AUTO MANIA: by Dr. Iain Corness [email protected]

How many cars built here?

Chinese Joint Venture.

The production figures for automobiles per country have been released. These are for 2012, as last year’s production figures are yet to be published. You will see that as a global player we (Thailand) rank number 9, but when you look at total output, Thailand’s is one ninth that of China. Even the US is only producing around half of the Chinese numbers.

1	China	19,271,808
2	United States	10,328,884
3	Japan	9,942,711
4	Germany	5,649,269
5	South Korea	4,557,738
6	India	4,145,194
7	Brazil	3,342,617
8	Mexico	3,001,974
9	Thailand	2,483,043
10	Canada	2,463,732

It does not need a crystal ball to predict that China will continue to grow, at the expense of the western world, as more manufacturers flock to China to build their cars there in Joint Ventures, rather than at home.

Buying a secondhand car?

Spot the lemon!

Purchasing a secondhand anything is always a problem, and buying a secondhand car is even more so. Is the seller telling you a bunch of lies, or are they 100 percent honest?
A recent article in the UK media describes how to spot a seller who is being economical with the truth.
Nose touching, mouth covering, fidgeting and throat clearing are all common signs of someone telling a lie and detecting these signals could save used car buyers from making a costly mistake. Vehicle information expert HPI is urging consumers to be on their guard and pay attention to more than a vehicle’s body work, but a seller’s body language and facial expressions too.
“Have you ever had that uneasy feeling that someone was lying to you but didn’t know why you felt that way? It could be because you’ve subconsciously noticed their lying signs,” explains Shane Teskey, Senior Consumer Services Manager at HPI. “Trust your instincts. Pay close attention to body language and facial expressions. For example, look for nose touching and mouth covering. People touch their noses more frequently when they’re lying. They’re also more likely to cover their mouths.”
Another potential tell-tale sign of lying to look for is nodding, says HPI. When the head is nodding or shaking in contrast to what is being said, buyers should be on their guard. “Make sure the seller isn’t giving you inconsistent signals,” continues Shane Teskey. “Does your used car seller look shifty? Perhaps constantly fidgeting? Too much fidgeting, either with their own clothing, jewelry, hair or things around them, could indicate that they are feeling uneasy and may be lying to you about the car’s history.”
Shane Teskey concludes, “We always urge buyers to take along someone else with them when going to view a car. Having a second pair of eyes to check out the seller whilst you check out the bodywork will never go amiss. And if you don’t know much about cars, try to take someone who does know a thing or two, or invest in the services of an independent vehicle inspection. Most importantly, don’t let your heart rule your head and trust your instincts. If the car looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
1. Look for nose touching and mouth covering.
2. Watch when the person nods. If the head is nodding or shaking in contrast to what is being said, this can be a tell-tale sign that they are lying.
3. Beware of constant fidgeting.
4. Observe the level of mirroring.
5. Watch the person’s throat for excessive swallowing, throat clearing or gulping.
Personally, I am not sure it is all that easy to read the psychological signs, but the advice on getting someone to appraise the car is always worthwhile. Find a mechanic and pay for a few hours of his knowledge will always be money well spent.

Top City Cars

New Fiat 500.

What makes a “city car”? Is it something small? Is it something that saves the planet’s oil? Is it something that does not pollute the atmosphere and equally does not blow holes through the ozone layer large enough to sink the Arctic ice cap and a couple of ice-breakers with it? Or is it all of the above?
To be honest, there has been no real consensus on what makes a ‘city car’. Various manufacturers over the years have attempted to produce city cars, most of which have been automotive economic disasters. The Messerschmitt and the BMW Isetta bubble cars of the 50’s and 60’s did nothing for the financial stability of either manufacturer. The world in the hedonistic swinging 60’s was not yet ready for city cars.
However, by the turn of the new millennium, as the developed world’s cities became more congested, and the doomsayers began announcing the end of the planet’s oil supplies, the public began to rekindle an interest in city cars. Something small might ease the congestion on the roads. A fuel-miser might be cheaper to run as the price of oil goes stratospheric, and a small, but becoming increasingly vocal, group began lobbying for Zero Emission Vehicles (known as ZEVs). A global warning about global warming!
So what is available in the warmer world? Italy may be beset with financial problems, but its auto industry has produced the “must be seen in” city car. It is the Fiat 500 1.3 JTD Pop which returns consumption figures of 4.2 L/100 km. This cute looking retro car is the re-born Fiat 500 of donkey’s years ago, and is the vehicle to be seen in. This car has desirability and efficiency. In fact, official figures place this immensely appealing and quite practical re-born 500 as one of the world’s most fuel efficient autos. And amazingly, it can be found in Thailand, brought in by the ‘grey’ importers. But at a price of around 2 million THB. You will pay heavily at the showroom to be a miser at the pumps.
From Japan comes the Toyota Prius sipping only 4.4 L/100 km and is the world’s most successful automotive marketing exercise (probably to counter its weird styling), but the Prius is synonymous with lean and green motoring.
It is distinctive and that is what counts. What’s the point of making an eco-statement if no one knows you’re making one? It is a bit like wetting yourself in a dark suit. You know what you’ve got, but nobody else does. Prius comes with a premium over standard Toyota models, you will pay around 2 million THB and you are not likely to recoup your investment unless you drive a Porsche Cayenne Turbo and are guzzling fuel at around 19 L/100 km.
Another small car is the German ‘smart’ (no capital letter - another ad agency gimmick), a micro car which has ended up in the Mercedes stable after a troubled birth. With a three cylinder, one liter petrol engine, it is economical and it is small (less than two meters long) and it is expensive. If you do the maths, it is not economically smart to bring in a ‘smart’.
Perhaps we should look at vehicles that are designed primarily as inexpensive vehicles for commuters, so we must look in India, not in Korea or Japan.
The first of these is the Tata Nano, the (almost?) ultimate budget city car, which sells at around 90,000 THB (rupees converted) in India. It is small, so fits the city car concept, and built to a price. You will get one windscreen wiper, not two, manual wind-up windows and an 80 km/h top speed (probably downhill with a good tail wind from the Ganges). If you are currently riding a motorcycle and sidecar, you’ll love it.
However, I do not really see Nanos sputtering around cities in Thailand. We have our eco-cars, the Nissan March, the Mitsubishi Mirage and the Honda Brio, all of which are small and fuel efficient, but have much more performance and abilities than just being a city car.
There must be something better - and there is, and it is electric. More manufacturers are putting money into rechargeable electric cars for the cities. Nissan Renault has its electric Leaf, GM has the Volt, Tesla has the S and BMW has the i-Series. None of them huge sellers in their local market, but much more of a city car.
No, in Thailand there are no real city cars, despite Honda calling one of their models the City. If you are looking for small and economical you will have to wait a little longer!
 

Smaller horses use less fodder

The death knell has been sounding for the big American V8. Now too thirsty to be allowed to live in the (so-called) dwindling oil environment, both Ford and General Motors have reacted with plans to reduce America’s love affair with V8 engines.
It has been a very long love affair, with the first American V8 engine being an improvement of the European V8 of the CL model De Dion Bouton (put into series production in 1910) and manufactured by Cadillac in 1914. Lincoln and Ford followed closely behind. De Dion may be no longer with us, but GM and Ford have endured.
The automakers hands were partly forced by the American CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Consumption) legislation insisting on even tougher standards as far as fuel consumption was concerned. The V8 had to go. What with the American President’s decree and green being painted all over the world, anyone who uses more than their “fair share” of gasoline is being made to feel a heinous criminal. What other stand could the American manufacturers take?
Now personally, I am not convinced that the world’s supply of oil is about to dry up. I see no evidence of Exxon pulling up stakes, and my local Caltex station has just been refurbished. With crude oil knocking on $100 a barrel, why would they cease production? They can (and do) charge more for the final product, and even if the percentage profit is the same as before, that still translates into an increased gross profit. I also read that OPEC have been considering lowering their output, to make sure the price of crude remains high. Such a wonderful charitable stance, if ever I heard of one. However, my take in all this is that if you want to pay for a gas guzzler, then the choice is yours. US Presidents, OPEC and all who rode in on her can butt out!

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked what car was this? Built 1924, 1100 cc dohc engine developing 130 bhp at 6,000 RPM, top speed recorded at Brooklands being 128 MPH. There were only 40 of these cars made (so it’s not a Bugatti). It was the Amilcar, very similar to the Bugatti, and these days, with such limited production, very rare.
So to this week. Another ‘What car is this?’ V12, OHV engine, 9.4 liters, brake servo driven off the gearbox, 5.3 meters long. An 11 liter option which gave the car a top speed of 115 mph. Hint: Pre-war!
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].