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Another New World Record??….for lawnmowers
The quirky Brits are at it again, trying to regain the record for the World’s fastest lawnmower, currently held by another quirky guy from the USA.
“Project Running Blade” hopes to take a “more-or-less everyday ride-on mower above 100mph (160kph)”. The current record stands at 81mph and was set in 2006 at Bonneville Salt Flats (the favourite haunt of many World record attempts-so this is serious stuff) by American Bob Cleveland.
“This is a proper record, and building a lawnmower capable of speeds well into 3 figures is no easy feat undertaken in an afternoon,” says Stephen Vokins, Project Runningblade’s team principal. “For a start, it still has to be a lawnmower, capable of cutting grass properly. And then it has to obey the laws of physics that will try to stop it going so fast, both through drag and also aerodynamics. There is a real danger that if the aerodynamics are wrong, it will flip up in the air, with disastrous results.
Runningblade in its earlier Mk1 form
“Be under no illusions: this is no collection of blokes standing around in a shed wondering what to do until the pub opens. Backed by some of Britain’s finest companies who are contributing their expertise and funds to the project, this is a hand-picked team of professionals and experts in their fields, all bringing their knowledge and experience to achieve something that no-one has ever done before – to crack the ton on a ride-on lawnmower!”
No mention is made of whether it has to still cut lawns whilst going for the record.
The obvious question we ask is “Why????”
SOLD! For a New World Record Price
Two Million Dollars? Four Million dollars? TEN million dollars? No, much more than that!
The US financial press have reported the sale of a 1936 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic to an unnamed buyer in California for between thirty and thirty five million dollars (US). If true, that’s a staggering amount, particularly as the Bugatti was purchased by the seller, the late Peter D. Williamson, a neurologist, for $59,000 in 1971.
Since then Dr. Williamson, who was the President of the American Bugatti Club, has spent years, and not inconsiderable dollars, restoring it, such that it won “Best of Show” at the renowned “Pebble Beach Concours’ in 2003. Even so it still must have provided a very healthy profit to the late Dr. Williamson’s estate.
There were only three Bugatti 57SC Atlantics built from the prototype. The only other one in existence is owned by the US designer Ralph Lauren and forms part of his fabled car collection.
No matter how beautiful, rare or desirable, can any car really be worth this staggering amount?
I know where that car comes from!
We have said that manufacturers are not required to state the country of origin for vehicles sold in Australia.
One of our bloggers, however, posted a comment saying that you just have to look at the compliance place to see where it comes from.
Whilst some carmakers do put the name of the country that made the car on the plate, it is not compulsory.
Still our blogger is, in fact, technically correct!
You see, the first two letters of the VIN number do denote the manufacturing location.
But if the vin starts with ‘SA’ would you know that it is made in the UK?
Or 3A Mexico?
Probably not, until now, that is.
We have listed below the first two digits for vin numbers and their origin code for some of the major manufacturing countries.
OK, that’s a start, but we don’t think it’s enough. we feel that the actual name of the country of origin should also be clearly written on the vin plate, and it can’t be that difficult as the code is the key.
VA through VE – Austria
6A through 6W – Australia
YA through YE – Belgium
9A through 9E – Brazil
2A through 2O – Canada
LA through LO – China
YF through YK – Finland
VF through VR – France
SN through ST – Germany
WA through WO – Germany
TR through TV – Hungary
ZA through ZR – Italy
JA through JO – Japan
PL through PR – Malaysia
3A through 3W – Mexico
XL through XR – Netherlands
SU through SZ – Poland
U5 through U7 – Slovak Republic
AA through AH – South Africa
KL through KR – South Korea
VS through VW – Spain
YS through YW – Sweden
ML through MR – Thailand
NL through NR – Turkey
SA through SM – United Kingdom
1A through 1O – United States
4A through 4O – United States
5A through 5O – United States
Where Does That Car Come From?
If it’s a Volvo it’s Swedish, and Vee Dubs are German, right? Well, not necessarily. We’ve done a quick fun quiz to show you that where a car is made is not so obvious.
To take part in the quiz click here
But on a more serious note, manufacturers do not have to reveal to their Australian customers where they make their cars.
If you buy oranges you want to know if they are locally produced or imported.
Strangely, if you want to buy leather shoes, electrical goods, porcelain, brushware or even powder puffs the importers have to reveal their country of origin. But no so with motor cars, because under the imported goods act which dates back to 1940 there are no requirements for the country of origin for a vehicle being supplied to the Australian market to be so identified.
So you go to buy a Holden and you believe you are supporting local industry; but Holdens sold here could well be made in Thailand, Poland, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Japan or Korea (and probably others that we haven’t been told about). But they don’t have to tell you.
We think this is wrong. We believe you have a right to know which country makes your car and it should be shown on the compliance plate and other places.
Do you agree? If so we’d like to hear from you so place your comment on the blog comment below.
Level 2, 9 Help Street