THE NEW BENJAMINS
THERE’S A new $100 bill entering circulation—not that it matters much to me directly, as even Grants ($50s) make me nervous. Nevertheless, these new Benjamins are accompanied by lots of … Continue reading
TAXABLE HP
HORSEPOWER IS motorized fun—so, governments say, why not tax it? Indeed, the idea of extracting cash from motorists is as old as the automobile. Some of the techniques of doing … Continue reading
SEDUCING SPEED
“PORSCHE BY Design: Seducing Speed” is taking place right now, until January 20, 2014, at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina. See http://goo.gl/1oYXkw for a glimpse … Continue reading
TATIN-PAULHAN AÉRO-TORPILLE
IMAGINE ATTENDING the 1911 Paris Salon de l’Aéronautique and coming upon the Tatin-Paulhan Aéro-Torpille! The two names would have been familiar. Louis Paulhan had just returned from a triumphal 7-month … Continue reading
GANGSTER CITROËN
THE CITROËN Traction Avant’s place in automotive history is at least four times deserved. It was the world’s first front-wheel-drive steel unibody car. Its production life, from 1934 through 1955, … Continue reading
DINING WITH HOLMES
ONE OF the best titles of Sherlockiana is “Alimentary, My Dear Watson,” John Bennett Shaw’s study of the Canon’s meals, published in the Baker Street Journal, 1947, 2. In it, … Continue reading
DAMN THE CO2, MOVE THE METAL!
WHAT WITH German luxury and high-performance automobiles not exactly prized for their frugality—and the European market currently in the dumps—the German government has persuaded the European Commission to ease its … Continue reading
GOOD-BYE, TRIB—AND THANKS
ON OCTOBER 14, 2013, The International Herald Tribune, the Trib, for short, changed its name to The International New York Times. It wasn’t the first name change, but it’s fun … Continue reading
MINI HYDROFOILS
THE 2013 America’s Cup news coverage introduced me to super-advanced hydrofoil racing boats. The races were won by Oracle Team USA over Emirates Team New Zealand. See the organizer’s official … Continue reading
VOLVO + DIMETHYL ETHER
ONE OF the most promising sustainable fuels is appearing first in heavy trucks. Volvo believes it has found a winner in DME, dimethyl ether. Among DME benefits are simple conversion … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 