Generations [LORE, UE4] [FINAL RESULTS]

Early 1978 - FHL Proving Grounds


In the wake of the 1973 Oil Crisis, FHL fast tracked the replacement of the Fenton LE and Everette Bellevue in order to meet consumer demand for better fuel economy. Efforts were at first hilariously ineffective due to the limited toolkit with which they had to work in addition to new emissions regulations which vampirically sapped power from engines. The initial second gen Bellevue marks came on the market in 1975 with the base 5.5L big block V8 becoming the top option and replaced by the 4.8L small block. And on a good day when the planets lined up they achieved perhaps 11.2 mpg. After the Fenton LE ended production in 1976, the big block option went entirely and the engine was downsized again with the 4.1L V8 becoming the base and the 4.5L becoming top option.

FHL rose to the challenge however and began developing a new V6 engine based on the 90 degree V6 then in production to provide the power and efficiency needed, not just for the economy minded public (which by 1976 was starting to lose some of their interest in economy and go back to large cars), but for the looming beast of Corporate Average Fuel Economy – CAFE. The emerging V6 was an overhead cam design with a new thing called “electronic fuel injection”, or EFI, and was supposed to debut in the 1979 Everette Bellevue. FHL president, Buck Whittaker, visits the FHL proving grounds to survey the progress with the new engine.

As Buck sat in the driver seat of the prototype Bellevue, he looked a little bewildered and the attending engineers were catching on. Buck was stuck in his ways and largely baffled at the ease with which people could carry out the various aspects of their lives. He was a competent businessman, yes, but hadn’t much in the way of practical skills.

“What’s with the shift pattern in this thing?” He asked. “Why is Park up at the top?”

Everette division head, Bill Waterson, who was also in attendance asked the question others were afraid to, on account of possibly looking stupid in front of the man who could end their careers.

“I’m not sure I understand. What do you mean?” He asked.

“Well the shift pattern in my car is Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low, Park. This one has Park above reverse. Its just a little weird thats all.” Buck replied.

“Hmm. I mean if thats what you’re used to. But the automatic shift pattern has been the same on all our cars since 1967 – Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low.” Bill retorted.

Buck messed around with bits of the dash for a few seconds, even going as far as to bend down and inspect underneath it.

“Where is the choke on this thing?” He asked.

All of the engineers looked at each other in utter bewilderment. They were all think it; Was this guy serious?

Bill stammered out an explanation “Umm, theres… no manual choke. In fact this car has a completely new fuel system called ‘fuel injection’ – it doesn’t even have a choke, manual or automatic. I thought we went over this.”

“Huh. Well I gotta say, I a little bit lost on this thing.” Buck said with a chuckle.

“Its very simple. You just turn key.” said Bill, beginning to get as confused as the other engineers. Finally his curiousity got the better of him. How did the head of a major automaker know so little about cars?

“Buck, what the hell do you drive anyways?” he asked in a somewhat surprised manner.

Buck pondered for a second. “Uh, '65 ZL335”

Bill’s jaw dropped wide open. “Wait… you mean to tell me you’re the one that drives the piece-of-shit ZL into HQ everyday? The one with the rusted quarters and blown rear shocks?”

“Uh yeah. And…” said Buck matter-of-factly, somewhat aloof of why that might be a problem.

“Buck…” was all Bill could manage for a second.

“Well I mean it runs just fine. You give tires and oil and it just keeps going.”

Bill almost hit himself over the head he was so flabbergasted. “Buck, I’ve seen that thing stop three lanes of traffic because it burns so much oil. You need a new car. Or to take better care of your car – no offense.”

“Eh, none taken.” Buck said, still not quite sure what the issue was. “You’re just watching out for me I suppose. I mean, I try to take care. But I just get so caught up… you know?”

Bill laughed a little. It was the only reaction that was even occurring to him. He couldn’t believe his boss was driving a car that looked like it came from one of Detroit’s ghettos.

“Buck, tell you what,” he said. “We need to get test miles on the new Bellevues before launch. You go ahead and take this one since clearly you could use it.”

“And it might be good for us to know how this car is likely to get treated.” He said a little quieter, turning towards the engineers. They all exchanged discrete grins.

“Alrighty then. You sure that won’t be a problem?” Buck asked.

“We’ve got several other vehicles. It should be no issue.” Bill said.


All the test miles on the new engines got most of the bugs worked out before launch. The 1979 Bellevue came to market finally able to bring something resembling fuel economy twith it, getting almost 20 MPG highway and 15 combined.


Associated Lore Post

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… ahem…

a tribute to kmBlaine

… carry on.

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1979


  • Hamston : i guess we were lucky with the timing for the Sublime wasn’t we? importing our more efficient euro models over here. and suddenly fuel crisis.

  • Grudsen : can’t fault you on that. our sales barely budged whereas those landships were barely selling after the crisis struck

  • Blake : anyway, let’s start with this show shall coughcough. pardon me

  • Hamston : you okay there sir?

  • Blake : i’m okay… just for now… but Grudsen. if i can’t make it to the end for some reason, i need you to be ready to replace me on stage

  • Hamston : Yes sir


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Well, I bit the bullet, got some new air-coolers that fit my rig. Still undecided as to whether to continue in the competition, though.

After all, I missed the era where I could’ve thrown the 662 big-block in the Savage.

Still, Malaise Era… Possibly a time for the 2600 to shine.



Link to the Lore


Sinistra Motors Headquarters, Nevada, 1979

“You guys need to stop doing burnouts in the Bogliq parking lot.” Luke demanded, looking at his employees with a grim look on his face. “I just got a fuckin’ phone call after one of you idiots got themselves busted making fish-hooks with the new Traville. They’ve threatened legal action if it keeps happening, and I’m tired of not being able to find my employees when they’re needed most. This shit cost us a spot in Motor World Review, because no one was available to deliver the Savage 662.”

“Sorry boss.” Andrea said. “Guess we got carried away harassing the outsiders, cost us a bit more than intended.”

“Just sell the cars, please. I get it, burnouts are fun, and everyone wants to leave their mark in the competition’s parking lot, but we need to grow up as a company, and leave the childish pranks to the newcomers.” Luke said.

Just then, an almighty screech and a crash erupted in the parking lot. Luke sighed as Mark arrived, then said, “Sorry, Luke. Bald tires, wet spot on the pavement. Kinda wrecked my Traville and your Savage.”

“That’s coming out of your fuckin’ paycheck. I just gave a lecture on not doing burnouts in the competitors’ parking lots, and you come here, having done exactly that.”

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1974

The fallout of the complete failure of Rado’s first “attempt” to enter the passenger car market was immense. Stock had fallen 30%, sales on Rado’s vans and trucks were down significantly, and the CEO and other officials implicated in the scandal were forced to resign. The company was pretty much forced to temporarily pull out of the standard vehicle market until they could come up with something better. After all, if Rado had issues designing an almost completely new vehicle in the late 60s, they certainly couldn’t design one after the disaster that was the Rado Communt. Then, a new plan arrived…


1975-1976

The plan was to take their existing long-wheelbase van platform and make it narrower so they could fit a standard wagon body on it, then they would debore and destroke the existing 2.8 liter/171ci engine to a smaller amount However, using a modified van platform would have several problems, such as the fact that the car had solid axles front and rear, and the fact that the car was less fuel efficient than it’s rivals. In the end though, Rado leadership decided that the cost savings of adapting existing parts to a new market outweighed the disadvantages, and leadership ended up narrowly voting for the plan, and it would form the basis of Rado’s next car.


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(I know broken engrish)

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How to Kill a Car Company

Erin Nedala Mk II GT12



Erin’s top end luxury limousine in the 1970s was called the Nedala. The ill-fated Mk II variant launched in 1978, having been conceived by a board of directors who had no idea what the market wanted.

The Nedala Mk II was an incredible advanced car at the time in terms of luxury features. On the top end GT12 trim, features included electric reclining seats, a champagne cooler, a specially designed Marantz sound system - that was, at the time, the most expensive in-car audio system ever fitted to a production car - in car telephone and more.

It’s most famous feature, however, was its 395 hp 5.4l V12. It could push this behemoth from 0-60 in 7.7 seconds and onto a top speed of 151 mph. It was the fastest four-door production car ever made at the time.

But it came at the wrong time, particular for its home UK market where the economy was a mess and for the US market where fuel prices were almost fluid in how much they changed. For a car that barely averaged 10 UK MPG, it was doomed from the start.

No matter how comfortable, how well equipped or how nice to drive the Nedala Mk II was, it was fated from the beginning. Launching in September 1978, initial sales were promising. But by January 1979, units had stopped shifting - they’d essentially run out of buyers who could actually afford the £200k+ (in today’s money) price tag of this thing - forcing Erin to slash prices.

Soon enough, the losses were overwhelming, and combined with poor sales across the range, bad press which damaged the company’s image and a dispute between the CEO Marco Erin and his Board Of Directors who had pushed for this car so much, Erin went into financial ruin and was forced cut huge numbers of jobs and end production of all but two of their models.

An outstandinly well built and well engineered car, that today is still revered for its incredible levels of comfort and complacency on the road, that was a insanely stupid idea from the start, totally unfeasible when it came to fuel costs and one that fully highlighted the bad status of Erin’s management in the latter half of the 1970s.


Full backstory here

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I would like to contest the claim about being the fastest 4-door production car, though I will gladly concede it as the fastest four-door luxury car.

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Uh oh… Sinistra vs. Erin… MORTAL KOMBAT!!

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Yes, when it comes to the british car industry, the asians always win…

:wink:

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Cars sold by Deer and Hunt:
Fallow Gen 3
SuperCoupe Gen 2
Buck Gen 2
Reema
Wampfler

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3 days remain in this extended round. I have received 10 out of 25 possible entries.

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The finished product was supposed to be released in 1978, however delays forced only a limited release in December 1978 with the full release being in 1979. Sporting a 2.3 liter/140 ci OHV 4 cylinder engine making 73 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque, the Rado Adventure 140 would be Rado’s second attempt to enter the passenger car market. And unlike the communist import that preceded it, it actually came with a choice of trim levels, Basic and “Value”, which was really just the former with all the options added for a slightly lower price than getting all the options. It also came in a choice between RWD and 4WD.


Employee: “Well, the results from the crash test could come back any minute now…”
Head of Safety: “I have the results, and, it passed.”

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In 1979, Kimura began production of their best-selling model in the US market, the Auriga.

The Auriga became a new sensation in America in 1979. The 4-door sedan quickly became renowned for it’s tight handling and practical nature for a low price.

The combined sales of the Auburn and Auriga would arise a new era for Kimura: commonly known by fans as the “Ultimate Age,” from 1980 to 1995, Kimura would continue to grow vastly and develop new technologies for more obscure, small car projects, such as the TKR-C and the KR-R program.

Here is an ad for the 1979 Kimura Auriga.

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Click on the ad to see the lore…


2018-06-19

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Mitineer%20advert

Lore HERE

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Birmingham 1500 XLG with ez-access XL rear doors
(when i exported this all the fixtures dissapeared so the .car wont have any)

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