What did we learn from the European GP?

Well, we learned that it isn’t over until it’s over! The podium with Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), followed by Raikkonen (“Lotus”) and Schumacher (Mercedes) was an incredible result that could not have been predicted, even at mid-distance. It also showed the depth of the influence of Ferrari, with all three drivers world champions, one a current Ferrari driver and the other two ex-Ferrari champions.

Contrary to previous Grands Prix at the Valencia track, there was a feast of overtaking, with most of the overtaking moves not produced by the artificial DRS boost. With the example being given by some of the younger drivers in the field who are not afraid to risk all in a passing maneuver, the drivers began to push and find their way around the cars in front. However, not all moves were successful, and some were just hopelessly optimistic. The aggressive nature of the racing in lower formulae such as GP2 (or Touring cars) is now the norm in F1 it seems. Vergne (Toro Rosso) driving into Kovalainen (Caterham), Maldonado (Williams) into Hamilton (McLaren), Kobayashi (Sauber) into Senna (Williams) and again into Massa (Ferrari). There were more, but that is enough to show just how F1 has changed from a competition between gentlemen drivers to a scrum of rugby league front rowers.

I have always considered car electrics (and now electronics) a black art, and undoubtedly both Vettel (Red Bull) and Grosjean (“Lotus”) would agree with me. Both sailing along, well within themselves and their cars and suddenly the fire goes out and their race is over. Up till that point, Vettel was getting his infamous finger ready and Grosjean was singing the Marsellaise. It would have certainly been a podium for the Frenchman, who has shown an amazing improvement this year, despite his DNF’s earlier in the season. At this stage their failures are being put down to alternator problems. Are they both running Lucas, I wonder?

Returning to the winner Fernando Alonso, he has become today’s answer to ‘The Professor’ Alain Prost. He has matured into a very clever and talented competitor and a long way from the sulky Spaniard of a few years ago. While it is obvious that his win was assisted by Vettel’s electrical woes, nevertheless he deserved the win, having not let up for the entire race distance.

Michael Schumacher’s third place was an overdue podium. He has now become the second oldest driver to stand on the podium since Black Jack Brabham about 40 years ago. While that may be so, let us not forget that Juan Manuel Fangio was 45 years old when he was winning world championships, driving very difficult race cars in Grands Prix lasting three hours. And they didn’t spend their time hitting other drivers off the track. Nor did they spend their time nursing tyres which only last 10 laps, but got on with the job of “racing”.

Mark Webber (Red Bull) had an amazing race after a diabolical qualifying which left him 19th on the grid, to eventually finish fourth. The Aussie is now second in the world championship table after Alonso.

It was an exciting GP, even though part of the closeness in running has been produced by ‘artificial’ means such as degrading tyres, DRS and KERS. However, as much as the enthusiasts yearn for the competitive driving of the days of yore, I think we have to accept that the new order is here and is not going to change in a hurry.

More nostalgia!

What we did 50 years ago

One of my old flatmates of 50 years ago (time flies when you are in Pattaya and having fun) sent the attached photo up to me. The year is 1963, the remains of a car I am sitting on is a 1948 MG TC, and the tow car was my $50 1953 side valve V8 Ford Customline, driven by a mate, Roger Prior, who these days is a respected academic in Canada. The location was suburban Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. We towed the chassis home, with the partially operative handbrake being the only device for retardation. You look at photos like that and you wonder just how did we get away with it.

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I stated that the assembly line style of mass production and interchangeable parts was not pioneered by Henry Ford. I asked what industry did this first? It was the gun manufacturers and notably Springfield Armory with Thomas Blanchard who pioneered interchangeable parts.

So to this week. The Americans were much in advance of the F1 circus as far as some safety features were concerned. In late 60’s F1 caught up with one safety feature. What was it?

For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected]

The Editor at Large looks at life

Marcos circa 1969.

Automania’s Editor at Large is John Weinthal who recently turned 72 (he’s always been older than me)! As a celebration (?) he sent the following article in. I believe that anyone older than 50 will agree with some/all of his points below:

I really quite enjoy being 72, but it pays for me not to pretend that I am somehow different ... Truth is I am just as crotchety as the next guy a lot of the time and while I certainly look to the future rather than the past - not all that is gone was wrong and not all that is new is an advance.

In the Automotive sphere.

I pine for round headlamps (and tail lights unless imaginative like first Murano and original Maserati 3200 GT).

I want key start.

I would like to see a modern interpretation of column auto-change allowing for three abreast front seating.

Oddly, some might say, I am happy with foot-operated ‘handbrake’ - emergency or parking brake if you get my drift.

I generally prefer minimum 50 profile tyres.

I still like manual gears - the more the merrier.

I hate touch screens - on phones and sat nav etc in cars.

I believe ‘hands free’ is every bit as dangerous as hand-held while driving - the distraction of chat with someone who is blind to the challenges you are facing on the road is the danger, not one-hand driving.

I do not want a reversing camera (I wrote this a long while ago before I bought Optima which has one - not essential but can be handy).

I believe all learner drivers should have minimum 30 minutes experience on skid pan.

I like rear opening doors - front and rear.

I dislike dark tinted windows, especially front and front side.

I have a general preference for British cars - most Bentley, pre-Phantom R-R, Jaguar, McLaren, Aston Martin etc will do ... and Marcos (John has a Marcos in Australia)!

I see no reason why I would thank you for any electric car, either production or concept.

I fail to be convinced that there is such a thing as man’s measurable impact on global climate.

I neither understand, nor wish to understand CO2 emission ... let the cows, and my car, fart without commentary.

No matter how much I read about it the (Australian) carbon tax justification does not justify it to me.

I believe that unleaded petrol and the whole catalyst introduction was a scam (powered I understand by GM) on par with such later events as the Millennium Bug (Y2K) and Climate Change - formerly Global Cooling and Global Warming, not to mention reports every decade or so of the imminent end of world oil supplies ... all classic BS and highly profitable for the scammers.

(So that’s John Weinthal’s thoughts on modern motor cars, and a bit on pollution thrown in as well. Many points to ponder.)

Electro-SAAB

Electro-SAAB

The marque SAAB which looked as if it had been consigned to history forever, may have become another Phoenix in more ways than one. A Chinese-Japanese consortium has agreed to buy the bankrupt Swedish automaker and plans to specialize as an electric vehicle manufacturer.

SAAB stopped production last year and filed for bankruptcy in December after take-over talks failed when former SAAB owner and major stakeholder General Motors refused to permit the transfer of technical licenses to any restructured company involving Chinese manufacturers.

However, a consortium, known as National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), has paid an undisclosed sum to secure the main assets of Saab Automobile including its manufacturing facilities in Trollhattan, Sweden, and the rights to the current 9-3 and their new vehicle platform also known as Phoenix (coincidence?).

The NEVS consortium is 51 percent owned by Hong Kong-based National Modern Energy Holdings Ltd - a company that designs and builds biomass energy powerplants for China - and 49 percent owned by Japanese investment firm Sun Investment, which has a particular focus on hi-tech, eco-oriented projects.

An electric vehicle based on the 9-3 and built at Trollhattan will be the proposed first model produced and will be sold primarily in the fast-growing Chinese market from late next year or early in 2014.

However, NEVS has confirmed it has global sales and marketing aspirations, and that a second Phoenix-based model will follow using “additional cutting-edge technology” from Japan. This certainly makes SAAB another Phoenix.

It is likely that a new EV from the new SAAB company would use the previous SAAB show-car technology with an 135 kW electric motor driving the front wheels through a single-speed transmission, with the SAAB ePower concept car claimed to offer 0-100 km/h acceleration in 8.5 seconds, a 150 km/h top speed and a driving range of up to 200 km.

SAAB also signed a deal with BMW a couple of years ago for use of its 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (as seen in Mini models), which has the potential to turn up in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle built China is the key destination for the new EVs, but the global nature of the SAAB brand meant its distribution should go well beyond China.

NEVS said in a statement that it aims to become a leading manufacturer of electric vehicles and is currently recruiting automotive engineers to work at the Trollhattan site to bring the ePower to market in collaboration with Japanese and Chinese engineers.

“We will match Swedish automobile design and manufacturing experience with Japanese EV technology and a strong presence in China,” said NEVS chairman Karl-Erling Trogen.

“Electric vehicles powered by clean electricity are the future, and the electric car of the future will be produced in Trollhattan.”

Founder of majority shareholder National Modern Energy Holdings, Kai Johan Jiang, said, “China is investing heavily in developing the EV market, which is a key driver for the ongoing technology shift to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The Chinese can increasingly afford cars; however, the global oil supply would not suffice if they all buy petroleum-fuelled vehicles. Chinese customers demand a premium electric vehicle, which we will be able to offer by acquiring SAAB Automobile.”