9 Mar 2015 – Driven To Write

Something Rotten in Denmark: 1984 Ford Sierra Van

Recently I posted a photo of an Audi Q7 wearing commercial registration plates. Today’s car is more like the kind of vehicle that these plates were intended for. It’s a 1984 Ford Sierra van.

That means it has no rear seats. The vehicle’s details are written on the side, in front of the door, indicating the car’s gross vehicle weight, for example. The car has the older-style full yellow plates. The new ones have an area on the white license plate marked in yellow. This car is looking a bit rough and there are no interior photos, alas. Continue reading “Something Rotten in Denmark: 1984 Ford Sierra Van”

Japanese Car of the Day: 2015 Honda N/

「N」シリーズ5機種の累計販売が100万台を突破, is what it says at the Honda website.

2015 Honda N box (Image from Honda Japan) — 2015 Honda N/ (Image from Honda Japan)

You can find a nice review here. And there is a more general description of the Kei-car phenomenon here along with some more thoughts on the N/. Autoblog writes: “Technical details remain scarce, but power likely comes from the same 600cc three-cylinder engine – turbocharged or not, driving the front wheels or all four – as the rest of the N series, which already includes the N-One, N-Box, N-Box+ and N-WGN. Feel free to read the original Japanese or Google-translated press releases below, just don’t expect it or any of its stablemates to Continue reading “Japanese Car of the Day: 2015 Honda N/”

Who is the Second Largest Supplier to the Car Industry?

Here’s something interesting. Car and Driver reckon that the Mercedes C-class has the best automotive interior under $40,000. Let’s say that interior is not better than the one fitted to the S-class coupe.

Made by the same people who supply the Peugeot 508. Image: Faurecia.com

Then consider the interior of the Citroen DS5 and while it’s nice enough it’s not stellar. Now visualise the interior (or much of it) for the Audi Q7. Audi interiors regularly get called the best in the business. Then sit inside the unremarkable Peugeot 508. What do the S-class, Q7, DS5 and Peugeot 508 have in common?

Continue reading “Who is the Second Largest Supplier to the Car Industry?”