After the spectacular introduction of the famous Tata Nano, many people began to wonder what is going to happen when people in developing countries are going to afford purchasing automobiles. The Tata Nano is not the first attempt to manufacture an affordable car. Going back a few decades, we have the funny Fiat 500 in Italy, VW Beetle in Germany, the Citroen 2CV and the Renault 4CV in France, and of course, the Ford Model T in the United States. With this article we will present the current 10 most affordable cars in the world.
10. Dacia Logan - $9,477 price tag. It is manufactured in Romania, Brazil, Turkey, India and Iran. It was designed by Renault with the main purpose of being low-cost. It shares plenty of features with the Renault Clio and the Nissan Micra.
9. Fiat Palio - $9,242 price tag. It was originally manufactured in Brazil and after that built in other Latin American countries as well as India, Morocco, Poland, Russia and China. This car is one of the first models designed with emerging technologies in mind.
8. Hyundai i10 - $9,096 price tag. The i10 model is the new generation of the Atos. It is produced in South Korea.
7. Tata Indica - $8,500 price tag. It is one of the ugliest cars in the European market, where it still lives because you cannot get something cheaper than this. The car is also sold with great success in South Africa.
6. Chery A-1 - $7,340 price tag. It looks like a solid subcompact and rumors say that it will be sold under the Dodge brand in Mexico. Chery's partnership with Austrian company AVL that will be bringing the technology to make this car meet the Euro IV standards, something the environment should appreciate.
5. Geely HQ SRC - $5,780 price tag. This car is based on the 1980's Daihatsu Charade, which was at its time, a very good car.
4. Geely MR - $5,500 price tag. It is quite similar with the HQ SRC, the only difference would be that it is equipped with "sportier" powertrains, but basically it is the same car.
3. Suzuki Maurti 800 - $4,994 price tag. A mini car for those that cannot afford a full-sized automobile.
2. Cheery QQ - $4,781 price tag. It is almost double the price of the number one in our list, but it still holds strongly to the second position. Manufactured in China, it sparked some trademark problems because it resembles a lot with the Chevrolet/Daewoo Matiz.
1. Tata Nano - $2,497 price tag. This car is well thought out, and many patents have resulted from the creation process, starting with the Nano's powertrain to the assembly process itself. Many people are against this car because lots of people will afford it and many cars result in pollution.
There you have, the 10 most affordable cars in the world, with the Tata Nano holding comfortably the first place of the top. We shall see how popular and successful the Nano will get and if other manufacturers will try to produce an even more affordable car.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
You Can Be a Cruise Ship Owner Even If You Are Not Rich
Unlike fractional ownership of aircraft and houseboats, fractional owners of a cruise ship can all use the ship simultaneously. There is plenty of room for you and the other owners to live on the ship any time you want, or all the time. You can use it as a full-time residence, and so can the other co-owners.
The first obvious benefit of shared ownership is acquisition cost. There are many cruise ships on the market in all price ranges, sizes, ages, and conditions. There are many smaller and older cruise ships available for less than one million dollars. At the lower end, some smaller cruise ships in fair condition can be acquired for about $250,000. At the highest end, the biggest new mega cruise ships now cost about $500 million to build.
Do the math. If one hundred buyers pool resources in exchange for a percentage of ship ownership, the acquisition cost will be divided by that same number. One percent ownership of a $250,000 cruise ship would cost a mere $2500 for ship acquisition. At the other end of the scale, one percent ownership of a brand new mega cruise ship would cost five million dollars.
There are some other figures that must be tabulated into the total cost of ownership. Acquisition cost is first and foremost. The next figure is the cost to put the ship in service. On an older ship this cost may be higher than the acquisition cost. On the other hand, the cost to put a ship into service can be much lower if you were to get a good deal on a ship that already meets the international standards for ship safety, especially SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea). Maintaining compliance with Chapter II SOLAS 74 amendments is cost prohibitive for some older ships and they are typically scrapped instead of being refurbished at great expense. There is a very important SOLAS implementation date coming up on January 10, 2010. On that date all commercial international ships will be required to be in compliance with the new fire safety codes. The most important new codes deal with the use of combustible materials in the ship. It will be expensive to replace all combustible materials in ships with non-combustible or flame resistant SOLAS compliant materials that meet the new safety standards. This will result in many ships being sold for scrap metal.
The looming SOLAS 2010 implementation date offers both perils and opportunities. The biggest peril is the possibility that the expense to bring a ship into full compliance with international standards will be greater than the value of the ship. However, there is a silver lining in this cloud. This pending SOLAS implementation date has already started to show up as a primary factor in the asking and selling prices of ships on the market today.
SOLAS 2010 also offers a tremendous opportunity for those who may prefer to have a very large houseboat instead of a commercial ship. Ships that are not in compliance with SOLAS 2010 are now selling for a song (inexpensively). A cruise ship can easily be converted into a megayacht with the stroke of a pen. Privately owned yachts, not in commercial service, and not carrying passengers or cargo for hire are exempt from many of the SOLAS requirements. Operating costs are also lower for a private yacht. It cost less to register, flag, and insure a private yacht. Megayachts can be flagged and classified for unlimited service. That means that a megayacht can go practically anywhere you want it to go. There is one major drawback to registering a cruise ship as a private yacht. You cannot use the yacht commercially. This cuts off a potential revenue source.
There are many decent cruise ships for sale at prices of less than one million dollars that would make good private megayachts. For example, take the 'VERGINA SKY' is a ship that I have personally inspected and so I can talk first hand about it. The asking price was $750,000. Here are the specifics of the ship in a nutshell:
Current Name: Vergina Sky
Ship Details: Built: 1971 in Japan - totally rebuilt 1992 in Greece
Dimensions: LOA 97.8m x LBP 82m x beam 14.6m x draft 4.49m Dwt: 500 on 4,49 GT/NT: 4,668 / 1,717
Description: Pielstick 2 x 8400bhp, twin screw, bow thruster, 3 x 500kw generators, 16 knots, 2 saloons, restaurant, 3 bars, casino, duty free shop, disco, swimming pool, 120 cabins for 318 guests. Lying Greece
My Comments after inspecting the ship
This is a well built little 'Pocket Cruiser.' At just over 320' in length overall, it is a small cruise ship. Many experienced cruise passengers prefer smaller more intimate cruise ships for a variety of reasons. This ship can go places where the big cruise ships cannot reach, such as shallow draft ports and even many rivers. It has an omni-directional bow thruster and can turn on a dime (relatively speaking of course). I have carefully examined this ship from the engine log to the ultrasound hull report. This is a sound and safe little cruise ship. It is also a very fuel efficient and economical ship. My first time on this ship was in the middle of the summer in Greece when it was very hot outside. The ship is fully air conditioned and it was cool and comfortable inside the ship. I checked the engine room to see how many generators were running. I am happy to report that all the electric and air-conditioning requirements can be met by running just one of the three Daihatsu generators. These generators are very economical to operate in terms of fuel consumption and maintenance.
I was able to negotiate with the owner, John Kosmas and get some concessions. I got the price down to $500,000. And at that price, he agreed to bring the ship into compliance with SOLAS 2005 and also to include new paint topside. The ship was fairly well furnished even including bed linen, but the ship had been laid up for years. Its most recent service was in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Cruise ships that trade exclusively in the Mediterranean and Black Seas tend to have smaller cabins and fewer amenities than the typical cruise ships that frequent the Caribbean. The bottom line is that this ship was an economy model, not a luxury model. When I was inspecting the engine room, I asked for the engine log. When I opened it I noticed all the entries were in Greek. I was able to discern some dates and other data that told me when the ship was last in service, but I could not read the Greek entries so I handed the engine log back to the ship owner, and told him "It's all Greek to me." Being Greek, Mr. Kosmas failed to find the humor in that.
Let's look at the numbers on this ship. 100% of the acquisition cost would have been $500,000. 1% thus = $5000. One hundred buyers could own one percent each. There are 120 cabins so each co-owner could have a private cabin with 20 cabins left over. However, these cabins are a bit on the small side. Every cabin does have a bath and shower, but the size is just too small to be comfortable for most people, especially if the owners intend to live onboard full time. On a ship this size I would recommend that there be no more than 60 joint owners so each can have two cabins and will have the option of converting those two cabins into a two room suite. To keep the numbers simple lets say that this ship has 50 buyers who each buy 2% of the ship. Buy in cost per owner would then be $10,000. If there were only ten buyers, then the acquisition cost per buyer would be $50,000. $50,000 will not buy much of a house on land, but on this ship it would buy 10% of a ship like the Vergina Sky and twelve cabins that could be converted into a fairly large home.
At the economy end of the scale, a co owner could buy 1% of an economical cruise ship for about $5000. However it is not necessary for all co owners to have equal shares in the ship. Ownership can easily be divided up into 1% increments. If one buyer wanted 5%, then his cost of acquisition would be $25,000. He would be entitled to 5% of the ship's cabins, and would have five votes on operations and management of the ship, such as itinerary planning.
Before becoming a joint owner, it would be imperative to find other people who have similar goals. I would suggest composing a preliminary DCCR (DECLARATION OF
COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS). You can do this before you even shop for a ship. Write your version of how you envision the shared ownership of a cruise ship as it should be. Then see if you can find some people who agree with your goals and your DCCR, subject to some revisions and concessions to accommodate other joint owners.
Step One: Determine if you and your family have the desire and financial capability to become joint cruise ship (or megayacht) owners.
Step Two: Find others who agree with your concept for shared ownership of a ship.
Step Three: Shop for a ship. This is the fun part.
Step Four: Buy a ship.
Step Five: Put the ship into service.
Even if you are not rich, you can afford to jointly own a cruise ship. But then comes the next logical question: Why would you or anyone want to live on a cruise ship? Who would this be suitable for?
If you are retired or otherwise have a stable income from a dependable source you probably can afford to be a cruise ship co-owner and live full-time onboard a cruise ship. If you work in a field where you can work from home online, then you too can probably afford to become a co-owner of a cruise ship. Most modern ships have satellite Internet service available 24-7.
Operating a cruise ship is expensive. The expenses include the cost of fuel, labor, maintenance, repairs, spares, food, port charges, insurance, technical management, shore management, registration, and the other costs of operating the ship. At first glance these costs may seem expensive, but in reality the cost of living at sea is actually a bargain considering what you get based upon what you pay. The best value does not always translate to the cheapest price. If the ship is well managed, the management will seek the highest quality goods, services, and labor at the very best global value. If the owners are dissatisfied with either technical or shore management, they replace them.
If there are many other co-owners of the ship to split the operating expenses of the ship, it can be affordable for those with a moderate level of income, such as a retirement check. I do have specific operating cost figures but I won't bore you with that data. The bottom line is that it would not be prohibitively expensive for a middle-class average person to be able to afford to own a fraction of a cruise ship and be able to afford to live on the cruise ship full-time if they elect to do so.
The first obvious benefit of shared ownership is acquisition cost. There are many cruise ships on the market in all price ranges, sizes, ages, and conditions. There are many smaller and older cruise ships available for less than one million dollars. At the lower end, some smaller cruise ships in fair condition can be acquired for about $250,000. At the highest end, the biggest new mega cruise ships now cost about $500 million to build.
Do the math. If one hundred buyers pool resources in exchange for a percentage of ship ownership, the acquisition cost will be divided by that same number. One percent ownership of a $250,000 cruise ship would cost a mere $2500 for ship acquisition. At the other end of the scale, one percent ownership of a brand new mega cruise ship would cost five million dollars.
There are some other figures that must be tabulated into the total cost of ownership. Acquisition cost is first and foremost. The next figure is the cost to put the ship in service. On an older ship this cost may be higher than the acquisition cost. On the other hand, the cost to put a ship into service can be much lower if you were to get a good deal on a ship that already meets the international standards for ship safety, especially SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea). Maintaining compliance with Chapter II SOLAS 74 amendments is cost prohibitive for some older ships and they are typically scrapped instead of being refurbished at great expense. There is a very important SOLAS implementation date coming up on January 10, 2010. On that date all commercial international ships will be required to be in compliance with the new fire safety codes. The most important new codes deal with the use of combustible materials in the ship. It will be expensive to replace all combustible materials in ships with non-combustible or flame resistant SOLAS compliant materials that meet the new safety standards. This will result in many ships being sold for scrap metal.
The looming SOLAS 2010 implementation date offers both perils and opportunities. The biggest peril is the possibility that the expense to bring a ship into full compliance with international standards will be greater than the value of the ship. However, there is a silver lining in this cloud. This pending SOLAS implementation date has already started to show up as a primary factor in the asking and selling prices of ships on the market today.
SOLAS 2010 also offers a tremendous opportunity for those who may prefer to have a very large houseboat instead of a commercial ship. Ships that are not in compliance with SOLAS 2010 are now selling for a song (inexpensively). A cruise ship can easily be converted into a megayacht with the stroke of a pen. Privately owned yachts, not in commercial service, and not carrying passengers or cargo for hire are exempt from many of the SOLAS requirements. Operating costs are also lower for a private yacht. It cost less to register, flag, and insure a private yacht. Megayachts can be flagged and classified for unlimited service. That means that a megayacht can go practically anywhere you want it to go. There is one major drawback to registering a cruise ship as a private yacht. You cannot use the yacht commercially. This cuts off a potential revenue source.
There are many decent cruise ships for sale at prices of less than one million dollars that would make good private megayachts. For example, take the 'VERGINA SKY' is a ship that I have personally inspected and so I can talk first hand about it. The asking price was $750,000. Here are the specifics of the ship in a nutshell:
Current Name: Vergina Sky
Ship Details: Built: 1971 in Japan - totally rebuilt 1992 in Greece
Dimensions: LOA 97.8m x LBP 82m x beam 14.6m x draft 4.49m Dwt: 500 on 4,49 GT/NT: 4,668 / 1,717
Description: Pielstick 2 x 8400bhp, twin screw, bow thruster, 3 x 500kw generators, 16 knots, 2 saloons, restaurant, 3 bars, casino, duty free shop, disco, swimming pool, 120 cabins for 318 guests. Lying Greece
My Comments after inspecting the ship
This is a well built little 'Pocket Cruiser.' At just over 320' in length overall, it is a small cruise ship. Many experienced cruise passengers prefer smaller more intimate cruise ships for a variety of reasons. This ship can go places where the big cruise ships cannot reach, such as shallow draft ports and even many rivers. It has an omni-directional bow thruster and can turn on a dime (relatively speaking of course). I have carefully examined this ship from the engine log to the ultrasound hull report. This is a sound and safe little cruise ship. It is also a very fuel efficient and economical ship. My first time on this ship was in the middle of the summer in Greece when it was very hot outside. The ship is fully air conditioned and it was cool and comfortable inside the ship. I checked the engine room to see how many generators were running. I am happy to report that all the electric and air-conditioning requirements can be met by running just one of the three Daihatsu generators. These generators are very economical to operate in terms of fuel consumption and maintenance.
I was able to negotiate with the owner, John Kosmas and get some concessions. I got the price down to $500,000. And at that price, he agreed to bring the ship into compliance with SOLAS 2005 and also to include new paint topside. The ship was fairly well furnished even including bed linen, but the ship had been laid up for years. Its most recent service was in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Cruise ships that trade exclusively in the Mediterranean and Black Seas tend to have smaller cabins and fewer amenities than the typical cruise ships that frequent the Caribbean. The bottom line is that this ship was an economy model, not a luxury model. When I was inspecting the engine room, I asked for the engine log. When I opened it I noticed all the entries were in Greek. I was able to discern some dates and other data that told me when the ship was last in service, but I could not read the Greek entries so I handed the engine log back to the ship owner, and told him "It's all Greek to me." Being Greek, Mr. Kosmas failed to find the humor in that.
Let's look at the numbers on this ship. 100% of the acquisition cost would have been $500,000. 1% thus = $5000. One hundred buyers could own one percent each. There are 120 cabins so each co-owner could have a private cabin with 20 cabins left over. However, these cabins are a bit on the small side. Every cabin does have a bath and shower, but the size is just too small to be comfortable for most people, especially if the owners intend to live onboard full time. On a ship this size I would recommend that there be no more than 60 joint owners so each can have two cabins and will have the option of converting those two cabins into a two room suite. To keep the numbers simple lets say that this ship has 50 buyers who each buy 2% of the ship. Buy in cost per owner would then be $10,000. If there were only ten buyers, then the acquisition cost per buyer would be $50,000. $50,000 will not buy much of a house on land, but on this ship it would buy 10% of a ship like the Vergina Sky and twelve cabins that could be converted into a fairly large home.
At the economy end of the scale, a co owner could buy 1% of an economical cruise ship for about $5000. However it is not necessary for all co owners to have equal shares in the ship. Ownership can easily be divided up into 1% increments. If one buyer wanted 5%, then his cost of acquisition would be $25,000. He would be entitled to 5% of the ship's cabins, and would have five votes on operations and management of the ship, such as itinerary planning.
Before becoming a joint owner, it would be imperative to find other people who have similar goals. I would suggest composing a preliminary DCCR (DECLARATION OF
COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS). You can do this before you even shop for a ship. Write your version of how you envision the shared ownership of a cruise ship as it should be. Then see if you can find some people who agree with your goals and your DCCR, subject to some revisions and concessions to accommodate other joint owners.
Step One: Determine if you and your family have the desire and financial capability to become joint cruise ship (or megayacht) owners.
Step Two: Find others who agree with your concept for shared ownership of a ship.
Step Three: Shop for a ship. This is the fun part.
Step Four: Buy a ship.
Step Five: Put the ship into service.
Even if you are not rich, you can afford to jointly own a cruise ship. But then comes the next logical question: Why would you or anyone want to live on a cruise ship? Who would this be suitable for?
If you are retired or otherwise have a stable income from a dependable source you probably can afford to be a cruise ship co-owner and live full-time onboard a cruise ship. If you work in a field where you can work from home online, then you too can probably afford to become a co-owner of a cruise ship. Most modern ships have satellite Internet service available 24-7.
Operating a cruise ship is expensive. The expenses include the cost of fuel, labor, maintenance, repairs, spares, food, port charges, insurance, technical management, shore management, registration, and the other costs of operating the ship. At first glance these costs may seem expensive, but in reality the cost of living at sea is actually a bargain considering what you get based upon what you pay. The best value does not always translate to the cheapest price. If the ship is well managed, the management will seek the highest quality goods, services, and labor at the very best global value. If the owners are dissatisfied with either technical or shore management, they replace them.
If there are many other co-owners of the ship to split the operating expenses of the ship, it can be affordable for those with a moderate level of income, such as a retirement check. I do have specific operating cost figures but I won't bore you with that data. The bottom line is that it would not be prohibitively expensive for a middle-class average person to be able to afford to own a fraction of a cruise ship and be able to afford to live on the cruise ship full-time if they elect to do so.
Mini Trucks Offer a New Driving Alternative
If you wish win the fight against high cost and possibly some winter blues, look at buying Japanese mini trucks. Duane Hunt, founder of Flatlanders Mini Trucks Sales, recently got into the business of selling these Japanese trucks. What makes these trucks so special is the fact they can be used for heavy driving as well as every day and street driving.
"They are practical, reliable, economical and affordable," said Hunt.
Hunt believes that these vehicles come from the class of 50s and 60s. As on date, you would find a lot of these trucks having 660 cc engines, a touch more than what is used in running motorcycles. In essence, this then becomes one of the most fuel-effective alternatives.
Robin Holma, owner of High Energy Performance Trucks in Estevan, introduced these Japanese mini trucks to Hunt. Robin believes that these trucks offer the advantages as mentioned below.
1)Easy to operate
2)Low maintenance costs
3)Efficiency in fuel consumption and use.
"I took one for a week and drove it pretty much everywhere, and it cost me about $14 in fuel," said Holma. Some of the Japanese manufacturers include Daihatsu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Subaru.
A lot of people who have used these trucks vouch for the fuel efficiency of these trucks. Some people have even claimed that these trucks give them a mileage of about 22 kilometers per liter, something that was out of thoughts for locally made trucks.
"I took one for a week and drove it pretty much everywhere, and it cost me about $14 in fuel," said Holma. Some of the Japanese manufacturers include Daihatsu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Subaru.
A lot of people who have used these trucks vouch for the fuel efficiency of these trucks. Some people have even claimed that these trucks give them a mileage of about 22 kilometers per liter, something that was out of thoughts for locally made trucks.
Apart from them being fuel efficient and friendly on the environment, people believed that they are absolutely super-cool to drive. You could get these trucks in a cost range of about $6000 to $12000. With costs you would also find that these trucks are designed to carry variable payloads and are fitted with their own accessories.
Descriptions and pictures of the mini trucks are received prior to ordering. This is indeed a safe process because all these trucks are serviced and on arrival, are checked for their safety.
Prior to being sold, each of these trucks is approved by Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI). All the accessories like the cooling system, transmission and other performance metrics are checked for these trucks upon arrival.
"They are practical, reliable, economical and affordable," said Hunt.
Hunt believes that these vehicles come from the class of 50s and 60s. As on date, you would find a lot of these trucks having 660 cc engines, a touch more than what is used in running motorcycles. In essence, this then becomes one of the most fuel-effective alternatives.
Robin Holma, owner of High Energy Performance Trucks in Estevan, introduced these Japanese mini trucks to Hunt. Robin believes that these trucks offer the advantages as mentioned below.
1)Easy to operate
2)Low maintenance costs
3)Efficiency in fuel consumption and use.
"I took one for a week and drove it pretty much everywhere, and it cost me about $14 in fuel," said Holma. Some of the Japanese manufacturers include Daihatsu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Subaru.
A lot of people who have used these trucks vouch for the fuel efficiency of these trucks. Some people have even claimed that these trucks give them a mileage of about 22 kilometers per liter, something that was out of thoughts for locally made trucks.
"I took one for a week and drove it pretty much everywhere, and it cost me about $14 in fuel," said Holma. Some of the Japanese manufacturers include Daihatsu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Subaru.
A lot of people who have used these trucks vouch for the fuel efficiency of these trucks. Some people have even claimed that these trucks give them a mileage of about 22 kilometers per liter, something that was out of thoughts for locally made trucks.
Apart from them being fuel efficient and friendly on the environment, people believed that they are absolutely super-cool to drive. You could get these trucks in a cost range of about $6000 to $12000. With costs you would also find that these trucks are designed to carry variable payloads and are fitted with their own accessories.
Descriptions and pictures of the mini trucks are received prior to ordering. This is indeed a safe process because all these trucks are serviced and on arrival, are checked for their safety.
Prior to being sold, each of these trucks is approved by Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI). All the accessories like the cooling system, transmission and other performance metrics are checked for these trucks upon arrival.
Auto VIN Decoder - What Do Those Letters & Numbers Mean?
An Auto VIN Decoder breaks down the unique alphanumeric sequence known as a Vehicle Identification Number, which is a car's fingerprint. Each and every automobile on the road has its own 17-character VIN, and it is this identification number that is used to generate a Vehicle History Report, also known as a VIN check.
The VIN check taps into millions of DMV records and reveals all of the available history for a particular vehicle, including any hidden problems, odometer readings, ownership transfers and more. It is an absolute must for used car buyers, as it tells you everything you need to know about the vehicle.
The Auto VIN Decoder can help you understand what these letters and numbers mean, which is the first step towards ensuring that a vehicle you are considering is right for you.
Let's break down the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with the first character. (Please note the letter "I" as in indigo, the letter "O" as in orange, and the letter "Q" as in queen are NOT found in any VIN Numbers.)
(We will use the following VIN as an example: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212)
The first character represents the country of manufacture, and can be a letter or a number, each signifying a different country. The most common ones are as follows:
(1 = USA, 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, K = Korea, W = Germany, Y = Finland, Sweden)
So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this particular car was made in Canada.
The second/third characters represent the manufacturer, also known as the make. The most common are:
(A = Alfa Romeo, B = Dodge, C = Chrysler, D = Daihatsu, E = Eagle, F= Ford/Eagle, G = All General Motors vehicles (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn)
H = Honda/Acura, J= Jeep, L = Lincoln, M = Mitsubishi, N = Nissan/Infiniti, P = Plymouth, S = Subaru, T = Toyota/Lexus, V = Volkswagen)
So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this car is a Ford or an Eagle..since Eagle is no longer made, it is most likely a Ford.
Other popular makes use a 3-character initial sequence:
(TRU/WAU = Audi, 4US/WBA/WBS = BMW, 2HM/KMH = Hyundai, SAJ = Jaguar, SAL = Land Rover, 1YV/JM1 = Mazda, WDB = Mercedes-Benz, VF3 = Peugeot, WP0 = Porsche, YK1/YS3 = Saab, YV1=Volvo)
The fourth character is the type of restraint system.
In the above example, "R" represents hydraulic breaks using the VIN Decoder.
The fifth, sixth & seventh characters are the vehicle line, series and body style. This will obviously be different across makes and models.
In the above example, characters 5, 6 & 7 are X18: X18 is a Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab
The eighth character is the engine type.
With the Auto VIN Decoder, W represents a 4.6 liter V-8 engine.
The tenth character represents the year of the car. Pay close attention to this one:
B = 1981 F = 1985 K = 1989 P = 1993 V = 1997 1 = 2001
C = 1982 G = 1986 L = 1990 R = 1994 W = 1998 2 = 2002
D = 1983 H = 1987 M = 1991 S = 1995 X = 1999 3 = 2003
E = 1984 J = 1988 N = 1992 T = 1996 Y = 2000 4 = 2004
For the most recent used model year, 5 = 2005
In the above example, the "X" indicates that this car was made in 1999.
The eleventh character indicates the assembly plant.
In the above example, the C indicates Ontario, Canada
Characters 12-17 represent the vehicle's unique fingerprint. It is these six digits which make every single vehicle in the world different.
So using the Auto VIN Decoder one last time, the Vehicle Identification Number: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212 represents a 1999 Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab manufactured in Ontario, Canada with hydraulic brakes and a 4.6-liter V-8 engine.
So there you have it, the Auto VIN Decoder. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, use this decoder to make sure that it is indeed the exact model that the seller is claiming it is. Once you have verified the Vehicle Identification Number is accurate, you can proceed with your VIN check and learn everything you need to know about that particular car.
The VIN check taps into millions of DMV records and reveals all of the available history for a particular vehicle, including any hidden problems, odometer readings, ownership transfers and more. It is an absolute must for used car buyers, as it tells you everything you need to know about the vehicle.
The Auto VIN Decoder can help you understand what these letters and numbers mean, which is the first step towards ensuring that a vehicle you are considering is right for you.
Let's break down the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with the first character. (Please note the letter "I" as in indigo, the letter "O" as in orange, and the letter "Q" as in queen are NOT found in any VIN Numbers.)
(We will use the following VIN as an example: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212)
The first character represents the country of manufacture, and can be a letter or a number, each signifying a different country. The most common ones are as follows:
(1 = USA, 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, K = Korea, W = Germany, Y = Finland, Sweden)
So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this particular car was made in Canada.
The second/third characters represent the manufacturer, also known as the make. The most common are:
(A = Alfa Romeo, B = Dodge, C = Chrysler, D = Daihatsu, E = Eagle, F= Ford/Eagle, G = All General Motors vehicles (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn)
H = Honda/Acura, J= Jeep, L = Lincoln, M = Mitsubishi, N = Nissan/Infiniti, P = Plymouth, S = Subaru, T = Toyota/Lexus, V = Volkswagen)
So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this car is a Ford or an Eagle..since Eagle is no longer made, it is most likely a Ford.
Other popular makes use a 3-character initial sequence:
(TRU/WAU = Audi, 4US/WBA/WBS = BMW, 2HM/KMH = Hyundai, SAJ = Jaguar, SAL = Land Rover, 1YV/JM1 = Mazda, WDB = Mercedes-Benz, VF3 = Peugeot, WP0 = Porsche, YK1/YS3 = Saab, YV1=Volvo)
The fourth character is the type of restraint system.
In the above example, "R" represents hydraulic breaks using the VIN Decoder.
The fifth, sixth & seventh characters are the vehicle line, series and body style. This will obviously be different across makes and models.
In the above example, characters 5, 6 & 7 are X18: X18 is a Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab
The eighth character is the engine type.
With the Auto VIN Decoder, W represents a 4.6 liter V-8 engine.
The tenth character represents the year of the car. Pay close attention to this one:
B = 1981 F = 1985 K = 1989 P = 1993 V = 1997 1 = 2001
C = 1982 G = 1986 L = 1990 R = 1994 W = 1998 2 = 2002
D = 1983 H = 1987 M = 1991 S = 1995 X = 1999 3 = 2003
E = 1984 J = 1988 N = 1992 T = 1996 Y = 2000 4 = 2004
For the most recent used model year, 5 = 2005
In the above example, the "X" indicates that this car was made in 1999.
The eleventh character indicates the assembly plant.
In the above example, the C indicates Ontario, Canada
Characters 12-17 represent the vehicle's unique fingerprint. It is these six digits which make every single vehicle in the world different.
So using the Auto VIN Decoder one last time, the Vehicle Identification Number: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212 represents a 1999 Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab manufactured in Ontario, Canada with hydraulic brakes and a 4.6-liter V-8 engine.
So there you have it, the Auto VIN Decoder. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, use this decoder to make sure that it is indeed the exact model that the seller is claiming it is. Once you have verified the Vehicle Identification Number is accurate, you can proceed with your VIN check and learn everything you need to know about that particular car.
Daihatsu Motor Company - Bringing Pride to Japan
The Daihatsu Motor Company Ltd. is a vehicle fabricator who has its foundation and head office positioned in Japan. This Japanese automobile producer is generally acknowledged as Daihatsu and it is well-known for its construction of compacted automobiles and tiny vehicles that are recognized in Japan like kei jihosha.
The Daihatsu Charade is in point of fact one of the automobiles that this vehicle producer has fashioned. And this motor vehicle is in point of fact a subcompact vehicle, building it fit adequately in the row of automobiles that this group has been fabricating. The Daihatsu Charade was instinctive in 1977. It lived all the way through quite a few decades until the 2000 when its construction was cut short. On the other hand, the corporation thinks that this motor vehicle is in point of fact a large compacted vehicle. This is most expected for the reason that the Daihatsu Charade is the major condensed car that the corporation has fashioned in comparison to all the other compacted automobiles in its row of motor vehicles.
History of Daihatsu:
The preceding Daihatsu Charade was acknowledged in the auto globe to have moved out through 4 detailed generations:
1) The first age band was identified as G10 and it stayed all the way through the years 1977 till the year 1983. It was finished obtainable as a rear door that either seized 3 doors or 4 doors. Its authority came through a 993 cc locomotive with 3 cylinders and may well fabricate 50 horsepower of thrust.
2) The second age band, recognized as G11, stayed all the way through the year 1983 till the year 1987. The body approaches presented was still the unchanged. On the other hand, as per the control, there were quite a few distinctions of the locomotive. There in addition was a 5 speed physical transmission made obtainable.
3) The third age group of the Daihatsu which was acknowledged as G100, it stayed all the way through the year 1987 till the year 1994. This moment around, the sub condensed automobile had neat levels obtainable for this motor vehicle. The motor vehicle in addition had characteristics similar to the following:
o a sunroof
o power windows
o air conditioning
o A power steering
In the US, the Daihatsu was put up for sale with an elevated value and was not advertised well so much in order that it sold inadequately in this region.
4) The final age group of the Daihatsu was recognized as the G200 and this age band started off in the year 1994 and it ended in the year 2000, which too was the final year for the Daihatsu.
The Daihatsu Charade is in point of fact one of the automobiles that this vehicle producer has fashioned. And this motor vehicle is in point of fact a subcompact vehicle, building it fit adequately in the row of automobiles that this group has been fabricating. The Daihatsu Charade was instinctive in 1977. It lived all the way through quite a few decades until the 2000 when its construction was cut short. On the other hand, the corporation thinks that this motor vehicle is in point of fact a large compacted vehicle. This is most expected for the reason that the Daihatsu Charade is the major condensed car that the corporation has fashioned in comparison to all the other compacted automobiles in its row of motor vehicles.
History of Daihatsu:
The preceding Daihatsu Charade was acknowledged in the auto globe to have moved out through 4 detailed generations:
1) The first age band was identified as G10 and it stayed all the way through the years 1977 till the year 1983. It was finished obtainable as a rear door that either seized 3 doors or 4 doors. Its authority came through a 993 cc locomotive with 3 cylinders and may well fabricate 50 horsepower of thrust.
2) The second age band, recognized as G11, stayed all the way through the year 1983 till the year 1987. The body approaches presented was still the unchanged. On the other hand, as per the control, there were quite a few distinctions of the locomotive. There in addition was a 5 speed physical transmission made obtainable.
3) The third age group of the Daihatsu which was acknowledged as G100, it stayed all the way through the year 1987 till the year 1994. This moment around, the sub condensed automobile had neat levels obtainable for this motor vehicle. The motor vehicle in addition had characteristics similar to the following:
o a sunroof
o power windows
o air conditioning
o A power steering
In the US, the Daihatsu was put up for sale with an elevated value and was not advertised well so much in order that it sold inadequately in this region.
4) The final age group of the Daihatsu was recognized as the G200 and this age band started off in the year 1994 and it ended in the year 2000, which too was the final year for the Daihatsu.
The Four Generations of the Daihatsu Charade
The Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacture who has its base and headquarters located in Japan. This Japanese car manufacturer is commonly known as Daihatsu and it is famous for its production of compact cars and small cars that are known in Japan as kei jihosha.
The Daihatsu Charade is actually one of the cars that this automobile manufacturer has produced. And this vehicle is actually a subcompact car, making it fit nicely in the line of vehicles that this company has been producing. The Daihatsu Charade was born in the year 1977. It lived through several decades up until the year 2000 when its production was halted. However, the company thinks that this vehicle is actually a large compact car. This is most likely because the Daihatsu Charade is the largest compact car that the company has produced compared to all the other compact cars in its line up of vehicles.
Last year, 2005, the Charade name was actually brought back in the automobile market in the United Kingdom and in Australia as well. In fact, the vehicle that holds the Charade name is actually a rebadged Daihatsu Mira which is more known as the Daihatsu Cuore in other markets in Europe.
The previous Daihatsu Charade was known in the automobile world to have gone through four specific generations. The first generation was known as G10 and it lived through the years 1977 up until 1983. It was made available as a hatchback that either held three doors or four doors. Its power came from a 993 cc engine with three cylinders and could produce 50 units of horsepower.
The second generation, known as G11, lived from 1983 up until 1987. The body styles offered were still the same. However, as per the power, there were several variations of the engine. There also was a five speed manual transmission made available.
As per the third generation of the Daihatsu Charade which was known as G100, it lived from 1987 up until the year 1994. This time around, the subcompact car had trim levels available for this vehicle. The vehicle also had features like a sunroof, power windows, air conditioning as well as a power steering. In the United States, the Daihatsu Charade was sold with a high price and was not marketed well so much so that it sold poorly in this area.
The last generation of the Daihatsu Charade was known as the G200 and this generation started in 1994 and it ended in 2000, which also was the last year for the Daihatsu Charade. This time, instead of just having a hatchback version, there also was a sedan version made available for the consumers.
The Daihatsu Charade is actually one of the cars that this automobile manufacturer has produced. And this vehicle is actually a subcompact car, making it fit nicely in the line of vehicles that this company has been producing. The Daihatsu Charade was born in the year 1977. It lived through several decades up until the year 2000 when its production was halted. However, the company thinks that this vehicle is actually a large compact car. This is most likely because the Daihatsu Charade is the largest compact car that the company has produced compared to all the other compact cars in its line up of vehicles.
Last year, 2005, the Charade name was actually brought back in the automobile market in the United Kingdom and in Australia as well. In fact, the vehicle that holds the Charade name is actually a rebadged Daihatsu Mira which is more known as the Daihatsu Cuore in other markets in Europe.
The previous Daihatsu Charade was known in the automobile world to have gone through four specific generations. The first generation was known as G10 and it lived through the years 1977 up until 1983. It was made available as a hatchback that either held three doors or four doors. Its power came from a 993 cc engine with three cylinders and could produce 50 units of horsepower.
The second generation, known as G11, lived from 1983 up until 1987. The body styles offered were still the same. However, as per the power, there were several variations of the engine. There also was a five speed manual transmission made available.
As per the third generation of the Daihatsu Charade which was known as G100, it lived from 1987 up until the year 1994. This time around, the subcompact car had trim levels available for this vehicle. The vehicle also had features like a sunroof, power windows, air conditioning as well as a power steering. In the United States, the Daihatsu Charade was sold with a high price and was not marketed well so much so that it sold poorly in this area.
The last generation of the Daihatsu Charade was known as the G200 and this generation started in 1994 and it ended in 2000, which also was the last year for the Daihatsu Charade. This time, instead of just having a hatchback version, there also was a sedan version made available for the consumers.
Daihatsu Copen 1.3-liter Headed for the UK Market
The Daihatsu Copen, a 2-door roadster model from the Japanese car manufacturer is poised to arrive in dealer showrooms all over the United Kingdom. Although the Daihatsu Copen is exclusively sold for the Japanese Kei-car market, UK-based Daihatsu Vehicle Distributors Limited convinced the Japanese automaker to revamp some of the vehicle's components including the small engine with only 660 cc displacement to adapt in the European vehicle standards.
In addition, to comply with the European Whole Vehicle Type Approval, Daihatsu equipped the Copen with a larger 1.3 litre petrol engine that now pumps out an additional 19 hp and a 14.5 lb.-ft. increase of peak torque, for a total of 86 hp at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 88.5 lb ft at 4,400 rpm. Daihatsu said the Copen offers an improved fuel efficiency and low fuel consumption rate, thanks to the advance engine systems like Dynamic Variable Valve Timing (DVVT) which enhances low-speed pulling power, the compact twin overhead camshaft unit equipped with alloy head and block. Moreover, the Daihatsu Copen also comes with the first ever self regenerating catalytic converter made palladium, the most heat sensitive material used in catalytic converters. As a result, the catalytic converter has the ability to regenerate and prolong its function in reducing CO2 exhaust emission coming out from the Daihatsu Copen.
With the new engine, the Daihatsu Copen can now sprint from 0 to 62 mph time in just 9.5 seconds, about 2 seconds faster than the previous 660 cc engine. The Copen roadster can reach an electronically limited full throttle speed of 112 mph.
According to Paul Tunnicliffe, Daihatsu Managing Director, "We are all car enthusiasts here at Daihatsu and were instrumental in bringing the original model to market in the UK. With this lively new engine and a highly competitive price, we are delighted not only to have a 'halo' model in our range but to be able to offer fellow enthusiasts such a characterful and affordable fun car."
The revised Daihatsu Copen for the UK market received several facelift from the Japanese automaker. The small car retains its sporty and compact body styling with a rounded design. Compared to VW Fox parts like the trapezoidal headlamps, The Daihatsu Copen gets oval shaped headlamps as well as oval shaped rear lamps. The small rear boot spoiler is one of the new features of the vehicle. Of course, the Daihatsu Copen still features the electronically operated folding hard top roof made of lightweight aluminum.
Inside, the new Daihatsu Copen is equipped with standard safety components including front seats with pretensioners and force limiters, twin front airbags, dual side-impact door beams, Auto-locking restraints (ALR), and reinforced front side-members and front sub-frame. In addition, passive safety systems are also standard like twin roll-over bars, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), and Daihatsu's impact-sensing system.
In addition, to comply with the European Whole Vehicle Type Approval, Daihatsu equipped the Copen with a larger 1.3 litre petrol engine that now pumps out an additional 19 hp and a 14.5 lb.-ft. increase of peak torque, for a total of 86 hp at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 88.5 lb ft at 4,400 rpm. Daihatsu said the Copen offers an improved fuel efficiency and low fuel consumption rate, thanks to the advance engine systems like Dynamic Variable Valve Timing (DVVT) which enhances low-speed pulling power, the compact twin overhead camshaft unit equipped with alloy head and block. Moreover, the Daihatsu Copen also comes with the first ever self regenerating catalytic converter made palladium, the most heat sensitive material used in catalytic converters. As a result, the catalytic converter has the ability to regenerate and prolong its function in reducing CO2 exhaust emission coming out from the Daihatsu Copen.
With the new engine, the Daihatsu Copen can now sprint from 0 to 62 mph time in just 9.5 seconds, about 2 seconds faster than the previous 660 cc engine. The Copen roadster can reach an electronically limited full throttle speed of 112 mph.
According to Paul Tunnicliffe, Daihatsu Managing Director, "We are all car enthusiasts here at Daihatsu and were instrumental in bringing the original model to market in the UK. With this lively new engine and a highly competitive price, we are delighted not only to have a 'halo' model in our range but to be able to offer fellow enthusiasts such a characterful and affordable fun car."
The revised Daihatsu Copen for the UK market received several facelift from the Japanese automaker. The small car retains its sporty and compact body styling with a rounded design. Compared to VW Fox parts like the trapezoidal headlamps, The Daihatsu Copen gets oval shaped headlamps as well as oval shaped rear lamps. The small rear boot spoiler is one of the new features of the vehicle. Of course, the Daihatsu Copen still features the electronically operated folding hard top roof made of lightweight aluminum.
Inside, the new Daihatsu Copen is equipped with standard safety components including front seats with pretensioners and force limiters, twin front airbags, dual side-impact door beams, Auto-locking restraints (ALR), and reinforced front side-members and front sub-frame. In addition, passive safety systems are also standard like twin roll-over bars, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), and Daihatsu's impact-sensing system.
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