September 25, 2007

1909 Baker Electric Coupe

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Just when we thought electric cars were built in the modern ages, think again! In case you didn’t know, electric cars were already present during the early 1900s! Oh yes! Back in those years, electric cars were used for public transportation like the taxicabs we have right now. Actually, there were almost a hundred electric cars built that time. These cars were manufactured in 1914 by the Detroit Taxicab and Transfer Company.
 
The early consumers will eagerly wait for these electric cars because of the need to ride on a smoother, cleaner and a quiet electric cab instead of gas-powered cabs that were already famous that time! This shows that people have already recognized the capabilities and benefits that they can achieve from electric cars.

The rise of the 20th century provided quiet, smooth, pollution-free electric cars that were a pretty ordinary picture on the streets in some popular cities in America. Women favored electric cars over steam- and gasoline-powered cars at that period. Women often used the electric cars for shopping, lunch breaks or going to several destinations they prefer. One of these pioneering electric cars is the 1909 Baker Electric Coupe!

 
Now guess who owns one of these marvelous rides today? Who else? It’s Jay Leno! I know you’re quite familiar with this comedic host of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno!
 
This model has embodied women’s liberation and chic society women could merely drive to lunch, to shop, or to visit friends without the fright of getting soiled gloves, messing up their hair and setting their clothes on fire.

“These were women’s shopping cars. There was no gas or oil, no fire, no explosions - you just sort of got in and you went. There were thousands of these in New York, from about 1905 to 1915. There were charging stations all over town, so ladies could recharge their cars while they were in the stores,” said Jay Leno in an article from NYTimes.com.

Leno has restored the beauty of the 1909 Baker Electric Coupe! Now, it’s back again and still kicking!

“I have modern lead-acid batteries in the car now, but I can still run the original Edison batteries. You can just rinse them out, replace the electrolyte, and they’re ready to go. They still work fine, after almost a hundred years,” added Mr. Leno.

The car’s electric motor has the size of a regular watermelon that you can easily spot under the car that drives the rear wheels through the use of an enclosed-chain reduction system and a now-conventional driveshaft and differential.

“Since we restored it, I haven’t had to do much of anything to maintain it. We just keep it charged up, grease it now and then, and drive it. I drive it from the garage up into the Hollywood Hills every year to see the Christmas lights,” says Leno.

To read the full story, visit this link: NYTimes.com.

Top Ten Cars Not For Men Released by AskMen.com

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Cars are usually connected to boys and it maybe a little rare to see girls who have this huge interest in cars. Askmen.com may be a site for guys and the like but the site also releases information about girls as well. Just like this new top ten list I found on their official website. I was actually looking for the best sites where I can get Edelbrock shocks and this is what I found - the top ten cars not for men. Check it out.

10. Mini Cooper Cabriolet:
This car is available in a convertible and hatchback type. Any of the two types resemble chicky personalities. There is absolutely no difference in terms of the performance only that the convertible has a slightly awkward image. This is a little non-chicky for girl who likes her car to be a little womanish.

9. Pontiac G6:
This is not girlish because Oprah had a unit given away to her show’s audience. It is more scientifically traceable. The G6 ancestor may look like a little suburban car but as soon as it was given a new-look, women went crazy over it. The new one is now running with a better character.

8. Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor:
This has a supercharged engine part under its hood. It is a hatchback matched with a retina-bumping green line but is also an unfortunate car. It is also tagged as an unfortunate chick car as Askmen.com commented. However, if you are a man and you need something manly, this car is definitely not for you. The chick features of this car will not turn you on and it only has its powertrain to boast. Not just a practical car for boys.

7. Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible:
This is not for the boys. If you hold a key to this convertible car and you start to drive, you’ll soon make a U-turn and swap it with a sedan car. This thing might happen if you try driving the PT Cruiser Convertible. The original car was made with perfection and has noted a huge amount of sales in the market. But as soon as the domestic car maker decided to give it a little retuning, the features started to become chicky. The Sebring Convertible, the sister of the PT Cruiser Convertible, is manlier than the car. Only the design and some trimmings were considered a little manly according to the site’s critic. Well, in terms of comfort, the PT Cruiser Convertible is better than the Sebring in fairness to its wide space in its interior as compared to the marginally uncomfortable lowered top of the convertible version.

6. Chevrolet Suburban:
If you think only buses can wring your ears with its horn-like beeps, you are wrong. Try to park the Chevrolet Suburban and you’ll realize how true my statement is. The 20-foot long, 7-foot wide chunk of iron beast is also considered one of the chicky cars in the US car market. Well, it doesn’t sound gorgeous with its truck-like horn and bus-like features. From its manly wagon looks before, the new car went out to become a chicky creature.

5. BMW X3:
Men are into SUVs as well but not SUVs as small as this car. If men like to have large SUVs, the BMW X3 is definitely not for him. Small SUV are for chicks. The car is also considered SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) and is so womanish according to AskMen.com. Compared to its sister X5, the X3 is less enjoyable for males and there is absolutely no reason for a man to own one. The performance seems to get a little from the BMW performance heritage and it is more complicated than the conventional SUV. Now, how does it look like? It is a hatchback and it looks like any other BMW car. So nothing is really interesting about this vehicle.

4. Acura RSX:
Previously, the RSX was named the Acura Integra and thank God the maker decided to alter its name. But just the chick factor did change. The site did not actually question the Acura about the decision because the crowd is looking for more chicky features from the car. But that is not an excuse to exclude them from the list of the cars not made for boys. Well at least they didn’t let the Hello Kitty edition out or else guys would definitely go out of the room and scream. And when the Acura noticed these comments, they decided to bring another car model which we hope is not as chicky as the RSX. They are bringing us the NSX which will come out any time in the next century.

3. VW Eos:
If the Cabriolet and Rabbit Convertible came first, then the VW Eos comes next to them as another chicky car. The VW Eos comes out on a price tag of $28,000 which is just a little too much for college and sorority girls. And even girls may be a little disappointed over getting a Volkswagen car not unless their dad’s going buy one for them after their graduation. Well at least the car is better compared to its ancestors. The car also has interesting features like its hardtop roof which has a sun roof built in as well.

2. Toyota RAV4:
The famous SUV in Asia is also tagged as a chick car. But AskMen.com regards the RAV4 as something from a fairy tale - like an ugly creature that the girls should befriend in order to learn something from it. And that is to pity the poor ugly things. AskMen.com has a rough description of the Toyota SUV and even if the Japanese car maker is trying their best to upgrade the new car, it still feels chicky to men drivers. So men chose to buy the FJ Cruiser and the 4Runner instead of the womanish RAV4.

1. Dodge Neon:
The biggest and the best car among the rest that is not made for men. It was first seen in 1994 and it actually annoys some buyers with its ‘Hi to the dam thing’ campaign. And AskMen.com labeled it as the chicky-est car among the rest of the cars on the list. Nothing is really interesting about this car for boys because the car does not have all what a man driver needs. The picture above shows the 1994 picture of the womanish Dodge Neon.

 

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