DLD15 Liveblog: New Beginnings in E-Commerce - A next wave of opportunity?
Only three sessions to go at DLD15 and Sina Afra brings the high-flying e-commerce panel on stage. The participants Aslaug Magnusdottir (Tinker Taler), Jason Godlberg (HEM) and Hakan Bas (Lidyana) are in the businesses of garments, furniture and lifestyle goods. The thing that makes them part of the same branch is that they sell their products almost exclusively online.
The next big thing in the e-commerce markets is customization. It increasingly is less about speedy delivery of goods, but about being able to provide goods that are uniqe and customized to the individual demands, needs and desires.
"Price and quality have to be right", says Jason Goldberg, who has moved his business HEM from New York to Berlin because, according to him, it's important to be close to the supply chain and Berlin's digital scene is still running at lower costs than NYC.
The location of a business is important also for e-commerce, which is why Aslaug Magnusdottir shares that she has set up several pop-up stores for Tinker Taler. The rest of the panel agrees that the trend of physical shops is growing in the e-commerce sector.
Sina Afra from Gloabl 3 wraps up the session with a humoruos inquiry what the panelists think of Ali Baba.


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Driven To Write
Still The World's Least Influential Motoring Site
Driven to Explain
The DTW Archive
A Longer Read
Category: Marques
Posts that major on one brand.
Under the Knife – Rediscovered
The 1998 Series II Discovery was a far more thorough and extensive facelift of the original than it might have appeared to be at first glance.
1989 Land-Rover Discovery (c) Iroac.com
The 1970 Range Rover could not have been more different in conception from the SUVs that carry that name today. It was designed to be more comfortable and civilised on road than the original Land Rover, which had changed little since its introduction in 1948, but was not intended to be anything other than a working vehicle.
Early Range Rovers were still resolutely utilitarian, with vinyl seats and rubber floor mats that could be hosed out after a day's work on the farm. Its classic style is credited to David Bache, Head of Design at Rover. However, recognising its handsome functionalism, Bache actually made only detail changes to Continue reading "Under the Knife – Rediscovered"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 7 Nov 2020 5 Nov 2020 Categories Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, Facelifts Theme, Land Rover, MarquesTags 1989 Land Rover Discovery Series I, 1998 Land Rover Discovery Series II, Range Rover, Under the Knife10 Comments on Under the Knife – Rediscovered
Balls to the Bronco, Da svisdania Defender. There's a new friend in town…
Green Buddy. (c) Autoblog
"Hey you! Don't watch that, watch this. For this is the heavy, heavy monster sound." So goes the introduction to the 1979 Madness song to which the title refers. "The nuttiest sound around" is shouted, followed by the saxophonist's opening account as the tune then explodes into your eardrums. It's enough to make your feet get busy.
With research limited to that internet, one cannot say whether the Ska sound from the early eighties had any impact upon the results here or if stronger substances were involved. But those imps at Mitsuoka have produced something astonishing – a likeable, honest SUV. Yes, you read that correctly, but one has to Continue reading "One Step Beyond"
Author Andrew MilesPosted on 6 Nov 2020 4 Nov 2020 Categories Current Affairs, Marques, The IndustryTags Mitsuoka, Mitsuoka Buddy, Susumu Mitsuoka, Toyota RAV426 Comments on One Step Beyond
New Frontier (Part Two)
Just as Citroëns were not like other cars, Automobiles Citroën itself was unlike any other car company – especially in conceptual engineering terms.
Image: racingcars-wikidot
It might be convenient from a narrative perspective to suggest that the SM came about as part of a carefully considered product plan, but that would be inaccurate and misleading. In fact, the model came into being almost by accident or at least osmosis; primarily at the behest of company president, Pierre Bercot, but at a more fundamental level in response to another man's determination to prove a principle.
Few carmakers operated quite like Automobiles Citroën, not only during the tenure of the company's eponymous founder and chief architect, but equally in the years that followed the carmaker's initial cashflow crisis, collapse, and takeover by Michelin in 1934. Michelin had placed Pierre-Jules Boulanger as company President, under whom existed an environment which permitted Citroën engineers a great deal of freedom to Continue reading "New Frontier (Part Two)"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 5 Nov 2020 13 Jan 2021 Categories Automotive History, Citroën, MarquesTags 1970 Citroen SM, André Lefèbvre, Anniversary Waltz, Citroen SM, Class of 1970, Jacques Né, New Frontier, Pierre Bercot8 Comments on New Frontier (Part Two)
A Deadly Misadventure
DTW recalls the alliance between Renault and American Motors Corporation that proved highly damaging to the French automaker and had fatal consequences.
1988 Eagle Premier(c) blog.consumerguide.com
American Motors Corporation (AMC) was long the plucky underdog of the US automotive industry, always struggling to compete on equal terms with the 'Big Three' of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. AMC had itself been formed from the 1954 merger of Nash Kelvinator Corporation and the Hudson Car Company(1). This was a merger driven out of weakness rather than strength, as neither partner had the financial or technical resources to continue independently.
With a market share of just 4%, AMC was still a fraction of the size of the Big Three, but there was a larger plan in play, devised jointly by George Mason, President of Nash-Kelvinator, and James Nance, President of the Packard Motor Car Company. Packard would Continue reading "A Deadly Misadventure"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 4 Nov 2020 3 Nov 2020 Categories AMC, Automotive History, Chrysler USA, Renault, The IndustryTags 1982 Renault Alliance, 1984 Renault Encore, 1987 Eagle Premier, 1987 Renault Medallion33 Comments on A Deadly Misadventure
Recovering A Dream
Oops, I did it again… A belated defence of the Rover 75.
All images: The author
My first contribution to Driven to Write, in the spring of 2018, was to recount the tale of my replacing a V6 Rover 75, following a brief period of ownership, with a new twin cylinder Fiat Panda (as different a car as one could imagine). It was a tale of disillusionment and naivety; of an enthusiast who had not driven regularly for many years aspiring to a car he had admired when new, which turned out to be not entirely suited to his present circumstances.
After a kind reception by the readers of this site, I wrote a follow-up article in which I reviewed my tuned twin-air turbo Panda in more detail; a car that delighted me daily for two and a half years, so much so that I could Continue reading "Recovering A Dream"
Author Chris ElvinPosted on 2 Nov 2020 31 Oct 2020 Categories Marques, Our Cars, Road Tests & Impressions, RoverTags 1999 Rover 75, Richard Woolley, Rover 7556 Comments on Recovering A Dream
Oh Nicole!
File under (Renault: B-segment: Good – not great). At least the ad-campaign was memorable.
(c) autoevolution
Ask anyone about the 1990 Renault Clio and amongst those who remember it at all, most will cite the long-running UK advertising campaign, featuring the somewhat clichéd antics of comely young Nicole, getting the slip on her somewhat louche papa at their somewhat clichéd Provencal retreat. Meanwhile Papa, displaying equally duplicitous behaviour (all French men of course routinely have affairs), was fomenting assignations of his own.
Risible of course, but it played to cherished English preconceptions of French mores, and was instrumental in cementing brand-Clio in the minds of UK buyers. It worked too: the Clio proving a thirty year success story for the French carmaker, but the first-generation model, unlike its ad-campaign, was not what anyone would Continue reading "Oh Nicole!"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 1 Nov 2020 31 Oct 2020 Categories Advertising, Automotive History, Marques, RenaultTags Anniversary Waltz, Class of 1990, Gaston Juchet, Patrick le Quément, Renault Clio, RenaultSport Clio 200 Cup, Robert Opron19 Comments on Oh Nicole!
Joyeux Anniversaire, Majesté
As Citroën's Grand Tourisme with the Italian heart celebrates its fiftieth birthday this year, we peruse the few brochures printed during its brief tenure at the summit of the French firm's hierarchy.
All Images: The author.
The ambitious SM of 1970 took the Citroën brand into a hitherto unexplored market segment. Instead of Peugeot, Rover, Renault and Lancia – to name a few – now it entered an arena occupied by names such as Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Jensen and BMW. Still, the initial reception was overwhelmingly favourable – the SM placing third in that year's European Car of the Year contest (the GS won that year), and voted Motor Trend Car of the Year in the American market in 1972.
The vast majority of road tests worldwide resulted in positive to rave reviews, in most cases accompanied by a few provisos concerning the SM's comparatively leisurely acceleration and the very direct DIRAVI power steering with variable assistance – although it was usually stated that most drivers would not want to Continue reading "Joyeux Anniversaire, Majesté"
Author brrrrunoPosted on 31 Oct 2020 31 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Brochures Theme, Car Culture, Citroën, MarquesTags 1970 Citroen SM, 1971 Rolls Royce Corniche, brochure21 Comments on Joyeux Anniversaire, Majesté
Going Pear-Shaped
The Renault 14 had the potential to be a great success, but it did not turn out that way. DTW investigates.
(c) auto-forever
The 1976 Renault 14 was the end-product of an unusual and protracted development process. It began with a memorandum of understanding signed in April 1966 between Renault and Peugeot for the joint purchase of materials and co-development of mechanical parts that would be shared between the two manufacturers, to reduce costs for each.
Another more controversial aspect of the agreement was, allegedly, an understanding that each manufacturer would design models that did not directly compete with the other. The agreement was driven by the ambition of Pierre Dreyfus, CEO of Renault since 1955, to Continue reading "Going Pear-Shaped"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 30 Oct 2020 29 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Renault, The IndustryTags 1972 Peugeot 104, 1976 Renault 14, 1981 Renault 9, 1983 Renault 11, Class of '7645 Comments on Going Pear-Shaped
New Frontier (Part One)
Over a series of articles, we examine yesterday's vision of the future – peak chevron, Sa Majesté – the incomparable Citroën SM.
(c) stubs-auto.fr
Observing events through a half-century old prism can make for a faulty tool; contemporary visions of the future appearing to modern eyes, slightly naïve and somewhat inaccurate. Not necessarily a consequence of inexperience or ill-thought execution; certainly not in this particular case, it is as likely to pivot around the manner in which socio-economic factors, and customer tastes evolve, to say nothing of the relentless march of time itself.
Has any carmaker done more to Continue reading "New Frontier (Part One)"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 29 Oct 2020 13 Jan 2021 Categories Automotive History, Citroën, Marques, People & ProfilesTags 1970 Citroen GS, 1970 Citroen SM, Anniversary Waltz, Citroen cars, Class of 1970, Pierre Bercot23 Comments on New Frontier (Part One)
A Failure of Nerve
In 1966 Peugeot and Renault formulated an ambitious plan to take on the incumbents in the luxury car market. Sadly, both companies got cold feet and their dream went unrealised. DTW recounts the story of Projet H.
Image: Christopher Butt
With the successful launch of the 16 in 1965, Renault had a large five-door FWD hatchback to complement its (not so) small 4 model. The range would be augmented with the medium-sized 6 in 1968 and completed with the 5 supermini in 1972 . These hatchbacks sat alongside its rear-engined 8 and 10 saloons for more conservative customers.
However, the company lacked a large and prestigious car as a flagship for its range. Likewise Peugeot, where the largest model was the well-regarded 404 saloon, launched in 1960. Both manufacturers eyed Citröen with a degree of envy. The Double Chevron's large DS model, although already a decade old, had been so advanced and futuristic at launch that it still looked handsome and prestigious.
It was a fitting 'halo' model for the marque, notwithstanding the idiosyncratic appearance of Citröen's smaller cars. The DS was also the choice for official transport at the Elysée Palace, giving Citröen kudos that was jealously coveted by both Billancourt and Sochaux.
Both manufacturers were allegedly nervous about the market potential for a large and luxurious car bearing their marque names, so they agreed in April 1966 to Continue reading "A Failure of Nerve"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 27 Oct 2020 27 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Peugeot, RenaultTags 1960 Peugeot 404, 1965 Renault 16, 1975 Peugeot 604, 1975 Renault 3035 Comments on A Failure of Nerve
Dole It Out, Samuel
A big car for a big country. Introducing the very first Duesenberg.
It's a Duesie. (c) Hemmings.com
"This is pure American history. It's definitely the most significant vehicle now in the museum's collection – even if it weren't restored, it'd still be at the top of that list. It's not just a car, it's a family's history and legacy." Brendan Anderson.
Using nothing but my imagination, the American car industry of the mid-teens to late 1920s conjures images of cityscapes swarming with Model Ts, Oldsmobiles, Buicks and the like in fast-paced black and white. Or, in glorious technicolour, causing rooster tails of dust on the plains, perhaps outrunning the law or maybe enjoying the thrill of newfound speed. Never once considering the idea of fruit and cars to be connected – other than a vehicle for moving the produce – it has come to light more recently that this fruit/ car intersection goes far deeper than peel.
Fred and August Duesenberg were highly regarded motor racers. With cash from victories and contracts connected with the Great War, they decided to Continue reading "Dole It Out, Samuel"
Author Andrew MilesPosted on 26 Oct 2020 26 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Duesenberg, Marques, People & ProfilesTags American car market, Duesenberg, vintage car show7 Comments on Dole It Out, Samuel
3 + 1 = 500
Fiat introduces a Quattroporte – well, sort of.
(c) topgear
As the year that wasn't continues to limp towards an ever decreasing conclusion, and our plaintive requests to the authorities for a refund continues to fall upon deaf ears, the short-lived product offensive which briefly appeared to be taking place within the auto industry earlier in the Autumn appears to have sputtered and popped, rather like a badly misfiring internal combustion engine. Those infernal devices, which it seems are no longer to Continue reading "3 + 1 = 500"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 25 Oct 2020 25 Oct 2020 Categories Current Affairs, Fiat, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Marques, Opinion, The IndustryTags 2007 Fiat 500 Type 312, Fiat 50021 Comments on 3 + 1 = 500
Four into five equals seven. A brief look back at a uniquely Iberian Cinq.
A mainstay of the European motoring scene from its inception in 1962, Renault's rear-engined R8 saloon was also (it's stated) assembled in the former Eastern bloc, North Africa, Laos, South America, Australia and New Zealand. The French state-run carbuilder ceased production at the Flins plant, outside Paris in 1973. Renault never directly replaced the 8 – well actually, that's not entirely true.
The early 1970s witnessed a period of profound change and consolidation for many carmakers, who were keen not only to Continue reading "Lucky Seven"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 24 Oct 2020 24 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Marques, RenaultTags Michel Boué designer, Renault 5, Renault 7, Renault Micro Theme, Siete33 Comments on Lucky Seven
Coupé à la Française
DTW recalls the 1971 Renault 15 and 17, La Régie's distinctively French take on the sporting coupé.
Renault 15 & 17. (c) stubs-auto .fr
The 1969 Renault 12 saloon was an immediate hit for its manufacturer. It was praised by European motoring journalists for its styling, spacious and comfortable interior, and good performance and fuel economy. It was based on a new platform that placed the engine longitudinally ahead of the front axle and gearbox. On Renault's existing FWD models, the 4, 6 and 16, the engine was positioned behind the gearbox, necessitating a distinctly unsporting high bonnet line and dashboard mounted gear lever.
Renault had not offered a coupé in its range since the demise of the Dauphine-based Caravelle in 1968, and only 9,309 Caravelles had been sold in the last three years of its production. Moreover, the European coupé market had been transformed by the launch of the Ford Capri Mk1 in 1969 and Opel Manta A a year later. The new coupés were closely related to their mainstream saloon siblings, the Cortina Mk2 and Ascona A. More significantly, they were styled to look aggressively sporting, masculine rather than demure in character.
Renault decided that it could usefully Continue reading "Coupé à la Française"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 23 Oct 2020 30 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Marques, Renault, The IndustryTags 1969 Renault 12, 1971 Renault 15, 1971 Renault 17, 1980 Renault Fuego, Anniversary Waltz, Class of 197036 Comments on Coupé à la Française
Keeping the Seat Warm
The 1984 Alfa 90 was to all intents and purposes something of a placeholder. But does it deserve a better epitaph?
Alfa 90. Image: viaretro
The early 1980s were difficult years for Alfa Romeo. Having abandoned its patrician pre-war roots for a more populist reimagining throughout the 1950s and '60s, this once successful market realignment had started to unravel; partly due to its own failings as a business, both internally from a product, management and labour perspective, and also externally, owing to its close proximity in market terms to Lancia.
Unlike its Borgo San Paolo rival, who was by then reliant upon the financial support of the Fiat car giant, Alfa Romeo depended upon the largesse of the often reluctant Italian IRI state body for funding, while battling a depressed home market, ageing model lines and by consequence, little by way of genuinely new product.
What there was, fell very much into the make do and Continue reading "Keeping the Seat Warm"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 21 Oct 2020 21 Oct 2020 Categories Alfa Romeo, Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, MarquesTags 1984 Alfa 90, 1985 Alfa 75, Alfa Romeo 116-Series Giulietta, Alfa Romeo Alfetta Berlina, Anniversary Waltz, Class of '84, Ermanno Cressoni, Stile Bertone39 Comments on Keeping the Seat Warm
Destined To Shine
Gilded lilies, like most things in life are relative. The Golden Angel Wing however, out-guilds most.
A regular Mercedes (Ponton) 220S. Image: wallpaperup
Like us poor scribes, the brains behind the processes of car making spend countless hours honing and perfecting, improving and re-checking to ascertain the best that is possible at a given moment in time. Midnight oil is a precious resource which, dependant on the individual, can prove somewhat finite, with unfortunate consequences lingering by.
Concerning cars, now factor in updates, facelifts, upgrades – call them what you will – they must be considered. The 1953 Mercedes-Benz W120 (or Ponton as it was better known) was a plain but honest, safe yet somewhat bland quality conveyance. Built primarily in Stuttgart, these one eighties (as they were badged) made impacts the world over. Continue reading "Destined To Shine"
Author Andrew MilesPosted on 20 Oct 2020 19 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Car Culture, Marques, Mercedes-Benz, Oddities & SightingsTags Béla Barényi, Karl Wilfert, Mercedes Ponton, Mercedes W120, Mercedes W18013 Comments on Destined To Shine
One Last Push (Part Two)
DTW concludes its brief history of the post-WW2 rear-engined Renaults.
Renault 8 and 10 models. (c) lautomobileancienne
By 1960 the Renault Dauphine, while still popular, was beginning to look somewhat dated. The front-wheel-drive Renault 4 was at an advanced stage of development and would be launched in 1961. This would be the first of four identically formatted models, with engines mounted longitudinally behind the front axle, the gearbox placed in front, necessitating a gear lever mounted high on the dashboard, with the linkage passing over the engine.
The 4 would be followed by the large 16 in 1965, the mid-size 6 in 1968, and the supermini 5 in 1972. All would be hatchback designs with five doors, apart from the 5, which would initially be available only as a three-door.
Notwithstanding these plans, Renault still believed there was life in the rear-engined saloon layout and set about to Continue reading "One Last Push (Part Two)"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 19 Oct 2020 22 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Marques, Renault, The IndustryTags 1956 Renault Dauphine, 1962 Renault 8, 1965 Renault 10, 2014 Renault Twingo28 Comments on One Last Push (Part Two)
Act of Defiance
Amid the Pandemic's height, a reminder of a more resilient time.
There is a certain perverse satisfaction in driving what in automotive terms amounts to an old shoe. Banger, beater, clunker or jalopy – whatever term you prefer, once a car reaches a certain level of decrepitude, the keeper soon realises that not only is there no route back, but that they have been released – freed from the grinding tyranny of upkeep. It is now possible to Continue reading "Act of Defiance"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 18 Oct 2020 18 Oct 2020 Categories Marques, Oddities & Sightings, Opinion, VolkswagenTags 1996 VW Passat B5, Ferdinand Piech, Volkswagen Passat17 Comments on Act of Defiance
Some German Car News
A man walks into a bierhalle… hilarity ensues.
The Posaidon G. (c) Autocar
The English language can be difficult enough to understand for those born to it – what chance the hapless non-native speaker dicing with the contrafibularities of cultural differences? How perfidious, Albion.
Comedy is a difficult mare to ride – relevance at risk to hosts of material becoming lost in translation. Anglophile German comedian, Henning Wehn, by example, once extoled upon the difficulties of learning such English idiosyncratic words as Gubbins (meaning possessions or the antecedent to 'thing-y'). Contrary to that hackneyed old saw, our German friends are not only adept at comedy, they can also mine that more difficult vein of irony for good measure, as a (fairly) recent trawl through AutoCropley laid abundantly and amusingly bare.
In no particular order, since comedy can be dark just as well as light hearted, we look to our Stuttgart stooges, Mercedes-Benz and their G-Wagen. Well, not directly, since the German tuning firm, Posaidon (their spelling) have deemed it necessary to Continue reading "Some German Car News"
Author Andrew MilesPosted on 17 Oct 2020 16 Oct 2020 Categories Car Culture, Marques, Mercedes-Benz, OpinionTags Autocar, Borgward BX7, Gorden Wagener, Mercedes G-Wagen, Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S7 Comments on Some German Car News
One Last Push (Part One)
Today DTW remembers Renault's post-WW2 series of rear-engined cars.
1954 Renault 4CV Brochure (c) autoweek.com
The post-war worldwide success of the Volkswagen Beetle* encouraged manufacturers as diverse as Fiat, NSU, Renault, Rootes, Skoda, ZAZ and even General Motors to emulate its mechanical layout, with varying fortunes. In doing so, many appeared to miss the point that the Beetle was successful despite rather than because of its rear-engined layout.
A rear-engined design typically involves many compromises with regard to packaging for luggage space, engine accessibility and cooling, and handling and stability. The smaller the car, the less important these compromises are, but the layout becomes increasingly unviable as the design becomes larger and more powerful. Porsche spent the best part of sixty years engineering out the instability** caused by having a heavy weight mounted aft of the rear axle on the 911, while General Motors suffered huge reputational damage because of claims of dangerous instability made about the rear-engined Mk1 Chevrolet Corvair.
During WW2, Renault was controlled by the occupying German forces and was under orders to build only military and commercial vehicles in support of the Third Reich's war effort. Renault's Director of Design, Fernand Picard, anticipated that, after the war, France would need a small and economical car to Continue reading "One Last Push (Part One)"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 16 Oct 2020 16 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Marques, Renault, The IndustryTags 1946 Renault 4CV, 1956 Renault Dauphine, 1958 Renault Caravelle, 1958 Renault Floride, 1961 Renault Ondine28 Comments on One Last Push (Part One)
Talent Borrows
Did the Deauville's somewhat over-familiar appearance ensure it would be the second rarest De Tomaso of all? We investigate.
de Tomaso Deauville. (c) classic-driver
The early 1970s (prior to 1974 at least) proved to be something of an Indian summer for the European exotic car businesses. Demand for exclusive hand-built GTs was brisk, both in Europe and especially in North America, and for those ateliers who lacked the wherewithal (or the inclination) to engineer their own power units, there was a ready supply of powerful and proven engines to be obtained and repurposed from the major OEMs in Detroit.
For specialist carmakers such as Bristol and Jensen Cars in the UK, Iso in Italy and Monteverdi in Switzerland, this would prove to be a godsend, until the oil taps were turned off at least. Another fledgling exotic carmaker was that of De Tomaso, headed by Argentinian businessman and ace deal-maker Alejandro de Tomaso. Having taken over the struggling carrozzeria Ghia concern in 1967, he approached Ford with a proposal to Continue reading "Talent Borrows"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 15 Oct 2020 15 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, De Tomaso, MarquesTags 1976 Maserati Kyalami, Alejandro De Tomaso, Anniversary Waltz, Class of 1970, De Tomaso Deauville, De Tomaso Longchamps22 Comments on Talent Borrows
In today's instalment, Andrew gets up close and personal with his Nimrod.
All images – the author.
Waves arrive in many forms; tidal, sound, shock, metaphysical even. Relating to my recent motor purchase, all of these and more were felt, some stronger than others. All made an impact, some longer lasting than others. Ownership (counted in minutes ) can be compared to a stone's impact in water. The ripple effect: having apart from thirty two years behind a steering wheel, hardly any road testing experience – no car swopping auto journalist am I.
Yet perched on sumptuous leather, the view of that long bonnet out front, the rear in another post code, I felt a swell inside. A comforting sense of justification, an encompassing sense of the surreal – a car detached from reality, in my grasp. Disturbing waves are calmed, replaced by mellifluous currents. And this merely driving away from the Lamborghini hard standing.
Electing to foreswear the entire journey home on motorways by heading off piste provided an opportunity to allow the inner Setright to Continue reading "Sinusoidal"
Author Andrew MilesPosted on 14 Oct 2020 14 Oct 2020 Categories Marques, Our Cars, Road Tests & Impressions, VolvoTags 2016 Volvo S90, Long Term Test, Max Missoni, Volvo S9010 Comments on Sinusoidal
Forgotten Hero
Overshadowed by both its predecessor and successor, the 1990 E36 generation BMW 3 Series celebrates its thirtieth birthday this year, but will anyone turn up for the party?
BMW E36 Saloon. (c) autoevolution
By the late 1980's, the E30 generation 3-Series, although still popular and well liked, was beginning to look (and feel) distinctly old fashioned. The E30 had been in production since 1982 and was, stylistically, a careful update of the 1975 E21 original. The 1986 E32 7 Series and 1988 E34 5 Series had introduced a new and more dynamic style for BMW. It was time for the 3 Series to follow suit.
The E36 was launched in October 1990 in four-door saloon form, followed shortly by a two-door coupé version. The design was credited to Pinky Lai and Boyke Boyer. The coupé represented a break with 3 Series tradition for BMW: the E30 two-door was a saloon that shared its profile and most body panels with its four-door sibling, while the E21 was produced in two-door saloon* form only.
With the E36, the saloon and coupé shared no external body panels. The saloon's doors were one-piece pressings incorporating window frames that covered the A-pillars and concealed the roof drip-rails. The coupé instead employed frameless door glasses. Even items one might expect to Continue reading "Forgotten Hero"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 13 Oct 2020 12 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, BMW, MarquesTags 1990 BMW E36, 1995 BMW Z3, BMW 3-Series, BMW 3-series compact, Class of 199038 Comments on Forgotten Hero
Stuck In Neutral
How Billancourt was presented with an unexpected proposal for an ultra-basic car, not by the product committee, but from the mighty French labour union.
Renault Neutral proposal. (c) Conceptcarz com
The mid eighties were tough times for Renault. Georges Besse had become CEO in January 1985 and was confronted with an alarming financial situation: between 1984 and 1985 losses were spiralling – amounting to in the region of 10 billion Francs. Furthermore, the alliance in the USA with American Motors was costing enormous amounts of money, with little headway to show for in return. In an effort to Continue reading "Stuck In Neutral"
Author brrrrunoPosted on 12 Oct 2020 11 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, Marques, RenaultTags 1961 Renault 4, Georges Besse, Louis Renault, Raymond Lévy, Renault SuperCinq8 Comments on Stuck In Neutral
Under the Knife – When You Should Just Let Things Be
When it comes to facelifts, it's best to know when to stop.
Assuming one was in possession of the requisite grasp of Italian, it would have been fascinating to have sat in on the product planning meetings at Portello, when Alfa Romeo's strategists were initially scoping the 1972 Alfetta saloon. Because, looking at it from the distance of close to half a century, it's difficult to ascertain where this model was intended to fit into the existing model hierarchy. Sitting above the by then rather elderly 105-Series Giulia, but below the latter's closely related 1750/2000 Berlina sibling, the Alfetta was an entirely new model, with the potential to Continue reading "Under the Knife – When You Should Just Let Things Be"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 11 Oct 2020 11 Oct 2020 Categories Alfa Romeo, Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, Facelifts Theme, MarquesTags 1972 Alfa Romeo Alfetta, 1973 Alfa Romeo Alfetta review, Alfa Romeo 116-Series Giulietta, Alfa Romeo Alfetta Berlina, Under the Knife24 Comments on Under the Knife – When You Should Just Let Things Be
When Good Enough Just Wasn't Enough
Once ubiquitous on our roads, the 1979 Kadett D / Astra Mk1, GM Europe's first front-wheel-drive car, is long forgotten and sadly overlooked, even here at DTW. Belatedly, we celebrate its 40th birthday.
1979 Opel Kadett four-door and five-door (c) wheelsage.org
There was considerable ballyhoo when Ford unveiled its first FWD Escort in September 1980. Few now remember that Opel actually beat Ford by a whole year in the switch to FWD for its C-Segment stalwart, the Kadett. Moreover, the Kadett D became the Vauxhall Astra in March 1980, replacing the geriatric Viva.
It was not the first badge-engineered Vauxhall with no sheet-metal differences to its Opel sibling. That dubious honour goes to the 1978 Royale saloon and coupé, better known as the Opel Senator and Monza. That said, the Astra Mk1 did mark the end of Vauxhall's design and engineering independence from its German cousin. In future all GM Europe siblings would Continue reading "When Good Enough Just Wasn't Enough"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 10 Oct 2020 8 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Marques, Opel / VauxhallTags 1979 Opel Kadett D, 1980 Vauxhall Astra Mk1, Class of '7955 Comments on When Good Enough Just Wasn't Enough
Driven, Written: Work Conquers All
Continuing our Foundation Course in Dacia Studies, a DTW writer examines the outgoing model's textual significances through a year and a half of real-life experience of a Sandero 1.0 Sce75.
Gérard Detourbet 1946-2019. Image: The Hindu Business Line
I have so far yet to drive a Logan or Duster, but over the last eighteen months I've run up lots of Sandero miles. Does it keep Louis Schweitzer and Gérard Detourbet's vision alive?
Our Sandero was a collegiate purchase, and democratic principles applied. My favoured choice of car is made in the factory which gave us the Alfasud, but I was outvoted. FCA's lack of regard for EuroNCAP ratings did not help my cause. Grim commerce and rules of procurement prevailed and we were treated to this ageing star of the developing world's carmaking industry. Continue reading "Driven, Written: Work Conquers All"
Author Robertas ParazitasPosted on 9 Oct 2020 7 Oct 2020 Categories Dacia, Marques, Our Cars, Road Tests & ImpressionsTags 2004 Dacia Logan, 2007 Dacia Sandero, 2015 Dacia Sandero, road test17 Comments on Driven, Written: Work Conquers All
Am I Gonna Make It, Doc?
Well son, there's good news and bad news…
2021 XF. Image: autonxt
It has been a busy week at Gaydon, with Jaguar Land Rover's PR machine being cranked into renewed operation following a brief hiatus. The news this week is what one might best describe as mixed. But since most news items these days are of the most demoralising variety, let us first Continue reading "Am I Gonna Make It, Doc?"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 8 Oct 2020 8 Oct 2020 Categories Current Affairs, Jaguar, Marques, OpinionTags History Repeating, Jaguar F-pace, Jaguar XE, Jaguar XF, JLR, JLR Ingenium Engines, Thierry Bolloré55 Comments on Am I Gonna Make It, Doc?
Scandinavian Flick
The DTW fleet gains a new entrant.
Humans: funny creatures with emotions, feelings and urges. What was the divining moment, the will to leap from a car I've known and enjoyed for nearly five years to one that could be respectfully called a Swedish Bentley? A feeling named ennui – my Octavia was perfectly fine – but that was then. Could it be vanity coming a' calling, age related issues (knees, back) maybe, appealing to more sybaritic senses, or could it be boiled down to simply wanting a change?
Even with regular washing and polishing, the Škoda sparkle had waned. I've compared the feelings I underwent, for no-one forced this issue upon me, to that of a seasoned motor racing driver. Not necessarily a champion, but one in need of a new direction, a fresh challenge with an unfamiliar team, and, most importantly, a new steed. With change, different objectives could be sought out. The daily commute might remain constant but the excitement could be enhanced, surely?
The decision to Continue reading "Scandinavian Flick"
Author Andrew MilesPosted on 6 Oct 2020 5 Oct 2020 Categories Marques, Our Cars, VolvoTags 2016 Volvo S90, Long Term Test, Skoda Octavia, Volvo S9041 Comments on Scandinavian Flick
Analysing three different takes on the personal luxury car of 1963.
The personal luxury car is a uniquely American phenomenon; its closest cousin in concept would have been the European GT, but this transatlantic specimen was a larger, softer (but on a straight piece of road not necessarily slower) breed. There is a fairly general consensus that Ford was the first to Continue reading "Getting Personal"
Author brrrrunoPosted on 5 Oct 2020 4 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Brochures Theme, Buick, Ford North America, General Motors North America, Marques, StudebakerTags 1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner, Brochures Theme, Buick Riviera, Ford Thunderbird, Jaguar and Thunderbird, Studebaker Avanti18 Comments on Getting Personal
Beavering Away
Hard to believe now, but the 1968 Escort required an explanation.
Image: silodrome
The 105E Anglia was not by any standards a bad car. In fact, it was rather a good one, especially by the reckoning of the time. It did however arrive at an inconvenient time. By this I mean a point when the tailfin was beginning its inexorable retreat into the history books, albeit one which would happen at considerably slower speed on this side of the Atlantic. Because not only did Europe arrive comparatively late to the tailfin party, it imbibed more sparingly and made its effects last longer; in same cases, well into the 1970s.
The Anglia's appearance was also a somewhat inconvenient one for rivals, BMC, who were themselves releasing an inexpensive small car into the marketplace the same year, leading potential customers to Continue reading "Beavering Away"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 4 Oct 2020 4 Oct 2020 Categories Advertising, Automotive History, Ford Europe, MarquesTags 1974 Ford Escort, Escort, Ford Anglia7 Comments on Beavering Away
Under the Knife – One for the Record Books
The 1977 Opel Rekord E was a spacious, comfortable and practical car. It was also somewhat plain and austere looking. A well-judged facelift changed it for the better.
1977 Opel Rekord E (c) autoevolution.com
The 1971 Opel Rekord D was a finely wrought and handsome design. Penned by Chuck Jordan, a GM 'lifer' and Opel's Head of Design, it successfully melded GM's transatlantic design influences with a clean, almost ascetic European reserve. The beauty was in its smooth, unadorned flanks, elegantly flared elliptical wheel arches, neatly integrated light clusters front and rear, and a total lack of superfluous ornamentation.
By comparison, its Vauxhall Victor FE cousin, released just three months later and sharing its platform and other components, was somewhat heavy-handed and certainly more brash and mid-Atlantic looking. This was tacitly acknowledged by Vauxhall in its advertising, where the FE was nicknamed 'The Transcontinental'. Continue reading "Under the Knife – One for the Record Books"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 3 Oct 2020 3 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, Opel / VauxhallTags 1971 Opel Rekord D, 1977 Opel Rekord E, 1978 Vauxhall Carlton, 1982 Opel Rekord E2, Under the Knife31 Comments on Under the Knife – One for the Record Books
Anastasis
We examine the death and afterlife of the Triumph Stag.
Image: wallpaperup
Some cars are easier to write about than others. Failures in particular exert a stronger grip upon the imagination, better lending themselves to narrative. However, despite falling into the latter category, the Triumph Stag is a car which almost defies classification. Because, while there is little doubt about its status as both commercial failure and potential ownership nightmare, its story has been told and retold so many times that one struggles to Continue reading "Anastasis"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 2 Oct 2020 3 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, British Leyland, Marques, TriumphTags 1963 Triumph 2000, 1970 Triumph Stag, Anniversary Waltz, Class of 1970, Triumph 2500, Triumph Stag33 Comments on Anastasis
Kiwi? Czech!
From Bradford via Mlada Boleslav to Middle Earth – DTW takes a circuitous (if scenic) narrative route.
All images (c) Škoda Storyboard.com
The story of an expatriate entrepreneur from Blighty by the name of Arthur Turner, who created an Aoterean automotive empire from a milk delivery business is an unlikely one, but stranger things have probably happened in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Free from governmental import license fees, the Jowett Bradford van delivering that milk proved the spark that lit the Turner flame. Soon enough, the Javelin landed on Kiwi soil, along with Turner's new facilities to make them there, sadly just as the Bradford firm hit the skids.
Turner sought out a deal with Heinrich Nordhoff who insisted VW could Continue reading "Kiwi? Czech!"
Author Andrew MilesPosted on 1 Oct 2020 1 Oct 2020 Categories Automotive History, Marques, Oddities & Sightings, Skoda, The IndustryTags New Zealand, Skoda Octavia, Trekka9 Comments on Kiwi? Czech!
Sandero Luminoso: Dacia's 2021 Debutants
Is the real-world automotive success of the 21st century the ingenious and ubiquitous Dacia family? DTW's Sandero-driving Dacia-agnostic analyses the all-new Sandero and Logan. Can they sustain the irresistible rise of the Franco-Romanian phenomenon?
Image: Automobile Dacia S.A
Have eight years really passed since Dacia launched the second generation Sandero at the Paris Mondial in 2012? It must be so. My calendar still has the show dates marked in, a vain act of hope in The Year That Was Cancelled.
In 2012 we not only saw the new Sandero, but also an unannounced and unexpected New Logan, effectively a Sandero with a 45mm wheelbase stretch and a capacious boot. The Logan made rational sense but had none of the original's characterful presentation. Eight years on some Dacia assembly locations still Continue reading "Sandero Luminoso: Dacia's 2021 Debutants"
Author Robertas ParazitasPosted on 30 Sep 2020 30 Sep 2020 Categories Current Affairs, Dacia, Marques, Opinion, The IndustryTags 2007 Dacia Sandero, 2018 Dacia Duster, Renault, Renault Clio35 Comments on Sandero Luminoso: Dacia's 2021 Debutants
Curtain Call (Part 8)
Concluding our tour of some of the Eastern Bloc's unrealised dreams
(c) Spoki.lv/ Autowp.ru
Moskvitch 2139 Arbat, 1989 and Istra, 1991
The rising popularity of the minivan during the eighties prompted Moskvitch to explore the possibilities of creating their own version, development starting in 1987. The result shown two years later was a seven seater named 2139 Arbat styled by Alexander Kulugin's AZLK design team; the A- and B-pillar treatment by coincidence appearing somewhat similar to the more recent Skoda Roomster.
Featuring a sliding door on the passenger side, front seats that could Continue reading "Curtain Call (Part 8)"
Author brrrrunoPosted on 29 Sep 2020 28 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, Marques, Skoda, The IndustryTags Iron Curtain, Moskvitch cars, Russian Motor Industry, Skoda Favorit13 Comments on Curtain Call (Part 8)
Against all Odds (Part Two)
As part of Groupe Renault, Dacia has carved out a distinctive niche as a manufacturer of competent if unexceptional budget vehicles. Today we examine how this strategy has evolved over the past twenty years.
2018 Dacia Duster Mk2 (c) Dacia UK
In 1997 Renault Chairman and CEO Louis Schweitzer visited Russia to gain an understanding of the market and Renault's prospects there. To his surprise, he established that the ancient Fiat 124-based Lada was market leader despite its antiquity. The prime reason for this was its bargain price, equivalent to US $6,000 when the cheapest Renault sold in Russia cost twice that.
Flying back to France, Schweitzer set down the requirements for the design of a basic but not minimal modern car which could be sold profitably worldwide at the Lada's price of $6,000 (€5,000). His brief, written on an airline napkin, stated the basic tenets in three words: modern, reliable, affordable, with the codicil that "everything else is negotiable."
Long serving Renault R&D manager Gérard Detourbet, was given the task of developing a car to meet Schweitzer's brief. Led by Detourbet, engineering teams in France and Romania would first Continue reading "Against all Odds (Part Two)"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 28 Sep 2020 27 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Dacia, Marques, RenaultTags 2004 Dacia Logan, 2007 Dacia Sandero, 2010 Dacia Duster, 2012 Dacia Dokker, 2012 Dacia Lodgy, 2017 Dacia Duster19 Comments on Against all Odds (Part Two)
This is the Time and this is the Record of the Time
Car advertisements offer a snapshot of a different time. Welcome to a vision of Italy – mid-'70s style.
Image: Author's collection
Today's visual meditation rests upon that perennial DTW favourite, featuring press ads for two of the more indulgent offerings from Lancia's abundant Beta family. These were expensively shot advertisements featuring high production values, and targeted at a discerning audience. During the 1970s, (before it all unravelled for them) Lancia's UK importers spent a sizeable portion of their ad budget with publishers, Conde Nast, between full-page colour ads like these, and multi-page spreads made in conjunction with a fashion house(s) of choice.
The product planning meetings for the Beta programme must have been interesting. Given the breath-taking scope of what they eventually went with, one has to Continue reading "This is the Time and this is the Record of the Time"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 27 Sep 2020 26 Sep 2020 Categories Advertising, Car Culture, Lancia, Marques, OpinionTags 1972 Lancia Beta, 1973-1984 Lancia Beta coupe, Carrozzeria Pininfarina, Carrozzeria Zagato, Lancia Beta19 Comments on This is the Time and this is the Record of the Time
Under the Knife – Racing Certainty
Despite being an all-conquering touring car champion, the Alfa Romeo 155 wasn't the commercial or critical success its masters intended. But a subtle, if significant facelift salved its reputation.
1992 Alfa Romeo 155. Image: pistonudos
Despite its long-in-the-tooth underpinnings and carryover passenger compartment, the Alfa Romeo 75 became a relatively successful and well-regarded sporting saloon until its commercial demise in 1992. The ultimate evolution of the 116-series which made its production debut with the 1972 Alfetta, the 75 excised many (if not all) of the earlier models' inherent design flaws – most notably a lengthy, tortuous and unwieldy gear linkage owing to its rear transaxle layout.
In 1986, Fiat Auto acquired the Alfa Romeo business from the state-owned body who had been administering it in ever-decreasing circles, and with a successor to the 75 by then a priority, the 167-series 155 model was hastily developed, entering production in 1992 at the former Alfa Sud plant at Pomigliano d'Arco in Campania. Continue reading "Under the Knife – Racing Certainty"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 26 Sep 2020 26 Sep 2020 Categories Alfa Romeo, Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, Facelifts Theme, MarquesTags Alfa Romeo 155, Alfa Romeo 156, Ermanno Cressoni, Facelifts, IDEA institute, Under the Knife28 Comments on Under the Knife – Racing Certainty
Against all Odds (Part One)
Before it became part of Groupe Renault, Dacia survived enormous political, social and economic upheavals to remain in business for over thirty years. Today we look back at its remarkable history.
The first Dacia 1100 being presented to Nicholae Ceauşescu (c) autoevolution.com
Although subsumed into the vast political monolith of the Soviet Union following the Second World War, the countries that were signatories to the Warsaw Pact tried to maintain at least a veneer of independence from their Soviet masters. In the vanguard of resistance was Romania. Nicholae Ceaușescu, who became the country's leader in 1965, refused to participate in and openly criticised the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Ceaușescu's independence of mind initially won him widespread support at home and he leveraged this to Continue reading "Against all Odds (Part One)"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 25 Sep 2020 24 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Dacia, Marques, RenaultTags 1969 Dacia 1300, 1969 Renault 12, Oltcit20 Comments on Against all Odds (Part One)
Welcome to the Machine (Part One)
How does one follow up a classic?
Image: Practical Classics
In the Spring of 1973, English progressive rock band Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon, their eighth studio LP and their most ambitious to date. With tracks which flowed seamlessly, replete with cinematic sound effects, soul choirs, disembodied voices and a song-set which dealt with issues of success, the march of time and mental illness, the conceptual double album became one of best selling, most critically acclaimed and best loved progressive rock LPs of the 20th century – still cited as an all-time classic.
Two years later, the band released their follow-up. Wish you Were Here continued many of the themes explored in the earlier recording, but in more developed form. Predominantly a tribute to founder-member Syd Barrett, who had had become estranged from the band following a mental breakdown in 1968, possibly related to drug use. Less acclaimed than Dark Side, it has for many years languished in its shadow, only latterly being hailed in its own right.
Officially introduced two days prior to the Floyd's 1975 opus, Jaguar's XJ-S was also a reprise of a much-loved original. In a similar manner, fans of sporting Jaguars, not to mention the gentlemen of the press were beside themselves in anticipation of how Browns Lane would Continue reading "Welcome to the Machine (Part One)"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 24 Sep 2020 14 Dec 2020 Categories Automotive History, Jaguar, MarquesTags 1976 Jaguar XJ-S, Anniversary Waltz, Class of '75, Jaguar XJ-S, Jim Randle, Malcolm Sayer27 Comments on Welcome to the Machine (Part One)
Handmade In Chile
We examine Škoda's short-lived South American assembly operation.
One from the museum. (c) Škoda-storyboard.com
The country with the elongated coastline and rugged backbone consisting of the Andes mountain range is hardly renowned as a hot bed of car production. But true to form, Škoda found an infinitesimally small opening to make all but a handful of cars amidst the dusty plains of Chile, some fifty years ago.
Bohuslav Čtvrtečka, who shall from this point be named BC, began his working life at Škoda's Kvasiny plant as a welder, progressing to head the welding shop in a little under ten years. Keen, knowledgeable and highly proficient in the construction of the then ten year old Octavia Estate, an offer was made to BC to Continue reading "Handmade In Chile"
Author Andrew MilesPosted on 23 Sep 2020 22 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Marques, People & Profiles, Skoda, The Industry12 Comments on Handmade In Chile
More Equal than Others (Part Two)
Concluding our retrospective on the vehicles that served the Soviet apparatus of state.
1953 GAZ ZIM-12 (c) likegarage.com
Beneath the imperious ZIS and ZIL limousines, sat the ZIM-12, manufactured by GAZ* between 1950 and 1960. This was a full-size saloon with pleasant styling influenced by contemporary American designs. It was powered by a 3.5 litre in-line six-cylinder engine producing a claimed 95bhp and weighed 1.9 tonnes. Unlike its successors, it was notionally available for private citizens to purchase but its price, at 2.5 times the cost of the GAZ Pobeda mid-size saloon, put it out of reach of all but the most prosperous.
There was no significant development of the ZIM-12 during its decade on sale, but it was hastily renamed GAZ-12 in 1957. The 'M' in ZIM was a tribute to Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, the USSR's powerful Stalinist Foreign Minister. When Molotov lost a power struggle with Nikita Khrushchev in May 1957 and was deposed, his Continue reading "More Equal than Others (Part Two)"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 22 Sep 2020 21 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, GAZ, Marques, The IndustryTags 1946 GAZ Pobeda M20, 1950 GAZ ZIM-12, 1956 GAZ Volga M21, 1957 GAZ-12, 1958 GAZ Chaika M13, 1970 GAZ-24 Volga, 1977 GAZ Chaika M14, 1982 GAZ 3102 Volga, 1985 GAZ 24-10 Volga, 1992 GAZ 30129 Volga, 1997 GAZ 3110 Volga, 2004 GAZ 31105 Volga, 2008 GAZ Volga Siber, Russian Motor Industry17 Comments on More Equal than Others (Part Two)
A penultimate look back at unrequited automotive dreams from the former USSR and its COMECON satellites.
FSO Ogar. Image: Auto Swiat.pl
FSO Ogar, 1977
This four-seater Sports Coupé concept based on Polski-Fiat 125P mechanicals was styled by Cézary Nawrot. The rear end bears a faint
resemblance to the Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato, while the bumpers appear Volvo-esque, but otherwise the look seems quite original, if not exactly
beautiful to most eyes. The body was constructed from a laminate combination of epoxy resin and fiberglass.
An intriguing aspect of the Ogar is that the large bumpers and prominent sidemarker lights were fitted in order to Continue reading "Curtain Call (Part 7)"
Author brrrrunoPosted on 21 Sep 2020 20 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, FSO, GAZ, Marques, Skoda, The Industry, WartburgTags 1978 FSO Polonez, Eastern Bloc cars, FSO 125p, Moskvitch Aleko, Russian Motor Industry10 Comments on Curtain Call (Part 7)
Mezza Berlina
Fiat's mid-Sixties compact saloon range was as convoluted as anything BMC could have contrived. Today we examine the 125 series.
1967 Fiat 125 berlina. (c) wheelsage
Looking back through a dusty prism at Fiat Auto's fifty-year old product planning decisions is unlikely to be fruitful – more likely to result in no more but a set of dubious assumptions and erroneous conclusions. Bearing this in mind and treading wearily by consequence, I propose we Continue reading "Mezza Berlina"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 20 Sep 2020 20 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Fiat, Marques, OpinionTags 1966 Fiat 124, 1972 Fiat 132, Fiat 125, Fiat 1500, FSO 125p21 Comments on Mezza Berlina
Under the Knife – Don't mention the War
During its thirteen-year lifespan, Fiat's D-segment saloon went under the knife on four different occasions, with varying degrees of success.
Take one. (c) autoevolution
The Fiat 132 was launched in 1972 to replace the 125 Berlina. The latter, although a pleasant enough car, had always suffered somewhat from the inaccurate perception that it was little more than a Fiat 124 in a party frock. Both cars shared the same doors and passenger compartment but the 125 had longer front and rear ends and an 85mm (3.5") longer wheelbase, courtesy of a platform carried over from its predecessor, the Fiat 1500. This allowed the rear seat to be pushed back slightly to liberate a little more legroom. Notwithstanding the similarity to its smaller sibling, the 125 achieved over 600,000 sales during its five year production life.
With the 132, Fiat wanted to Continue reading "Under the Knife – Don't mention the War"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 19 Sep 2020 18 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Car Styling and Design, Facelifts Theme, Fiat, MarquesTags 1972 Fiat 132, 1977 Fiat 132, 1981 Fiat Argenta, Dante Giacosa, Fiat 12541 Comments on Under the Knife – Don't mention the War
Blues for Ceaușescu
Quai de Javel's final act, or simply its slightly underpolished Craiovian cousin? We examine the Oltcit.
Oltcit Club. (c) autobible.euro.cz
Given its geographical location, it probably wasn't all that surprising that once-independent Romania would end up as part of Russia's collection of Warsaw Pact satellites once the post world war II dust settled.
By the early 1970s, Romania's communist government was led by Nicolae Ceaușescu. Outwardly an internationalist, acting with considerable independence from Moscow, the Romanian leader seemed intent on building up the country's soft power, influence and economic strength on the international stage. However, for those inside the country, he was simply another self-obsessed, exploitative and repressive dictator.
As part of Ceaușescu's plan to Continue reading "Blues for Ceaușescu"
Author Eóin DoylePosted on 17 Sep 2020 18 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Citroën, MarquesTags 1970 Citroen GS, 1986 Citroen AX, Citroen Axel, citroen dyane, Citroen LN, Citroen Visa, Class of 1980, Jean Giret, Oltcit23 Comments on Blues for Ceaușescu
More Equal than Others (Part One)
DTW recalls the vehicles that served the apparatus of state in the former Soviet Union.
Leonid Brezhnev in a 1962 ZIL-111G Parade Car (c) rusmed-forever.ru
One of the many paradoxes of the Soviet Union was its tightly controlled and rigidly hierarchical society. The Bolsheviks who led the 1917 Russian Revolution dreamt of an egalitarian nirvana where ordinary workers would collectively govern the country through grassroots councils known as Soviets. No more would Russia be ruled by a hereditary monarchy, aristocracy and wealthy capitalist business leaders, all exploiting the proletariat. Instead, the new leaders would be servants of the people, appointed to execute their collective will.
Of course, it did not work out like that at all. As early as 1917, the Bolsheviks established a secret police force known as the Cheka, to root out enemies of the people: counter-revolutionaries who would seek to re-establish the old order, or even those who, while broadly supporting the new regime, might seek to Continue reading "More Equal than Others (Part One)"
Author Daniel O'CallaghanPosted on 16 Sep 2020 17 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Current Affairs, Marques, ZIS/ZILTags 1946 ZIS-110, 1958 ZIL-111, 1962 ZIL-111G, 1969-ZIL-114, 1978 ZIL-4104, 1985 ZIL-41047, 2012 ZIL-4112R, Leonid Brezhnev, Russian Motor Industry13 Comments on More Equal than Others (Part One)
Beautiful Vision – Evolution of the Jowett Javelin (Part 6)
To the bright side of the road – The Jowett Javelin meets the world
Image: Jowett Car Company
In little more than a year, the Javelin emerged as a production debutante and established itself as one of the brightest stars of a reawakening British motor industry. Charles Callcott Reilly, Jowett's swashbuckling joint Managing Director, had made an extraordinary effort to Continue reading "Beautiful Vision – Evolution of the Jowett Javelin (Part 6)"
Author Robertas ParazitasPosted on 15 Sep 2020 14 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, Jowett, Marques, Technology & EngineeringTags Gerald Palmer, Jowett Javelin, Jowett Jupiter16 Comments on Beautiful Vision – Evolution of the Jowett Javelin (Part 6)
A further peek through the iron curtain, courtesy of Bruno Vijverman, taking in the GDR, Czechoslovakia, Poland and mother Russia herself.
Trabant P610. (c) trabantegyegy.uw/ hupommerngreif.de
Trabant P610 1974
Powered by an 1100cc Škoda engine, this was yet another failed attempt, started early in 1974- to replace the old P601. Four P610 prototypes were made, of which at least one has survived. In November 1979 the SED
(Socialist Unity party of Germany) ordered Trabant manufacturer, VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke to Continue reading "Curtain Call (Part 6)"
Author brrrrunoPosted on 14 Sep 2020 13 Sep 2020 Categories Automotive History, FSO, Marques, Skoda, Technology & Engineering, The IndustryTags 1978 FSO Polonez, Moskvitch Aleko, Skoda 105, Trabant18 Comments on Curtain Call (Part 6)
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Devi Prasad Shetty is the chairman and the Founder of Narayana HrudayalayaHealth. Devi Shetty is a cardiac surgeon and an Indian philanthropist. His contribution for the healthcare has listed him for the best contributions towards the country. He is best known for providing affordable services in the field of healthcare. He is named the best surgeon for operating more than 15,000 heart operations.He is also one of the seven-member panels of Board of Governors which replaced the MCI.He is known as the Henry Ford of heart surgery by the Wall Street Journal.
Devi was born on 8th May 1953 in Kinnigoli village in Karnataka, India. He was among the 8 siblings in his family. His inspiration was a South African surgeon who had performed the world's first heart transplant. He completed his graduation in Medicine and post-graduation in General Surgery from Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore. He went UK and was trained by Guy's Hospital as a cardiac surgeon. He came back to India and worked at B.M. Birla Hospital in Kolkata. He first performed neonatal heart surgery for a 9 year boy 'Ronnie' which was named a successful cardiac surgery in the medical history. This operation was performed in the year 1992. He was also held for operating Mother Teresa when she had a heart attack. He served as a personal Physician for her. He started working in the Manipal Heart Foundation at Manipal Hospital in Bangalore. His advice for a better heart is brisk walk and a balanced food.
He founded the Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH) which was a multi-specialty hospital in Bommasandra on the outskirts of Bangalore. This hospital is the largest hospital in the world with 1000 beds. Along with cardiac surgery, the hospital also contains neurosurgery, paediatric surgery, haematology and transplant services. The hospital has procured two golf carts. These are driven by women as Devi thinks if a women earns money, she spends it whole for the family. Women empowerment is very important in his perspective.His vision was to reduce the costs by 50 percent serving the people in the country by adopting the idea of economic scale. In 2012, he had a joint venture agreement withTriMedx which was a subsidiary of Ascension Health.
He founded the Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) in Kolkata. In Karnataka and Gujrat, he is going build a specialty hospital near the Bangalore International Airport. He fulfilled his aim of buildinglow cost 150 bed hospital at Mysore on land provided by Government by his company. He used ventilators rather than air conditioners. The Narayana Hrudayalaya has opened 6 more hospitals to provide high quality treatment at low cost. He is also planning for expanding hospitals in India Africa and other parts of Asia. Their mission has always been providing help for the underprivilegedto bring down the cost of healthcare in the country.
In 2001, he received the Karnataka Ratna award.
In 2002, he was awarded Rajyotsava award.
In 2003, he received Dr. B C Roy award, Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young and Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award.
In 2004, he was conferred with Padma Shri award for Medicine.
In 2005, he was awarded Schwab Foundation's award.
In 2011, he was conferred with the Economist Innovation Awards for the Business process field.
In 2012, he received the Padma Bhushan award for contributions in Medicine,Indian of the year in public sector by CNN-IBN for the year and Entrepreneur of the Year at ET awards.
This entry was posted in D and tagged devi prasad shetty, devi shetty, narayana hrudayalaya health. Bookmark the permalink.


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Many blockchain enthusiasts like to describe the technology as a tool that will allow users to seize self-determination. Meanwhile, one blockchain firm appears poised to play ball with Faure Gnassingbé, who is widely considered to be a dictator.
Two days after announcing that cryptocurrency exchange Binance would, along with partners, "support Uganda's economic transformation and youth employment through blockchain," CEO Changpeng Zhao took to Twitter again to share some news regarding the company's plans for another African state: Togo.
Considering that news of this partnership follows at least one meeting between Zhao and Togo's president, and in light of Zhao's suggestion that Togo could receive billions of dollars' worth of investments as a result, it seems quite likely that Binance's activities in the country will have an additional effect: propping up the presidency of Faure Gnassingbé. This is because, as a partner on the project, the government will presumably have some discretion over at least some of the associated funds.
Togo, a small country of under 8 million, has been under Gnassingbé rule for over 50 years, beginning with a military takeover in 1967 by Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who held power (at least in part through the use of violence) until his death from a heart attack in 2005.
During the power struggle that ensued after his death, some 400 to 500 were killed and thousands of others were injured, according to UN figures, and Togolese refugees in neighboring Ghana and Benin came to number over 30,000.
In the end, the late president's son Faure emerged as the new head of state.
2017 saw a renewed wave of protests, with demonstrators calling for Gnassingbé's resignation and the reinstatement of the 1992 constitution, which placed a two-term limit on presidents. After more than 10 years in power, Gnassingbé appeared intent to follow the example of his father, who had scrapped the law and remained in office in spite of the limit. Demonstrations continued after it was proposed that the term limit be applied to Gnassingbé's presidency beginning in 2020, which would have allowed him to stay in power until as late as 2030. "Hundreds of thousands" of protestors reportedly participated.
In July, before anti-Gnassingbé actions had reached a fever pitch, the government financed a juju ceremony intended to appease the spirits of activists who had been killed over the years, including, apparently, some 28 individuals slain in the early 1990s. According to one participant, the ritual aimed to ensure that "human blood [would] not flow again" in Togo. The state had previously used cash to compensate some victims of political violence.
In one indication of public ire, dozens of women at a September rally in Lomé bared their breasts and/ or dragged their buttocks across the ground, tactics that were meant to "curse" the opponents of their movement.
Outside of Togo, including in Accra and Paris, Togolese and their supporters also staged several protests against Gnassingbé's continued rule.
At least 11 people died as a result of political violence in the country in 2017, including a nine-year-old child and two soldiers. Toward the end of the year, hundreds of Togolese once again sought refuge in Ghana.
ETHNews was unable to confirm the authenticity of social media reports, accompanied by gory images, which claim that government violence against protesters has continued through April 2018.
In some cases, regimes lacking widespread popular support have been able to maintain power through cash injections from outside business interests. Though Zhao has predicted that Binance's work in Togo will be a boon to the country's population, his assessment is not likely to sit well with those Togolese who have been clamoring for an end to the decades-long Gnassingbé dynasty.
The majority of commenters who responded to Zhao's Togo tweets rhapsodized over the announcement. Considering that crypto enthusiasts are known, among other things, for their disdain for autocratic authority, this reaction appears uninformed at best and hypocritical at worst.
I would like, in the name of the president of the republic and of the government, to thank you for the visit that you wanted to make to Lomé between the 18 th and 21st of April. This visit has allowed us to discover the opportunities that your firm, Binance, can offer.
Indeed, following the will of the head of state, the Togolese government has engaged in a vast reform program aimed at creating many jobs, as well as wealth, to improve the people's wellbeing in a lasting way.
It is against this background that Togo wishes to establish a partnership with your company, Binance, with an eye to supporting the economic transformation of our country and bolstering the economic autonomy of young people and women, especially through the use of blockchain technology.
The goal will be to resolutely engage Togo in the fourth industrial revolution in the wake of the digital revolution. Specifically, this partnership will involve developing training programs for the youth to create many jobs for them and attracting important investments.
Also, I would like to kindly ask that you submit to us, along with our teams, documentation that explains and allows us to assess your vision for this training and this partnership.
In reiterating my sincere thanks, I ask you to accept my warmest regards.
Like what you read? Follow us on Twitter @ETHNews_ to receive the latest Binance, Togo or other Ethereum world news.


Let's have a look at the less known shorts from producers, writers and directors of blockbuster animations, which have left their mark on the animation world.
15th Akbank Short Film Festival's international competition jury and the guest of festival's Experiences section, Elite Zexer is one of Israel's important woman directors.
Hazar Ergüçlü will be with us this year for the conversation event "About Acting", to share her experiences.
Talented young writer-director Mehmet Can Mertoğlu is the guest of 15th Akbank Short Film Festival's 'Short to Feature' section.
Akbank Short Film Festival is bringing together shorts from all over the world for its 15th year.
We sat down with the festival director Selim Evci to talk about the festival's journey, changes it went through since its beginning, its evolving international structure as well as his thoughts on what have been going on in the short film field over the course of 15 years.
Here is a small selection of Oscar-winning "live-action" shorts from the days of one vs. two roll categories till today.
Creating music for series and films for a long time, Murat Eving will share his experiences starting with "Sahra" series and extending to NETFLIX America at his talk, Music and Visuality, on 28 March at Akbank Sanat. Before the session, Evgin answered some of our questions.
Blog 56 Shorts Films from 65 Countries A World of Shorts in the Perspective Section!
Featuring a total of 56 funny, sad, tense, fun, unique, striking, and inspiring short films from various geographies all across the world, Perspective section of 14th Akbank Short Film Festival brings together some of the newest films that have toured important festivals, garnering praise and awards.
One of recent Turkish cinema's most talented cinematographers, Feza Çaldıran will be a festival guest not only with the screenings of Onur Saylak's films Orman (The Jungle) and Daha (More), both featured in the festival program, but he will also be participating in a discussion on cinematography within the scope of the festival.


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Die Kathedrale St. Georg oder Georgskathedrale ( oder ) ist die Kathedrale des Erzbistums Bosra, Hauran und Dschabal al-Arab der griechisch-orthodoxen Kirche in as-Suwaida in Syrien.

Geschichte
Das Christentum ist in as-Suwaida, einem seit dem 19. Jahrhundert überwiegend von Drusen geprägten Ort, sehr lange präsent. Die im Gebiet des alten Bistums Bosra lebenden Christen werden auf die Mission des Heiligen Timon zurückgeführt, eines der Siebzig Jünger Jesu  und gleichzeitig eines der Sieben Diakone, die von den zwölf Aposteln ausgewählt wurden , welcher der Überlieferung zufolge als Prediger und erster Bischof in der Provinzhauptstadt Nova Trajana Bostra (heute Bosra) das Evangelium verkündete.

Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts spaltete sich die orthodoxe Kirche, deren Anhänger auch als Melkiten ("Königstreue") bezeichnet wurden, in Teile, die sich weiterhin an Konstantinopel orientierten – Griechisch-Orthodoxe – und solche, die sich an Rom banden – die Griechisch-Katholischen, die weiterhin Melkiten genannt wurden, im Gegensatz zu den Orthodoxen. Auch die orthodoxe Kirche des alten Bistums mit Sitz in Bosra wurden gespalten. Während die griechisch-katholischen Melkiten ihren Bischofssitz in der Mariä-Himmelfahrt-Kathedrale von Chabab einrichteten, war die Kathedrale in Suwaida Sitz des griechisch-orthodoxen Erzbistums Bosra, Hauran und Dschabal al-Arab.

Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts waren im geographischen Gebiet des Erzbistums Bosra, Hauran und Jabal al-Arab nach Angaben des Erzbischofs Esber etwa 55 % der Bevölkerung Christen, womit das Erzbistum von der Anzahl der Gläubigen das größte innerhalb des Griechisch-Orthodoxen Patriarchats von Antiochien war. Wirtschaftliches Elend und politische Konflikte führten zu einer sehr starken Abwanderung. Viele Griechisch-Orthodoxe fanden in Damaskus besonders in den Stadtteilen ad-Duwaila' und Tabbala (Ortsteil, wo die Bekehrung des Paulus stattgefunden haben soll) eine neue Heimat. Im Jahre 2010 lag der Anteil der Christen im Gebiet des Erzbistums bei etwa 2 bis 3 %. Viele der in Damaskus Lebenden kehren in den Sommermonaten nach Suwaida und Umgebung zurück, teils um ihre Felder zu bestellen, teils um sich zu erholen.

Architektur
Die "winzige" Georgskathedrale ist aus schwarzen Basaltsteinen gemauert. Man gelangt in das Gebäude durch eine rechteckige Eingangstür, bei der sich an der Frontseite der Kirche beiderseits jeweils ein rechteckiges Fenster befindet. Auf dem weiß gestrichenen Giebel darüber ist auf einer runden Tafel Georg der Drachentöter dargestellt. Links ist ein großer Turm mit viereckigem Querschnitt, während auf dem Kirchengebäude rechts vom Eingang gesehen ein kleiner, offener Glockenturm steht.

Bistum und Bischof
Der Sitz des Erzbistums Bosra, Hauran und Dschabal al-Arab befindet sich im Stadtzentrum von Suwaida an der Qanawāt-Straße (, Straße der Kanäle). Derzeitiger Erzbischof ist der 1959 in Latakia geborene Saba (Isber) (), der 1998 die Bischofsweihe empfing und 1999 Metropolit wurde.

In der Umgebung von as-Suwaida gibt es sieben christliche Dörfer, und in Charraba und 'Anz waren Ende der 1980er Jahre mehrere Kirchen im Bau oder vor kurzem fertiggestellt.

Das Erzbistum hatte im Jahre 2010 unter den ständig im Gebiet Wohnhaften etwa 20.000 Gläubige (2 bis 3 %) in 32 Parochien. Viele der in jenem Jahr in Damaskus lebenden 130.000 Griechisch-Orthodoxen stammen ursprünglich aus dem Erzbistum in Südsyrien.

Einzelnachweise

Kirchengebäude in Syrien
Kathedrale in Syrien
Orthodoxe Kathedrale
Kirchengebäude (Griechisch-Orthodoxes Patriarchat von Antiochien)
Georgskirche

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Going to Leknes? Find the best month to visit Leknes based on the weather.
Tomorrow's maximum temperature in Leknes is expected to be 8°C.
The 5-day weather forecast for Leknes, Norway is provided by the Swiss meteorological agency, MeteoBlue. Find out more about our data sources.
Below are the detailed weather forecasts for Leknes for the next 5 days.
Below is the Leknes weather forecast for Sunday 21st April 2019. Expect cloudy with some rain in Leknes, Norway with a maximum temperature of 7°C and no hours of bright sunshine. There are 2-5 mm of rainfall expected with 90% chance of some rain and a fresh breeze of 33 kph from the south-west.
Below is the Leknes weather forecast for Monday 22nd April 2019. Expect cloudy with some rain in Leknes, Norway with a maximum temperature of 8°C and no hours of bright sunshine. There are 10-20 mm of rainfall expected with 92% chance of some rain and a moderate breeze of 22 kph from the south-west.
Below is the Leknes weather forecast for Tuesday 23rd April 2019. Expect sunshine and showers in Leknes, Norway with a maximum temperature of 12°C and 7 hours of bright sunshine. There are 0-2 mm of rainfall expected with 30% chance of some rain and a moderate breeze of 22 kph from the south-west.
Below is the Leknes weather forecast for Wednesday 24th April 2019. Expect broken clouds in Leknes, Norway with a maximum temperature of 14°C and 5 hours of bright sunshine. There are 0 mm of rainfall expected and a gentle breeze of 15 kph from the south.
Below is the Leknes weather forecast for Thursday 25th April 2019. Expect clear skies in Leknes, Norway with a maximum temperature of 15°C and 16 hours of bright sunshine. There are 0 mm of rainfall expected and a light breeze of 11 kph from the north-east.


The renowned founder of McAfee Associates (a computer security solutions provider) is not fond of leading a life that befits your typical business executive. John who loves travelling the world, is a huge fan of yoga and loves libertarian is now in Toronto, Canada. He is working with Equibit Development Corporation also known as EDC. Equibit is a firm that specializes in offering security service for the safe issue of shares in companies as well as protection of trades from hacks. The main point is that EDC utilizes decentralized blockchain technology in its operations. John has recently acquired a new position in the ranks of EDC as its chief security officer.
The CEO of EDC, Chris Horlacher said in a statement that the corporation was privileged and happy to work with John McAfee. He added that with the contribution and guidance of John, EDC will proceed in setting the pace with regard to security standard for blockchain services. Chris said the corporation had a similar zeal for IT security as John has and it is that fact that will make the new team soar to great heights.
This news comes at a time when Bitcoin blockchain technology is experiencing an exponential growth in terms of both usage and interest by investors and technology gurus.
For those who are not familiar with blockchain technology, it can be defined as a manner by which data can be structured to act as the foundation of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. The coding comprises of interlocking blocks of transactions that facilitate the sharing of a digital ledger between competitors and a network of computers without having a centralized authority. This makes the ledger resistant to hacks, a fact that has greatly appealed to businesses that major in technological matters. Currently, forty of the leading financial firms are sampling the blockchain technology.
It now seems logical why a guru such as John McAfee would want to involve himself in the security side of blockchain technology. In addition, he has a lot of interest in decentralized power structures. He is an outgoing person as exhibited by his U.S presidential election candidature the other day despite his loss to Gary Whats Aleppo Johnson.


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We prefer a two night minimum stay, but love remaining flexible when we can be. Call us for availability if you are just passing through. A valid credit card is necessary for guaranteeing reservations. Any cancellation of a reservation within 48 hours of the check-in time will result in a $25 charge to the credit card used to make the reservation.
No-Shows apply to any guests who have a reservation, who do not appear on the reservation date of arrival, and who do not provide a proper cancellation notification. No-Shows will be charged a penalty equivalent to the first night room rate and taxes, per room.
Check-in is at 3:00pm, but we realize the importance of your plans, so if you need early or later accomodations, just let us know in advance.
If your departure time does not coincide with your check-out time, please contact our front desk staff. A late check-out fee of $10 per hour will apply.
Celebrating an anniversary or birthday? Let us put a dozen red roses in your room for you! Just email us or call 607-569-2300 with your request and note you'd like on the card. A $45 charge will be added to your bill. Make it a special occasion with roses!
A complimentary continental breakfast service is available in the office lobby area. Breakfast includes: fresh fruit, juice, organic/fair-trade coffee from Sunshine Natural Foods and pastries from Betty Kay Bake Shop.
All rooms are non-smoking. If a guest smokes or allows other occupants of the room to smoke, the guest will be charged a $150 cleaning fee.
For the safety and comfort of all guests, pets are not allowed at the Vinehurst Inn & Suites. The front desk staff will be glad to help you make other arrangements for your pet. If a pet is found on the premises or in a room, the guest will be charged a $150 cleaning fee. Any further damages caused by pets will be charged to the guest's credit card.
We honor American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa. No personal checks are accepted.
A complimentary high-speed WiFi connection is available in your guestroom. The front desk staff will gladly assist you in accessing the complimentary WiFi.
When you visit www.vinehurstinn.com, our stats package from Google collects some basic information about your browser. Examples are things like what type of browser and operating system are you using; how long did you stay on our site; what pages did you look at. This helps us understand how visitors browse our site, so that we can make the reservation experience better. We also collect personal information about you when you make a reservation such as your name, address, zip code, phone number, etc. This information is required to secure a guest reservation and under no circumstances be shared with any third parties or web sites.
All the payment information we collect to create a reservation is done so under SSL - a standard internet security measure. Any data that we store about you is kept behind a secure firewall in our database and is not accessible to the public in any way.


Outstanding opportunity with excellent career development prospects – this is a chance to work for one of the leading manufacturers of technical films and laminates. Joining one of their most profitable flexible packaging divisions, this is a role for an accomplished Sales Account Manager to work with an active territory and an established client base.
Award winning organisation specialising in inspired packaging solutions for technical films and laminates – a company whose pedigree can be quantified by a substantial portfolio of successful business relationships with some of the most well known brands. Operating from multi-site purpose built facilities this is a hugely profitable business that has developed a reputation for reliability and first class service in flexible packaging for the food sector.
As a global employer, this company offers unparalleled career opportunities for ambitious sales professionals.
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(December 12, 2007) The Federation of Law Societies of Canada has been granted leave to intervene at the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of Privacy Commissioner of Canada v. Blood Tribe Department of Health. The issue in the case is whether the Privacy Commissioner of Canada can compel production of documents protected by solicitor-client privilege to verify a claim of privilege being asserted under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA"). Other intervenors include the Canadian Bar Association, the Advocates Society, the AG Canada and the privacy commissioners of a number of provinces. Federation of Law Societies witnesses before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security urged changes to the proposed law establishing Special Advocate regime in security certificate cases. The Supreme Court of Canada order is here. You can download the factum submitted by the Federation here.
(December 4, 2007) The Federation of Law Societies appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security and urged changes to the proposed law establishing Special Advocate regime in security certificate cases. You can download the document submitted by the Federation here.
Posted on November 14, 2007 The Federation of Law Societies of Canada, the representative of the governing bodies of Canada's 95,000 lawyers and 3,500 Quebec notaries, has added its voice to the international outcry over the attack by the Government of Pakistan on the rule of law. In a letter to General Pervez Musharraf, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Federation decried the suspension of Pakistan's constitution, the dismissal of members of the judiciary, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the government's suppression of peaceful protest, and the detention of thousands of individuals. "The rule of law and with it an independent judiciary and an independent bar are cornerstones of democracy. The arrest of hundreds of lawyers, whose duty it is to act as advocates of the rule of law and the proper administration of justice, and the suspension of many members of the judiciary is deeply disturbing," said Michael W. Milani, Q.C., President of the Federation. The Federation encourages the Government of Canada to continue its efforts to persuade President Musharraf to immediately restore the rule of law, reinstate the country's constitution and demonstrate respect for the human rights of the citizens of Pakistan. Our news release is available here. The Federation's letter to Letter to General Pervez Musharraf is here.
Posted May 2, 2007 The Federation of Law Societies of Canada is pleased to provide submissions to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for its study on the recent changes to the process by which judges are appointed by the federal government. The submission is available here.
Posted on March 13, 2007 The Federation of Law Societies of Canada takes great pride in the news that its President, William H. Goodridge, Q.C., has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador. The appointment was announced on March 2, 2007 by the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and was effective immediately.
Posted on March 13, 2007 The Federation of Law Societies of Canada is pleased to announce that following the appointment of William H. Goodridge, Q.C. to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Michael W. Milani, Q.C. of Saskatchewan has been confirmed as President of the Federation. He had previously been Vice President and President-elect. The decision was made at a meeting of the Federation Council on March 9, 2007, during which Council also designated Bâtonnier Stéphane Rivard, Ad. E., of Quebec as President-elect and elected John A. Campion of Ontario as Vice President. Their terms of office continue until the conclusion of the next Annual Meeting of the Federation to be held November 8-10, 2007 in Regina, Saskatchewan.


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What Bill Maher Said About Incredibly Controversial, Jesus-Themed 'Family Guy' Episode Sparks Outrage: 'Serial Anti-Catholic Bigots
"A sure-fire recipe for new lows in tastelessness."
Billy Hallowell
Comedian and television host Bill Maher, center, is joined by animator Seth MacFarlane, left, and broadcaster Larry King after he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Catholic League president Bill Donohue is outraged over comments about Jesus that were made on the Jan. 22 episode of HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher," with Donohue calling Maher and guest Seth MacFarlane "serial anti-Catholic bigots."
In a statement released by the Catholic League this week, Donohue decried the on-air discussion that the two had about "The 2,000-Year-Old Virgin," a controversial 2014 episode of MacFarlane's show, "Family Guy."
"[Y]ou're so lucky that you do cartoons,because the things you get away with in cartoons — I'm so jealous of," Maher told MacFarlane, before going on to discuss the episode in question. "I saw your show and it was a repeat, I know. Jesus was f**king Peter's wife and not only was Jesus f**king Peter's wife, but it was a scam. He was f**king a lot of people's wives."
Maher added, "And this was your Christmas show."
Watch these comments below (caution: strong language):
Donohue made it clear in his statement that he decries this discussion, taking aim at the comedians' past treatment of Christianity.
"When serial anti-Catholic bigots Bill Maher and Seth MacFarlane get together, it is a sure-fire recipe for new lows in tastelessness," he said in a statement. "And that's what we got on HBO last Friday night, as MacFarlane appeared on 'Real Time with Bill Maher.'"
As TheBlaze previously reported, this particular episode of "Family Guy" enraged critics back in 2014 as well. NewsBusters, for one, said that the episode went "above and beyond the usual sacrilege."
Comedian and television host Bill Maher, center, is joined by animator Seth MacFarlane, left, after he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
"The 2,000-Year-Old Virgin" involved "Family Guy" character Peter Griffin, among others, trying to help Christ lose his virginity, according to Christian Today.
"After running into Jesus at the Quahog Mall, Peter is stunned to discover that the Son of God is still a virgin," reads the episode's synopsis. "So, he enlists Quagmire and Cleveland to help him throw Jesus the best birthday ever by finding a way to help him become a man."
At one point during the episode, Jesus has a specific request for Peter regarding his wife Lois, telling him that he wants to lose his virginity to her — a request that the husband agrees to in exchange for a massage chair.
Comedian Bill Maher during his New Year's Eve show at Neal S Blaisdell Concert Hall on December 31, 2013 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (L. Pemoni/Getty Images)
"Look Peter, I know it's a lot to ask, but if it wasn't okay I wouldn't suggest it," Jesus said while trying to convince Peter to agree.
Read more about the episode here.
Donohue encouraged his supporters to contact Time Warner, the owner of HBO, with complaints about the on-air comments from Maher and MacFarlane.
(H/T: Charisma News)
Follow the author of this story on Twitter and Facebook:
Follow @BillyHallowell


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BREAKING NEWS: Armenia Reports Highest Daily Increase In COVID-19 Cases & Deaths.
Today, the Republic of Armenia confirmed 452 new coronavirus cases and 6 new deaths, on Monday, May 25, taking the total number of cases to 7,113, per Armenia's Ministry of Health.
Out of the 7,113 total cases, 3,145 people recovered (81 Today) and 87 patients with underlying health conditions died. The remaining 3,842 are active cases, per Alina Nikoghosyan, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health. To date, 51,584 negative coronavirus tests have been conducted in Armenia, added Nikoghosyan.
The 82nd, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 86th, 87th COVID-19 fatalities were a 85-year-old female, 61-year-old male, 58-year-old male, 69-year-old male, 86-year-old female and 67-year-old male and had pre-existing chronic diseases, , per Alina Nikoghosyan, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health.
Yesterday, Health Minister Arsen Torosyan announced 230 patients are in serious condition, and 52 patients in critical condition.
Today, Deputy Minister of Labor & Social Affairs Zaruhi Batoyan announced that 46 people were tested at the Marie Izmirlian Orphanage, 15 of whom were diagnosed with the coronavirus. 9 are kids of the institution, 6 are employees.
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