The Station Wagon

The station wagon is one of the most popular motor vehicles in the country today after a strong comeback in the 1990s. The automobile was incredibly popular in the 1960s and 1970s for families of four or more. Children would fight over who got to sit in the back seat for one reason; the back row of seats faced the opposite direction of all the other seats. This meant that anyone sitting in the back row of seats would be looking out the back window of the vehicle at the cars driving behind it. The car wasn't as popular in the 1980s but exploded onto the scene again in the mid 1990s and early 2000s.

The design and appearance of the station wagon has gone from an almost boxlike appearance to a more rounded off and sleek appearance over the years. The design and appearance of the automobile has helped to grow its popularity once again. The majority of these vehicles are just modified sedans that have the interior expanded to seat more people. In a station wagon there is no designated trunk area like in a sedan. The back row of seats can be folded down to create storage space for shopping trips and even for a dog to rest. Most station wagons these days can seat anywhere from seven to nine people at once, if all of the rows of seats are in use.

Even though station wagons have become popular again, none of them are manufactured with the reverse rear row of seats facing out of the back window. All of these cars now have front facing rows of seats. The first version of the vehicle came about in the 1920s and 1930s and was originally called depot hacks and was a product of the age of train travel. One of the most popular versions of the automobile was the Pontiac Woodie. The Pontiac Woodie was one of the sleekest station wagons on the market during its time. The Woodie had wood sides on either side of the car and a colorful front.

Station wagons have been manufactured in all shapes, sizes, and colors over the years. Some station wagons looked more like a box while others looked more like a hearse. One of the most popular station wagons from pop culture was the one decorated and used by the Ghostbusters in their movies. The automobile was white with their logo on the doors and a bunch of lights and equipment on the roof. The Ghostbusters station wagon was named the Ecto 1 for the movies. Another popular station wagon from pop culture was the one used by the Griswold family in the National Lampoon series of movies.

Station wagons have been manufactured to seat anywhere from four to nine people; they can be two doors, four doors, and even six doors on some models. The popularity of the car has since begun to drop again in North America, including the United States and Canada

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Best Used BMW to buy?

Buying a used car has always been perceived as a gamble, a bit of a punt, you can chance your arm, save yourself a few quid and grab yourself a nice motor at a bargain price, but we have all heard the horror stories: those that have bought a car privately only for it to be in the garage after a couple of weeks with a repair bill as long as your arm.

But buying second hand does not have to be a risk. Buying from a registered dealer safeguards your purchase with a warranty and specific engineering checks part of the package. For example, buying a used BMW from a registered BMW dealership offers you many peace of mind from the 12 month warranty, but more so from the fact that every single used BMW is checked extensively by BMW technicians.

The recession is not filling the nation with sunshine at the moment, but one shining light is the fact that it is currently a very good time to buy a car, be it a brand new Audi, or Mini or a used BMW or Lexus, there are bargains out there to suit your budget. In many respects used cars offer much better value than a brand new car as you will avoid the loss of investment that occurs during the first year of depreciation of a vehicle.

Buying a used car from a registered dealership also provides you with the guarantee that the car has been finance checked, many people have been stung when buying privately as they have been hit from finance companies with overdue payments from the previous owner. Car data checks are vital when purchasing a used vehicle as these thorough checks to ensure the vehicle has not been involved in any unrecorded accidents and negate the unfortunate occurrence of purchasing a cut and shut vehicle.

Whilst a private sale may well be considerably cheaper, a dealership is risk free and offers excellent after sales customer care should there be any problems with the purchased vehicle. With somebody to fall back on - and experts at that - surely the extra cost is money well spent?

Many authorised dealers are having to add special offers, with extended warranties and other add ons just to sell some cars in the current economical climate as bargains are there for the taking. For example, a BMW 116i will set you back 22,500 pounds on the road, but in comparison a used BMW 116i, less than one year old and with just 3000 miles on the clock costs as low as 14,000 pounds from an authorised BMW dealer.

The uncertainty of the motor industry at the moment means that it has never been a better time to buy either a brand new car or a used car, and with better value for money in used cars there's no wonder why used car sales against that of brand new sales have risen of late. If you are considering purchasing a used car though, just bear in mind the peace of mind on offer from purchasing a vehicle from an authorised dealership ahead of a private sale.

About the Author

Shaun Parker is a car expert with many years of experience in the used cars industry. Find out more about {a href=" http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk"}used BMW at http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk

The Best Daewoo Car 2009

Daewoo has been in existence much, much longer than most people realize as it turns out. For those of us in the United States, Daewoo is a newcomer to the automobile playing field but it has actually been in existence since the early 20th century.

Established in 1937, Daewoo started out as National Motor Company in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea. The next stop along the way was its next name change to Saenara Motors. 1962 saw the company enter into collaborations with Toyota. This proved to be an unfruitful venture for Toyota who then pulled out of the company just 10 years later.

Once Toyota left, the name was changed again,this time to Shinjin Motor. About this time, General Motors expressed interest in the company. General Motors proposed a joint venture with the Korean company and it officially became General Motors Korea but the name was changed again in 1976 to Saehan Motor. It was not until Daewoo Group took over in 1982 that the company was actually known as Daewoo Motor.

Through out the 1990's the company expanded its markets and all its vehicles used basic General Motors models. The company continually suffered from financial difficulties and the Asian financial crisis only served to exacerbate the monetary problems the company faced.

General Motors finally made the move to acquire most of the company's assets. Shares were spread over a number of companies including Suzuki and SAIC . By 2004, General Motors would move to acquire shares equaling 50.9% making GM the major stockholder in the company.

The company has various plants scattered around the planet and the cars are assembled in several different countries including mainland China, Thailand, India and Colombia.

Daewoo's were originally marketed as the Daewoo Le Mans and Daewoo Racer. In 1998, three models were made and marketed for sale in the United States. The first to be introduced here was a sub compact known as the Daewoo Lanos (Lanos means pleasure in Latin), next came the compact car Nubira (Korean for "to go everywhere"). The next Daewoo released in the United States would be a mid size car named the Daewoo Leganza. Although the vehicles have proven somewhat popular overseas, sales in the United States have been sluggish from the outset.

General Motors finally pulled Daewoo from American markets and by 2003, no Daewoo built vehicles were offered in the United States. Daewoo has proven quite successful in other countries however and the decision was made to put more focus on those markets. Later that year, General Motors made the decision to drop the Daewoo name and rebrand the Daewoo with the Chevrolet marque.

Rebadged Daewoo's did so well in Israel that General Motors adopted this strategy for other countries. In most European markets, however, the original Daewoo brand name remained until late in 2004.

A diesel engine was added to the Daewoo line up for the first time in 2006 and was offered overseas in the Holden Captiva and the Daewoo Windstorm.

The future of the Daewoo line up remains up in the air as General Motors struggles to regain its footing amid swirling financial storms. At the moment, the fate of General Motors itself is undecided and 2009 will be a telling year for the auto-manufacturing giant.

About the Author

Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at SWEngines. He writes about used Daewoo engines and choosing this as an alternative to costly car purchases.

The 2002 Ford Explorer

The update that came about for the 2002 model year brought about the best Ford Explorer yet; the body style was left in the same mould as before, but with detail changes making the car more modern in appeal.

However, the difference came under the bonnet, where a new 210bhp 4.0 liter V6 was joined by a 4.6 liter V8. This engine, although smaller in capacity than the preceding 5.0 liter, gave almost 240bhp, thus propelling the Explorer to new levels of performance.

Furthermore, the Explorer saw the introduction, for the first time, of three row seating, meaning this already very versatile vehicle now had the capacity to take seven people in comfort. Trim levels were also revised, with the base now known as Sport Value, and the top of the range still called Limited. The Explorer continued its fine tradition for luxury and comfort in this guise, and offered enough variants to make it appealing across the board.

It is interesting to note that the market began to change around the time of this third generation Explorer; whereas the 2 door variety - the Sport - had been popular before, it was noted that sales of 2 door SUVs were falling notably. Ford took the decision to discontinue the Sport 2 door version at the end of the models lifetime, when the newer, current Explorer was introduced for 2005.

It was also the case that sales of SUVs began to fall overall; the Explorer still sold well, but not as spectacularly as previously, and this may have had an impact on the demise of the Sport. However, Ford went full steam ahead with the new model, and also with future concepts for the Explorer.

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The 1955 Chevrolet

In the early 1950's, every major auto manufacturer was striving to best the competition by introducing a state-of-the-art automobile with all-new styling and a more advanced engine. Meanwhile, Chevrolet seemed to be stuck in a rut; every Chevy from 1929 to 1954 had the same six-cylinder engine under the hood. Chevrolet was losing its edge as a sporty yet affordable car manufacturer, but the tides would change with the 1955 Chevrolet.

The 1955 Chevrolet represented a shift in style and function. The new 265 cubic inch V-8 engine was probably the biggest cause of the popularity of the 1955 Chevrolet, and the option of the "Turbo-Fire" V-8 offered a little extra for auto enthusiasts, with between 162 and 180 horsepower. This small-block V-8 was the first V-8 engine in a Chevrolet since 1918.

The '55 Chevy was the first Chevrolet to feature "Motoramic" styling. Underneath this now-classic styling sat a new frame, 3 new engine types, new brakes, and a new suspension. Compared to earlier Chevrolets, the 1955 Chevy was both lighter and stiffer, with "glide ride" front suspension offering a smooth ride. As General Motors' biggest seller, the Chevrolet name was carefully styled ahead of the release of the all-new 1955 design. The eye-catching design was boxy, yet sleeker and more futuristic than the 1953 and 1954 models. The new model was designed to appear longer, lower, and wider than the older model. Nicknamed the "shoebox" design, the 1955 model was the first Chevy to have streamlined rear fenders. Interior innovations included plush upholstery and a fan-shaped instrument cluster, with an optional radio. With a stylish wrap-around windshield, tail fins, and chrome detailing, the 1955 Chevrolet soon became popular with auto enthusiasts as well as everyday drivers.

The 1955 model year included three Chevrolet models: The Bel Air, the 150, and the 210. Available versions included 2-door and 4-door sedans, station wagons, and the sought-after convertible. 14 different solid color options were available for the 1955 Chevy, although most 1955 Chevrolets were sold with one of 23 popular two-tone color combinations.

The best-selling car in 1955, over 1,700,000 Chevrolets were produced that year. As a testament to its popularity, a '55 Chevy was chosen as the official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1955. While in 1954 Ford had dominated the market by selling 47 percent of all low-priced automobiles, the 1955 Chevy was a smashing success, exceeding Chevrolet's sales record for any previous year. In fact, the 50 millionth GM automobile produced in the United States was a 1955 Chevy Bel Air.

The popularity of the 1955 Chevrolet is thanks to its completely transformed look. With better performance and a shiny new look, the '55 Chevy soon won over the hearts of America. The design introduced in the 1955 Chevrolet existed with minor alterations until the 1958 model year. The 1955 Chevy remains a popular choice more than fifty years after its introduction for car enthusiasts who lovingly restore the cars to their original condition or add modifications according to their personal tastes.

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