A History of the Automobile, Part I

Ever wonder who first planted the seed for the idea behind your speedy coupe or beastly SUV? The history of the automobile takes root in humble origins:

It all began with several Italians who recorded designs for wind-driven vehicles. First among them was Guido da Vigevano in 1335, who created a windmill type drive to gears and thus to wheels. Vaturio designed a similar vehicle which was also never built. Later, Leonardo da Vinci designed a clockwork-driven tricycle with tiller steering and a differential mechanism between the rear wheels.

In 1712, Thomas Newcomen built his first steam engine. It had a cylinder and a piston and was the first of this kind to use steam as a condensing agent to form a vacuum and with an overhead walking beam, pull on a rod to lift water. The steam was not under pressure, so Newcomen's lift would have only been limited by the length of the rod and the strength of the valve at the bottom. It was not until 1765 that James Watt developed the first pressurized steam engine, which proved to be much more efficient and compact than the Newcomen engine.

The first recorded vehicle to move under its own power was designed by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot and constructed by M. Brezin in 1769. A second unit was built in 1770 which weighed 8000 pounds and had a top speed of 2 miles per hour on the cobblestone streets of Paris.

Above, you will see the first model on its first drive around Paris, when it hit and knocked down a stone wall. This unsteady prototype also had a tendency to tip over forward unless its weight was counterbalanced with a canon in the rear, for which purpose it was built to carry out.

Mercedes-AMG and Aston Martin Formalize Technical Partnership

The development of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin has been a long time coming. The news dates back to 2008, and over the five years since was supposed to lead to a rejuvenation of both the Maybach and Lagonda brands. That program never quite took off, but the tie-in was forged afresh in July when the two automakers signed a letter of intent over a renewed partnership. And now that partnership has been formalized.

In a deal just announced, Mercedes-AMG will build a new V8 engine for Aston Martin that will power a new generation of luxury GTs for the British marque, presumably to replace the 4.7-liter V8 in the Vantage. The relationship appears to be similar to the one already in place between AMG and Pagani, only in this case, will involve Daimler taking as much as a five-percent stake in Aston Martin and an observer seat on Aston's board.

The technical partnership is also set to lead to the supply of electric and electronic systems, and could incorporate "additional areas of cooperation in the future." For the official press release, check out the full article on Autoblog.

Fascinating Holiday Traditions Around the World

Early December to New Years is holiday season when a variety of traditions and events take place all over the world. You're likely well aware of the holiday traditions in your own country and those passed down in your family, but there are some other really interesting ones that take place in other countries. From running around mostly naked to burning down a 43-foot tall goat, it's not the standard Santa and reindeer you're used to.

The Gävle Goat in Sweden 

The Gävle Goat is a 43-foot high goat that's been put up every year in Gävle, Sweden since 1966. As much of a tradition as it is to put up, it's also a tradition to try to burn it down. As of 2009, the poor goat has been burned 24 times - in 2005, two guys dressed as Santa Claus and a gingerbread man burned it down and in 1970, it didn't even last a full day before it was torched. 

Red underwear run in Spain 

In La Font de la Figuera, there's been a tradition for several decades to run through the streets wearing only red underwear on New Year's Eve. They should also be purchased for you by someone else. Be prepared to be quite cold -- the average temperature of a Spanish December is 54.5 degrees.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Dinner in Japan 

Eating KFC is certainly not odd, but in Japan, Christmas means eating food from the restaurant. It's actually recommended to place their orders for Christmas dinner two months ahead of time. They sell "Christmas Barrels," which include salad, fried chicken and chocolate cake -- in some locations, they sell out of the barrels. They eat the meals from December 23 to 25, in which the restaurants earn about 50% of the total sales in an average month.

Beach Party in Australia 

While Americans are usually bundled in jackets in December, Australians are busy frolicking in the warm weather. In December, the average temperature in Sydney is a balmy 77.2 degrees while in NYC it's a bracing 41 degrees. Bondi Beach can have upwards of 40,000 people spending time there on Christmas Day.

Eating Kiviak in Greenland 

Those in Greenland have a rather interesting cuisine on Christmas Day. They eat Kiviak, which is when raw flesh of Auks is put into sealskin for months until decomposition sets in. It's considered a delicacy in Greenland.

Terrifying commutes from around the world

Tired of rush-hour traffic? Exhausted from hour-long drives to work? These people's commutes will make yours look like a walk in the park!

1. Anyone who has to drive along the North Yungas Road in Bolivia. Where's that horse and buggy when you need it?

2. Anyone hoping to get on this train in Beijing. Claustrophobia is a valid excuse for being late to work... we hope.

 
3. Anyone who constantly has to risk their life by driving under the Devil’s Nose. Must be quite a sight when it rains.

4. Anyone who has no choice but using a zip line to get to town in Colombia. For a handful of families living there, zip lines are the only way to cross a river and not a source of recreational amusement.

5. Anyone who has to cross the Hussaini Bridge in Kashmir. The bridge divides a village in two - on one side are houses, on the other are farms. What was that old saying about a house divided?

10 Spectacular Roads You Need To Drive On Before You Die

1. Rohtang Pass — Himachal Pradesh, India

2. Great Ocean Road — Victoria, Australia

3. Atlantic Ocean Road — Averøy, Norway

4. Hana Highway — Maui, Hawaii

5. Highway 99 “Sea to Sky Highway” — British Columbia, Canada

6. Los Caracoles “Snails Pass” — In the Andes between Argentina and Chile

7. Øresund Bridge — Denmark and Sweden

8. Going-to-the-Sun Road — Glacier National Park, Montana

9. Guoliang Tunnel — Taihang Mountains, China

10. Stelvio Pass — Eastern Alps, Italy

Mercedes-Benz M-Class Wins the 2013 U.S. Ideal Vehicle Award

The 2013 Ideal Vehicle Awards, hosted by California-based automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, had two great news for Mercedes-Benz USA, since the M-Class went home with two major awards.

The ML won first place in the “Luxury Crossover SUV” category, beating all its competitors on the US market, but it was also the “2013 Overall Winner” of the Ideal Vehicle awards.

To find out more, read the full article at AutoEvolution.

"From One Second to the Next" by Werner Herzog Shows the Consequences of Texting While Driving

This past August, legendary filmmaker and historian Werner Herzog released "From One Second to the Next", a short, but poignant look into the consequences of texting while driving.

The film is a PSA sponsored by four major phone companies-- AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, who originally approached Herzog to make the film in an effort to combat a growing cultural phenomenon where texting-related accidents are becoming increasingly all too common.

For Herzog, it's a sharp turn outside the norm from his usual works, which often focus on themes of isolation and wilderness, as can be seen in films like "Grizzly Man" and "Encounters At the End of the World". Nonetheless, "From One Second to the Next" is as much an accomplishment in cinema as it is an important message that should be adopted by anyone who gets behind a wheel.

Watch "From One Second to the Next" here