UrQ in Thoroughbred & Classic Cars

[tnas@euronet.nl (Tom Nas)]

Hi all,

This month's Thoroughbred & Classic Cars (UK) has a 60-page special called
'Trailblazers, the most innovative cars ever'. Among the remarkable cars
this features the UrQuattro prominently. Some beautiful pics, and very nice
prose ('probably the most identifiable destroyer of established motoring
creeds since the Mini'). The car featured is a red UrQ (registered A564 SUL
-does that ring a bell, Phil?). The 5-page feature closes: 'it is thanks to
the Quattro that 4WD today has left the farm tracks and found its way on
tarmac as an acceptable specification on a modern motor car - and the
diversity of its expoitation is enormous. Lamborghini's Diablo roadster and
the Subaru Justy are two cases in point; that in itself is no small
accomplishment'. Good stuff.

They write the complete opposite in the next two pages, where they examine
the innovations in the A8 and ask themselves 'who has done this before?' (A
case of missing the point completely, IMHO, because it's not about the
individual innovations but about the whole package!). Some of the comments
they make aren't valid at all (e.g. who is interested in the 'innovation'
of pneumatic tyres?)
Still, it's nice to know that an all-aluminium body was pioneered in series
on a Napier in 1902. Bet you it wasn't a unitary construction, though!

Still, for those interested in a background article on the UrQ, this is a
nice magazine to buy. Wish I could get a poster of the main picture...

Bye,

Tom

 _______________________________________________________________________
 Tom Nas                                          Zeist, The Netherlands
 tnas@euronet.nl