October 2007 - Auto Loud

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Auto Loud - October 2007

Stockholm Cockroaches

October 25th 2007 12:48

Depending on either your point of view or the model, the owning of a Volvo is either a seriously cool or uncool situation to be in. Uncool section first: The Volvo 260 series, take a 240 body add a booby trapped Alloy V6 courtesy of Peugeot/ Renault, the 260's party trick was to self-combust! The fuel rail used to drip into the valley of the V6 which stored several litres of fuel, temperatures build and WOOF! Happened to an acquaintance of mine on the Sydney Harbour Bridge late on a rainy Friday night after office drinks, He survived, the car didnt!

The V90, enough said its an SUV!

Cool Volvos? The PV544, so period, so simple. The Amazon or 120 series. Styling inspired by Chrysler, a big husky weapon with twin carbs as a rally car and also saw the birth of Volvo wagons. The sexy P1800; made famous by Roger Moore's Saint TV programme, was an accidental star. The producers originally wanted a Jaguar E-Type until Jagwah said NO! Volvo were of course only too happy to assist. Roger liked the car so much, he actually bought one himself! Anything with a T-5 badge, Fast and cool! The ultimate cool Volvo? It has to be the 140/240 series. The Wagon beloved by antique dealers, Interior decorators and soccer Moms the world over, appears in just about every American TV show. Also made the transition from upper class family hauler to surfer / hippie wagon with ease. Who can forget the mid 80's mental 242 Turbo race car, that car terrified Holden Commodores, BMW 635 and Ford Sierra turbo on the racetrack. The American NHTSA ( National Highway Traffic and Safety administration) published figures that said that no-one had ever died in an accident whilst at the wheel of a Volvo 240, barring strokes and heart attacks of course!I However they didnt say how many people died as a result of being in an accident with one! I have a theory that if a nuclear crazed despot does ever push a button, the only things left will be cockroaches and Volvo 240's and their drivers! So buy up now, save your family, go on, you know you want to!

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Dr Who ??

October 17th 2007 01:06

I should probably start by qualifying the fact that I am not from the long dead planet Galafrey, and my mode of transport is not an old blue Police box. So when you take these facts into into consideration the concept of time travel, for me at least, should therefore seem impossible.

Unless, that is, you have been driving a Toyota Avalon with Elvis Costello playing on the cassette. Thats right, a 2005 model horseless carriage with a tape player!

A form of time travel is permissable, for instance, every time I hear a SLADE song, I am instantly 11 years old again, whisked back to my very own "Life on Mars" its 1974 all over again. A time of matching Paisley shirts and ties, blokes had sideburns down to their chins and everybody had a transistor radio, Luxury!

Towed along by Mother, the weekly trip to town, would uncover the latest releases in ye old local Record bar ( Boots the chemist was mine). Rows of eight tracks lined up for a trip in the Mark 3 Cortina. The arrival of the brilliantly named Compact cassette, (obviously a marketing genius thought that up! ) heralded the arrival of tape recorders the size of shoeboxes, which when place directly under the telly to record, allowed one the ability to Karaoke along in the privacy of your own room, but I digress.

Back to the Toyota Tardis, sorry! Avalon, foisted on an uncaring Australian public, it was an old car on release having emigrated from the good old USA. Designed to cater to Moms and Dads in the Midwest, it found a more genteel and retired clientele in OZ. Always driven at 20kmh under the speed limit, the " Pensioner GT" is perfect for the Sunday drive to the bowling club parking lot in the sky.

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An Elephant in Nikes!

October 12th 2007 00:10

The Australian International Motor show is upon us again. The disturbing trend that I have observed is the rush for manufacturers worldwide to build a "performance SUV" It may sound silly to ask but why?

Take the new Ford, sorry FPV F6X. Translated to go-faster Territory. Do we really need a 270kw All wheel drive behemoth that does nought to 100kmh in under 6 seconds? I suppose its handy for the rush to that elusive carpark at the shops. Ford is not alone in catching this disease, Porsche, BMW, Volkswagen and Land-Rover have all come done with the same afflication. Mind you with the amount of standard fitments these things have and the alarming kerb weight attached, they need big horsepower just to get them rolling.

What ever happened to those simple 4x4's? The Series one and two Land Rover, FJ40 Cruiser and what of the the original Range Rover? Vinyl everywhere and skinny tyres, the only woodgrain in these old stagers was the plywood on the load area that was used to hide the rust and dents left by the last keeper!

I still lust after a Series one Landy with Zebra stripes and the spare on the bonnet, like the one that was in an old TV show called Daktari. Do I need help?

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Will Jaguar become a sacred cow?

October 7th 2007 11:59

Jaguar is a proud brand with a long history, the name alone evokes both good and bad emotions to anyone associsted with the marque. So the the news that TATA are considering purchasing this automotive jewel in Uncle Henry's fire sale can only be a worry to us all.

Sir William Lyons gave us vehicles of exquisite beauty and even now, some forty- fifty years after they first exploded on the scene a D-type or even an E-Type will still cause men of a certain age to remain seated for a moment or three after considering them

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Là elle est

October 3rd 2007 12:57

Regardless of where on this planet you live, If, like me, you have to commute to the daily grind by car, the battlefield that is the mornings drive worsens with every passing day. The roads are becoming more clogged; the level of of driver skill displayed on some days makes you either question their lineage or their state of awakeness.

The endless procession of bland mechanised boxes that surround you, are pumped out by automotive sausages factories the world over; regardless of whether they are Salami, Bratwurst or Pork flavoured, it is sad to say that they do little to raise the level of inspiration

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Hello, Good evening and Welcome!

October 2nd 2007 12:46

Auto Loud is about cars. But in saying that, it is more about how we relate to them, how we use them, how they make us feel. Do cars and all things automotive excite you or do they just annoy the hell out of you? Where have they been? Where are they going? Do we really need V8 and V12 powered cars? Are Hybrids really as green as they say? If this is the sort of stuff you like to talk about then you will find it here on Auto Loud. So, Hang on, its the beginning of a bumpy ride!

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