Trivia

     1) 1945

     2) 1926

     3) 1946

     4) 1914

Photo: Barrett Jackson auctions

Answer:

Turning the wheels in early cars took real effort, and the larger and heavier the vehicle, the harder it was to steer. In 1926, Francis Wright David developed a power steering system, which linked the steering wheel to a hydraulic system to move the wheels. The system did make it easier for drivers to steer, but automakers did not adopt it because of its cost. However, the needs of the military during World War II spurred automakers to begin including power steering systems, and the first commercially available power steering system debuted in 1951 in the Chrysler Imperial. Other automakers decided to adopt the system as well, and today every car comes with power steering.

(Pictured is the 2016 Bugatti Chiron)

1) Saleen S7

2) Tesla Roadster

3) Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300

4) McLaren Speedtail

Answer:

At 304 mph for 57 seconds, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300 holds the title for 2020 as the fastest car in the world.  With a tank equal to about 22 gallons of gas, the vehicle would run out of gas at full throttle in under 7 minutes time, but the good news is, “nowhere in the world can you go 304 mph for that length of time” said Andy Wallace, Chief pilot for the run.  The vehicle is travelling a mile about every 11 seconds and it takes a mile to slow down to 125 mph.  Engineers had to carefully create downforce for traction while also balancing an up force to avoid friction – 2 tons of downforce combatting with 2 tons of lift.  The tires are constructed to withstand 7 tons of tearing pressure and were x-rayed for any imperfections prior to the run. Beyond the vehicle aerodynamics, the vehicle is powered by a 1,578 horsepower 8L Quad-Turbo W16 Engine.  Bugatti has made 30 of them and before you run out to buy one, make sure they offer 0% interest on your $3.9 million loan.

a) 1972

b) 1979

c) 1941

d) 1952

Answer:

D. In 1952, Mercedes Benz engineer Bela Barenvi invented the crumple zone concept, designed to absorb the force of impact in a car crash. Barenvi was responsible for over 1,200 other patents including the collapsible steering column and the original design of the Volkswagen beetle, which he later sued Porche for stealing the idea. The elliptical design of the Beetle allowed for energy to be transferred around the passenger compartment.

a) A mechanical engineer driving his car in a heavy fog

b) A city bus driver that drove a bus for over 42 years got with the municipal mechanic

c) An inventor who suffered permanent damage to his eye from a Champagne cork on his wedding night

d) A Ford Executive watching a window cleaner do the office windows on the third floor

Answer:

C. Robert Kearns was an American engineer and inventor. Kearns claimed that the inspiration came from an incident on his wedding night in 1953 when a champagne cork shot into his left eye leaving him legally blind in that eye. About ten years later while driving in light rain, he found the constant movement of the wipers challenging to his already limited vision. Ford introduced the feature in 1969 and Kearns challenged Ford. Later, other automakers began using them in their vehicles as well and Kearns launched lawsuits against 17 of them for patent infringement and won, though some cases were dropped because of missed deadlines for filing papers.

Goodyear

Lego

Bridgestone

Answer:

Lego makes the most tires[1] – two times as many as any other tire manufacturer

[1] Lipkowitz.Daniel The Lego Book New York, New York DK Publishing 2009