=: Car Facts :=

[KB]

Mercedes Benz cars are named after Mercedes Jellinek, an Austrian girl.

About a quarter of the world still drives on the left, and the countries that do are mostly old British colonies.

There are more than 16,400 parking metres in Manhatten, New York.

Traffic jams are nothing new. In 45 BC, Rome banned all vehicles from within the city -- and in other cities vehicles, including horses, were allowed only at night... because of traffic jams.

The city with the most Rolls Royce's per capita is Hong Kong.

On average a human being spends two weeks of their entire lives waiting for traffic lights to change.

On Oct. 22, 1999, White Lightning Electric Streamliner, an electiric car owned by Dempsey's World Record Associates, achieved a record speed 245.951 m.p.h. at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA. The car was driven by Patrick Rummerfield (USA).

The first cars did not have steering wheels. Drivers steered with a lever.

The New York City Police Department used bicycles to pursue speeding motorists in 1898.

The first speeding ticket was issued in 1902.

In 1916, 55 percent of the cars in the world were Model T Fords, a record that has never been beaten.

The first gas gauge appeared in cars in 1922.

In 1923, 173 new inventions by women for cars had been reported. Among these inventions were a carburetor and an electric engine starter.

The first car radio was invented in 1929.

Buick introduced the first electric turn signals in 1938.

The Peanuts characters were first animated in 1957 for a Ford Fairlaine automobile commercial.

Most American car horns beep in the key of F.

The automobile is the most recycled consumer product in the world today.

In 1906, the horse-drawn traffic in New York City moved along at an average speed of 11.5 miles per hour. In 1978, a survey showed automobile traffic in New York City averaged only 7.9 miles per hour.

Felix Wankel, automotive engineer and inventor of the rotary engine, never had a driver's license.

Ken

[Centurion]

Interesting. I love these 'fun facts'. Great conversation starter

[swissaddict]

The first speeding ticket was issued in 1902.

"Sir, do you know how fast you were going?"

"I thought I was going 10 miles per hour.."

"Try 13 miles per hour!! You could have killed somebody!"

[KB]

"Sir, do you know how fast you were going?"

"I thought I was going 10 miles per hour.."

"Try 13 miles per hour!! You could have killed somebody!"

Yeah but look at the one above, they were using bicylces to chase them.......took 4 years to catch one didn't it?

Ken

[ryyannon]

There are more than 16,400 parking metres in Manhatten, New York.

Another little-known fact: Mahhatten is really spelled Manhattan