Unsung Heroes

I've started reading Hot Rod Magazine again after a long spell away - I first read it as a schoolboy back in the sixties, even appeared in it once at the Street Rod Nationals in Memphis in 1971. I noticed a passing reference to Don and Rick Vesco having raised the absolute World Land Speed Record for Wheel-Driven automobiles to 458 mph in November 2001. This breaking the previous record set by England’s Donald Campbell in 1964 by more than 55 miles per hour.
As an avid car nut this was news to me - it goes to show that unless you have slick PR the media can ignore the greatest of achievements.
Britain's own Andy Green, an RAF fighter pilot, returned from the USA after breaking the sound barrier on land to little acclaim - there was no one to meet him at London's Heathrow airport. In autumn 1997, Green, driving for Richard Noble in the jet-powered Thrust SSC broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.002 setting a new two-way average record run of 763.035 mph.

Mercedes join in German F3

Mercedes-Benz are to run a Formula 3 engine in Germany this season. The engine will be based on the C-Class 1.8-litre block bored out to 2-litres. The season dates are:
April 21 Hockenheim Baden-Württemberg
June 2 Sachsenring
June 30 Norisring
July 14 Eurospeedway Lausitz
July 28 Hockenheim Baden-Württemberg
August 4 Nürburgring
September 8 A1-Ring
September 21 Eurospeedway Lausitz
October 6 Hockenheim Baden-Württemberg
If you are interested in the history of German racing check out this website which covers racing at Solitude, near Stuttgart, in the old days.

Farewell Dagenham Dustbin

So goodbye to the "Dagenham Dustbin" as Ford cease car production in Essex after seventy years. The affectionate nickname referred to the everyman image of Cortinas, Escorts and Anglias; Sierra repmobiles on the M1 and "The car you always promised yourself" Capri. Oh the nostalgia. Shame it had to come to this but inevitable once the quality movement got started, led by the Japanese manufacturers in the UK. The weak go to the wall. Dagenham now becomes the home of the Ford diesel engine.

Laughing Gravy

Look out for this British band with their upcoming single Revelator - sample here.
I interviewed Mr Bones and Paul Bishop on Rocket Radio in Sussex back in November and I wish them well and hope that this is their year.

Not so smart

To the Toronto Autoshow yesterday. Stop by the Mercedes-Benz stand to ask whether they are planning to bring the smart car to North America.
A spokesman says "Yes, er, No. It won't pass the crash test. It won't meet the safety, it has no bumpers. We will bring in the A class."
How this reconciles with the Atlanta electric smart car project is anybody's guess. Surely the electric smart must be crash-tested?
On to the Transport Canada stand where they have an MCC Smart Cabriolet on display and are promoting it's green credentials. They say they are testing the vehicle for use in Canada but it is up to the manufacturer to get it certified. This is where we came in.
I point out that people interested in economy tend to be people with limited funds and therefore unlikely to spring up to $30,000CDN for a new Toyota Prius or Honda Insight.

Long time no see

Blog production interrupted for about a year as I quit the day job and moved out of my house in Sussex (after the flood). I am currently holed up for the winter in Toronto, Canada.
I am surprised to see my blog still in existence - good old blogger - much water under the bridge in the last year of which more later. Looking forward to the TO motor show next week and will try to post some reaction. My MCC smart car purchased in UK last year is languishing back home as they are not ready for such an advanced concept in North America yet. Looking forward to taking it to Le Mans in the summer.
Meanwhile listening to my pal Tim Cody's fine album "god knows it's tim cody" - go here for a sample.