MAYBACH

1909–1940: Early history

Early poster with double M logo
Wilhelm Maybach was technical director of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) until he left in 1907. On 23 March 1909 he founded the new company, Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH (literally "Aircraft Engine Building Company"), with his son Karl Maybach as director.[citation needed] In 1912 they renamed it to Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH ("Maybach Engine Construction Company"). The company originally developed and manufactured diesel and petrol engines for Zeppelins, and then rail cars. Its Maybach Mb.IVa was used in aircraft and airships of World War I.
The company first built an experimental car in 1919, introduced as a production model two years later at the Berlin Motor Show. Between 1921 and 1940, the company produced a variety of opulent vehicles, now regarded as classics. The company also continued to build heavy duty diesel engines for marine and rail purposes.
[edit]1940–1945

MASERATI

History

See Maserati Brothers
The Maserati brothers, Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, and Ernesto were all involved with automobiles from the beginning of the 20th century. Alfieri, Bindo and Ernesto built 2-litre Grand Prix cars for Diatto. In 1926, Diatto suspended the production of race cars, leading to the creation of the first Maserati and the founding of the Maserati marque. One of the first Maseratis, driven by Alfieri, won the 1926 Targa Florio. Maserati began making race cars with 4, 6, 8 and 16 cylinders (two straight-eights mounted parallel to one another). Another Maserati brother, Mario, an artist, is believed to have devised the company's trident emblem, based on the Fontana del Nettuno, Bologna.
Alfieri Maserati died in 1932, but three other brothers, Bindo, Ernesto and Ettore, kept the firm going, building cars that won races.
[edit]Orsi ownership
In 1937, the remaining Maserati brothers sold their shares in the company to the Adolfo Orsi family, who in 1940 relocated the company headquarters to their hometown of Modena,[2] where it remains to this day. The brothers continued in engineering roles with the company. Racing successes continued, even against the giants of German racing, Auto Union and Mercedes. In back-to-back wins in 1939 and 1940, a Maserati 8CTF won the Indianapolis 500, the only Italian manufacturer ever to do so.
The war then intervened, Maserati abandoning cars to produce components for the Italian war effort. During this time, Maserati worked in fierce competition to construct a V16 towncar for Benito Mussolini before Ferry Porsche of Volkswagen built one for Adolf Hitler. This failed, and the plans were scrapped. Once peace was restored, Maserati returned to making cars; the Maserati A6 series did well in the post-war racing scene.
Key people joined the Maserati team. Alberto Massimino, an old Fiat engineer, with both Alfa Romeo and Ferrari experiences oversaw the design of all racing models for the next ten years. With him joined engineers Giulio Alfieri, Vittorio Bellentani, and Gioacchino Colombo. The focus was on the best engines and chassis to succeed in car racing. These new projects saw the last contributions of the Maserati brothers, who after their 10-year contract with Orsi expired went on to form O.S.C.A.. This new team at Maserati worked on several projects: the 4CLT, the A6 series, the 8CLT, and, pivotally for the future success of the company, the A6GCS.
The famous Argentinian driver Juan-Manuel Fangio raced for Maserati for a number of years in the 1950s, producing a number of stunning victories including winning the world championship in 1957 in the Maserati 250F alongside Toulo de Graffenried, Louis Chiron, Prince Bira, Enrico Platé, and a few others. Other racing projects in the 1950s were the 200S, 300S (with several famous pilots, among them Benoit Musy), 350S, and 450S, followed in 1961 by the famous Tipo 61.
Maserati had retired from factory racing participation because of the Guidizzolo tragedy[3] during the 1957 Mille Miglia, though they continued to build cars for privateers. After 1957, Maserati became more and more focused on road cars, and chief engineer Giulio Alfieri built the 6-cylinder 3500 2+2 coupé, which featured an aluminum body over Carrozzeria Touring's superleggera structure, a design also used for the small-volume V8-powered 5000. Next came the Vignale-bodied Sebring, launched in 1962, the Mistral Coupé in 1963 and Spider in 1964, both designed by Pietro Frua, and also in 1963, the company's first four-door, the Quattroporte, designed by Frua as well. The two-seat Ghibli coupé was launched in 1967, followed by a convertible in 1969.

MCLAREN

History: McLaren Cars

McLaren M6GT
The McLaren M6GT project started when New Zealander Bruce McLaren decided to enter Le Mans endurance racing in the late 1960s. The plan was to take an M6 Can-Am car and develop a coupe body that would be competitive in long distance racing. To meet regulations at the time a minimum of fifty cars had to be completed. However, homologation problems lead to the project being scrapped.
Having always harboured an ambition to build his own road car, McLaren wanted to turn the project into the ultimate road car. He wanted to build the fastest and quickest accelerating car in the world that translated their expertise on the race track, to create the definitive road going sports car.
In early 1970 work began on the GT so he could use it on the road in an effort to find out what problems would have to be overcome.
Together with chief designer Gordon Coppuck, Bruce planned to refine the prototype, eventually aiming to produce up to 250 cars per year. In fact, only two M6 GTs were ever built — the original prototype and a second built by Trojan. The original prototype, OBH 500H, became Bruce's personal transportation, and remained so until his untimely death at Goodwood on June 2, 1970 when the road car project died with him.

LAND ROVER

Land Rover
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For more details of the vehicle's development between 1948 and 1985, see Land Rover Series.
Land Rover

Type Private Unlimited Company
Industry Automotive
Founded 1978[1]
Headquarters JLR Gaydon Centre, Gaydon, United Kingdom[2]
Key people Dr Ralf Speth (CEO)
John Edwards (Global Brand Director)[3]
Products Automobiles
Owner(s) Tata Motors
Employees 13,000
Parent Jaguar Land Rover
Website www.landrover.com
Land Rover marque
Owner Tata Motors
Country United Kingdom
Markets Automotive
Previous owners 1948–1967 Rover Company
1967–1968 Leyland Motor Corporation
1968–1986 British Leyland Motor Corporation
1986–1988 Rover Group
1988–1994 British Aerospace
1994–2000 BMW
2000–2008 Ford Motor Company
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover group, a subsidiary of Tata Motors of India.[4] It is the second oldest four-wheel-drive car brand in the world (after Jeep).[5]
The Land Rover name was originally used by the Rover Company for one specific vehicle model, named simply the Land Rover, launched by Rover in 1948. Over the following years it developed into a marque encompassing a range of four-wheel-drive models, including the Defender, Discovery, Freelander, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque. Land Rovers are currently assembled in the company's Halewood and Solihull plants, with research and development taking place at JLR's Gaydon and Whitley engineering centres. Land Rover sold 194,000 vehicles worldwide in 2009.[6]
Although the brand originates from the original 1948 model, Land Rover as a company has only existed since 1978. Prior to this, it was a product line of the Rover Company which was subsequently absorbed into the Rover-Triumph division of the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BL) following Leyland Motor Corporation’s takeover of Rover in 1967. The ongoing commercial success of the original Land Rover series models, and latterly the Range Rover in the 1970s in the midst of BL’s well documented business troubles prompted the establishment of a separate Land Rover company but still under the BL umbrella, remaining part of the subsequent Rover Group in 1988, under the ownership of British Aerospace after the remains of British Leyland were broken up and privatised. In 1994 Rover Group plc was acquired by BMW. In 2000, Rover Group was broken-up by BMW and Land Rover was sold to Ford Motor Company, becoming part of its Premier Automotive Group. In 2006 Ford purchased the Rover brand from BMW for around £6 million. This reunited the Rover and Land Rover brands for the first time since 2000 when the Rover group was broken up by BMW. In June 2008, Ford sold both Land Rover and Jaguar Cars to Tata Motors. This sale also included the dormant Rover brand[7][8][9]

LEXUS

LEXUS

Type Division
Industry Automotive
Founded 1989
Founder(s) Eiji Toyoda
Headquarters Nagoya, Japan
Area served Worldwide
Key people Kiyotaka Ise (MO)
Vince Socco (VP, Asia Pacific)
Andy Pfeiffenberger (VP, EU)
Mark Templin (VP, U.S.)
Products Automobiles
Services Automotive financing
Owner(s) Toyota Motor Corporation
Divisions F marque
Website Official sites
(select by country)
Lexus (レクサス?) is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States,[1] Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide,[2] and has ranked among the ten largest Japanese global brands in market value.[3] Lexus is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Operational centers are located in Brussels, Belgium, and Torrance, California, United States.
Lexus originated from a clandestine flagship sedan project, code-named F1, which began in 1983 and culminated in the launch of the original Lexus LS in 1989. Subsequently, the division added sedan, coupé, convertible, and SUV models. In 2005, a hybrid version of the RX crossover debuted, and additional hybrid models later joined the division's lineup. In 2007, Lexus launched its own F marque performance division with the debut of the IS F sport sedan, followed by the LFA supercar in 2009.
From the start of production, Lexus vehicles have been produced in Japan, with manufacturing centered in the Chūbu and Kyūshū regions, and in particular at Toyota's Tahara, Aichi, Chūbu and Miyata, Fukuoka, Kyūshū plants. Assembly of the first Lexus built outside the country, the Ontario, Canada-produced RX 330, began in 2003. Following a corporate reorganization from 2001 to 2005, Lexus also operates its own design, engineering, and manufacturing centers, solely responsible for the division's vehicles.
Since the 2000s, Lexus has increased sales outside its largest market in the United States through an ongoing global expansion. The division inaugurated dealerships in Japan's domestic market in 2005, becoming the first Japanese premium car marque to launch in its country of origin.[4] Further debuts in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, and other export regions have since followed. The division's lineup has also been expanded to reflect regional specifications in model and powertrain configurations.Lexus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lexus

Type Division
Industry Automotive
Founded 1989
Founder(s) Eiji Toyoda
Headquarters Nagoya, Japan
Area served Worldwide
Key people Kiyotaka Ise (MO)
Vince Socco (VP, Asia Pacific)
Andy Pfeiffenberger (VP, EU)
Mark Templin (VP, U.S.)
Products Automobiles
Services Automotive financing
Owner(s) Toyota Motor Corporation
Divisions F marque
Website Official sites
(select by country)
Lexus (レクサス?) is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States,[1] Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide,[2] and has ranked among the ten largest Japanese global brands in market value.[3] Lexus is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Operational centers are located in Brussels, Belgium, and Torrance, California, United States.
Lexus originated from a clandestine flagship sedan project, code-named F1, which began in 1983 and culminated in the launch of the original Lexus LS in 1989. Subsequently, the division added sedan, coupé, convertible, and SUV models. In 2005, a hybrid version of the RX crossover debuted, and additional hybrid models later joined the division's lineup. In 2007, Lexus launched its own F marque performance division with the debut of the IS F sport sedan, followed by the LFA supercar in 2009.
From the start of production, Lexus vehicles have been produced in Japan, with manufacturing centered in the Chūbu and Kyūshū regions, and in particular at Toyota's Tahara, Aichi, Chūbu and Miyata, Fukuoka, Kyūshū plants. Assembly of the first Lexus built outside the country, the Ontario, Canada-produced RX 330, began in 2003. Following a corporate reorganization from 2001 to 2005, Lexus also operates its own design, engineering, and manufacturing centers, solely responsible for the division's vehicles.
Since the 2000s, Lexus has increased sales outside its largest market in the United States through an ongoing global expansion. The division inaugurated dealerships in Japan's domestic market in 2005, becoming the first Japanese premium car marque to launch in its country of origin.[4] Further debuts in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, and other export regions have since followed. The division's lineup has also been expanded to reflect regional specifications in model and powertrain configurations.

LIFAN

History

<sup>A Lifan truck, 2009

Lifan was founded by former political dissident Yin Mingshan in 1992, originally as a motorcycle repair shop with a staff of nine. Mingshan has a long history of conflict with governmental authorities of all stripes but currently enjoys a good relationship with the Chinese Communist Party.[7] The company was originally called "Chongqing Hongda Auto Fittings Research Centre".[8] Lifan had already become a major motorcycle manufacturer when it expanded into building buses in 2003.[9]

Becoming the fifth-largest Chinese motorcycle maker in only seventeen years,[5] the company was renamed Lifan Industry Group in 1997.[8] In 2003, Lifan acquired Chongqing Special Purpose Use Vehicle Manufacturing Co Ltd.[6]

2005 saw commencement of automobile production, beginning with the LF6361/1010 minivan and pickup based on the 1999 Daihatsu Atrai. In December 2005, Lifan's first independent development, the 520 sedan with a Brazilian Tritec engine, entered production.[9] Lifan's current automobile lineup (as of autumn 2011) consists of the subcompact 320, the compact sedan and hatchback 520, the slightly larger 620 sedan, and the X60 compact SUV.[10]

Lifan made an IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in late 2010.[5] Several years prior, Lifan petitioned the Chinese State to allow the creation of more private banks, in order to allow better investment opportunities for privately run businesses.[7</sup>

LOTUS

History

The company was formed as Lotus Engineering Ltd. by engineers Colin Chapman and Colin Dare, both graduates of University College, London, in 1952. The four letters in the middle of the logo stand for the initials of company founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman.

The first factory was in old stables behind the Railway Hotel in Hornsey, North London. Team Lotus, which was split off from Lotus Engineering in 1954, was active and competitive in Formula One racing from 1958 to 1994. The Lotus Group of Companies was formed in 1959. This was made up of Lotus Cars Limited and Lotus Components Limited, which focused on road cars and customer competition car production, respectively. Lotus Components Limited became Lotus Racing Limited in 1971 but the newly renamed entity ceased operation in the same year.[2]

The company moved to a purpose built factory at Cheshunt in 1959[3] and since 1966 the company has occupied a modern factory and road test facility at Hethel, near Wymondham. This site is the former RAF Hethel base and the test track uses sections of the old runway.