Weird car facts...

[oniznorb]

On adverts for Ford cars, the registration numbers always use only letters which have a vertical plane of symmetry.
This is also true of some other manufacturers.

I suppose it allows the to mirror the image for LHD adverts.

[oniznorb]

some VAG group cars have non-linear speedometers. The scale above 80mph is different to the scale below.

[busta]

oniznorb said:

some VAG group cars have non-linear speedometers. The scale above 80mph is different to the scale below.

As do lots of peugeots and fords

[The Nur]

oniznorb said:

On adverts for Ford cars, the registration numbers always use only letters which have a vertical plane of symmetry.
This is also true of some other manufacturers.

I suppose it allows the to mirror the image for LHD adverts.

This was true up until recently, pay attention to the newer adverts and you can see what I mean.

Not sure why they changes it, but they have.

[BigBen]

The Nur said:

oniznorb said:

On adverts for Ford cars, the registration numbers always use only letters which have a vertical plane of symmetry.
This is also true of some other manufacturers.

I suppose it allows the to mirror the image for LHD adverts.

This was true up until recently, pay attention to the newer adverts and you can see what I mean.

Not sure why they changes it, but they have.

Yep always used to be YOO 888 type regs but now they seem to use FMC. I guess it is easier to digitally modify the adverts and sort that kind of thing out.

[tali1]

EDLT said:

tali1 said:

In 1981 , 500,000 ( yes - Five hundred thousand) Diesel cars were sold in USA

Thats quite a lot when you look at the price of petrol back then (and what passed as a good diesel engine).

There's more....
Also in the 1980s - 73% of Mercedes sold in USA were Diesel

[vladcjelli]

My first car, an Austin Maxi, had seats which folded flat all the way from front to back to create a double bed sized sleeping area. Even had a little hinged bracket under the rear seat cushions to raise them up to meet the rear seat backs.

Do many/any modern cars double up as such an effective sleeper?

[JonnyFive]

vladcjelli said:

My first car, an Austin Maxi, had seats which folded flat all the way from front to back to create a double bed sized sleeping area. Even had a little hinged bracket under the rear seat cushions to raise them up to meet the rear seat backs.

Do many/any modern cars double up as such an effective sleeper?

Mazda5.. Not brilliant though.

You put the passenger seat right forwards, and the back of it as low down as it will go.. Then the passenger rear seat tilts slightly and the back lays quite flat, so you kind of sit in the rear seat but your legs go straight down the back of the front seat..

Relatively comfy for the 2 minutes I tried it

[Negative Creep]

mat205125 said:

Podie said:

kamilb1998 said:

Didn't the Jaguar XJ220 share the rear lights with a Rover 200, and have the engine from a rally Metro?

To say the Metro 6R4 engine was used i nthe Jag is somewhat tenuous - they were very different applications.

^ This.

On that note, isn't it true the only components the 6R4 shared with the road car were the lights and windscreen?

[calibrax]

The Rover 620ti is a Q-car.... a 200bhp saloon which looks like a bog standard Rover 600.

[Mr Will]

vladcjelli said:

My first car, an Austin Maxi, had seats which folded flat all the way from front to back to create a double bed sized sleeping area. Even had a little hinged bracket under the rear seat cushions to raise them up to meet the rear seat backs.

Do many/any modern cars double up as such an effective sleeper?

Lots will do the same trick once you take the headrests off, I've done it in a VW Passat, Ford Mondeo and Citroen Xantia before now and I'm sure even completely up to date stuff hasn't forgotten it.

Great though, isn't it!

[60]

oniznorb said:

some VAG group cars have non-linear speedometers. The scale above 80mph is different to the scale below.

And mine starts at 10mph, no 0mph on it.

[chris333]

The automatic gearbox in the R129-series Mercedes SL has two reverse gears.

[va1o]

60 said:

oniznorb said:

some VAG group cars have non-linear speedometers. The scale above 80mph is different to the scale below.

And mine starts at 10mph, no 0mph on it.

That sounds like a Ford, I've never seen a VW-Group car that starts at 10mph

[BigBen]

chris333 said:

The automatic gearbox in the R129-series Mercedes SL has two reverse gears.

Likewise in the W140 series S-Class. I don't think it will change between them like it will the forward gears, it is a one or the other selection depending on the setting on the S / W switch on the shifter. Then again I have not proved this by experiment, will try tomorrow and report back.......

[chris333]

BigBen said:

Likewise in the W140 series S-Class. I don't think it will change between them like it will the forward gears, it is a one or the other selection depending on the setting on the S / W switch on the shifter. Then again I have not proved this by experiment, will try tomorrow and report back.......

sounds great....pop the results on youtube please

[BigBen]

chris333 said:

BigBen said:

Likewise in the W140 series S-Class. I don't think it will change between them like it will the forward gears, it is a one or the other selection depending on the setting on the S / W switch on the shifter. Then again I have not proved this by experiment, will try tomorrow and report back.......

sounds great....pop the results on youtube please

It looks like it will be sunny this week so wont drive the S class until the weekend, will report back then

[blueg33]

oniznorb said:

some VAG group cars have non-linear speedometers. The scale above 80mph is different to the scale below.

I had a 2.0 A4 courtesey car the other day with a non linera speedo that read up to 180mph and only used 2/3 of the dial so I think it was 120mph at the 12 oclock position

[tali1]

Mercedes-Benz CL 55 AMG F1 Limited Edition is the world's first car equipped with ceramic brakes
The current Merc E class estate has the biggest boot in its class - but it is not bigger than the 1996 S210 e class estate
At the time in 1977 the Merc 300D was most powerful diesel sold in UK - with 87 bhp
The C230 Kompressor was Merc's first supercharged car in 50 years

[60]

va1o said:

That sounds like a Ford, I've never seen a VW-Group car that starts at 10mph

I'll check but I'm pretty sure its a vw corrado :lol: