Ford To Cease Car Production In Australia?
Rumours are rife at the moment that Ford are planning to cease local production of their Falcon and Territory vehicles in Australia in the fairly near future-2015 is mooted.
They will be following in the path of Mitsubishi, who closed their manufacturing plant after the failure of their ‘saviour’ the Mitsubishi 380.
The TX4: A British Motoring Icon
Well, the 2012 London Olympics are ticking along nicely and (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!) we have picked up a medal of each colour so in the pool. Those who watched the opening ceremony would have noticed a little British motoring icon popping in here and there, especially during Rowan Atkinson/Mr Bean’s fantasy while playing Chariots of Fire. The Mini, Mr Bean’s favourite form of transport? The long, sleek Jaguar? The Rolls-Royce? No – this icon was the London Taxi, also known to the locals as the Hackney Cab.
The Hackney Cab’s local name dates back to the days of horse-drawn carriages, where the taxis tended to have just one or maybe two horsepower and left the sort of exhaust that one trod in rather than breathed in; hence the standard job of “crossing sweeper” who had the job of keeping the roads clear so that ladies with long skirts could get across without getting messy. Since the Industrial Revolution when London started mushrooming (the era highlighted in that opening ceremony), London has needed its taxis and the horse-drawn type lasted until the popularisation of the internal combustion and on until 1947. Very, very briefly, electric taxis ticked around London, but these were overtaken by the motorised type. Possibly, we’ll see a return to the electric version one day. The term “hackney carriage” refers to any taxi that is licensed to cruise the streets looking for passengers.
Top Tips To Ease Traffic Congestion
In a recent article – http://www.privatefleet.com.au/congestion/ we suggested several ways we can collectively help reduce congestion on our (mainly) city streets.
Do you agree? What other suggestions do you have? Let us know below…
Keeping your wheels turning
What are some of the easier maintenance tasks that you can do on your car? It’s often very satisfying being able to carry these tasks out yourself knowing that you’re keeping your car in top shape, as well as saving yourself a few dollars in the process. If any car parts need to be replaced in your routine maintenance, you can easily pick these bits up from your local Supercheap Auto outlet, your car’s own Service Centre or the local garage.
Checking your tyre pressures is simple. You can pull into most fuel stations and find an air compressor that measures the tyre pressure for you. Top up the air inside the tyre if the pressure happens to be too low.
Level 2, 9 Help Street