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|  BMW has developed a new three wheel car. The University of Bath has announced that the car promises to give over 100 miles per gallon. The Clever vehicle is a $2.7 million collaborative project between nine different European partners -- from research to industry. Clever stands for Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport. Dr. Jos Darling, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at Bath University, has remarked that the fact that the car has a stylish design and can carry a passenger will make it more appealing to the motoring public generally. Development of the car has taken three years. The vehicles has a top speed of 60 miles per hour. The car can accelerate from zero to 40 in seven seconds. The passenger sits directly behind the driver. BMW began work on the project in December 2002 and completed its efforts in March of this year.
Cars in History:
After completion of the First world war (1914-18) the European factories have gone for updating of their production lines. Firm "Citroen" first time in Europe in 1919 has introduced the American technology of conveyor assembly. The French branch office of Spanish company "Ispano-Syuiza", based on the experience of production of aircraft engines, has started since 1919 release of motors for which the block and the head of cylinders were casted from an aluminum alloy. French company "Bugatti" in 1924 has ventured to cast the wheels from an aluminum alloy for their racing and sports automobiles.
These years there was an impression, that on both sides of Atlantic Ocean, all the automobile countries hurried up in filling the gap formed during war time and tried to speed up technical progress. In America the oil refining company “Standard Oil” in 1923 has undertaken release of ethyl gasoline. Additions of cheap compounds in the manufacturing, containing lead, allowed to appreciably increase the octane number of fuel. In turn, such gasoline did not detonate in motors with the increased degree of compression, allowed them to develop higher capacity.
In Italy, in 1922, firm "LANCIA" has made sensation by releasing the model "Lamda" with carrying or frameless (their name that time) body. Such design was lighter and also less metal consuming than a body with railed frame. In years 1930 many factories ("Citroen", "Opel" and others have followed an example of "Lancha".
At last, in Germany, the country without own oil fields, factories MAN and "Benz" in 1923 have mastered release of the first serial lorries with diesel engines, which were more economic than the motors working on gasoline. France too conducted experiments with diesel engines, but also equipped automobiles with gas generators as the country could expect the deliveries of petroleum only from their African colonies.
On the edge of years 1920-30, automobile industry in Europe went on rise. On this wave new design solutions, which promised to change the shape of the automobile, were born. French engineer Z. Greguar in 1926 started theoretical researches of hinges of equal angular speeds. They were called as synchronous hinges. Spike of designs concerns to the beginning of 1930 with forward driving wheels: "Citroen" in France, DKV, "Adler" and "Audi" in Germany, "Cord" in USA.
Designers began to show the big interest in machines with an independent suspension bracket of forward wheels: "Citroen" and "Berlie" in France, "Mercedes-Benz" and BMW in Germany, "Alvis" in England, "Studebaker" in USA. Due to its application, it was possible to push a front end-face of the engine forward to the centers of forward wheels and as a result to shift all interior forward in to more comfortable zone.
In turn the independent suspension bracket has given life to the theoretical researches on controlling and stability of automobiles. In middle of the thirtieth years engineer M. Ollei was engaged with them in America with success.
The American firms have tried to bring their contribution in evolution of the automobile. Factory "Cadillac" since 1928 began to produce the models with synchronizers in gearboxes. The same factory in 1930 has introduced hydraulic pushers of valves, and "Studebaker" since 1929 took priority over usage of the vacuum automatic device for advancing the ignition. The European companies have introduced the torsion suspension bracket of wheels ("Citroen", 1934), streamline bodies on rear engine machines ("Tatra", 1935), semi-automatic pre-selective gear boxes ("Maibah", 1929, "Dellazh", 1934), hydro-couplings ("Daimler" 1931). |
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