Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

Monthly Archives: November, 2012

PHOENIX GRAND PRIX 1989

STILL SAVORING the overwhelming success of the inaugural Circuit of the Americas Grand Prix in Austin, I thought about highs and lows of previous U.S. Grands Prix. Though I never … Continue reading

November 30, 2012 · 2 Comments

BRITAIN INVADED!

A CAR book can offer most marvelous tales having nothing to do with cars. And so it is with Bentley Motors On The Road, an assemblage of the owners’ magazines … Continue reading

November 29, 2012 · 1 Comment

PORSCHE SINGLE-SEATER

NEWS OF a particular Porsche displayed at the Essen Motor Show1 prompts me to recall my own once-in-a-lifetime experience piloting a single-seat Porsche. Known as der Volksschlepper, this vehicle gets … Continue reading

November 28, 2012 · 6 Comments

DOUGLAS WORLD CRUISERS

ONE OF the grandest adventures in aviation occurred in 1924 when a trio of U.S. Army Air Service Douglas World Cruisers became the first aeroplanes to circumnavigate the globe. The … Continue reading

November 27, 2012 · Leave a comment

WRONG WORDS

AS A linguistic hobby, I’ve been collecting two kinds of misused words, one category dating back more than 200 years, the other defined as recently as the current decade. They’re … Continue reading

November 26, 2012 · 3 Comments

BENETTON B186

THE RECENT U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, reminds me of my own Formula 1 drive. (It’s difficult to work this into ordinary conversation—but it can be done.) The car … Continue reading

November 25, 2012 · 2 Comments

HIGH TECH, WHY TECH

AVOWED TECHIE though I am, some modern automotive offerings have me wondering. Here are my current citations in both categories, High Tech and Why Tech. Rear view camera. High Tech! … Continue reading

November 24, 2012 · 1 Comment

MATRYOSHKA

AT FIRST glance, the phrase “Matryoshka Holmes” looks like one of Sherlock’s obscure Russian relatives. And, in a sense, this is correct—by way of China, in more ways than one. … Continue reading

November 23, 2012 · Leave a comment

SPACE FRONTIER 1952

DESCRIBED AS “the story of the greatest adventure awaiting man,” Across the Space Frontier is a wonderful book written by top space scientists in 1952. A good many of their … Continue reading

November 22, 2012 · Leave a comment

WHAT IS A SPORTS CAR?

THE QUESTION “What is a sports car?” was addressed in Road and Track by no less than John R. Bond. And, indeed, when John and his wife Elaine assumed control … Continue reading

November 21, 2012 · 3 Comments