Prior to the beginning of the
F-1 season at the Australian Grand Prix almost two months ago, The New
York Times ran an interesting article that helped me understand the reasoning
behind "street car" manufacturers investing so much money in an F-1 campaign.
Sure, we can all see the connections between F-1 and production cars for
Porsche or Ferrari, but why would Renault, Honda or Mercedes invest the
big bucks required? First, a few interesting details.
This year six major car companies,
Renault, Mercedes, Jaguar, Ferrari, Honda and BMW along with tire giants
Bridgestone and Michelin will be spending more than $1 Billion trying to
win the 17 races of the 2001 season. (Toyota will be testing their
new F-1 entry all year and be racing in 2002.) The races will be televised
in 195 countries and are expected to draw an audience of 300 million per
race. It's no wonder that these manufacturers are considering joining
forces to buy a piece of SLEC, the company that owns the TV rights to F-1.
In the early days, the F-1champioship
began in 1950; many of the teams built the entire car, chassis and engine,
themselves. But as the technology evolved and became more specialized
more and more of the small independent teams became experts in the chassis
development and relied on the big boys for the engines. Ferrari is
the only marque that has raced every year since the inception and the only
marque that has built the entire car every year.
Renault is returning to F-1
this year after leaving in 1997 having won six F-1 world titles, frustrated
over losses, having become accustomed to winning, and mounting costs.
Renault's marketing plan calls for selling 4 million cars world wide by
2010 and see a direct link between F-1's global audience and their own
plans. Wanting to produce the entire automobile - read marketing
and sales - Renault bought the Benetton (chassis) team last year for $120
and next year will campaign a team Renault.
Mercedes entered F-1 in '94
as part of their strategy to increase sales and in these six years their
world sales have doubled. In the past three years the percentage
of silver - their F-1 color -passenger cars went from 22% to 38%.
Honda returned to the circuit
last year - after a hiatus - for the same reason they began in 1964, "for
training engineers" a Honda spokesman said. Not because there is
a direct transfer of technology but because of the attitude that F-1 develops,
the fighting spirit is transferred to production cars.
While most racing engine
departments have about 200 people, Renault's will also draw on their other
8,000 engineers.
I feel much better now, understanding
how that $1 Billion annual investment translates into more sales of, and
better engineered cars for those of you owning one of those marques.
Member Profile of the
Month
Though a relatively new member
to PCA himself, Dick Spiers wanted to get involved in the club and saw
an entry by joining our New Member Mentor crew and welcoming future new
members to the Northeast Region. After working for the Town of Lexington
for thirty-five years, most recently as Director of Public Works, Dick
retired in 1995. He and Louise (married for forty years) found a
great opportunity in a house on Goose Rock Beach in Kennebunkport and moved
there in '95.
Those first few years of
retirement - many of us have never been busier - had Dick gutting the kitchen
and doing much of the work in adding a second floor to their retirement
home. But then the impact of the distance from their family began
gnawing on them and Dick and Louise moved to Newburyport. Now they're
much closer to their children Richy, Mike and Michelle and five grandchildren.
Settled into their new life
style they began thinking that after forty years of raising a family and
working, maybe it was time to enjoy a long delayed desire for a roadster.
So they began looking and driving first a Z-3 and then a TT that Louise
really liked, but Dick impressed upon her the attributes of the Boxster.
And after driving the Boxster, there was no question or waffling, it was
going to be a Boxster and they ordered a 2001 Zanzibar Red with a Light
Grey top and leather.
When it became apparent that
the lead time before they took delivery was stretching into more months
than they were willing to wait, a '98 Black Boxster became available which
they then traded in on the 2001 when it finally arrived in September, 2000.
With only 2400 miles on it before being stored last winter, Dick and Louise
are looking forward to the Autocross and Drivers' Education this season.
Dick is a long time, avid
down hill skier and attributes the sport to his motivation for 'working
out' and staying in shape in which Louise joins him. He's recently
returned from helicopter skiing in British Columbia and over the years
has skied in Argentina, Quebec, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah among many
others. They're getting ready now for a July trip to Alaska and Denali.
Rodney Dangerfield's
Best One-Liners
-
I was such an ugly kid...When
I played in the sandbox the cat kept covering me up.
-
During sex, my girlfriend always
wants to talk to me. Just the other night she called me from a hotel.
-
I could tell that my parents
hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and a radio.
-
I'm so ugly...My father carries
around the picture...of the kid who came with his wallet.
-
When I was born...The doctor
came out to the waiting room and said to my father...I'm very sorry...We
did everything we could...But he pulled through.
-
My wife made me join a bridge
club. I jump off next Tuesday.
-
It's been a rough day.
I got up this morning...put on a shirt and a button fell off. I picked
up my briefcase, and the handle came off. I'm afraid to go to the
bathroom.
-
I'm so ugly...My mother had morning
sickness...AFTER I was born.
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