Here is a unique record of the Beetle's early evolution, chronicled by an English school teacher who spent 20 years digging through untapped sources, including archives he discovered at Porsche. Despite the plethora of books on this evergreen car, most of his material has never previously been published. The book - illustrated with over 300 photographs and designs, most of them not seen since origination - covers the period from the Porsche expose of 17 January 1934 until July 1945, with the final lists of experimental and test cars run by Porsche in Gmund, Austria.
The story of how Chrysler's minivan team created an automobile that captured the 1995 Motor Trend Car of the Year and other major awards - and reinvented a perilously entrenched corporation in the process - is as dramatic and inspiring a story as any in business today. Brock Yates, one of the most respected writers in the auto world, was given unprecedented access to Chrysler - every planning session, presentation, budget review, test drive, assembly line start-up, and marketing launch. The result is a book that unveils the mysteries of modern car-making, revealing how cars are shaped through countless interlinked decisions ranging from size and power to door configurations, color selections, and innumerable other interconnected details. It also captures the complex process by which the thousands of separate pieces that make up a car are designed, tested, manufactured, and marshaled into place at the exact moment they are needed. For any reader who cares about cars, this is the most intriguing look inside the mysteries of their creation ever written. At the same time, The Critical Path recounts an extraordinary drama of all-too-human managers attempting to make something new, in a new way, inside a corporate culture that resists them at every turn. The story of how Chrysler's minivan platform team kept their commitment to quality, schedule, and budget - with a $3 billion investment and the company's fate palpably in the balance - is as encouraging a tale as has emerged from American business in years. The unprecedented triumph and Chrysler's resultant comeback is a lesson in successful management that will be savored by any reader interested in how great companies make breakthroughproducts.
This resource explains how to rebuild and modify transmissions from both rear- and front-wheel-drive cars. It explains the principles behind the workings of all manual transmissions, and helps readers understand what they need to do and know to rebuild their own transmissions. Includes how to determine what parts to replace; how and why to replace certain seals, spacers, springs, forks, and other parts; and where to find (and how to measure) the specifications for each particular transmission.
Shave lap times or find a faster line through your favorite set of S-curves with professional race driver Ross Bentley as he shows you the quickest line from apex to apex! With tips and commentary from current race drivers, Bentley covers the vital techniques of speed, from visualizing lines to interpreting tire temps to put you in front of the pack. Includes discussion of practice techniques, chassis set-up, and working with your pit chief.
Volkswagen's GTI, Golf, and Jetta are long-time favorites among sport-compact performance enthusiasts. With engines ranging from the 2.0 liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder to the 1.8 liter turbo 4 to the VR6, the Mk III and Mk IV generations (1993-2004) offer tuners a wealth of opportunities. This book turns these opportunities into realities, from deciding which vehicle to buy, to keeping it running in tip-top condition, to enhancing the performance and appearance of your VW. Focusing on the engine, wheels and tires, suspension, body kits, interiors, and more, each project includes straightforward instruction along with details about the necessary parts, cost, time, and skill.If you want to get the biggest bang for your VW buck, this book is your road map.
The Volkswagen Beetle is the most successful car in the history of the automobile and over twenty million examples have been built. Conceived by Adolf Hitler in the spirit of the Model T Ford and designed by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1930s, the Beetle did not enter series production until 1945, after the ending of the Second World War. Its familiar but unconventional lines have since become recognisable throughout the world and, incredibly, it is still being built at VW's Mexican factory. This edition brings the story up to date and charts the arrival and evolution of the New Beetle, visually inspired by the original, which appeared in 1998. About the author Jonathan Wood is a founder member of the staff of Classic Cars, the magazine which gave its name to the movement. He is the author of some 35 books, which include an acclaimed history of the Volkswagen Beetle. Other titles for Shire by this author are: The Bean Austin Seven The Citroen The Bullnose Morris Classic Cars The Model T Ford The Rolls-Royce
Popular Science gives our readers the information and tools to improve their technology and their world. The core belief that Popular Science and our readers share: The future is going to be better, and science and technology are the driving forces that will help make it better.
This book gives a full account of the development process for automotive transmissions. Main topics: - Overview of the traffic – vehicle – transmission system - Mediating the power flow in vehicles - Selecting the ratios - Vehicle transmission systems - basic design principles - Typical designs of vehicle transmissions - Layout and design of important components, e.g. gearshifting mechanisms, moving-off elements, pumps, retarders - Transmission control units - Product development process, Manufacturing technology of vehicle transmissions, Reliability and testing The book covers manual, automated manual and automatic transmissions as well as continuously variable transmissions and hybrid drives for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Furthermore, final drives, power take-offs and transfer gearboxes for 4-WD-vehicles are considered. Since the release of the first edition in 1999 there have been a lot of changes in the field of vehicles and transmissions. About 40% of the second edition’s content is new or revised with new data.
Popular Science gives our readers the information and tools to improve their technology and their world. The core belief that Popular Science and our readers share: The future is going to be better, and science and technology are the driving forces that will help make it better.
