Auto Almanac
Drawing Board
2014 Datsun Go: Nissan has brought back the brand that took North America by storm in the early 1970s with models like the 510 sedan and 240Z sports car. This time, the Japan-based automaker will only sell Datsuns in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. The India-built Go features a 1.2-liter engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Base price in India is estimated at about $7,000.
Auto Trivia
n Porsche’s shield emblem contains the silhouette of a galloping horse on a yellow background. Coincidently, Ferrari uses a similar galloping horse emblem on a yellow background.
n It takes one man one whole day to make a Rolls-Royce radiator, followed by five hours spent polishing it.
Who am I?
1. They have been called the “first family” of Italy.
2. They could also be called the rulers, the elitists and the monopolists, largely because the Fiat car company was and is a big part of Italian life.
3. It all began more than 100 years ago with Giovanni, although his grandson Gianni, who took over Fiat in 1966, is better known.
4. Although the company expanded under Gianni’s leadership, competition and labor strife cut into market share.
5. Gianni’s death in 2003 was met with an outpouring of Italian national grief.
Still stumped?
The Agnelli family is probably Italy’s most famous. For more than 100 years, they’ve been synonymous with Fiat.
What’s up, auto doc?
Although the electric cars coming onto the market plug into the wall, how is it that they’re rated in miles per gallon? The key word here is “equivalency.” In the case of the Chevrolet Volt, for example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes it easier to compare cars with different propulsion systems.
The Volt’s 93-mpg-equivalency rating is established by taking the cost of a full electric charge and dividing it by the number of miles that can be driven on that charge. A cost per 100 miles is assigned (based on average range and a fixed price for electricity) and then a conversion to mpg equivalency can be made, also assuming a fixed price for gasoline.
To match the Volt’s cost per 100 miles in full electric mode, the EPA calculates that a gasoline-powered car would need to achieve 93 mpg. The formula is complicated by the fact the Volt uses gasoline once the batteries run down: In full gas mode, the Volt is rated at 37 mpg. Actual economy is somewhere in between 93 and 37, depending on how much gas is used between battery top-ups. How you drive a Volt, the cost for charging and how often you charge are all factors.
eBay watch
1974 Dodge Charger, sold, $12,500: Originally fitted with a 318-cubic-inch V-8, this 40-year-old Dodge has been treated to a more muscular 440-cube V-8. At the same time, the body was refurbished and new paint was applied, although the wheel selection in this case is truly bizarre. Chargers built after 1970 aren’t nearly as popular as the 1968-’70 models and are priced accordingly. Visit www.ebaymotors.com.
Top Gear
ArmorAll Glass Wipes, about $10 for a pack of 25, various big-box stores and www.armorall. com: The manufacturer states that these ammonia-free wipes will remove tough messes without streaking and will remain damp for as long as a year as long as you keep them properly stored in their original container (not recommended for use on plastic-tinted film). To use, simply wipe over the glass surface and let dry.
