Motorcycles are considered to be the most affordable form of motorized transport in the various parts of the world and even for most of the world’s population. It is also said that they are also the most common type of the motor vehicle. There are about 200 million motorcycles which include the mopeds, motor scooters and even the other powered two- and three-wheelers in worldwide or you can say that about 33 motorcycles per 1000 people.

The first motorcycle was built and designed by the German inventors named Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in the Bad Cannstatt since 1905 that too in a city district of Stuttgart in 1885. It is recorded that the first petroleum-powered vehicle was also essentially a motorized bicycle but the inventors called their invention the Reitwagen that means “riding car”. It was also designed as an expedient tested for their new engine rather than a true prototype vehicle. On the other hand, if a two-wheeled vehicle with steam propulsion is also considered as a motorcycle then the first one would have been American. In 1867 it was observed that one such machine was demonstrated at the fairs and circuses that too in the eastern U.S which was built by Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury location in Massachusetts.

In 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was the first motorcycle which was made available for purchase. In the early period of motorcycle history there were many producers of the bicycles adapted their designs to accommodate the new internal combustion engine. As the engines became more powerful and even the designs outgrew the bicycle origins so the number of motorcycle producers also increased.

Till the First World War the largest motorcycle which was manufacturer in the world was Indian and it produced over 20,000 bikes per year. By the year1920, this honor went to Harley-Davidson, with their motorcycles which were being sold by the dealers in 67 countries. It was recorded that by the late 1920s or even early 1930s, DKW took over as the world’s largest manufacturer.

It was seen that after the Second World War the BSA Group became one of the largest producer of motorcycles in the world and it produced up to 75,000 bikes per year in the late 1950s. The German company called NSU held the position of the largest manufacturer from 1955 till the 1970s.

In the 1950s the streamlining began to play an increasing part in the basic development of racing motorcycles and even the “dustbin fairing” which held out the possibility of the new radical changes to the motorcycle design. Even NSU and Moto-Guzzi were in the vanguard of this development and both were ready to produce very radical designs well ahead of their time. The NSU produced the most advanced design but even after the deaths of the four NSU riders in the 1954–1956 seasons they even abandoned further development and they even quit the Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Moto-Guzzi produced very advanced competitive race machines and by around 1957 nearly all the Grand Prix races were being won by only streamlined machines. In 1958 the full enclosure fairings were banned from racing by the FIM that too in the light of safety concerns.

From the 1960s till the 1990s a small two-stroke motorcycles were very popular worldwide and partly as a result of the East German Walter Kaaden’s engine of work in the 1950. Today the motorcycle industry is mainly dominated by only the Japanese companies such as Kawasaki, Honda Yamaha and Suzuki. Though Harley-Davidson and BMW continue to be popular and also supplied considerable markets. Other major manufacturers also included the Piaggio group of Italy, KTM, Triumph and even Ducati.

- Nikita Malhotra

7 years later, Wiegart conceptualized the W2. Like the Vector, this car was also immobile when it debuted at the auto show in 1978. He got the car running only in 1979. In its entire lifespan, it got 100,000 miles on its odometer – the most by any concept car. The W2 was extensively tested by Motor Trend and British automotive TV show Top Gear. The Vector was able to touch a speed of 230 mph. Thus, the company received a lot of positive response from the public as well as press in the 1980’s.

1991 began the era of the Vector Aeromotive Corporation. The first car that the company produced was the W8. Few know that the production of this car began from the money Wiegart earned from suing the Goodyear Tire Company for illegally using the Vector name on one of its products. The W8 was basically a W2 re-engineered. In early 1991, 2 prototype mules of this car were made and production of the car began only in late 1991. That year, the company sold a W8 to the famous tennis player Andre Agassi. Agassi’s insistence on its early delivery resulted in its hurried assembly and delivery to Agassi with a warning not to drive it around since it wasn’t complete since it was hand built. Because of the negative publicity generated by Agassi’s cars failure and ensuing refund to him by the Vector Automotive Corporation, only 21 units of the car were sold in all.

By 1993, Vector began work on the Avtech WX-3 and its racing counterpart the Avtech WX-3R. When the Avtech debuted in 1993, Vector was bought over by an Indonesian Company MegaTech. MegaTech offered Wiegart a retirement plan and a position as a designer. He refused and was thus fired from the company. During MegaTechs administration, two unsold W8’s were destroyed and its production was stopped and the WX-3 was cancelled.

Wiegert took back all the Vector assets, including the W8 prototypes, the WX-3s, and the M12 molds. An Ohio based company called American Aeromotive bought the remains of the MegaTech which had gone bankrupt years later. The idea behind this was to restart production under the Vector banner. Since then, Wiegart renamed the company several times – Avtech Motors, Vector Supercars and then Vector Motors – but neither he nor American Aeromotive produced cars. Though the SRV8 (Whose production began under the MegaTech banner) was completed by them, the public reaction was negative owing to its similarities with the M12 (another car whose production began under the MegaTech banner.) and Top Gear calling it the worst car ever made.

Vector Motors was created with the intention of finding America’s answer to Lamborghini and Ferrari but it ended with the shutting down of the company.

-Aditya Sunilkumar

The Fuldamobil is a series of small cars which first made an appearance in 1950 in Germany. These small cars are said to have inspired the term “bubble cars”. This car is also called the Nobel, the Attica, the Bambi and the Hans Vahaar. The number of cars produced was relatively low but they attracted enough attention to see licensed manufacturing on four continents.

The original brain behind the design of the Fuldamobil was Norbert Stevenson. He freelanced for the Rhein-Zeitung newspaper. He had also finished one term of the mechanical engineering degree at the Technischen Hochschule Berlin. He designed a simple concept. His design was of a vehicle with three wheels with enough room for two people inside it. It would have two wheels in the front for increased stability and it would be driven by an engine at the rear.

The original Fuldamobil vehicles had an aluminium body fixed onto a wooden frame. In later years as steel became more easily available, the later models featured a body made completely out of steel. The Fuldamobil engines single rear wheel was powered by a series of engines ranging from a 200cc up to a 360cc Sachs engine.

When initial financial support for his project failed, Norbert Stevenson took his concept of the small car to many different companies. Finally in the summer of 1949 it was accepted and bought by Karl Schmitt. Schmitt was a very wealthy engineering graduate who was interested in the concept of the compact, easy to build Fuldamobil small cars. He was a Bosch wholesaler in the small town of Fulda in Germany. He also ran another company called the Elektromaschinenbau Fulda. This small company handled the maintenance and repair of emergency power generators which were very widely used all over Germany after the war.

The Fuldamobil as it came to be known in later years was licensed for manufacture in countries all over the world like the United States of America, Chile, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Netherlands, Sweden, Greece and even India. It was known by different names in each of these countries. It was called The Nobel, the Bambi, the Bambino, the Fram King Fulda, the Attica, the Alta and the Hans Vahaar in the countries respectively.

In the Untied Kingdom the Nobel as it was known, was financed by Cyril Lord. The chassis was built by Harland and Wolf in Belfast. These were the manufacturers of the Titanic too. Unlike the original Fuldamobils, which used steel and aluminium, these Nobels had a fibreglass body. The use of this new building material was courtesy of the Bristol Aeroplane Company.

In South Africa, the car was built and sold under its original German name of the Fuldamobil. In Argentina, a variation of the Fuldamobil which was a pickup version called the Sporty was very popular. Another variation to the original design was called the Nobeletta and it was a beach vehicle designed on the same lines as the Fuldamobil. The Nobeletta was made and sold in Germany. From 1956, the Fuldamobil was also sold as a four wheel car.

The Fuldamobil was powered by a Sachs 191cc two stroke engine which drove the rear wheel and gave it a top speed of approximately 50-56mph with 60mpg. The Fuldamobils were produced for a few years from 1959 to 1961 and only 20-30 vehicles are known to have survived till date.

- Ayesha Sruti Ahmed

The Aston Martin DB5 was also famously called as the James Bond Car. It has it recognition as it was used by James Bond in Goldfinger (1964). Later the car featured in many James Bond movies like Golden Eye, Thunderball, The World Is Not Enough (but the scene was cut), Tomorrow Never Dies, and Casino Royale being the latest.

As all companies Aston Martin also produced variants in DB5 series. The first was DB5 Vantage which was introduced in 1964 and featured three Weber carburettors. The second was DB5 convertible which was offered from 1963-1965 and only 19 of these convertibles were left hand drive. Another variant that was custom produced by the factory for David Brown and a few others was named DB5 shooting brake estate car. This car had a design flaw in the station wagon which resulted in loss of control at times.

Now let us come to owning an Aston Martin DB5. Well there are used models of this car available on sale if you want to get one. Moreover for all James Bond lovers it is a dream to drive a DB5 of their own and also sports cars enthusiasts will love driving one, so the market of resale of the Aston Martin DB5 is quite running. But make sure you check your pocket before you leave the house to get one for yourselves. Though it is not as expensive as the other sports cars in the market, a normal used DB5 will cost you around anywhere from £175000-£200000.

The Aston Martin DB5 does not really require a high maintenance but as a sports car demands some care and attention. You also need to check the condition of the car as used earlier and maintain it accordingly. Make sure that you have studies the car well before buying it . Hope you get your James Bond ride soon or at least get one in your dreams today after going through this.

- Jinal Shah

Series 2 (1969-1971) had distinct features like open headlights without glass covers, a wrap-around rear bumper, larger front indicators and taillights below the bumpers etc. It also had factory options like air conditioning and power steering.

Series 3 (1971-1975) was a new 5.3L 12 cylinder Jaguar V12 engine with up rated brakes and standard power steering. This car was available only as convertible and 2+2 coupé. Distinct features of these cars were large cross-slatted front grille, flared wheel arches and a badge on the rear that proclaims it to be a V12.

Now let’s come to owning a Jaguar E-type, if you are planning to buy one, be sure about it because it’s not for the weak hearted. Comparing it to any other sports car today it requires much higher maintenance and care. But this does not imply that it can’t be taken care of; a well maintained E-type is a very sturdy and reliable car.

If you truly love classic lines and performance of the car, you will not be able to find a better hobby. This car is distinct. If you have the money to buy one in good condition ($20-$50K) you are in for a great ride.
Let us now come to the three things to be looked over if you are buying an E-type.

1. Rust: Other than the easy to see body rust, use a magnet wrapped in cloth and run it over the body to check it in the main areas.
2. Originality: You might be purchasing an E-Type that has been converted (Ford/Chevy engine transplant or a roadster converted from a coupe). So be sure about the originality.
3. Electrical & Mechanical Problems: Be very careful to check out all of the electrical items, for mechanical problems, focus on the brakes and power train. The best way to check is to drive it.

So if you thinking of buying an E-type, I hope you know what to look for. Enjoy your ride ahead.

- Jinal Shah

The car was the same like the others except looks, where Volvo was unique in. The gear was borrowed from the ‘Amazon’ sedans, a 1.8-litre overhead valve and 4-speed synchromesh gearbox. The overdrive turning rear wheels were connected to a coil-sprung rigid axle including Panhard-rod location. Front suspension was evenly regular: separate with uneven -length A-arms and coil springs. The power generated was just 100 mph. The later P1800’s had horsepower of 130-135 mph. The body design was by Frua, giving the car a distinct line and shape. With later models produced, the design kept changing with the final design being stylized C-panel script. The car could do 0-60 in 12-14 seconds and could outdo the other contenders like Jaguar, BMW etc. with a top speed of 105 mph.

The driving position in the Volvo P1800 was low but comfortable. The interiors were just relaxing seats, useful ventilation, a systematic dash with full instruments and a handy trunk. The Volvo P1800 had a crowded under-hood compartment that nevertheless was well-tuned and precise. There were two front seats but the back seat was like a small ledge to keep parcels.

The main reason for increasing sales of the P1800 was because the car comparatively cheap than the others. The car was just $4000 while BMW cost $10000. In such light, the car was called the “Poor man’s Ferrari” in its ads plus the car wasn’t only for sports but was a Grand-Tourer. It is also the car with the highest accrued mileage with 2.5 million mile run.

The car was featured in the 1960’s show “The Saint” which starred Roger Moore who drove around in P1800. It made the car an icon of 60’s but in the next series of the show, a Jaguar was used. The last production year was 1962 after which a new modified P1800 was sold, called the 1800S.

- Hiren Naresh

Porter designed the 35J in such a way that it achieved the demanded ‘lowness’ by rising the frame rails up at both ends to free the suspension, preceding the Type 30 Speedster. The 35J steadily became famous in the race world and finally it won the 1913 Grand Prix, driven by Eddie Pullen. The car was produced between the years 1910-1914 and only 1000 cars were produced, since the buyers were rich heirs. Only 17 of these cars are left today. The Mercer was such a powerful engine that it could run through dirt tracks and hill races, and still win. It had top speed of 70 mph, whereas 50 mph used to be considered as ‘flying’.

Specific output of the 35J was 11.47 bhp per litre, a thing to be surprised at. It weighed between 1016-1043 kg, as during production the cars kept being modified. The car certainly had power, ranging from 40-43 kw. The gear was 3 speed manual and the car ran 12 bhp per litre. The engine was a T-Head with 2 valve cylinder, which was based from the Beaver, another race car of the era. The engine was so deep in the chassis that it provided the low centre of gravity. The handling of the car was such that it made the Raceabout a sophisticated machine, giving big competition to other racecar drivers.

The 35J last winning race was in 1913 Grand Prix, after which it had many failures. Washington Roebling died in the Titanic in 1912 and Porter left the company then. Attempts were made to bring in replacements and make the Mercer more competitive than before but it failed. Competition became tougher as by 1914 came the Stutz Bearcat, which used a 4 valve cylinder instead of two. Mercer then reduced the production of race cars and produced civil cars for the public till 1925.

Recently, a restored example was offered for sale by Christies Motor Car for nearly $865,000.

- Hiren Naresh

1. 250 GT’s wet-sump version with a V12 version.
2. A stiffer short wheel base (SWB) chassis in 1959.

The production years were 1958 – 1963 with only 125 cars being produced in Modena, Italy. Reaching from 0-60 mph in nearly 6.5 seconds, it had a top speed of nearly 145 mph. The car had a 4-speed manual transmission with gear ratios from 2.54:1 to 1.00:1. The car had 250 bhp with a 2953 cc V12 engine. While specific output was 84.66 bhp per litre, the fuel feed contained three 40 DCL6 Weber Carburetors, so the car could hold a lot more fuel than its predecessor, 250 GT. The torque of the car was 275 Nm, which made it the perfect racecar. The design of the car was so popular that it was copied in Hollywood movies, such as, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, where Modena Design and Research replicated the design using a Mustang 5.0 engine and an MGB frame. Ferrari pursued Modena responsible for the continuous replications of the designs, not only by him but other companies as well. The car weighed just 1100 kg, lighter than the 250 GT who weighed 1310 kg, so that it could drive faster. The estimated mileage of the car is 400,000 km.

The California Spyder was used in the 1960’s Tour de France (TdF). Bob Grossman, amateur racecar driver won his SSCA class using the ‘Cal Spyder’ and Fernando Tavano finished fifth overall in Le Mans. The main reason for the car’s success was reliability, durability, and performance. The last California Spyder was built in 1963, after which it was succeeded by the 250 GT Berlinetta.

The car was recently auctioned in an auto sale and was bought by BBC presentator Chris Evans for nearly 5 million pounds.

- Hiren Naresh

The Charger was made in two special editions: 500 and Daytona, both receiving the high performance R/T badge (Road/Track). The engine included five V-8 cylinders with 425-horsepower 426-cid “Street Hemi”. Depending on the version, accessible transmissions were three- and four-speed manuals, bonus the excellent three-speed TorqueFlite automatic. Both cars proved to be good competition for Ford, as a war waged between Chrysler and Ford for NASCAR stock-car racing. Dodge Chargers won nearly 19 NASCAR races but Ford Torino and mercury Cyclones of FoMoCo (Ford Motor Company) won 30 races. The Charger 500’s were becoming a thing of the past soon, so Chrysler introduced the Daytona, a modified Charger 500. It brought down lift by setting up a flat tail stabilizer on towering upright extensions that ascended from the deck. But it was too late; the Ford blitz of winning races kept on.

The Dodge Charger was produced in the USA in 1969 and last car produced was in 1971. The car weighed just 1665 kg and was priced $4600-4850, depending on the design the customer wanted. The engine used V-8 cylinders with 426 cid displacement. The fuel system was 2 x 4 bbl and compression was 10.25:1. The horsepower was 425 per 5000 rpm and torque was 490 per 5000 rpm. The car went from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds and ran a quarter mile in 13.48 seconds at the speed of 109 mph. Only 500 Charger 500’s were made but 392 were bought for street use. The rest were gutted in races, re-painted or modified. Only 67 of them were 426 Hemi; 27 with 4-Speeds and rest 40 with Torqueflites. Wanna see the Charger 500’s on TV? Get the 1980’s “Dukes of Hazzard” and check out the car nicknamed General Lee. It was fully customized for the show with the American flag on the roof and ‘General Lee’ on the doors. Or else watch ‘ The Fast and The Furious’ where a 69′ Charger was re-modeled to look like 70’s one.

Buying a Dodge Charger is very tough, as there are very few originals in the world. From what I researched, Dodge Charger 500 range anywhere from $23200 – $37500.

- Hiren Naresh

The Fiat 500 came in 3 different types these were:

Fiat 500: It was produced from 1936 to 1948, it was the first model about which the whole description has been given.

Fiat 500B: It was produced from 1948 to 1949; it was introduced at the 1948 Geneva show. The engine was same as the previous one but it now had overhead valves. There was a new steering wheel and the brakes, suspension and electrical equipment were improved. There was only one exterior difference which was the new bonnet lock. Maximum speed was up to 95 kph (59 mph), fuel consumption was improved to 5 litres per 100 km.

Fiat 500C: It was produced from 1949 to 1955it was again introduced at the Geneva show in 1949 the ‘C’ version had an completely new body form with a separate extra wheel compartment at the rear. Automatic details were significantly modified and a new heating system was the first fitted as a paradigm by FIAT. Performance and fuel consumption were as the 500B.

ENGINE

• 4 cylinder, petrol, bore and stroke 52mm – 67mm

• Cubic capacity 570cc

• Brake horse power 13 (side valve engine)

• Brake horse power 16.5 (over head valve engine 500c)

• Firing order 1-3-4-2

• Valve clearance 500A inlet .004″

• exhaust .008″

• Valve clearance 500c inlet .004″

• exhaust .004″

• Contact breaker gap .018″ – .021″

CAPACITIES

• Engine and filter 4 pints

• Gearbox 11/2 pints

• Rear axle 11/2 pints

• Cooling system 8 pints

• Petrol tank 4.6 gallons

TYRES:

15″ – 4″ pressure 21lbs. Per sq. in.

HISTORY:

In 1934 Senator Agnelli the head of FIAT foresaw a small heap produced ‘peoples car’ which would be traded for 5,000 lire and will be able to carry two people comfortably alongwith 50Kg (110 lbs) of luggage.

29 years old Dante Giocosa who was an aeronaughtical engineer who joined Fiat in 1928 was given the chore to make this car. He had to cover the mechanical part of the car which included the engine, the transmission and the frame. Another Fiat’s worker who was the coachwork engineer had to design a body for the car. He also at the same time had to design two units which when bolted had to form a strong structure.

Fiat 500 was not only manufactured in Italy but in various other places, this was because of the export, import charges which were very high. Thus it was also made in the following countries:

1. France: It started on 15 April 1937 and continued till 1950. In all 52,507 cars were produced. In France the car was called Simca 500A. And the later models were called Simca 5 and Simca 6 for Fiat 500B and Fiat 500 C respectively.
2. Poland: Here it was known as Fiat Polski and it was produced from 1936 to 1939. Only the first model that is Fiat 500 was made.
3. India: In India only Fiat 500 C was produced and the license for the same was granted in 1950.
4. Germany: In Germany all the three versions Fiat 500 A, Fiat 500B, Fiat 500 C all were made. A total of 9064 cars were made.

- Harveen Narula