Tag Archives: car

Business/Economics, International

No Economic Recovery for the U.S.: German car sales explode, but not because of the United States

German car makers are scrambling to keep up with international orders.  They expect that by the end of the year they will have exported 4.15 million German made cars.  But the majority of those cars are not going to the U.S., they’re going to China, and to some extent India.

“We are seeing international markets pick up much more rapidly than many had expected.  The drivers of growth are above all Asian markets.”-Matthias Wissmann, German Car Industry Association

Audi alone saw a 64% increase in their sales to China and Hong Kong, in 2010.  But BMW is turning out to be the big money maker, just in the first six months of 2011, their sales in China exploded by 101%!

Executives for German car makers admitted they are scrambling to rethink their corporate strategy, because they never expected such high sales in China, so soon.

 

Idaho, Kit Bashing, U.S.

Kit Bashing & Education Reform: Idaho Students Building Model Kits

Buhl Middle School, in Buhl, Idaho, is using model car kits to help students with reading and researching.

6th graders are not just putting together models, they’re spending time doing historical research about the cars they’re building.  They’re also learning about different styles of customizing cars.

The building of model kits has made some huge progress in the past 4 decades.  Many builders don’t just slap the kits together; they spend lots of time researching their subjects to create the most accurate representations they can.  If you want to compete in the big time model contests it’s a necessity that you’re historically literate.

When it comes to the history of cars, it’s not just the technical history that kids can learn, it’s also the cultural history, especially when it comes the “fads” of car customizing trends.  So don’t think of model kits as “toys” (especially when you realize how expensive they’ve gotten over the decades), think of them as “educational tools”.

International, Technology, U.S.

Iran loves classic U.S. made cars, who doesn’t?

Iran will be hosting its second classic car show.  The show will open April 28, in Tehran.

It’s not that big, only about 80 classic cars, but for the second effort by Iranian car collectors, it’s good enough.  “Most of the cars are being displayed for the first time. Some have never even been used before.”-Fariborz Ensafi, Touring and Automobile Club

Private collectors will show off German, French and, of course, American automobiles.  Motorcycles and bicycles will also be on display.  The show will run until May 2.

International, Technology

Iranian automaker boosting exports with its Dena Car

“The LX model is outfitted with an EF7 gasoline engine and a CNG-based engine. The ELX version is equipped with a turbo-charged EF7 engine.”-Nima Mosleh, IKCO deputy CEO for New Product Development

The Iran Khodro Company says it hopes exports of their new car, Dena, will hit 15,000 for the new year.

The car called Dena (not to be confused with a U.S. kit car), is a sedan and IKCO’s fourth domestically produced car.  Iran has been enjoying a growing car market through out the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Last year Iran Khodro exported 40,000 cars.