With so many cars on UK roads, it is easy to forget how awesome these machines are. This post dives deep into the automotive world to dig out all the weird car facts you probably did not know.
Porsche’s First Car Was an Electric Vehicle
Ferdinand Porsche’s first car was an electric bandwagon nicknamed P1. It had a top speed of 21 mph and a range of 49 miles. But this technology was way ahead of its time in 1898. The engineer moved on to other projects, and the EV went untouched until 2014.
A Blind Man Invented Cruise Control
When Ralph Teetor graduated with a computer science degree from the University of Pennsylvania, his first job was to develop technology for steam locomotives. He later left this job to become an engineer in his family’s company. He was so good at the new job that he rose through the ranks to become the president of the company. It is at this point that the prolific blind inventor developed the first instance of cruise control.
Dubai Police Has the Fastest Car in the World
The Dubai Police Department boasts of having a fleet of 14 supercars. The lineup includes the Audi R8 and a Lamborghini Aventador. But the fastest machine they have is the Bugatti Veyron. It is dressed in the department’s official colours of white and green and has a light bar on top.
Whale Oil Was Used in Car Transmission Until 1973.
The thought of people using sperm whale oil in their cars is just sad. Automakers used the oil as an ingredient in automatic transmission fluid until 1973. General Motors is one of those automakers, and it took the intervention of Congress to stop it.
The Honda Prelude was the First Four-Wheel Drive Steering
Honda decided to offer mechanical four-wheel-drive steering in 1987 with their third-gen Prelude. They were expecting a 30% uptake of this unique build, but people were lining up to buy it. And it was for a good reason. This particular Prelude outdid every other car in its class, including Porshe and Ferrari.
