Quickies
- The Monroe Safety Car Competition is about to commence. The 2001 promotion offers a fantastic prize to one lucky customer - a street legal version of the Monroe Safety Car. The 220kW Ford Falcon XR8 is up for grabs for any customer who purchases Monroe Shock Absorbers between the 1st of September and the 30th of November. There will also be consolation prizes of shock absorber refunds up to the value of $500 for customers.
- Audi Australia Pty Ltd has launched a major new advertising campaign for the launch of the all-new Audi A4. With an estimated media investment of $2.5 million, the campaign effectively catapults Audi into mainstream media with two high profile television advertisements, as well as outdoor, online and print campaigns. A further $1.5 million has been invested into a series of national A4 launch events for customers, the Audi Dealer Network and the media alike.
- The Citroën C5 Estate has arrived in Australia a full two months ahead of its planned Sydney Motor Show launch, providing Australian car buyers with a unique combination of style, advanced technology and all-round ability.
- The multibillion-dollar US Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) research program between carmakers and the US government will not meet its goal of developing affordable family sedans that get 80 US miles per gallon by 2004, a federal review said last week.
- Intelematics Australia has announced details of a new partnership with Chubb Mobile Services. Under the agreement, Chubb's Mobile Security Patrol Units will provide call-out services to motor vehicles in instances where an unauthorised entry has been remotely detected by Intelematics Australia's telematics vehicle monitoring service. www.intelematics.com.au
- Formula One's governing body has cleared Australian Grand Prix officials of negligence in the death of a marshal during the race in Melbourne earlier this year.
- Mercedes-Benz will next month unveil at the 59th International Automobile Fair in Frankfurt Germany a concept vehicle that can detect an imminent collision and engage occupant protection systems before it occurs.
- General Motors Racing will implement a customer car program this year to deliver a race-ready version of its successful Chevrolet Corvette C5-R to buyers with a passion for performance. GM has agreed with its partners, Pratt and Miller (chassis) and Katech (engines), to sell as many as five vehicles in 2001. GM Racing has received several inquiries from private race teams seeking the powerful C5-R and has accepted deposits on two vehicles. To date in 2001, the C5-R has dominated its competition in the races it has entered. It scored an overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona, a double podium finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring, A 1-2 GTS class finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and class wins at American Le Mans Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, Sears Point and Portland.
- General Motors is planning to introduce nine new Saab models in the next few years in an effort to boost sales.
- Off-road champ Bruce Garland and motor racing icon Peter Brock will drive in the factory-backed Holden Rally Team in the 2001 Australian Safari, with the pair lining up in two Jackaroos.
- Side airbags have been added to the safety features on Subaru's Outback H6, for the 2002 model year. The entire Outback All-Wheel Drive range features a variety of changes to underline its reputation as one of Australia's favourite recreational vehicles. All Outbacks get weight-saving aluminium bonnets, clear lens headlights, integrated with indicators and chrome-surround radiator grilles. The Outback Limited gets a distinctive grey leather interior. Outback and Outback Limited manual transmission models now have a dual mass flywheel. This helps to absorb naturally occurring engine harmonics, before they reach the transmission and results in reduced noise, vibration and harshness, and smoother clutch engagement. Oil pump friction has been reduced on all four-cylinder Outbacks by altering rotor dimensions. Together with reduced friction oil rings, this improves engine efficiency. Suspension on all Outbacks has been enhanced. Supports have been added to the rear suspension sub frame, increasing strength, stability and manoeuvrability.
High Tech Future for Proton?
Proton CEO Tengku Mahaleel has foreshadowed a flood of high technology product from the Malaysian maker over the next four years as the company moves into its next phase as a centre for design engineering and manufacturing, not just an assembler of cars.
Speaking last week to Australian journalists in Sydney, Tengku said the company was currently designing a number of new cars and engines which will "drive the Proton brand as a producer of cutting edge product with youthful design and not just metal designed to go from A to B. We are planning a total redefinition of the brand using the enormous engineering resources we have at our disposal, including Lotus which will ultimately inspire all of our new models," said Tengku. "The Waja which we are about to launch in Australia is the first step in our plan but the cars which follow will be much more adventurous and radical with our entire model range set to be replaced by 2004," he added.
Proton has an 80 percent holding in Lotus, the famous British sports car and engineering operation that has recently established a design centre in Kuala Lumpur.
The flood of new Proton product will be inspired by Lotus with work proceeding on projects including an advanced engine which will feature the ability to de-activate cylinders to aid fuel economy without compromising performance when it is needed.
Proton is also developing a new all-aluminium platform which will be the basis for more than one car type, utilising Lotus's extensive technology resources as well as Proton's growing engineering talent.
Tengku said that Proton was in a holding pattern until its new generation products come on line over the next three years.
"Once we have that product on the market we will forge a very different image for Proton, as the manufacturer of prestige, world class high technology automobiles designed to compete with Europe's best. We aim to be a developer of new automotive technologies and not just a volume maker of low technology economy cars," he said. "All of our future models following the Waja will have Proton designed and engineered powerplants, drivelines and platforms."
Proton was established in 1983 and started manufacturing cars in 1985 based on Mitsubishi technology. The Proton Waja is the first car designed and built by Proton itself. The Waja is expected to be launched in Australia towards the end of September this year.
Ford Designer Started With Crayons and Cranes
"I've always had a great interest in aesthetics but also have a very inquisitive mind, wanting to know how things work mechanically and how one can solve problems, in effect, designing," says Ford Australia chief designer Simon Butterworth. "I was interested in cars from an early age, and would use crayons to draw cars in pre-school while the other children were drawing trees and houses," he says.
"My mother was a textile designer and my grandmother was an accomplished artist, so I think designing was something in my genes. During university I did some practical design work at a company called Grove Cranes. It was my first design job - a rough terrain hydraulic crane!"
Prior to his appointment at Ford, Simon was Project Manager responsible for sports saloons and luxury sports programmes for Jaguar Cars in the UK. In this role he was responsible for all design and styling related to S-Type, X-Type and XK8 replacement programmes. Immediately prior to this, Simon was Project Manager of sports saloon programmes, including responsibility for all aspects of design and styling related to S-Type and X-Type programmes.
Simon began his career with Jaguar Cars in 1987, initially in the role of Principal Designer, with responsibility for all interior design work. Following this he moved into the role of Senior Manager, Advanced Concepts, with responsibility for all exterior and interior advanced concept design work, as well as special vehicle operations, colour and trim, and ergonomics. In 1995, Simon was appointed to the position of Project Design Manager, Saloon Programmes, a position he held for two years before moving to the role of Project Design Manager, Sports Saloon Programmes.
Prior to joining Jaguar Cars, Simon held a variety of positions in the Design Department of Rover Group from 1979-1987. He has also worked with Coles (Grove) Cranes and Wilkinson Sword Product Design. He has a Design for Industry BA Hons degree and is a Member of the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers.
A keen motor sports fan, Simon also enjoys a range of sports activities, including windsurfing, skiing, sailing, mountain biking, tennis, and mountain walking. He is married with two children.
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