BIG SHOW BY CHEVY IN THE LAND OF SMILES
Making its debut at Bangkok’s 24th International Motor Show on March 28 was the Chevrolet Optra mid-sized sedan, a new
1.6 or 1.8-litre offering manufactured at GM’s state-of-the-art Thai plant. The cars, built specifically for the local market
, feature Italian styling by the Pinanfarina design studio coupled with Opel technology.
The Optra was one of 12 vehicles displayed on the Chevrolet stand, which was dominated by nine versions of the Chevrolet Zafira, Thailand’s
first domestically-produced MPV. Again an Opel-derivative, the Zafira comes with a choice of 1.8 or 2.2-litre engines and a highly flexible
seven-seat layout.
Biggest of the Chevys at Bangkok was the Lumina luxury sedan a 3.8-litre model, which is to be imported from Australia when it is introduced
officially in the latter part of the year. Thailand, like Australia, drives on the left, so all these vehicles are offered in RHD form.
For some time RHD conversion kits have been imported into the country from GM by Vattana Auto Sales, enabling them to satisfy a niche local
market for luxury vehicles. Full-size Chevy Blazers, G20 dayvans, four-wheel-drive Astrovans, plus Cadillac Fleetwood Broughams and STS
North Stars have all found customers.
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EVEREST GIVES FORD A NEW ASIAN PEAK
Ford Motor Company celebrated its 100th birthday at Asia-Pacific’s second-largest auto show in Bangkok by unveiling
an all-new Thai-made seven-seat sport utility – the Everest.
The March debut will be followed by a “ multi-phased introduction” of the model for Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia,
Cambodia and Brunei. Ultimately, Everest will be offered in more than 50 countries,
including those in the Middle East and much of Africa, plus Tahiti in the South Pacific.
Ford hopes it will give GM a mountain to climb in the worldwide SUV stakes, claiming now to have the broadest line-up on the planet
in adding to the existing line of Explorers, Expeditions, Excursions and the sporty Thai-made Escape.
With a choice of four-speed auto
or five-speed manual transmission, Everest offers a 2.5-litre turbo diesel or 2.6-litre petrol engine in two or four-wheel-drive forms.
In addition to four-wheel anti-lock braking with electronic force distribution, tropical climate dual air conditioning for front and rear
and a “one-hand” side-opening tailgate, Ford have thrown in a number of “surprise and delight” features. These include cup holders,
pockets for cell phones, auxiliary power points and a separate drinking water reservoir. This baby is state of the art – Asia style.
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DRAG RACING -- THAI STYLE
DDisplayed on the DentsDone stand at Bangkok was this ’86 BMW E30 packing a blown 350 cubic inch Chevy small-block,
one of a handful of similarly-powered cars being readied for drag racing in Thailand. DentsDone have a group of body shops in the
Bangkok area and the car is owned by one of their employees, a genial guy named Jirapat, who spent several months in the States, among
other things, gathering the parts for his project.
Jirapat built-up the engine back home in Thailand and is hopeful he can set the car up for nine-second quarters.
There are a number of pure dragsters running on the country’s three recently-established drag strips, Jirapat informs us, but as yet
no fuel (nitro-burning) cars.
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DO YOU BELIEVE IN FUEL FAIRIES?
A retired Cornish motor mechanic has discovered the original blueprints for a prototype carburettor, designed and
manufactured in the 1930s, that enabled a Ford V8 to achieve an incredible 200 miles to a US gallon in a test run. The designer was
Canadian inventor Charles Nelson Pogue and the plans were found hidden in a compartment under a sheet of plywood in a toolbox, which
Patrick Davies of St Austell had owned for 40 years.
Patrick was cleaning the toolbox when he made the discovery, and the University of Plymouth has been enlisted to “retro-build” the carb ---
known as the Winnipeg. Authenticated documents, drawings and plans found in the box included a report on a test which showed Charles Pogue
had managed to make a lawnmower engine run for seven days on a (US) quart of gasoline.
Apparently, the invention caused Canadian oil company shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange to crash, but the carburetor was never put
into production. Pogue supposedly went from being an impoverished inventor to being manager of an oil filter company and rumours have
persisted to this day that oil companies colluded to bury the invention.
This is from a story that appeared in The Times, though we’re not sure whether the publication date was April 1st. Meantime, one
AMPAR network member has a regular customer who often drives his A-class Chevrolet motorhome down to the south of Spain, with all the
family’s holiday clobber plus a Suzuki “puddle-jumper” 4WD in tow, and claims his digital fuel consumption readout once showed he was
down to one MPG when climbing over the Pyrenees. However, his “record” has since been shattered by the US Army, whose M1 Abrams main battle
tanks are said to have consumed fuel at the rate of half a mile to the gallon on their way to Baghdad .
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Forthcoming Events
May 3 American Muscle car show, RAF Lakenheath USAF base
(Contact Dean Inskip on 01788335021)
May 3-5 Excitement Drag Racing Nationals, Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford-on-Avon
(Contact 01789 414119)
May 3-5 Wild West Extravaganza, Hop Farm Country Park, Beltring, Paddock Wood, Kent
(Contact Ashley on 01622 872068 or 07736 317241)
May 4 Packard Annual Rally, Hatfield House, Hatfield, Herts (Contact 020 8330 0013)
May 11 ASCAR racing, Rockingham Speedway, Corby, Northants
May 11 Henry Ford Centenary, Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire (M40, Junction12)
(Contact 01926 641188)
May 16-18 Classic American Magazine Nationals, Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford-on-Avon (Contact 01789 414119)
May 18 Run What ya Brung, Santa Pod Raceway, near Wellingborough, Northants
(Contact 01234 782828)
May 25 Mopar Muscle Association show at Brooklands, Surrey
(Contact Derek Carter 020 8765 1381)
June 13-15 Rock ‘n Roll & Line Dance Show, Westex Exhibition Centre, Bath & West Showground, near Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Free entry to 50’s cars and rods (Contact 01934 642335)
June 28-29 Classic Corvette Club UK 50th Anniversary Nationals, Knebworth Park, Stevenage, Herts (Contact Dietor Orton on 01737 830021 evenings and weekends)
July 5-6 Stars & Stripes American and classic car show, Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire
July 11-13 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Goodwood, Sussex (Features famous American Fords, lots of Corvettes, Cadillac racers, Hemi Under Glass wheelie ‘Cuda and Tommy Ivo’s quad-engined four-wheel-drive dragster (Contact 01243 755000)
July 20 Pre-50 Classic American Auto Club Rally of the Giants, Knebworth Park, Stevenage. Herts
(Contact Luke on 01234 750280)
July 25-27 10th Mopar Euro Nats, Santa Pod Raceway, Bedfordshire
August 9-10 Northern Mopar Nats, York Raceway (Contact Cathy on 01325 350268)
August 17 Can Am Car Club one-day event, Ringwood Football Club ground, near Bournemouth, Dorset (Contact Bruv on 01202 683695)
September 5-7 Goodwood Revival Meeting (Ford Galaxies and Falcons dice with Cortinas, Jags and Minis plus the RAC TT Race) (Contact 01243 755000)
October 17-19 1st Annual American Car & US RV Show, Bath & West Showground (A371)
(Contact Stone Leisure on 020 8302 6069)
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