Marque1

HOW MANY CYLINDERS DOES YOUR ENGINE NEED? SURPRISE! THREE MAY BE ENOUGH

Now that BMW has announced its intent to market the next 1-Series with a three-cylinder engine the skeptics may start to believe. North America has always been the land of bigger is better and the more cylinders it has the more we love it, so cars with just three cylinders have always bordered on being a joke. But engine technology has raced at full speed in the last few years to develop six-cylinder mills that produce the power of an eight and four-cylinder engines that perform like a six... and soon you'll be driving turbocharged three-cylinder cars that combine sporting performance with remarkable fuel economy.

BMW is just the latest manufacturer to join the three-cylinder club. Ford is offering their new 1.0 Ecoboost unit in the European Focus from 2012. This new engine features several innovations, including the use of an unbalanced flywheel to remove the need to use balancer shafts. The Volkswagen Group is featuring three-cylinder engines in the Audi A2, VW up!, and versions of the Polo, Seat Ibiza, and Skoda Fabia. Peugeot and Citroën are using a common inline-three-cylinder engine. But here in the land of bigness the only car currently available with a three-cylinder is the Smart.

The three-cylinder engine has a lengthy history that includes such once-successful makes as Saab and DKW. Indeed the first Saabs sold in the US and Canada featured a three-cylinder two-stroke engine. By 1966 the Saab 96 (above) came with 46 bhp, an unimpressive number until you remember that Saabs were lightweights with slippery aerodynamics. With the additional advantage of front-wheel-drive Saabs were quick enough to win the Monte Carlo Rallye, a mark of superiority in those years.

Germany's DKW, one of the historic Auto-Union marques, also featured two-stroke three-cylinder engines. The largest of these was just under 1.2 litres capacity but it had an output of 60 bhp. Among its last and much desired cars was the 1000 SP Roadster and Coupe, which owed much of their styling influences to the Ford Thunderbird.

More recently, GM marketed the Chevy Sprint/Geo Metro/Pontiac Firefly, three-cylinder badge-engineered versions of the four-cylinder Suzuki Swift, intended to provide Chevrolet and Pontiac dealers with a low-cost alternative to Japanese competitors. GM's advertising generally ignored the number of cylinders, while emphasising fuel economy. With the standard 5-speed transmission, performance was adequate for city and most highway driving but the optional automatic came only with three-speeds, quite a stretch for an engine of that size.

Back in the 90s I happened to be in Phoenix, directing a sales video that I'd written for GM Canada. At the conclusion of the shoot I decided to rent a car and spend a couple of days further north, in the Sonoma area. Always a small car enthusiast, I was quite willing to take the least expensive vehicle offered by the rental car company, which turned out to be a Metro 4-door sedan with the three-cylinder Suzuki-designed engine and GM's 3-speed auto. I expected it to perform like a slug but in fact it handled the mountain ascents with ease and thanks to nimble handling could leave other vehicles in its tiny wake. Okay, with a full complement of passengers and a trunk full of luggage that would not have been the case but as a single traveler I was impressed.

In this fast-changing auto world three-cylinder engines will no longer be an oddity in the US and Canada, although older generations of drivers, brought up on multi-cylinders, will no doubt grumble and complain and make derogative remarks, as they once did when a car with "just" four cylinders made them eat toast on a winding road.

History probably records many more cars with three-cylinder engines than those mentioned above. If you know of any, feel welcome to add to our Marque1's visitor's knowledge by using the "Comments" box below

COMING: A CONCOURS FIT FOR A QUEEN

Of all the great concours d'elegance held around the world it would be difficult to imagine one more prestigious than the inaugural Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance, which will take place within the inner courtyard inside the walls of Windsor Castle from September 7-9, 2012. Imagine being invited to show your car in the Queen's front lawns! Imagine being there as a spectator! Just imagine.

Securing an invitation would be difficult, indeed, but being there is not impossible, for the Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance will be open to the public on Sunday, September 9, 2012. It is being organised with full permission of Her Majesty The Queen.

Note that the event is being advertised as a Concours of Elegance, not a Concours d'Elegance. I suppose that for an event being organised to celebrate the Queen of England's Golden Jubilee, the French spelling would hardly be appropriate.

At this time we have no idea which cars will be invited but the organisers say it is "a significant new event celebrating the style and glamour of historical automobiles, the like of which this country has never seen. The event will also be a fitting testimonial to the craftsmanship of the UK classic car restoration industry of which the UK is a leading player." Creative Director Jeremy Jackson Sytner at Thorough Events also commented, "taking place in this highly prestigious location, the event is being established as a major charity fund-raising initiative."

If you wonder why the Queen might support an automotive event it's worth remembering that, in spite of being chauffered around in a State Bentley, she is an accomplished driver who put her driving and repair skills to good use as a young Princess during WW2. When Her Majesty is visiting the family estate at Sandringham she can sometimes be found at the wheel of a Rover or other car and if there's a mechanical breakdown can explain the problem quite precisely to the service crew. Yes, the Queen is a car lady.

BEST REASON TO VISIT PALM SPRINGS: 2012 DESERT CONCOURS

It's early February of 2012 and there are a number of places I'd rather be than here in Sidney, BC. And that's because I love sunshine, warm temperatures, and beautiful scenery, especially when they're all in the same location. Add great classic cars to the list and one place leaps to the top. Palm Springs, California, home of the Rancho Mirage Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance.

Not long ago this was a two-day event. Now it encompasses ten days of excitement, beginning with the Desert Classic Vintage and Historic races, Friday through Sunday, Feb 17-19, at the Chuckawalla Valley Raceway in nearby Indio, California. Okay, it's not exactly ten days non-stop, for there is a break after the races until Friday, the 24th, when the Tour Classique begins. And that, to me, is a good thing as it allows visitors time to enjoy everything that Palm Springs offers. I'd recommend an early morning side trip to the Salton Sea area to participate in a hot air balloon ride, surely one of life's more inspirational experiences.

The Tour Classique on Saturday is where owners of selected concours cars have an opportunity to drive their vintage automobiles over interesting desert roads in the Coachella Valley, and where the public has a chance to see (and hear) them driven. As well, the event now includes a classic car auction, offering visitors a chance to buy their own piece of history. The Desert Classic Auction takes place on Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa, with previews on Friday, the 24th.

Of course the highlight is Sunday's Concours d'Elegance, featuring more than 250 exceptional classics from Europe and America. Many of these rarely seen cars are from private collections and museums, and they'll be competing for coveted "best of show" and class awards. A "celebration of the motorsports lifestyle," the concours includes fine food and wine, up-scale vendors, music, and displays of other collectible items such as such as jewelry, watches and art. As a bonus, car club members are invited to display their vehicles in the Car Club Corral, located adjacent to the concours area.

One thing I do find peculiar about the Desert Classic is the change of location, the third in its brief history. Initially held on the golf course at the city of Palm Springs, it moved to the La Quinta Resort and Club in 2010 and returned in 2011. Now the Desert Classic heads for the Rancho Mirage Country Club in Palm Desert. Not that the venue is any less attractive with its spectacular mountain views, but it does suggest that the organisers have had trouble finding a permanent home. Let's hope this one is in it for the long run.

[Photo of Cadillac Fleetwood at 2011 Concours: Gerry Maceda]

TOUR OF A LIFETIME FOR ITALIAN CAR ENTHUSIASTS

If you admire Italian sports cars (and who doesn't?) here's one event you won't want to miss. It's the annual Car Guy Tour, which kicks off on the beautiful shores of Lake Como and runs for ten days, beginning May 6th and ending May 16th, 2012. Organised each year by Frank Mandarano and sponsored by Keith Martin's Sports Car Graphic, the Car Guy Tour visits the great styling centers, including Italdesign, Pininfarina, Zagato and Bertone. It will also visit world-class restoration shops and major collections.

As if that were not enough, the Tour will take you to legendary companies such as Maserati, the Maserati Collection, Lamborghini, Borrani, Pagani, Schedoni and the Alfa Romeo Collection. Is Ferrari included? You bet it is. Participants will spend one complete day in Maranello visiting all that is Ferrari: including the Ferrari Galleria, the first official Ferrari Store, a Ferrari F1 warm up, with time for shopping and lunch at the famous Cavallino Ristorante.

According to the Car Guy Tour's car guys "May is one of the most beautiful months to be in Italy; the sidewalk cafes are bustling, the flowers are in full bloom, and the number of tourists are at a lower level." Having been there in May, for an entire month, I couldn't agree more. I would also go along with the suggestion that you come early and enjoy Lake Como. Take the fast boat to Bellagio for lunch or the slow boat for a leisurely tour of the lake, getting off to explore the little villages and coffee bars. And keep an eye for those gorgeous wood-hulled Riva speedboats, the Ferraris of the boating world.

The Tour will officially end in Modena, the "automotive and gastronomic capital of the world." But you might want to allow yourself a little more time and take in the Historic Monaco Grand Prix on the weekend of May 12th and 13th. This will be the perfect time to experience beautiful Monte Carlo and the period European racing cars on the circuit and at speed.

The price may seem a little steep if you don't have deep pockets but to be honest I think it's quite reasonable considering all that's included. Tickets for a person traveling alone are $6,000; for a double they're $8,200 ($4,100 per person). Air fare is extra but if you act now you should be able to find a discount. In fact, if the Car Guy Tour appeals, I'd suggest signing on soon, for seats are limited. More information is available from the Car Guy Tour Website, by e-mailing to frank@carguytour.com, or by calling Frank Mandarano direct at (206) 310-8380.

FOUND! HISTORIC PHOTOS OF TOWER BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Every major city with a river running through it has one or more bridges to help facilitate the movement of people, traffic, and trade. When properly constructed they can last for centuries. Many are of historic interest, some are elegant works of art. In San Francisco the Golden Gate Bridge is a national landmark that inspires songs, movies, and countless tourists. New York's Brooklyn Bridge is a visual icon that played a major role in the growth of that great city. The medieval bridges of Florence are famed for being constructed with built-in apartments and shops.

London, England, has numerous bridges spanning the Thames river, some of which enjoy world fame. Because the Thames is relatively narrow the spans are more functional than spectacular, with one exception, the Tower Bridge, so named because of its proximity to the Tower of London. But unlike those that follow, the Tower Bridge was built with a "bascule," a center section that can be raised and lowered to permit ships and tall-masted boats to proceed upstream.

When the foundation was laid some 125 years ago, the Tower Bridge was a technological marvel. Nothing like it had been made before nor nothing since. The structure was such a landmark feat of engineering it was nicknamed The Wonder Bridge. Yet visual recordings of its construction seem to have disappeared. Until now: An article in the Daily Mail has unveiled the story behind the finding of a rare pictorial history, something we classic car fans can equate with the "barn finds" of our world.

A stash of hundred-year-old prints were found in a "skip" (English terminology for what we North Americans call a "dumpster"), revealing in incredible detail the ingenuity behind one of London's most popular tourist destinations. According to the Daily Mail, the discarded pictures, which were retrieved by a caretaker who was looking after a building being turned into flats in 2006, have spent the last five years in a carrier bag underneath his bed. He said: "I took the ledgers to the Tower Bridge Museum because I thought they might have some historical value."

In November 2011, the owner of the photos mentioned them to his neighbor, City of Westminster tour guide Peter Berthoud. And that's when the significance of the find fully emerged. Peter says "people are always surprised when I tell them that the Tower Bridge is a steel bridge, as the stone cladding is so recognisable". Scenes include turn-of-the-century laborers taking orders from a site foreman in a bowler hat and a shot of the bridge's original steam-powered engine room, which could open the bridge in less than a minute.

Perusing this story, handed on by Marque1's chief (and so far only) correspondent Nigel Matthews, reminds me that whatever bridge we cross, whether it be over a tiny stream or a vast canyon, is the result of someone's architecture, engineering, and art. And therefore deserving of our admiration.

[Photo Credits: Barcroft Media]

IN PRAISE OF THE STRAIGHT-8 ENGINE

Let's kick off the new year with a few kind words on behalf of the 8-cylinder inline engine, shall we? During the 1930s and into the 40s it was the one to have if you couldn't afford a V-12 or an even more costly V-16. Indeed some straight-8's produced enough power to drive that era's muscle cars; fast sedans, coupes and convertibles that were middle-class-affordable. All were respected for their smoothness and straightforward design.

No doubt some of our viewers will disagree with such praise, especially fans of Henry Ford's V-8, the old lion having gone directly from four to eight because he disliked sixes. Others may feel the straight-8 is a dinosaur that barely merits a mention in any discussion. I think it's one of the most aesthetic, smoothest-running engines ever devised and I may not be alone in that opinion. A few years ago Ford presented a concept car at the Detroit show that featured an inline-8 mounted east-west and working a front-wheel-drive transmission. It was, of course, a dummy engine that never would have been produced, but at least showed there were some in Ford who longed to bring back the straight-eight.

Consider, for example, the Buick Century of 1936 to 1942. In theory the first models could achieve 100 mph, that being the reason for the model name, though the actual top speed at GM's proving grounds was 95.6. (In those years, remember, 100 mph was a magic number, when kids would peek at a speedometer and if "100" was imprinted on the instrument, would actually believe the car could go that fast.) Each year the Century's power was increased until in 1942 it was delivering 165 bhp, more than enough to top the "century" mark.

Buick had a serious competitor from Hudson, dubbed the Essex-Terraplane Eight. When the 1933 model was introduced it had morphed from a six, a refinement of Hudson's straight-8 and a serious competitor for Ford's V-8. With 94 bhp and a relatively light weight it could beat the Ford V-8 to 60 mph by 2.4 seconds. Top speed was 83.0 mph vs. the V-8 Ford's 81.8 mph. Graham (another marque gone to the history bins) had a Special Eight available in 1934 with a supercharger. In 1935 Cannonball Baker piloted a supercharged Custom Eight from coast-to-coast in four days and 5.5 hours. No Interstates in those days, friends; his record remained unbroken for 41 years.

Most marques from GM and Chrysler used straight-8's before and immediately after WW2, as did Studebaker and Nash. It's important to note, however, that only upmarket models featured an overhead valve design, the Buick Century being a good example. At the luxury end of the market straight 8's with twin-overhead-cams were used to provide maximum performance. Among the finest were those from Duesenberg, Bugatti (photo at top), Isotta-Fraschini, Auburn, Stutz, and Alfa Romeo. Mercedes-Benz would create the last notable straight-8 racing cars in 1955, with the championship-winning W196 Formula One racing car and the 300SLR sports racer.

Eventually auto manufacturers preferred the compact, sturdier layout of a V-8, where ample power could be produced without expensive overhead-cams, although today multi-valve twin-cams are standard in everyday fours and sixes, plus a diminishing number of V-8's, which shows just how far technology has advanced. Nevertheless the straight-8 will always be appreciated for its simplicity, smoothness, and rather elegant appearance.

You can read more about the straight-8 and its history in this Wikipedia article.

THE MULLIN MUSEUM, AN HOMAGE TO ART DECO AND FRENCH CAR DESIGN

An article in the New York Times Wheels newsletter drew my attention to the magnificent Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. The Times article explains that "Rétromobile, the annual collector car show held in Paris in early February, this year will feature 10 significant French cars from the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, Calif., many of them having not been exhibited in France since they were new." That comment prompted me to view the Museum's Web site for a better look. Now I'm declaring that some day I must visit live and in person. And it's not just about the cars.

Mr. Mullin is a fan of art deco design and the machine age – eras that produced exquisite art and magnificent automobiles. The building was previously owned by newspaperman Otis Chandler who once housed a  collection of vintage automobiles and motorcycles in what is now the revamped museum structure.  After Mr. Chandler’s death in 2006, Mr. Mullin acquired the property, then called “The Vintage,” and began an extensive remodeling. The structure includes a solar photovoltaic roof system to capture energy and a planted "green" roof, making the building less dependent on traditional sources of power.

Peter Mullin also loves the curvaceous lines of classic French cars from the 1930s and has collected rare examples of the finest, from Bugatti to Voisin to Delahaye, as well as significant  and representative decorative art from this same period. The museum includes no less than 30 Bugattis, including several from the once-secretive Schlumpf collection in France.

The interior of the Mullin Museum is alone worthy of a visit. It's a two-story structure, and when the main floor exhibit is viewed from the balconies above it resembles a period Paris Auto Show, complete with car manufacturer's signage. All the furnishings are designed in art deco style, as is the architectural detailing and what appears in the photo to be an elegant bar. If I'm wrong about the latter it's only because I've yet to see it in person, but the Mullin Museum has now soared to the top of my list of great car places that I absolutely must visit.

[Photos: Mullin Automotive Museum]

THE CAR COLLECTING HOBBY, BIGGER THAN YOU THOUGHT

The next time someone wags an accusing finger at you and suggests that enthusiasm for old cars is merely a niche hobby, try firing back with some convincing new figures from the Vintage Racing League. For example, VRL tells us there are an estimated 10 million people who own vintage, historic, classic and antique cars. That alone is quite remarkable. So is the way those numbers are spread around the globe:

* 4 million in the Americas
* 5 million in the UK & Europe
* 1 million in the rest of the world

Ever wonder how many car clubs exist worldwide? A few thousand, maybe? How about an estimated 100,000? The number of cars owned by the members must be staggering and should awaken any automotive marketer to the possibilities of reaching this vast group of enthusiasts. According to the VRL there are an estimated 100,000 merchants who sell the collector car community $50+ billion in products and services annually. That makes said community an economic force to be reckoned with.

Yet these numbers are, in one sense, misleading. That's because for every vintage car owner there are countless folk who don't own, and may never own, an automobile old enough to qualify and who probably can't afford the cost of buying and maintenance. Count me among them. Much as I love old cars and write passionately about automotive history I do not possess a collector car and even if I did, keeping it running is beyond my means. (I'm not a Mr. Fixit: my reaction when something goes wrong is "call the guy.")

Nevertheless I love the hobby and participate by collecting automotive fine art prints, models, books and other literature, and by attending concours and vintage races. I'm one of multi-millions around the world who support a category known as "automobilia." Some belong to car clubs, many don't, which makes it impossible to attach a number and to be honest, the word itself is meaningless to non-enthusiasts. Tell someone you collect automobilia and they haven't a clue what you're talking about. We need a new way of expressing that segment of the vintage car hobby. Any suggestions?

I'm uncertain about where the VRL got those numbers but even if they're not quite accurate it should be obvious that car collecting and its associated interests, such as concours d'elegance, vintage racing, and automobilia, is far more than a niche. It's huge, bigger by far than most collecting hobbies. So next time you're accused of dallying in a small-time affair, show them the numbers. You may not turn the accuser into an enthusiast but at least you'll get some well-earned respect.

[Photo: Philip Powell]

AN EARLY MORNING WAKE-UP, RACING DOWN THE HUDSON

The dawn was just peeking through when I awoke in my reserved sleeping compartment on board a New York Central train journeying from Toronto to Manhattan. After a quick clean-up I took a seat in the dining car, one that gave me a view of the beautiful Hudson River Valley. The railway tracks were following the river as rails often did in an era when the best route wasn't the shortest.

As the river twisted and turned through shallow canyons and occasionally broke into broader pastures, we were treated to a passing panorama, one that changed to a golden hue as the sun began its climb. With well-mannered, properly dressed waiters serving a tasty breakfast, it became a trip to remember. Indeed, although I've been on dozens of great train rides before and since, this is one that remains in my memory.

Sadly, there are no more overnight trains between the two cities. But why, you might ask, would one want to spend all night on a railway train when the flight time is less than two hours? Assuming you've got an early business appointment it's much nicer to have enjoyed a casual start free of traffic, security checks, and racing to/from the airport. When you arrive you're already in downtown Manhattan, well-fed and mentally stimulated by the river scenery.

Oh, you can still ride an Amtrak train but the journey, which meanders through the Finger Lakes region and Albany, is more like a travel video. It takes almost 12 hours. Best for railfans and tourists.

This blog is not another plea for high speed rail, although I'm very much in favor. Instead it's to draw your attention to a railway DVD from Sunday River Productions that takes you back to a time when magnificent steam engines raced through the Hudson Valley. It doesn't cover the Toronto-New York trains but no matter, they shared a portion of the beautiful Valley route. In the words of the producers:

"It celebrates one of the best-known steam locomotives in history: the high-speed, high-stepping thoroughbred passenger engine, the New York Central Hudson. The first 4-6-4 engine ever developed, they delivered the speed which powered the crack streamliners over the 'water level route' from New York to Chicago. These beauties are seen racing along the shore of the Hudson River, and elsewhere around the system. The great luxury trains of the Central are all here: the  Limited, the Commodore Vanderbilt, the Pacemaker, the Empire State Express, and a dozen others."

So if you enjoy classic trains and maybe yearn to go back to those romantic years of travel, here's your chance to travel the Hudson valley behind an engine that took its name from the river. For a mere $29.95, an inexpensive way to ride the rails. Bring your own breakfast.

CAR GUY FINALLY GETS HIS OCEAN LINER

If you're reading this blog on the day it was published (Dec 14, 2011) and wanted to get in touch with me, you'd have to send a message to an ocean liner. I'm enjoying my very first cruise, from Los Angeles to Encenada and Los Cabos, Mexico and return, on board that beautiful ship shown above, the Sapphire Princess. What's significant is that I waited so long for it to happen.

Back when I was a mere 10-year-old, Kelloggs would print reproductions of ocean liners on the back of corn flakes packages. They were meant to be cut (along the dotted line), folded, and attached using tabs. The result was a 3-dimensional cardboard model of a Normandie, Queen Mary, Bremen, or other famous liners. Also on the box was a brief but colorful description of the featured ship. As a kid whose family had associations with the sea (my uncle Phil was a Canadian naval officer, my grandfather was an artist specialising in renderings of clipper ships) those liners appealed to my overactive imagination. I grew up believing that a voyage from New York to Southampton on a liner was the ultimate, most romantic way to travel from North America to Europe.

But things were changing because of the war and when hostilities ended (don't you just hate that phrase?) changes came even more quickly and I was also changing, from teenager to young man. Trips across the ocean were far less important than pursuing pretty women or racing canoes, the latter being my main sport in those years. I never quite gave up on images of great ocean liners but with jetliners beckoning neither I nor anyone else had much interest in travel by sea. (Excepting, of course, those thousands of immigrants who sailed to Canada and the US because they couldn't afford air fares.)

By the time my interest in ocean liners was revived they had been renamed "cruise ships." The original Queen Elizabeth had made her last voyage from New York (I watched that sad departure from atop a New York skyscraper), and the sleek SS United States, which broke the Transatlantic speed record, known as the Blue Riband, was at Norfolk, Virginia, awaiting refurbishment and a new life. Sadly, that never happened. Since 1996 she has been docked at Pier 82 on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The original RMS Queen Mary had at least been preserved and docked in Long Beach. I did get to spend a fascinating afternoon aboard the Queen Mary at its permanent berth, but it was the closest I'd come to life on an ocean liner.

You may ask why it's taken me this long to book passage on a cruise ship. Blame it on the policy of all cruise companies that the tab must be based on two people sharing. Travel as a single and you'll pay from 150-200% of the advertised price. And, to be honest, though I'm at ease as a single traveler, I hate vacationing alone. So when the opportunity arose to travel with friends at a discounted price I grabbed it.

With just two stops at Mexican ports this is not the most interesting of cruises but I don't care about that. And I don't care how many thousand passengers are aboard or whatever minor inconveniences may result. For me, having waited since I was a kid, the experience of traveling on a ship of such size and magnificence makes it all worthwhile. The rest is just a bonus. And I'll still call it an ocean liner.