Car Trivia

[Alec]

Hello Ted,

just to nit pick a little, ice is not zero grip, or else nothing would stop on it. What doesn't help are modern wide tyres in wintry conditions.

Alec

[rrhool]

The 'Grip' you talk of is measured as The Coefficient of Friction. COF for Tyres on Tarmac dry is about 0.5 - 0.8, wet it is reduced to 0.25 - 0.75. Tyres on ice have a COF as low as 0.06, 10 times less friction than on tarmac, but not Zero.
Ice on ice is about 0.02, a third that of tyres on ice.
I'll take my anorak off now.

[Alan Chatterton]

Ford Granada from 1985 onwards I think....

I seem to remember a lot of publicity about the whole range having ABS as standard.

Correct Mark! Well done.

1985 Ford Granada (the hatchback one) was the first production car in the UK to have ABS as standard on all its models.

Jensen did have ABS, as did Mercedes, but they were only standard on "top line" models or optional extras...... the Granada you got it on everything from the boggo "L" to the flagship Scorpio.

This came to me as I was thinking about things recently. My Dad ran Granada's for years, and I remember going to Bristol to collect the new one, one of the first of the new shape ones and him trying out the brakes on a secluded bit of road. Pretty quick, 2 wheels on dry tarmac and 2 wheels on wet grass then he stood on the brake........ and it just drew up straight. A bit scary but very impressive for the time..........

Anyway, well done Mark, over to you.............

[Alec]

Hello Alan,

"1985 Ford Granada "

I did say anything modern was out of my ken.

Alec

[Alan Chatterton]

Modern?

Its 25 years old!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cheesy]

Correct Mark! Well done.
1985 Ford Granada (the hatchback one) was the first production car in the UK to have ABS as standard on all its models.

OK, question time then!!

Ford first used the "Escort" name before they ever produced the Ford Escort. On what car was it first used?

[Jonathan Lewis]

Estate car version of the Ford Prefect/Anglia from the late 1950s (the monocoque one that looked like a shrunken Consul, rather than the old 'sit-up-and-beg' -think that the official Ford code was 100E).

[Cheesy]

Estate car version of the Ford Prefect/Anglia from the late 1950s (the monocoque one that looked like a shrunken Consul, rather than the old 'sit-up-and-beg' -think that the official Ford code was 100E).

That didn't take long! Full marks to Jonathan, over to you then!

[Jonathan Lewis]

That didn't take long!

Thank you, Mark! A regular mine of useless information, aren't I?...

OK, and to continue on the naming theme…

‘Our’ cars were not the first to bear the ‘Triumph 2000’ name – two went before. What were they?

[Alec]

Hello Alan,

"Its 25 years old!!!!!!!!!!!"

That's modern to me; the vintage era started because of the belief that cars made after 1931 were too bland and uninteresting, post vintage excepted. My interest is similarly cut off by the mid seventies.

Alec