Muscle Cars Future

In the last few years, the US automakers have made a return to classic style muscle cars. These cars have been designed to look nostalgic and very similar to their early 1970s counterparts. Ford started this new trend with the new Mustang in 2005. With styling very reminiscent of the 60s Mustangs, the car was an instant hit. Ford had the market cornered since GM had discontinued the Camaro in 2002 and with Chrysler lacking a V8 rear wheel drive muscle car as well. In the last year, this has changed with the introduction of the new Challenger and then just recently, with the introduction of the new Camaro. Car enthusiasts are happy to see these cars back and the question becomes, how long will they last?

In the past three months, GM and Chrysler have both sought bankruptcy protection to help reduce debt and allow them to continue building cars. GM has sold off many of its brands including Saturn, Hummer and Saab. The federal government is now the primary shareholder in both companies. The government plans to put new management into place to change the lineup of cars both companies are producing to focus on small cars and less large engine cars and trucks. It will be interesting to see how consumers react to this change.

The area where American automakers have been most successful in the last 20 years has been trucks, SUVs, and coupes and sedans with larger engines. No muscle car enthusiast is going to want to replace his Mustang with a Honda Civic. Ford tried that in the late 70s with the Mustang II and it was a disaster. To me, the heart and soul of the American auto industry lies in performance cars and trucks. This is where the American auto companies have been able to dominate the market. Honda, Nissan and Toyota have all released new full size trucks in the last five years and the sales of these vehicles still pale in comparison to the sales of the Silverado, Sierra and F150.

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Modern Automobile

Automobile production has grown from an industry of small companies that made simple carriages to the international corporations that now mass-produce advanced and reliable automobiles across the globe.

Innovations and changes in any industry take time to hold ground, require the participation of the consumers, and have to deal with the government regulations. New technologies can be applied to one area at a time and the practical implementation requires many processes. As regards the automobile industry, any part or a new component for its full development may take a long time. Processing may involve years to incorporate new concepts into a practical use-able model. Time is required for multiple reasons such as, for designing, building and even for installation of production tools and then testing the new systems using mock ups. In preproduction vehicles to see what happens to overall performance, it takes additional time to monitor the pros and cons of the product.

Automobile companies and corporations are focusing and responding to the many sectors of this industry in quite an effective manner. The emerging fuel-consumption and air-quality demands are on the rise and need innovations. Diesel engines, catalytic converters, electronic fuel injection, turbochargers, high-strength steels, aerodynamic bodies, front-wheel drive, and other technologies are introduced to cut and maintain operating costs. Industry developments of the late 1990's focused on joint international ventures among the strongest companies and global expansion into new markets. Globalization has made it increasingly difficult to identify an automobile as the product of one company or country. At the beginning of the 21st century, the trends of global manufacturing changed with new technological methods. Computerized auto designs are producing splendid results and the search for alternative fuels and more efficient automobile designs is a subject of hot pursuit.





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Sports Cars and Commercial Vehicles

There are some classic cars that make collectors go gaga. There are others that are highly underrated even when the reputation is not deserved. The 541S Jensen is one such overlooked gem. This unusual British model offered topnotch safety features, decent engine features and luxurious appointments, but it was overlooked by buyers when it first rolled off the line and continues to be passed over by collectors. Sporty, fast, compact and adorable, the 541S Jensen is a two-door grand tourer that was completely hand built in an era when mass production was well under way. Its design is quite similar to Aston Martins, Porches and Jaguars in appearance, but it has a few claims to fame that are all its own. The 541S was the very first British car to boast seatbelts as standard. It also came with a number of other safety features, as well.

This model was outfitted with a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, Dunlop disc brakes, a Motorola and even a padded windscreen surround. While safety features were paramount with the 541S, this Jensen boasts a number of other unique design perks. The car has front seat arm rests that are adjustable. It also has a Bevelift jack that is meant to be used through the floor so the car can be lifted without a motorist being exposed to the elements. The 541S Jensen was produced by Jensen Motors Limited, between 1960 and 1963. This sports car was predated by the Jensen 541R and followed up with the CV8. The 541S line had a total of 127 cars made with two engine types, a 5358 cc V8 produced by Chrysler and a 3993 cc straight-6. It came as either a four-speed automatic or a four-speed manual with overdrive. It is said only 22 manual drive transmissions rolled off the factory floor before production on the model ceased.

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