there is only 1 working Tiger 131 tank that is operable still existing, and a movie "Fury" (not released yet, with Brad Pitt) got it on loan

photo from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2123736/Back-70-years-mighty-Tiger-tank-Only-surviving-example-works-restored-wartime-specification.html

it was captured by the smallest margin of luck, a shell from a British Churchill tank damaged the turret just enough to keep if from turning, making the tank useless... and so it was captured, from the African campaign of WW2, and sent to England so any weaknesses could be found and exploited by the Allies.

It was named Tiger by Ferdinand Porsche, and was exceptionally deadly, one Tiger took out a record 22 opposition tanks in one battle in Russia, and one tank commander had a total of 168 enemy tanks destroyed

It's home is the Bovington tank museum in Dorset England.

The movie can be learned about on IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2713180/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_1

with a crusher crawler, you will have no problem running over zombies

an Army Corps or Engineers vehicle for getting through swampy tree areas between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Texas, across Florida to make a barge canal (Like the successful Ohio canal) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Florida_Barge_Canal though the impassible swampy areas where they wanted to make roads in Alabama, Loiusianna, Missouri, etc. it didn't get stuck, because there was no belly pan, it's all track. Powered by a pair of 270 hp Caterpillar engines

Found on http://strangernn.livejournal.com/799388.html#cutid1 which has more info and photos

Very interesting design/concept of constantly variable transmission

The hemisphere under the motor has a variable pitch, and the more vertical the angle, the faster the vehicle will be propelled. The more horizontal, the slower, based on the contact of the circumferance of the hemisphere. Pretty genius level thinking... but the amount of lost energy/ineeficiency was probably pretty high

Found on http://strangernn.livejournal.com/829704.html and no year or manufacturer is given, just that it came from France

interesting stuff from Go Away Garage

tell me you recognize the Smokey Yunick Hurst Floor Shift Special!

From http://goawaygarage.blogspot.com/

the jet train of Russia documentary mentions an American jet train I've never heard of, the Black Beetle

found on http://strangernn.livejournal.com/911147.html

1910 front wheel drive moped!

Found on http://strangernn.livejournal.com/904706.html

George Tirebiter... a great mascot name if there ever was one!

a scraggly, mixed-breed stray dog from a beach in Santa Monica brought to campus who became student mascot at the University of Southern California in the 1940s. He was dubbed "Tirebiter" for his habit of racing alongside passing cars and bicycles while snapping furiously at their tires.

 In 1947 the USC student body made George their mascot. He led the Trojan band onto the field for each home football game often costumed in a sweater and sometimes wearing odd little hats.

 Tirebiter posed with homecoming queens and is remembered for once biting the mask nose of the rival UCLA’s Joe Bruin mascot (a person dressed in a bear costume and chased after Oski the Golden Bear mascot of the University of California Berkeley at another home game.

He was dog-napped in 1947 by pranksters from the rival school who shaved his fur to read "UCLA" and to take the prank one step further they took Tirebiter by the Los Angeles Times to be photographed for the paper.

found on http://www.tirebiter.com/ 

The nickname was passed on to George Tirebiter's subsequent successors after the original Tirebiter's death in 1950. The original Tirebiter was a nationally known figure and beloved canine.

The lovable shaggy mutt quickly endeared himself to the student body. He was pampered by the fraternities and sororities in USC's greek community, routinely being carried back and forth from campus and being fed ice cream.

The student body held a memorial ceremony for Tirebiter on September 22, 1950. The ceremony consisted of a parade of convertibles with black bunting, a marching band, and the student body. Upon reaching Tirebiter's cement footprints, immortalized during Tirebiter's coronation in 1947, a memorial wreath was laid and a trumpeter played "Taps" as Troy said farewell to its beloved canine mascot

Rumor has it there is a transcript on file showing George with a GPA of 3.2 in such courses as Chasing Cats 101 and Biting Tires 270
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tirebiter

Muhammad Ali was once a car investor/ middleman for a Suadi Arabia shiek and Brazialian car maker Puma

above from the book Puma  By Thomas H. Braun (google books)

Ali arrived in Brazil just by Rubens Maluf, entrepreneur who brought to Curitiba carmaker Puma at the end of 1986. Kevin Haines, Dealer in Houston (USA), the lawyer convinced the boxer - and model fan produced in Brazil - Richard Hirschfeld, visiting Paraná to negotiate.

Then retired for six years (and perhaps only less known in the sports world than Pelé) and financial condition to invest high, the boxer arrived in town with an engineer and a consultant in addition to the lawyer and friend.

In all three models of the Puma Al Fassi were produced by Muhammad Ali A was all closed, another had the convertible top, and the last, most expensive, had sophisticated finish, with white and red seats and sportier appearance.

Struck a deal worth U.S. $ 36 million for 1,440 units, which would later be completed in the U.S. with engines and gearboxes Porsche 911. The vehicles were sold in Saudi Arabia, whose prince was a friend of the boxer.
found on http://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/esportes/lutas/conteudo.phtml?tl=1&id=1373962&tit=Mito-do-boxe-foi-quase-anonimo-em-Curitiba-nos-anos-80

there was a magazine article
"What's A Puma?" by Dwayne T. Ray. Kit Car Illustrated, August 1992. 5 pages. Fairly comprehensive article with 9 photos. Contains several interesting anecdotes. One of these was a scheme involving Muhammad Ali and Saudi financiers to market a special Puma in the U.S. as the "Ali Stinger."
Found on http://wj2d.100megsdns.com/liter.html


MUHAMMAD ALI STARTS UP AUTO COMPANY AP , Associated Press Apr. 27, 1987
 RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (AP)
 Muhammad Ali, who used to sting opponents in the ring, is delivering his stings on wheels with the introduction of his new sports car, the Ali Stinger. ''The car will be as I was in the ring,'' the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper quoted the three-time world boxing champion as saying. ''It will flutter around like a butterfly and sting like a bee.''
The report Sunday said the 45-year-old Ali formed a new car company, the Ali Vehicle Industry, several months ago as a joint venture with two Brazilian companies, Brazilian Araucaria Vehicle Industry and Inter-American Ltd.
Ali Vehicles in Campinas, 290 miles southwest of Rio, already has produced 20 of the Brazilian-designed cars with Porsche engines, the report said. Ali was to test the first models today, when the company officially begins operations.
The company plans to export 500 coupes and convertibles each year to the United States, Middle East and Europe, the paper quoted Ali as saying. Ali could not be reached in his Rio hotel room for comment.
found on http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/Muhammad-Ali-Starts-Up-Auto-Company/id-2182a14ceac1d51de1a7af6602c56edb

I wonder how well the safety wheels worked?

Foudn on http://goawaygarage.blogspot.com/ 

Gremlin prototype, had a shelf mechanism instead of a hatchback

Found on http://aacalibrary.tumblr.com/

Manchurian warlord had a armor plated Packard made in New York to protect him from the Chinese peasants

Zhang Zuolin (also Chang Tso-Lin or Tsan Tso-Lin) , dominated Manchuria between 1916 and 1928 and felt it necessary to commission this unique armor-plated 1921 Packard Twin Six to protect himself as he traveled through his territory. He chose the prestigious New York City coach builder Brooks-Ostruk for the task.

Mr. Zhang paid a high price for his security. At a whopping $35,000, it was the most expensive custom body made in America at the time.

found on http://theoldmotor.com/?p=113498

the only existing 5 cylinder radial engine Adams Farwell horseless Carriage (1906) ... is in the Reno Nevada located National Automobile Museum

Well, that makes a new engine type I've never seen or heard of before to add to the list of unique engine designs...

Thanks Steve!