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Vespa 400
The Vespa 400 is a rear-engined microcar, produced by ACMA in Fourchambault, France, from 1957 until 1961 to the designs of the Italian Piaggio company. Three different versions were sold, the "Luxe" , "Tourisme" and "GT". Overview The car made its high-profile public debut on 26 September 1957 at a press presentation staged in Monaco. The ACMA directors ensured a good attendance from members of the press by also inviting three celebrity racing driversThe famous racing drivers in attendance were Juan Manuel Fangio, Jean Behra and the Monegasque Louis Chiron. to the Vespa 400 launch. The 400 was a two seater with room behind the seats to accommodate luggage or two small children on an optional cushion. The front seats were simple tubular metal frames with cloth upholstery on elastic "springs" and between the seats were the handbrake, starter and choke. The gear change was centrally floor mounted. The rear hinged doors were coated on the inside with only a thin plastic lining ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ACMA (Ateliers De Construction De Motocycles Et D'automobiles)
ACMA was founded on 25 November 1950 as Ateliers de construction de motocycles et accessoires in Fourchambault, near Dijon, France. It is remembered for the production of scooters and micro cars. Scooters Production started in February 1951 with 20 workers building 200 scooters. In April 1953, the th completed Vespa left the ACMA works. In 1954, production of the 150,000th Vespa was celebrated. It was also in 1954 that the company modified its name to Ateliers de construction de motocycles et d'automobiles. Micro cars At the Paris Salon in 1957 the Vespa 400 was presented and production started the same year in the ACMA factory. From 1957 until 1961 the company manufactured approximately micro cars under licence from Piaggio. The growth of the business involved an increase in employment, with the headcount peaking at approximately 2,800 in 1958. This had a major impact on the local economy, as the population of Fourchambault reached 6,242 in 1958, triggering the const ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vespa
Vespa () is an Italian luxury brand of scooter (motorcycle), scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy to a full line of scooters and one of seven companies today owned by Piaggio. From their inception, Vespa scooters have been known for their painted, pressed steel unibody which combines, in a unified structural unit, a complete cowling for the engine (enclosing the engine mechanism and concealing dirt or grease), a flat floorboard (providing foot protection), and a prominent front fairing (providing wind protection). History After World War II, in light of its agreement to cease war activities with the Allies, Italy had its aircraft industry severely restricted in both capability and capacity. Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera bomber plane plant demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy, and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rear-engined Vehicles
In automobile design, a rear-engine design layout places the engine at the rear of the vehicle. The center of gravity of the engine itself is behind the rear axle. This is not to be confused with the center of gravity of the whole vehicle, as an imbalance of such proportions would make it impossible to keep the front wheels on the ground. Rear-engined vehicles almost always have a rear-wheel drive car layout, but some are four wheel drive. This layout has the following features: *Packaging: since there is no need for a transmission tunnel, the floor can be flat. *Rear traction: having the engine located over the driven wheels increases downward pressure, which is helpful for grip on loose surfaces, although can be prone to oversteer. *Simplicity of manufacture: the engine is near the driven wheels, and the transmission can be merged with the differential to save space. This layout was once popular in small, inexpensive cars and light commercial vehicles. Today most car makers have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rear-wheel-drive Vehicles
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel drive vehicles feature a longitudinally-mounted engine at the front of the car. Layout The most common layout for a rear-wheel drive car is with the engine and transmission at the front of the car, mounted longitudinally. Other layouts of rear-wheel drive cars include front-mid engine, rear-mid engine, and rear-engine. Some manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Porsche (944, 924, 928) and Chevrolet (C5, C6, and C7 Corvettes), place the engine at the front of the car and the transmission at the rear of the car, in order to provide a more balanced weight distribution. This configuration is often referred to as a transaxle since the transmission and axle are one unit. History 1890s to 1960s Many of the cars built in the 19t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microcars
Microcar is a term often used for the smallest size of cars, with three or four wheels and often an engine smaller than . Specific types of microcars include bubble cars, cycle cars, invacar, quadricycles and voiturettes. Microcars are often covered by separate regulations to normal cars, having relaxed requirements for registration and licensing. Predecessors Voiturette is a term used by some small cars and tricycles manufactured from 1895 to 1910. Cyclecars are a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive car manufactured mainly between 1910 and the late 1920s. Europe 1940-1970: Microcars The first cars to be described as microcars (earlier equivalents were called voiturettes or cyclecars) were built in the United Kingdom and Germany following World War II, and remained popular until the 1960s. They were originally called minicars, but later became known as microcars. France also produced large numbers of similar tiny vehicles called voiturettes, but they were rare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
My Classic Car
''My Classic Car'' is a television show about classic car, classic automobiles, hosted by Dennis Gage. It was originally broadcast on The Nashville Network, TNN, and Speed (TV network), Speed Channel, followed by MAVTV, MAVtv and Velocity. As of 2019 the show airs on the Motor Trend (TV network), Motor Trend network. It was produced by MadStache, who also created ''Popular Hot Rodding Television'', ''Corbin’s Ride On'' and ''Texas Hardtails''. The host of the show, Dennis Gage, is known for his seemingly boundless enthusiasm, his trademark handlebar moustache and the catchphrase with which he ends every episode, "Honor the timeless classics." The series features major classic automobile shows and collections, usually in the United States but occasionally in other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom. Some episodes focus on celebrities and prolific car collectors such as talk show host Jay Leno. Every episode also features a segment now sponsored by Autogeek Gara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dennis Gage
''My Classic Car'' is a television show about classic automobiles, hosted by Dennis Gage. It was originally broadcast on TNN, and Speed Channel, followed by MAVtv and Velocity. As of 2019 the show airs on the Motor Trend network. It was produced by MadStache, who also created ''Popular Hot Rodding Television'', ''Corbin’s Ride On'' and '' Texas Hardtails''. The host of the show, Dennis Gage, is known for his seemingly boundless enthusiasm, his trademark handlebar moustache and the catchphrase with which he ends every episode, "Honor the timeless classics." The series features major classic automobile shows and collections, usually in the United States but occasionally in other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ... ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Motor (magazine)
''The Motor'' (later, just ''Motor'') was a British weekly car magazine ''Car'' is a British automotive enthusiast magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. International editions are published by Bauer Automotive in Republic of Korea (since March 2016), Brazil, China, Greece, India, Italy (through 201 ... founded on 28 January 1903 and published by Temple Press. It was initially launched as ''Motorcycling and Motoring'' in 1902 before the title was shortened. From the 14 March 1964 issue the magazine name was simply ''Motor''. Compared to rival ''The Autocar'' (later, just ''Autocar''), ''Motor'' was more informative and more conservative. The magazine usually included: * News and scoops of the latest cars * Motorsport news and results * Car reviews – normally two, both 2 pages long with specifications and impressions. * Road tests – one per week and very detailed In 1988, the journal was absorbed by its long-standing rival '' Autocar'', which became, f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Franc
The franc (, ; sign: F or Fr), also commonly distinguished as the (FF), was a currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money. It was reintroduced (in decimal form) in 1795. After two centuries of inflation, it was redenominated in 1960, with each (NF) being worth 100 old francs. The NF designation was continued for a few years before the currency returned to being simply the franc. Many French residents, though, continued to quote prices of especially expensive items in terms of the old franc (equivalent to the new centime), up to and even after the introduction of the euro (for coins and banknotes) in 2002. The French franc was a commonly held international reserve currency of reference in the 19th and 20th centuries. Between 1998 and 2002, the conversion of francs to euros was carried out at a rate of 6.55957 francs to 1 euro. History The French Franc tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vespa 400 Engine
Vespa () is an Italian luxury brand of scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy to a full line of scooters and one of seven companies today owned by Piaggio. From their inception, Vespa scooters have been known for their painted, pressed steel unibody which combines, in a unified structural unit, a complete cowling for the engine (enclosing the engine mechanism and concealing dirt or grease), a flat floorboard (providing foot protection), and a prominent front fairing (providing wind protection). History After World War II, in light of its agreement to cease war activities with the Allies, Italy had its aircraft industry severely restricted in both capability and capacity. Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera bomber plane plant demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy, and the disastrous state of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vespa 400 Dashboard
Vespa () is an Italian luxury brand of scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy to a full line of scooters and one of seven companies today owned by Piaggio. From their inception, Vespa scooters have been known for their painted, pressed steel unibody which combines, in a unified structural unit, a complete cowling for the engine (enclosing the engine mechanism and concealing dirt or grease), a flat floorboard (providing foot protection), and a prominent front fairing (providing wind protection). History After World War II, in light of its agreement to cease war activities with the Allies, Italy had its aircraft industry severely restricted in both capability and capacity. Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera bomber plane plant demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy, and the disastrous state of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
