This is the winner of the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – the 1936 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Cabriolet
The Big Prize: 1936 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Cabriolet Wins 2016 Pebble Beach Concours… https://t.co/DeiweOAkZm pic.twitter.com/xwmkoyWBSw
— Car and Driver (@CARandDRIVER) August 22, 2016
In 1955 through 1957, Ford made what may be considered the most iconic two-seater American sports cars ever built. The 1955-1957 Thunderbirds have been seen on countless television shows and movies, not to mention being pictured on a U.S. postage stamp. In the 1975 movie American Graffiti, Suzanne Somers plays the role of a blonde mystery girl who is spotted driving around town in a white 1956 “T-Bird.”
Have you noticed the strings of small lights that circle swoop around the headlights on a lot of new cars today? Many form interesting illuminated patterns that nicely accent the vehicle’s main headlights. In fact, sometimes they give the front of the car an odd human-like expression, specifically at night. The industry calls these additional lights “daytime running lights” (DRLs) and they are becoming very popular.
Virtually every automotive engine uses rubber belts to power various accessories outside the engine block and critical engine parts inside. The belt that is external to the block is usually called the accessory belt or fan belt. They used to be a single V-shaped belt but today they are serpentine belts that slither around several pulleys. These pulleys typically drive the alternator, AC compressor, power steering pump and water pump. Sometimes this serpentine belt is mounted in the front of the engine but in transverse engines, it’s usually on the side. Serpentine belts need to be replaced when they show wear, such as cracks, fraying or stretching.
This is a pretty fascinating story of how a group is building custom hot rods, and then using sensors, artificial intelligence and 3D printers to optimize design, engineering and performance.
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