of the Maxwell Motor Company, Chrysler greatly expanded in 1928, when Mr. The brand diversification efforts were inspired by Mr. Chryslers time working for General Motors, in the 1960s the company expanded into Europe, by taking control of French, British and Spanish auto companies, Chrysler Europe was sold in 1978 to PSA Peugeot Citroën for $1. Chrysler struggled through the 1970s to adapt to changing markets, increased US import competition, the company began an engineering partnership with Mitsubishi Motors, and began selling Mitsubishi vehicles branded as Dodge and Plymouth in North America. By the late 1970s, Chrysler was on the verge of bankruptcy, New CEO Lee Iacocca was credited with returning the company to profitability in the 1980s. In 1985, Diamond-Star Motors was created, further expanding the Chrysler-Mitsubishi relationship, in 1987, Chrysler acquired American Motors Corporation, which brought the profitable Jeep brand under the Chrysler umbrella. Like the other Big Three automobile manufacturers, Chrysler was hit hard by the industry crisis of 2008–2010. On June 10,2009, Chrysler emerged from the proceedings with the United Auto Workers pension fund, Fiat S. p. A. The bankruptcy resulted in Chrysler defaulting on over $4 billion in debts, by May 24,2011, Chrysler finished repaying its obligations to the U. S. government five years early, although the cost to the American taxpayer was $1.3 billion. Over the next few years Fiat gradually acquired the other parties shares while removing much of the weight of the loans in a short period. On January 1,2014, Fiat S. p. A announced a deal to purchase the rest of Chrysler from the United Auto Workers retiree health trust. The deal was completed on January 21,2014, making Chrysler Group a subsidiary of Fiat S. p. A, in May 2014, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, NV was established by merging Fiat S. p. A. into the company. This was completed in August 2014, Chrysler Group LLC remained a subsidiary until December 15,2014, when it was renamed FCA US LLC, to reflect the Fiat-Chrysler merger. The Chrysler company was founded by Walter Chrysler on June 6,1925, Walter Chrysler arrived at the ailing Maxwell-Chalmers company in the early 1920s. He was hired to overhaul the companys troubled operations, in late 1923 production of the Chalmers automobile was ended. In January 1924, Walter Chrysler launched the well-received Chrysler automobile, the Chrysler was a 6-cylinder automobile, designed to provide customers with an advanced, well-engineered car, but at a more affordable price than they might expect. The original 1924 Chrysler included an air filter, high compression engine, full pressure lubrication
2.
Car classification
–
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
3.
Muscle car
–
Muscle car is an American term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as any of a group of American-made 2-door sports cars with engines designed for high-performance driving. A large V8 engine is fitted in a 2-door, rear drive, family-style compact. Sold at a price, muscle cars are intended for street use. They are distinct from sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring. According to Muscle Cars, a written by Peter Henshaw. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodders philosophy of taking a small car, the Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 horsepower weakling. In the United States, lightweight cars featuring high-performance engines were termed supercar before the classification of muscle car became popular, for example, the 1957 Rebels potent mill turned the lightweight Rambler into a veritable supercar. From the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies, what we now think of as muscle cars were commonly called Supercars. This term described the dragstrip bred affordable mid-size cars of the 1960s and early 1970s that were equipped with large, powerful V8 engines and rear-wheel-drive. In 1966, the became an official industry trend as the four domestic automakers needed to cash in on the supercar market with eye-catching, heart-stopping cars. Moreover, the SC in the name stood for SuperCar. However, the term by that time had been diluted and branded with a meaning that did not respect the unique qualities of the muscle car. Opinions vary as to whether high-performance full-size cars, compacts, opinions on the origin of the muscle car vary, but the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, created in response to public interest in speed and power, is often cited as the first muscle car. It featured Americas first high-compression overhead valve V8 in the smaller, lighter Oldsmobile 76/Chevy body for six-cylinder engines, Nerad added that the Rocket 88 was the hit of NASCAR’s 1950 season, winning eight of the 10 races. Given its lightning-like success, one could make the case that the Olds 88 with its 135 horsepower V-8 was the first musclecar. Other manufacturers showcased performance hardware in limited-edition models, Chrysler led the way with its 1955 C-300, an inspired blend of Hemi power and luxury-car trappings that became the new star of NASCAR. With 300 hp, it was advertised as Americas Most Powerful Car, capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 9.8 seconds and reaching 130 miles per hour, the 1955 Chrysler 300 is also recognized as one of the best-handling cars of its era
4.
Car platform
–
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
5.
Plymouth Road Runner
–
The Plymouth Road Runner is a mid-size car with a focus on performance built by Plymouth in the United States between 1968 and 1980. By 1968, some of the muscle cars were moving away from their roots as relatively cheap, fast cars as they gained features. Plymouth developed the Road Runner to market a lower priced, basic model to its upscale GTX. Plymouth paid $50,000 to Warner Bros. -Seven Arts to use the Road Runner name and likeness from their Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner was based on the Chrysler B platform, as a back-to-basics mid-size performance car. The earliest of the 1968 models were only as 2-door pillared coupes. The Road Runner of 1968-1970 was based on the Belvedere, while the GTX was based on the Sport Satellite, a floor-mounted shifter featured only a rubber boot and no console so that a bench seat could be used. The standard engine was an exclusive 383 cu in Roadrunner V8 engine rated at 335 bhp and 425 lb·ft of torque. Its extra 5 hp rating was the result of using the radical cam from the 440 Super Commando and a.25 raise in compression to 10.5,1. When air conditioning was ordered, the received the 330 hp version. A $714 option was the 426 CID Hemi rated at 425 bhp and 490 lb·ft of torque, the standard equipment transmission was a 4-speed manual with floor shifter and the three-speed TorqueFlite automatic was optional. Early four-speed 1968 Road Runners featured Inland shifters, which were replaced by Hurst shifters during the course of the model year, Plymouth expected to sell about 20,000 units in 1968, actual sales numbered around 45,000. This placed the Road Runner third in sales among muscle cars with only the Pontiac GTO, Dodge debuted the Road Runners cousin, the Super Bee, as a mid-1968 offering after seeing Plymouths success with the Road Runner. The 1969 model kept the basic look, but with slight changes to the tail lights and grille, side marker lights, optional bucket seats. The Road Runner added an option for 1969 with 2,128 such models produced that year. All were 383 cu in engine cars, except for ten which were equipped with a 426 cu in Hemi, the fiberglass hood box had an Air Grabber sticker on the front. When the hood was closed, a rubber seal fitted over the large-oval unsilenced air cleaner, a decal with Wile E. Coyote saying Coyote Duster was on the air cleaner lid. The assembly ducted air directly into the engine, the vents in the hood could be opened and closed via a lever under the dashboard labeled Carb Air. The 383 engine was standard with the 426 Hemi the only available for the Road Runner until mid-year production
6.
Chrysler Hemi engine
–
The Chrysler Hemi engines, known by the trademark Hemi, are a series of I6 and V8 engines built by Chrysler with hemispherical combustion chambers. Three different types of Hemi engines have been built by Chrysler for automobiles, the first from 1951 to 1958, the second from 1964 to 1971, and the third beginning in 2003. Although Chrysler is most identified with the use of Hemi as a marketing term, a hemispherical cylinder head gives an efficient combustion chamber with an excellent surface-to-volume ratio, with minimal heat loss to the head, and allows for two large valves. However, a hemi-head allows no more than two valves per cylinder, and these valves are necessarily heavier than in a multi-valve engine. The intake and exhaust valves lie on opposite sides of the chamber, the hemi-head design places the spark plug at or near the center of the chamber to promote a strong flame front. However, if the hemi-head hemisphere is of equal diameter to the piston, there is minimal squish for proper turbulence to mix fuel and this adds to the overall width of the engine, limiting the vehicles in which it can be installed. This complexity was referenced early in Chryslers development of their 1950s hemi engine, Chrysler developed their first experimental hemi engine for the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft. The XIV-2220 engine was an inverted V16 rated at 2,500 hp, however, the exercise gave Chrysler engineers valuable research and development experience with two-valve hemi combustion chamber dynamics and parameters. In addition to the engine, Chrysler and Continental worked together to develop the air-cooled AV-1790-5B V12 Hemi engine used in the M47 Patton tank. The first version of the FirePower engine had a displacement of 331 cu in, eventually, each Chrysler division had its own versions of the FirePower engine, with different displacements and designations, and having almost no parts in common. Chrysler and Imperial called their versions the FirePower, Dodge had a smaller version, known as the Red Ram. Only Plymouth didnt have a version, instead retaining the Dodge poly-head engines, briggs Cunningham used the Chrysler version in some of his race cars for international motor sports. A Chrysler-powered Cunningham C5-R won its class in 1953, Cunningham switched away from these designs in 1959 when Chrysler temporarily abandoned the hemispherical concept in favor of the wedge-head B engine until 1964. All Chrysler FirePower engines are oversquare, the bore is larger than the stroke. This first FirePower engine, used from 1951 to 1955, has a bore of 3.8125 in and a stroke of 3.625 in for a displacement of 331 cu in. Most used a carburetor and produced 180 bhp, with the famous exception of the 1955 Chrysler C-300 equipped with dual Carter WCFB four-barrel carburetors. At 138 decibels, it is the loudest siren ever made, the 354, released in 1956, had a bore of 3.9375 in and stroke of 3.625 in, and a deck height of 10.32. The 300B engine was rated at 340 bhp, while the New Yorker, for the 300B an optional 355 hp version was available, making it the first American V-8 to be rated at one horsepower per cubic inch
7.
V8 engine
–
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder V configuration engine with the cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two sets of four, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft. Most banks are set at an angle to each other, some at a narrower angle, with 45°, 60°. In its simplest form, the V8 is basically two parallel inline-four engines sharing a common crankshaft, since the 1920s, most V8s have used the somewhat more complex crossplane crankshaft with heavy counterweights to eliminate the vibrations. This results in an engine that is smoother than a V6, most racing V8s continue to use the single plane crankshaft because it allows faster acceleration and more efficient exhaust system designs. In 1902, Léon Levavasseur took out a patent on a light and he called it the Antoinette after the young daughter of his financial backer. From 1904 he installed this engine in a number of competition speedboats, the aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont saw one of these boats in Côte dAzur and decided to try it on his 14-bis aircraft. Its early 24 hp at 1400 rpm version with only 55 kg of weight was interesting, Santos-Dumont ordered a larger and more powerful version from Levavasseur. He changed its dimensions from the original 80 mm stroke and 80 mm bore to 105 mm stroke and 110 mm bore, obtaining 50 hp with 86 kg of weight and its power-to-weight ratio was not surpassed for 25 years. Levavasseur eventually produced its own line of V8 equipped aircraft, named Antoinette I to VIII, hubert Latham piloted the V8 powered Antoinette IV and Antoinette VII in July 1909 on two failed attempts to cross the English Channel. However, in 1910, Latham used the VII with the engine to become the first in the world to reach an altitude of 3600 feet. Voisin constructed pusher biplanes with Antoinette engines, also, notably the one first flown successfully by Henry Farman in 1908, the V8 engine configuration became popular in France from 1904 onward, and was used in a number of aircraft engines introduced by Renault, and Buchet among others. Some of these found their way into automobiles in small quantities. In 1905, Darracq built a car to beat the world speed record. They came up with two racing car built on a common crankcase and camshaft. The result was monstrous engine with a displacement of 1,551 cu in, victor Hemery fixed that record on 30 December 1905 with a speed of 109.65 mph. Rolls-Royce built a 3,535 cc V8 car from 1905 to 1906, in 1907 The Hewitt Motor Company built a large 5 passenger Touring Car. It was equipped with a hefty V8 engine that developed 50/60 horsepower and had a bore of 4 inches, the Hewitt was the first American Automobile to be equipped with a V8 engine. De Dion-Bouton introduced a 7,773 cc automobile V8 in 1910 and it was produced only in small quantities, but inspired a number of manufacturers to follow suit
8.
Manual transmission
–
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox, stick shift, n-speed manual, standard, MT, or in colloquial U. S. English, a stick, is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications. The number of gear ratios is often expressed for automatic transmissions as well. Manual transmissions often feature a clutch and a movable gear stick. This type of transmission is called a sequential manual transmission. In a manual transmission, the flywheel is attached to the engines crankshaft, the clutch disk is in between the pressure plate and the flywheel, and is held against the flywheel under pressure from the pressure plate. When the engine is running and the clutch is engaged, the flywheel spins the clutch plate, as the clutch pedal is depressed, the throw out bearing is activated, which causes the pressure plate to stop applying pressure to the clutch disk. This makes the clutch plate stop receiving power from the engine, when the clutch pedal is released, the throw out bearing is deactivated, and the clutch disk is again held against the flywheel, allowing it to start receiving power from the engine. Manual transmissions are characterized by gear ratios that are selectable by locking selected gear pairs to the shaft inside the transmission. Conversely, most automatic transmissions feature epicyclic gearing controlled by brake bands and/or clutch packs to select gear ratio, automatic transmissions that allow the driver to manually select the current gear are called manumatics. A manual-style transmission operated by computer is called an automated transmission rather than an automatic. Operating aforementioned transmissions often use the pattern of shifter movement with a single or multiple switches to engage the next sequence of gear selection. The earliest form of a transmission is thought to have been invented by Louis-René Panhard. This type of transmission offered multiple gear ratios and, in most cases and these transmissions are called sliding mesh transmissions or sometimes crash boxes, because of the difficulty in changing gears and the loud grinding sound that often accompanied. Newer manual transmissions on cars have all gears mesh at all times and are referred to as constant-mesh transmissions, in both types, a particular gear combination can only be engaged when the two parts to engage are at the same speed. To shift to a gear, the transmission is put in neutral. The vehicle also slows while in neutral and that slows other transmission parts, so the time in neutral depends on the grade, wind, for both upshifts and downshifts, the clutch is released while in neutral. Some drivers use the only for starting from a stop. Even though automobile and light truck transmissions are now almost universally synchronized, transmissions for trucks and machinery, motorcycles
9.
Automatic transmission
–
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
10.
Ford Torino Talladega
–
The Ford Torino Talladega is a muscle car that was produced by Ford only during the first few weeks of 1969. Fords Talladega was named after the Talladega Superspeedway racetrack in Alabama, the Ford Talladega was a special, more aerodynamic version of the Ford Torino / Fairlane Cobra. It is believed that a total of 754 Talladegas may have been built, the Bunkie Knudsen car was significantly different from all of the homologation cars with regard to options and color. This Talladega was even built at a different plant, Fords Lorain, however, all production examples were constructed during January and February 1969 at Fords Atlanta Assembly plant in Atlanta, Georgia. All production homologation cars produced after the cars were built between January 21 and February 28. A largely equivalent vehicle was produced under the Mercury marque as the Cyclone Spoiler II. The 1969 Ford Talladega was based on the Fairlane Cobra Sportsroof 2-door hardtop, to make the car more aerodynamic at high speeds, a sleeker front section was added. Regular production Fairlanes and Torinos had a then-fashionable inset grille and headlights, the Torino Talladega replaced this nose with one that extended the cars length by about six inches, with a flush-mounted grille on a more aerodynamic front end. These other special parts were normally only available when ordering a drag pack car which would have been equipped with a 4 speed. Racing versions of the car were fitted with the Ford FE427 side oiler engine that had been Fords main racing engine since 1963. Later in the season, the Ford Boss 429 engine was used by many of the teams, after it had finally been declared officially homologated by NASCAR president, ironically the Boss 429 engine was actually homologated in the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. In a very unusual move, Ford homologated the engine separately from the car in which it was to race, the only option actually offered on the production vehicles was the color, choices were, Wimbledon White, Royal Maroon, or Presidential Blue. The Torino Talladega did exactly what Ford hoped it would do on the circuit, it won 29 Grand National races during the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons - far more than any other model. Chryslers initial competitor was the Dodge Charger 500, which proved to be inferior to the Talladega. Ironically, in 1969 a Dodge Charger Daytona won at Talladega, of course, having the best talent driving the best cars was also a factor during the aero wars years. In an effort to get their star driver, Richard Petty, back after he had defected to Ford in 1969, Plymouth built the Plymouth Superbird in 1970. Plymouths Superbird was intended to be more competition for the Talladega/Spoiler II. All of the Superbirds wins came in 1970, which allowed Plymouth to recapture the championship in NASCAR, one other important footnote,1969 was Fords last year of factory involvement and/or support in racing of any kind for several years
