11 posts tagged “honda”

I had been under the impression that Red Chinese automaker BYD was a Toyota licensee, though in Autocade I stopped short of making this assertion since I had no proof of it. I did think it was odd that BYD has Mitsubishi-derived engines. It turns out there is no connection, but when you see things like the below you have to wonder.
   Two years ago, BYD issued this photograph of its upcoming model, the F1. It since renamed the car the F0, because it claimed it didn’t to get into a legal dispute with the Formula 1 people.

   Look familiar? While BYD might not want legal trouble with F1, it doesn’t seem to mind legal trouble with Toyota. Here’s a publicity photograph for the Toyota Aygo:    BYD’s general manager, Xia Zhibing, has been quoted as saying, ‘The BYD F1 is a model developed by ourselves and we hold the intellectual property right for it.’
   I guess there’s no shame at BYD, and that the ideals of truthfulness in Confucianism haven’t made a return to parts of Red China.
   Come on, Mr Xia, the only contribution BYD has made to the 2007 photo is in Adobe Photoshop! If you are going to lie about it, don’t make it so obvious by using someone else’s publicity pic first! At least use CAD to generate something new!
   Or this could be some form of getting war reparations from Japan, but that Toyota hasn’t been informed.
   And this is the company that Warren Buffett has put money in to. Somehow I think that if any BYD cars ever make it to the US as Mr Buffett intends, Toyota’s going slap a big court order on them, and not a single one will make it on to the market.
   If you look at the F3 and F6, BYD’s larger models, the doors look identical to those of the Toyota Corolla E120 and Toyota Camry XV30, but the front- and rear-end styling has been modified to resemble some of Honda’s work. I understand the dimensions are slightly different but that an expert should be able to prove objective similarity in the shapes of the doors—or enough to stop BYDs from going on sale in many markets.
   The F3 hybrid, the world’s first plug-in car, beating Chevrolet with its Volt, might have an innovative powertrain, but what is the likelihood that has come from somewhere else?
   BYD shows how out of touch parts of Red Chinese commerce is with, well, honesty and decency. I’m happy to deal with mainland Chinese firms, but only those that I am connected to by blood or referred to by family—and governments should not be signing things like free-trade agreements with the Politburo in Beijing till some of these intellectual property issues can be sorted out.
   New Zealand, of course, is a trifle too naïve, with its free-trade agreement.

Most Wellingtonians have seen this Routemaster bus around. I think it’s a promotional vehicle for an English pub here, but it’s a cinch it’s also hired out for TV and film usage when people need to set something in London.

   Doesn’t quite fit in to the antipodean setting of Lambton Quay, does it?
   Here’s another strange one from the driver’s seat today: You just don’t expect to see a dull car like the Honda Inspire—Accord V6 here—with a chav spoiler when it’s brand-new (the grey car in the left lane, behind the bus). The rest of the car looks stock, which means it’s the sort of car an OAP would be driving. I didn’t see who the driver is, but it’s one of the most incongruous things I’ve seen in a while.

Here are some executive cars that you might not have come across—or you may have, but not often. A few entries on Autocade. I was going to say how none of them are German, but some of you might argue the first one is—sort of.

Daewoo Prince. 1991–7 (prod. unknown). 4-door sedan. F/R, 1796, 1998 cm³ (4 cyl. OHC), 1998 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC). Development of earlier Opel Commodore C-based Royale (GM V-car), but with some new sheetmetal. Prince, like Royale, had ideas above its station and was marketed as a large, luxury car in Korea. Dated at this point but considered a top model for Daewoo (below the similar Royal Salon and Brougham), until it began developing models of its own.

Daewoo Arcadia. 1993–2000 (prod. unknown). 4-door sedan. F/F, 3206 cm³ (V6 OHC). Daewoo flagship was in fact a rebadged Honda Legend (1990–6), but not as popular as Hyundai rival. Very refined, as Honda originally anticipated an upmarket move with this generation of Legend. Not directly replaced.

Fiat Argenta. 1981–6 (prod. unknown). 4-door saloon. F/R, 1585, 1995 cm³ petrol (4 cyl. DOHC), 2445 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. OHC). Rebodied 132 marketed as all-new car but evidently not. Narrow, 1960s thinking in car that was first released as 132 in the early 1970s. Adequate at best though equipment levels not bad for the era. Facelift for 1984 saw corporate five-bar grille, and addition of supercharged VX and turbodiesel models.

Renault Vel Satis. 2002 to date (prod. unknown). 5-door saloon. F/F, 1998 cm³ petrol, 1995, 2188 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. DOHC), 2958 cm³ diesel, 3498 cm³ petrol (V6 DOHC). Unable to confront BMW 5er-Reihe and German executive saloons, Renault went on an original path with Vel Satis. Show car from late 1990s was sleek and modern; production car upright. High seating position, apeing Espace minivan in some respects. Not as capable as Germans, but sold on unusual design. Poor ride, handling, with automatic gearbox leaving something to be desired. Same platform as Laguna II and Espace IV. Facelift shown April 2005, with no RHD models from then.

When I think about it, these cars propelled Japan to lofty heights. Never mind where they are now, and I realize some of the cars they bearing these names were boring econoboxes. From Autocade.

Honda Civic. 1972–9 (prod. unknown). 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-door sedan, 5-door wagon. F/F, 1169, 1237, 1488 cm³ (4 cyl. OHC). World-beating small car, developed in record two years. Named denoted car’s relevance to citizens and cities. Revolutionary in its day, when hatchbacks were largely unknown. Initially 680 kg weight; 2200 mm wheelbase. Styling based around trapezoidal form. Independent strut suspension all-round, setting template for future Honda models and ensuring excellent handling. Answered demand among Japan’s growing, affluent middle class for more sophisticated cars, exported just as fuel crisis hit in 1973. Two-door saloon first in July 1972; three-door hatch in September. Automatic and CVCC in 1973; four-door at end of year with 2280 mm wheelbase. Twin-carb Civic RS in 1974 along with commercial van and station wagon (also longer wheelbase). Minor facelift in 1977. Some rust issues, though this never affected Honda’s reputation in the way it did with Alfa Romeo and Lancia this decade.

Toyota Corolla (E10). 1966–70 (prod. 1,170,000 approx.). 2- and 4-door sedan, 2-door coupé, 3-door wagon. F/R, 1077, 1166 cm³ (4 cyl. OHV). The car that kicked it off. Toyota spotted room for a small car as the Japanese middle class grew. Very conventional, drum brakes initially, front discs later. Perhaps established the idea for the Corolla line that basic motoring sells—it need not be the latest technology—but how that appealed to a global market. Aimed at export, toward a ‘general user’. Some creature comforts such as cigarette lighter, reclining seats, two-speed wipers. Four-door and wagon added May 1967. Coupé, from April 1968, sold as Sprinter in some markets—Sprinter line had not split from Corolla line at this point. Larger engine from 1970.

Honda Accord. 1976–81 (prod. unknown). 3- and 4-door sedan. F/F, 1602, 1751 cm³ (4 cyl. OHC). Honda ups the game with well engineered and attractive mid-sized car (compact by US standards). Dynamically excellent compared with others of the era (Renault 18, Ford Taunus II) and established Honda as a company that could do more than tiny hatchbacks such as the Civic. Well specified in typical Japanese fashion. Some rustproofing issues.

A few interesting things to note about cars in India.
   The Hindustan Ambassador is still plentiful in number. Though outwardly identical to the Morris Oxford of the 1950s, it is regarded as India’s first national car, rather than the Tata Indica. Cab drivers and government types prefer Ambis, and the big shots have white Ambis with a light on the top of the leading edge of the roof.
   A few of my hosts and friends knew of the Premier Padmini when I brought up the topic, but young people did not. I only saw two in my time there, one in Indore and one in New Delhi. They tell me they are more plentiful in Bombay—the majority of Indians I met referred to their southern city by this name, not Mumbai.
   The Hindustan Contessa, Premier 118 NE and the Standard 2000 were flops, so there was no surprise that they were totally unseen during my time there.
   Maruti is the market leader, and there are 800s everywhere. Maruti is expanding its line-up: the Swift DZire (four-door Swift) and SX4 sedan being newer entrants, appealing to Indians who like the size. DZire is doing well, despite a silly name; in Indore, SX4 taxicabs regularly ferried me twice. The regular Swift hatchback is also sold there, but it’s still the 800 that pushes the Maruti–Suzuki name. I was saddened to see the demise of the Maruti symbol, however, on the latest models, in favour of the Suzuki S.
   From my brief time there, it’s fairly safe to say that very, very few Sipanis and Standard Heralds and Gazels have survived. I saw none.
   I saw only two Tata Indica Vistas, or V3s.
   It took till my second day to see a Tata Indigo Marina. The Tata cars are popular but regarded by the locals more as a car produced by a truck manufacturer and not as refined as Japanese brands—although many of the Japanese and Korean brands are actually made by Indians and have quality equal to, if not better than, what emerges from Japan and Korea.
   There are a lot of Tata Indicas and Indigos.
   There are numerous Mahindra Scorpios and Tata Safaris, as some Indians go for SUVs. Let’s hope this trend doesn’t last. We should be copying them with their subcompact cars, not the other way around.
   Hyundai is growing like crazy and the i20 is a big deal, though it was too soon after the launch to spot any on the roads. However, there are plenty of i10s, which are made in India for the world market.
   Honda is considered a premium make, and the City (Fit Aria) is a big seller. The latest model is advertised on billboards around Gurgaon, and I managed to see one of these. Civics are considered quite upscale, especially considering India receives the fancy Thai-made sedan. The Accord is very flash.
   Both Hyundai and Honda are arguably in a better position than Honda, which began its market assault on India with the Innova, a utility vehicle that some taxi drivers adopted. It has been harder for Toyota to establish a name for itself as a manufacturer of passenger cars. The Corolla Altis (E120) is gaining ground, but not as successfully as one might think.
   GM is very thin on the ground. Daewoos are rebadged as Chevrolets, and there are a few Matizes, Kaloses and Lacettis around, with other model names. Of earlier efforts, there are some four-door (booted) Opel Corsas about, but not many. Fiat also failed: I saw one Uno, and a handful of Palios. One expected better from this master of small cars.
   Of American brands, Ford is doing an incredible job and its Ikon and Fiesta models seem to have done very well, certainly better than Toyota. The Fiesta is more advanced than any compact that Ford sells in the US.
   As in Roma, there is a sense of rhythm to driving in India. Appearing chaotic at first glance, the road rules make some sense if you drive, or are driven, for long enough. I am actually game to give it a shot.

This was a great find at Take Note in Lower Hutt today. Take Note is a post office and gift shop run by my friend Mandeep but I have never bought a book from there before. I was surprised to find it displayed prominently and being an automobiliac I paid the $40 for it.

   My cover differs slightly: the News Gothic-set headlines have been replaced by the same text in ITC Benguiat, while the lettering around the masthead is now Akzidenz-Grotesk. Inside, there are great Car articles from 1965 to 1974, covering the best of the first decade (I became a reader, thanks to Gary Hayvice, whose daughter was a classmate of mine, in 1981). I grew up with Llewellyn, Bishop, Setright and the rest; I remember Bulgin, and very briefly, wasn’t there a chap called James May? But some of the earlier talents appear in this compilation.
   Some articles are prescient—the warning that Honda could be a big player if it chose to build saloon cars, and the war for oil and how it might run out (from the first fuel crisis in the 1970s)—and others are less so, such as the warning that a Channel Tunnel would be a folly. Others are plain out of place in today’s politically correct world, namely the nude models that adorned cars at motor shows.
   There are even old advertisements, including one for women—flogging copies of Good Housekeeping. It was very sexist and the idea that cars were designed to pull birds was very much in evidence.
   It’s hardcover, so it should be a proud collection of 1960s’ and 1970s’ motoring journalism in my home.

Here’s an Autocade series for the Brits. Remember these? Well, maybe all but the last one. I haven’t put in the data for the MG ZR yet though.

Triumph Acclaim. 1981–4 (prod. 133,625). 4-door saloon. F/F, 1335 cm³ (4 cyl. SOHC). Anglicized version of Honda Ballade, made on the BL production lines at Cowley. Notable as one of the first Japanese designs to be built within the EEC, to bypass the gentlemen’s agreement where Japan limited itself to an 11 per cent share of the European market. Cramped in the rear compared with rivals. Limited-edition Avon Acclaims with more equipment and turbocharger; CD trim model later added as luxury version. Last Triumph car.

 

Rover 213/Rover 216. 1984–90 (prod. 418,367). 4-door saloon. F/F, 1342, 1598 cm³ (4 cyl. SOHC). Nicknamed ‘SD3’ or ‘Ronda’, successor to Triumph Acclaim followed the same formula: begin with a Honda Ballade. This time, Rover input was greater, evident on the cars themselves, which looked more distinctive. Reliable, advanced for its time thanks to 1·3 unit, slightly less up with the play with 1·6 derived from old Austin Maxi unit but still economical. Intended to be a niche player but had very healthy sales in comparison with other Austin Rover products of the time. Facelift in 1987 including revisions that Honda itself adopted for its Civic and Ballade.

 

Rover 214/Rover 216/Rover 218/Rover 220 (R8). 1989–98 (prod. 708,003). 3- and 5-door saloon, 2-door convertible, 2-door coupé. F/F, 1396 , 1590 cm³ petrol, 1769, 1905 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. OHC), 1588, 1590, 1994 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC). Twin to Honda Concerto with even greater Austin Rover input than prior Rover 200 series, and probably the company’s most competitive range against ageing Ford Escort and even newer rivals such as Fiat Tipo. Some diesels sold with Honda badges but Rover bodywork. Cabriolet from 1992. Three-door launched 1992 with more powerful versions competing as a hot hatch; two-door coupé, codenamed Tomcat, well regarded as a performance derivative, from 1993. Two facelifts, including 1994 one grafting on formal Rover grille. Saloons deleted with launch of R3, but coupé and convertible carried on to 1998 without 200 name.

 

Rover 200/Rover 214/Rover 216/Rover 220SD (R3). 1995–9 (prod. 470,449). 3- and 5-door saloon. F/F, 1396, 1589, 1796 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC), 1994 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. OHC). Originally designed as a replacement for Metro, but BMW and Rover nudged it upmarket where it was a premium product and rather expensive for its size. Smaller than former Rover 200 due to its Metro-replacing origins and cheaply developed at £200 million. Attractive David Saddington-styled car with ideas above its station, promoted by Sting on TV, aimed at the 20-somethings. As an Escort or Golf competitor, far too cramped. Most cars soon badged 200, regardless of engine size. Limited-edition BRM in 1998. Successor was eventually brought down to earth and sold in the Fiesta class.

 

Rover 25. 1999–2004 (prod. 217,620 all 25 incl. Mk II). 3- and 5-door saloon. F/F, 1120 cm³ (4 cyl. SOHC), 1120, 1396, 1588, 1795 cm³ petrol (4 cyl. DOHC), 1994 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. OHC). BMW-influenced facelift for 1995 Rover 200, designed to keep the car current till replacement ready in the 21st century—sadly, that never came. Repositioned lower in the market-place with price adjusted, making 25 seem better value. Introduction of Streetwise “soft-roader”: a 25 with cladding pretending to be an off-roader, but which had the same FWD transmission as others. Laughed at then, but now Volkswagen, Ford, Citroën, Peugeot and others offer similar cars. 

 

Rover 25. 2004–5 (prod. 217,620 all 25 from 1999). 3- and 5-door saloon. F/F, 1120 cm³ (4 cyl. SOHC), 1120, 1396, 1588, 1795 cm³ petrol (4 cyl. DOHC), 1994 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. OHC). Facelift and new interior—and last hurrah—for British-made 25, codenamed Jewel. Packaging dated but car still fairly handsome and reasonably good value. Streetwise faux off-roader continued. Lasted till April 2005 when MG Rover went into administration, and tooling now owned by Red Chinese state.

 

MG 3 SW. 2007 to date (prod. unknown). 5-door sedan. F/F, 1396, 1795 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC). Subcompact crossover developed from Rover Streetwise. MG 3 SW (for Streetwise, not Station Wagon) a front-wheel-drive model with Rover 200 platform from 1995, made in Nanjing, China from 2007 after a two-year hiatus caused by MG Rover’s collapse. New to buyers in Red China, where most are sold.    

These are way too cool. I saw some at a paper factory in Taiwan that were Chinese-made; these are from Japan. Above are an Alfa 156 Sportwagon and a 2000 Honda Civic Type R. There are also unlikely-to-appear-on-paper models there like the Chrysler PT Cruiser. 

http://f1.aaa.livedoor.jp/~sakyo/titlepage/papercar01.html

[Cross-posted] Honda’s Takeo Fukui has said that he will put the world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell car on the market by next year, with a sticker price of around £50,000. The car emits water vapour as its “exhaust”.
   This is fabulous thinking: rather than hold the technology back, as all the other automakers are doing, Honda is going full steam ahead and pioneering.
   In one move, it’s overcome any slowdown in the Japanese car market and made an impact in an eco-conscious world.
   And £50,000 isn’t a lot to pay for a large sedan that’s brimming with technological advancements.
   Asked how the new Honda FCX might overcome the absence of hydrogen filling stations, Mr Fukui gave a great answer that shows the company has really considered its car in a historical context: ‘When the car was invented, countries weren’t full of petrol stations. When the demand is there it will happen.’
   It makes Red China’s copying of western automotive models seem outmoded and silly, considering that it had nearly a carte blanche with which to play in the 1980s and 1990s. That could have meant jumping ahead of the rest of the world without having the worries of old plant costs to contend with.
   It also shows that brands will only get you so far: major leaps ahead like this, without reference to what the establishment might think, can spell success when it taps in to the Zeitgeist. And Honda has detected that the world in the late-2000s is still going to be obsessed with global warming and climate change. It has detected that there is a rebellion against brands that do not help the planet. And it might have also considered that there will be a rationalization in the brands we deal with, so why not get ahead now?