Day / August 21, 2013

by hereandsphere

ROAD NOISE ….. ISSUE # 4, AUGUST 19, 2013

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WELCOME 4TH EDITION READERS OF ROAD NOISE —- WHERE YOUR ROAD/MOTORING INTEREST AND THE AUTO WORLD MEET!

ROAD FEATURE VEHICLES of HISTORY:

Which four cars have been widely acknowledged as the “bestselling automobile in the world”?

Since Ford built its millionth Model T on December 10, 1915 the Model T remained the highest seller until forty five years after production ceased in 1927. On February 17, 1972 Volkswagen claimed that the Ford had been superseded by the Beetle, when the 15,007,034th was manufactured but since has reached then reaching then Beetle reaching 21 million.

A 1999 international poll for the world’s most influential cars of the 20th century named the Type 1 Volkswagen ‘Beetle’ fourth, after the Ford Model T the Mini, and the Citroen DS.

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^ Type 1 Beetle .. built since 1938

….EVERYWHERE IN THE 1960 AND 70’S BUT NOT SEEN MUCH TODAY (SEE BELOW) **

The Beetle remained the bestselling vehicle until the late 1990s, when it was itself overtaken by the Toyota Corolla. But the Corolla like the Chevrolet Impala though has changed designed over their history including from rear wheel drive to front wheel drive in 1966 for the Corolla. While essentially the other three top contenders remained essentially of the same design.  So lets be fair, apples to apples as it goes we can say the VW Beatle, Model T, Mini and Citroen DS keep their titles as the top four most sold.

Designs

Automobile

Production

Units Sold

time

  
 

ImageFord Model T

1908–27

16,500,000.

1908–1927

 The first car to achieve one million, five million, ten million and fifteen million units sold. By 1914, it was estimated that nine out of every ten cars in the world were Fords.
 

ImageVolkswagen Beetle

1938–2003

21,529,464.

1972–1997

The first car to achieve twenty million units sold.
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Toyota Corolla

1966–present

~40,000,000 to mid June 2013.

1997–present

The first car to achieve thirty million units sold. The bestselling automobile in the world, with 1.36 million units sold in 2005.

 United Kingdom

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Morris Mini

1959–2000

5,505,874.

Citroën

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Citroën 2CV

1948–1990

3,872,583.

Including commercial variants, the total figure is approximately nine million]

Chevrolet

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Chevrolet Impala

1958–present

Over 13,000,000 to 1996.

 
                               

 

THE ROYAL ROAD: 

But what does the Queen of England Drive? According to the official Royal information we are told the following …

For most of her engagements, The Queen travels to a venue in a State car. 

Used for public engagements and some ceremonial occasions, State cars must transport their passengers in a style which is safe, efficient and dignified, allowing as many people as possible to see The Queen or other members of the Royal Family. Built to unique specifications, they are also vehicles of great historical and technical interest in themselves.

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 ^ the Queen’s Bentley, side and front

The Queen’s State and private motor cars are housed in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace.

For official duties – providing transport for State and other visitors as well as The Queen herself – there are eight State limousines, consisting of two Bentleys, three Rolls-Royces and three Daimlers. Other vehicles in the Royal fleet include a number of Volkswagen ‘people carriers’.

State cars are painted in Royal Claret livery. The Bentleys and Rolls-Royces uniquely do not have registration number plates, since they are State vehicles.

The most recent State cars, used for most of The Queen’s engagements, are the two Bentleys. The first of these was presented to The Queen to mark her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

The one-off design, conceived by a Bentley-led consortium of British motor industry manufacturers and suppliers, was created with input from The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and Her Majesty’s Head Chauffeur.

In technical terms, the special Bentley cars have a monocoque construction, enabling greater use to be made of the vehicle’s interior space. This means the transmission tunnel runs underneath the floor, without encroaching on the cabin.

Although they have a powerful engine, the Bentleys, like any other cars, are subject to normal speed restrictions. On processional occasions, they travel at around 9 miles per hour, and sometimes down to 3 miles per hour.

The rear doors are hinged at the back and are designed to allow the Queen to stand up straight before stepping down to the ground.

The rear seats are upholstered in Hield Lambswool Sateen cloth. All remaining upholstery is light grey Connolly hide. Carpets are pale blue in the rear and dark blue in the front.

Visibility is important. For many people, a glimpse of a Royal car driving slowly may be their only opportunity to see the Queen or a member of the Royal Family. The Bentleys are fitted with a removable exterior roof covering which exposes a clear inner lining, giving an all-round view of their Royal passengers. 

There are other Royal cars in addition to the Bentleys. A Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was presented to The Queen in 1978 for her Silver Jubilee by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The oldest car in the fleet is the Phantom IV, built in 1950, 5.76 liter, with a straight eight engine and a Mulliner body. It was used by Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh. Despite its age, the car is in fine condition, and is still used for such occasions as Ascot. … There is also a 1987 Phantom VI …

Some interesting historic Royal cars can be viewed at Sandringham Museum. Items include the 1900Daimler bought by Edward VII.

   Image  1977 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM VI

  …as for the Prime Minister, he is driven in a humble Jaguar.

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 ^… AND OF COURSE THERE’S THE US PRESIDENTIAL STATE CAR COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS CADILLAC ONE (Features bulletproof windows, state-of-the-art communication and security systems, and a gas-proof chamber for defense against gas attacks).

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^^ ** OH and YES THIS IS THE OFFICIAL STATE CAR IN URUGUAY FOR PRESIDENT JOSE MUJICA …

ROAD EVENTS CALENDAR: 

 YES, IT’S STILL SUMMER, BUT MARK ON YOUR CALENDER,IF YOU WISH, NEW ENGLAND’S LARGEST BRITISH CAR DAY — NAMED the‘BRITISH INVASION’ — to be held in STOWE VERMONT SEPTEMBER 20-22.     

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 At Stoweflake Resort Field 2 miles north of Stowe village on Route 108 and Cape Cod Road.

http://www.britishinvasion.com/

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KEEPING THE TAIL LIGHTS OF SUMMER GOING … till the next edition and enjoy your summer drive … Charles Barris

_____________________________________________________________________________

by hereandsphere

BOSTON MAYOR RACE : SCHOOLS FLAP — THE BTU FIGHTS BACK

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^ The BTU’s Richard Stutman : a man who insists.

—- —- —

The fat is in the fire. Boy, is it ever. A Mayor campaign that was already hotting up pretty good has now, beginning with yesterday’s announcement by SFC that it would spend at least $ 500,000 on John Connolly’s campaign, become a heat wave. Even yesterday, the Felix G. Arroyo campaign expressed its anger at the SFC money dump and at the schools agenda it advocates. Now comes the release, by the Boston Teachers Union (BTU), of a poll which — so it told the Globe — that it had intended to keep private until the SFC money dump made it imperative to release to the public.

Believe that one, and I’ll offer you a bridge in Brooklyn.

In any case, the BTU now has its poll, which, according to the Globe, reported low support for an increase in charter schools and strong support for “working with” the BTU. Upon its poll the BTU has now made explicit that it will endorse a candidate, for the first time in twenty years, and it will almost certainly endorse a candidate who opposes any increase in the number of charter schools, any lengthening of the school day, and any additions to the rigor of teacher evaluations and of school performance.

Here the BTU has set itself against state schools policy enacted into law in 2010 and further agreed to by all parties in 2012; against Governor Patrick’s schools agenda; against what the Boston Globe, the Boston business community, and most school parents want.

Of course the BTU doesn’t need to take the entire State into account as does the statewide Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA). It need only answer to Boston voters. The BTU is relying upon Boston voters’ well-attested favorability to Labor Unions and their mission, indeed hoping that Boston voters will put protection of the Union’s bargains above the large changes that candidate Connolly — and others — want to bring about in the ways of Boston schools. This is a risky move for the BTU to make. After all, schools exist for the benefit of children first, the society at large second. Schools do not exist to give teachers jobs. Teachers obtain school jobs because they are wanted for the work of educating children.

As children, not teachers, are the focus of schools, so the BTU must recognize that, either it gets on board the school priorities that best educate children for the workplace they will face in this age of technology, social media, and a world economy, or parents and the workplace community will have to act without the BTU.

This would be unfortunate. No one wants to consider teachers an adversary. their job is difficult, the pay less than they could make, with similar skills, in the corporate workplace. Teachers make the City stronger.

The changes enacted into State law, and which Mayoral candidates like Connolly are now resolving to establish in Boston, do not erase the BTU. All they intend is to get the city’s public school teachers to adjust their job descriptions to the needs of schools today. Adjustment is difficult for labor unions; only by hard bargaining did they win the job rules that they now have. Their reluctance to unbargain those bargains is understandable.

Understandable, but not final.

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^ Felix G. Arroyo : will the BTU endorse him ?

Combat about Boston schools policy has given Felix G. Arroyo his chance to break free of the five other “new Boston” candidates and become a serious contender in the Primary. If Arroyo secures a BTU endorsement, his rise will almost certainly cut down the prospects of John Connolly, already a bit embarrassed by the infusion of “outside” money into his campaign.

And more : the rise of Arroyo and the downturn of Connolly will almost certainly advantage the campaign of Marty Walsh, whose strong Labor support, accompanied by a compromise approach to schools policy, looks — for now — like the ultimately winning agenda in November.

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^ Marty Walsh : the winner in any Arroyo vs. Connolly donnybrook

—- Michael Freedberg / Here and Sphere

by hereandsphere

???Eatin Boogers not food???

Coffee or Vodka?

Dear: Parenting 911 My son Drew is 4 he is impossible come meal time. ANY MEAL….. He loves his junk food — but hates veggies, loves cereal — hates oatmeal and fruit. He will not compromise…PERIOD… The Pediatrician said not to worry, but at his last physical he had lost 4 lbs — FOUR POUNDS — that’s A LOT for a four-year old. He is clearly not getting the proper nutrition, but by the time we’re done with the breakfast FIGHT I am so tired — I just let him eat what he wants. I am genuinely worried about my son, he feels like he is to big for me to tell him what to do about food. With his first year of school looming come fall, he has made it MORE THAN CLEAR — that he DOES NOT want a packed lunch — but instead cafeteria food, but I worry that…

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