Happy New Year!

Whatever Happened to Hood Ornaments?

Remember when car hoods had fun, sleek or sophisticated figurines? Today, you’ll hardly ever see one. But what happened to the hood ornaments we knew and loved in the past? It turns out, there’s a surprising history behind hood ornaments - and why they disappeared.

Ornaments have long adorned our modes of transport, from lady luck strapped to the bow of a ship to the ornate spires worn by carriage horses. Car historians trace the hood ornament back to the early 20th century, when cars still had external radiator caps and temperature gauges. Seeking ways to dress them up, designers turned to miniature works of art—animals, emblems and model machines that embodied the car's identity. In the 1920s, the Cadillac LaSalle featured an elaborate statuette of its namesake, intrepid 17th century French explorer Robert de LaSalle, tipping his hat over a burned-out campfire.

By the end of the decade, the practical need for the hood ornament was gone, as radiator caps were relocated under hoods and temperature gauges moved to dashboards. But that didn't stop the auto mascot from enjoying a life of its own. Some sort of doppelganger topped most cars made in America between 1930 and 1950. Among the classics: the forward-leaning Roman messenger goddess Mercury used on Buicks in the 1930s; the wild and sinewy Archer on vintage Pierce Arrows; and the Goddess of Speed that once graced Packards.

Stripped-down hippie tastes, Nader-esque concerns that ornaments could turn otherwise minor pedestrian scraps into fatal accidents, and even irrational fears about heightened fuel costs from increased drag, began to erode the popularity of hood ornaments over the years.

Read the original article here: http://thebea.st/UkF42c

Safe Driving Saves Lives: 10 Best Tips for Safe Driving

Since many people will be hitting the roads this weekend, it’s important that you know how to drive safely. Even if you’re not leaving town, keep in mind that people unfamiliar with Johnstown may be hitting local streets. Brushing up on your safe driving techniques is never a bad idea!

Today, we drive safer cars on safer roads; decades of advertisements and public information campaigns have made most of us safer drivers. As a result, the U.S. logged the lowest accident fatality rate ever recorded in 2008 [source:NHTSA]. Despite this progress, unfortunately, the number of auto accidents and fatalities nationwide is still quite staggering: In 2008, there were almost 6 million car accidents in the U.S., leading to more than 37,000 deaths. What's more, automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of three and 34 in this country.
Improvements in technology will continue to help bring those numbers down, but the bottom line remains that most car accidents are the result of human error. The best way to reduce the risk of being involved in an accident is to practice safe driving behaviors. Whether you're just learning to drive or you've been behind the wheel for decades, it's a good idea to review some basic rules for safe driving. Here are 10 driving tips that will help bring you and your passengers home unharmed.
1. Don’t drive drunk.
2. Don’t speed.
3. Avoid distractions.
4. Don’t drive drowsy.
5. Wear your seat belt.
6. Be extra careful in bad weather.
7. Don’t follow too closely.
8. Watch out for the other guy.
9. Practice defensive driving.
10. Keep your vehicle safe.

Read the whole article at How Stuff Works: http://bit.ly/12mHK57

How All-Wheel and 4-Wheel Drive Works

Different cars use different systems that enable drivers to have more control over the vehicle. However, many drivers don’t know the difference between four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. This distinction is critical if you’re trying to figure out how your car works. Here’s more information from How Stuff Works:

There are almost as many different types of four-wheel-drive systems as there are four-wheel-drive vehicles. It seems that every manufacturer has several different schemes for providing power to all of the wheels. The language used by the different carmakers can sometimes be a little confusing, so before we get started explaining how they work, let's clear up some terminology:

• Four-wheel drive - Usually, when carmakers say that a car has four-wheel drive, they are referring to a part-time system. For reasons we'll explore later in this article, these systems are meant only for use in low-traction conditions, such as off-road or on snow or ice.
• All-wheel drive - These systems are sometimes called full-time four-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive systems are designed to function on all types of surfaces, both on- and off-road, and most of them cannot be switched off.

Part-time and full-time four-wheel-drive systems can be evaluated using the same criteria. The best system will send exactly the right amount of torque to each wheel, which is the maximum torque that won't cause that tire to slip.

Learn more and read the entire article over at How Stuff Works here: http://bit.ly/7caG0s

Ram named Motor Trend Truck of the Year

"The 2013 Ram 1500 SLT is essentially like driving a Chrysler 300 with a bed," says the story that appears in the magazine's February issue. The Ram is made by Chrysler Group, which also makes the 300, a car known for its relatively upscale interior.
Chrysler recently split off the Ram truck division from Dodge, so the trucks no longer carry the Dodge name.
To be eligible for the Truck of the Year award, a model must be completely new or substantially changed for the 2013 model year. Only two other trucks -- the Ford (F, Fortune 500) F-150 pickup and Nissan NV 3500 passenger van -- were eligible this year.
When Chrysler Group unveiled the new Ram at the 2012 New York Auto Show, the automaker touted advances in fuel economy, boasting that it had become the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid truck sold in the United States. The V6-powered Ram truck gets 25 miles per gallon on the highway, according to the EPA. Last year's 2012 Dodge Ram V6 was rated at 20 mpg on the highway.

 Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2012/12/06/autos/ram-motor-trend-truck-year/