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The Classic 1980s Sports Car - The De Lorean

Posted in Sports Car by Admin on Nov 26th, 2007

One of the most famous classic sports cars of the 1980s is certainly the De Lorean DMC-12. The sports car is popular and mainly well known not for its specs, but for its appearance in the Back to the Future trilogy, which is a famous movie series from the 1980s that was directed by Robert Zemeckis. The movie was based around the idea of time traveling, and it just so happened that the De Lorean DMC-12 was the time machine in the movie. The writers of the show decided to use the De Lorean DMC-12 mainly because of its odd appearance.

The De Lorean can be easily spotted because of its unique stainless steel body designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and gull-wing style doors. With the gull-wing doors open, the sports car almost looked like a car with wings. Although the car was produced in Europe, it was designed by John De Lorean, the founder of the De Lorean Motor Company, with the American marketplace in mind.

The performance of the car was considered disappointing because when it was being made, the De Lorean had to deal with many new American emissions regulations. The horsepower of the car only ended up being around 130 horsepower after it was all said and done. The sports car was sold at $25,000, which would translate into about $55,000 in modern dollars. Before it was actually released, many car fans were willing to pay above the price. Once the car company went bankrupt, however, the price of the cars dropped.

The DMC-12 is the only car model ever created by the De Lorean Motor Company, so the De Lorean DMC-12 is often just referred to as the “De Lorean”. It was originally manufactured in just two years, 1981 and 1982, so there were approximately only 9,000 De Loreans ever produced. The reason why it only had a lifetime of two years is because the De Lorean Motor Company went bankrupt soon after John De Lorean was arrested in 1982 with charges of drug trafficking. In 1984 he was finally found out to be not guilty due to entrapment, but unfortunately by that time the De Lorean Motor Company no longer existed.

To this very day, the De Lorean almost has a cult following of fans from all over the world. Many people were amazed by the Back to the Future trilogy, and since the De Lorean was a major part of it, the legend lives on. It is believed that there are still about 6,000 De Loreans in existence. Passionate fans are even able to go to the DeLorean Car Show, which is held twice a year in different locations. Some cast members of the Back to the Future trilogy even show up to these kinds of events. There are even several magazines devoted solely to the De Lorean, such as the DeLorean Car Show Magazine and DW Magazine. With the recent release of the Back to the Future movies on DVD, there has been an increased interest in De Loreans once again, as new fans of the movie can finally see why the De Lorean is loved by so many people from all over the world.

Michael Russell

Your Independent Sports Car guide.


Getting a Good Car Insurance Rate for Your Teen - Saving Money When You Need it Most

Posted in Car Insurance Rate by Admin on Nov 25th, 2007

If you’d like to insure your teenager to drive your car, be prepared to pay through the nose. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that young people tend to have more accidents than their older counterparts, and insurance companies know this all too well.

There may be some variance in the Teen rate your insurance company provides depending on the sex of the child, with males being a higher risk than females, and therefore more expensive to insure. Over all, the likelihood of someone between the ages of 16 and 19 having an accident is four times higher than those over 19. It’s hard to blame insurance companies for charging more to cover themselves and your family.

Teen insurance is expensive, but if your child has good grades, this can count towards a discount. Teenagers who maintain a B average or higher will often cost their parent three quarters of what a less academically able student would cost to insure. Also make sure your teen has learned good driving skills and completed safety courses. Having certification from these courses may save you up to 10%, which can be a tidy little sum.

The other important factor in saving money on premiums goes for teens and adults. Keep it clean! Your driving record that is. Tickets and traffic infringements can send your premiums skyrocketing. Once again, gender becomes an issue, with females experiencing less increase in premiums per offense when compared with males.

It does seem unfair and biased, but you have to remember that it’s nothing personal. Insurance companies let the numbers do the talking, so if you want the lowest insurance costs for your teen, regardless of gender, just remember to make sure they’ve completed a driving course, they keep out of trouble with traffic and the law, and keep their grades up.

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Travelling Beyond the Algarve Reveals the Real Portugal

Posted in Car Rental by Admin on Nov 25th, 2007

The Algarve is atypical sun and sand holiday destination attracting tens of thousands of Europeans every summer. Although the region has much to offer both the package holiday maker, independent traveller and, of course, golfer, many visitors to Portugal fail to get beyond the trappings of the holiday resorts and sample the real Portugal.

Outside of the Algarve, Portugal has a long and illustrious history. An independent nation since 1143, Portugal is one of the oldest nations in Europe and it’s location on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula dictates a long history of sea faring and discovery. A vast monumental and cultural legacy has been left for modern visitors to enjoy. The tourist information site gives an interesting and informative overview of the cultural and historic attractions of the country as well as useful guides to the regions and cities of Portugal.

The capital city, Lisbon, is an ideal location for a short break and is rapidly gaining a reputation as such. A thriving and bustling mix of the old and new, Lisbon retains a respect for its historic past whilst offering the visitor the attractions and amenities that could be expected of a main European city. The city is dominated by the old port area - the departure point for explorers such as Magellan - and recent regeneration of the area is sympathetic and impressive. Lisbon comes to life at night as the locals descend on the pavement restaurants and bars creating a relaxed, sociable and informal atmosphere.

Further North and the impressive, World Heritage status city of Porto can be found. The city, of course, lends its’ name to the world famous variety of wine but the city’s baroque and Romanesque architecture leave a lasting and perhaps not as regrettable impression. Although the Algarve signs to mind when you mention beaches and Portugal, the coastal region of Minho, to the north of Porto have perhaps the most stunning beaches in the country. The area has some resorts, but these are quieter and smaller in scale to their southern counterparts and offer a quieter, perhaps more relaxed beach holiday than the Algarve.

Travelling to Portugal via, Lisbon, Porto or Faro is relatively easy from the UK with most operators offering direct flights from a range of UK airports. Internal flights are relatively inexpensive and the rail system is cheap and efficient. Portugal is a relatively small country and is negotiable by road for those looking to traverse wide areas. Car rental in Portugal is abundant - especially in Lisbon and Porto and most of the major car hire firms offer one way or return car hire in Portugal.

The Algarve is an ideal family holiday destination and has many charms but Portugal as a country has much more to offer for those willing to explore a little further.

Submitted by:
Michael Hanna

About Michael
Michael is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland:

Contact details:
E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com
Phone: 0131 561 2251
Michael’s Website: Taxi Belfast


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