AC Cars and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation: Difference between pages

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Revision as of 06:04, 16 July 2007

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'''B.M.T.C.''' stands for '''[[Bangalore]] Metropolitan Transport Corporation'''.

[[image:ac.cobra.1999.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|250px|1999 AC Cobra 427]]

'''AC Cars Group Ltd.''' is a British specialist car manufacturing company and one of the oldest independent car marques in Britain. Based in [[Weybridge, Surrey]] (see also [[British motor industry]]).

==History==

It began as Weller Brothers in [[1901]], becoming Autocarriers Ltd in [[1909]] and using the 'AC' logo. The company moved to [[Thames Ditton]], Surrey in [[1911]] and grew into a substantial car manufacturer. In 1930 the company was bought by the Hurlock family.

BMTC has its origin in a private company called '''Bangalore Transport Company''' (BTC) Limited founded in [[1940]] catering to the entire city with just 98 buses. The then Government of Mysore took over the city transport from the private company by an act and ran buses up to 10- mile radius in the city in 1956 calling it Bangalore Transport Service [BTS].

*[[1961]]: Mysore State Road Transport Corporation- MSRTC - ('[[Mysore]]' was replaced by '[[Karnataka]]' later because of the renaming of the State-[[Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation|KSRTC]]) is formed by a special act, with BTS as one of its divisions.

*[[1993]]: BTS gets recognition as a Unit under a Director. Functions as two divisions, North and South.

*[[August 15]], [[1997]]: Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is incorporated as a separate entity having been bifurcated from its parent body [[Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation|KSRTC]].

==About==

In [[1953]] the firm began production of the [[AC Ace]], a lightweight chassis with a [[Bristol Cars|Bristol]] six-cylinder engine the car raced at [[Le Mans 24 Hours|Le Mans]] in [[1957]] and [[1958]]. When the company lost access to the Bristol engine in [[1961]] the owner, Charles Hurlock, was approached by [[Carroll Shelby]] to use a [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[V8]] in the Ace chassis, producing the [[AC Cobra]] in [[1962]]. The Cobra was a dangerously over-powered roadster, and is commonly blamed for the introduction of the 70 mph [[speed limit|limit]] on British [[motorway]]s. Although a major factor in the decision, after being caught doing 196 mph during a test run<sup id="fn_1_back">[[#fn_1|1]]</sup>, a recent spate of accidents in foggy conditions also helped the introduction of the limit<sup id="fn_2_back">[[#fn_2|2]]</sup>. The Cobra was sold to Ford in [[1965]] and production of the original ended in [[1969]].

The BTS's were originally red in colour, but BMTC's now are blue in colour and the ''Pushpaks'' are chocolate brown. Recently, during the [[S.M. Krishna]] Government, almost all the buses were replaced by newer and better models. The public loved the new look buses which were originally termed as ''Parisara Vaahini'' which means eco-friendly vehicle, ''Janti Vaahana'' meaning dual bus. The Government also introduced ''Grameena Saarige'' for the rural areas close to the city, these were mini buses. The famous ''Pushpak''s were the faster buses with limited stops and with a higher fare and a more luxurious seating. Today, they are the only profit making urban sector public corporation in India.

They also built a three wheeled microcar, which, also, had an aluminum body.

BMTC has become the first public sector city transport carrier to introduce Air Conditioned [[Volvo]] Buses. The Volvo buses currently ply on the following routes: Route numbers 2, 276, 333P, 335E, 340N, 356C, 356D, 356N, 402B, 402D, 500K and 500L. BMTC plans to introduce more such buses to ease passenger discomfort. It has also introduced many measures to improve efficiency and women emancipation by making it mandatory that 33% of BMTC staff need to be women.

BMTC is slightly more expensive than the Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram bus transport systems, but is the only bus system in the south which has acquired newer buses which are more comfotable and faster than the old ones.

==Motto==

The company was sold to Ford and Autokraft in [[1986]] and became AC Car Group. The group was sold again in [[1993]] and went into receivership in [[1996]] but was rescued from administration, as AC Car Group Ltd, and continued car production. Later the factory was sold and slimmed down and later opened up in [[Frimley]] in [[2001]]. There the activity was concentrated on repairs, restorations and the production of the MkII and MkIII 289 and 427 FIA Roadster. In October [[2004]] the factory in Frimley closed down and was moved to [[Guildford]].

To provide 'Efficient, Economic, Safe, Reliable and Punctual services' to the commuters of City and Sub-urban areas of Bangalore.

==Details==

In [[2005]], AC Cars relocated to [[Malta]] and announced plans for expansion. The first new vehicle chassis was shipped in May. A new company, AC Cars Manufacturing (USA), will begin operations in [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], next year. The factory to be used was the same Maple Street building used by [[Armstrong Electric]] to build early automobiles in [[1885]].

The BMTC has major bus depots situated in ''Subhashnagar'' (Kempe Gowda Bus Station popularly known as 'Majestic Bus Stand), ''[[Shivajinagar]]'', ''City Market'' (''Kalasipalyam'') and a new one just constructed in ''Shantinagar'', 28 Minor Bus Stations spread all over the City and 1200 Wayside Bus Shelters in city and sub-urban areas. These bus shelters are the new look bus stands with a modern look.

The BMTC is involved with 3700 schedules, with a fleet of 4,796 buses, making 52,000 trips and carrying 37 lakh passengers per day.

== Mechanical details ==

ACs were available with two body styles and two engine/transmission combinations (in addition to the microcar). The body styles were the [[AC Ace|Ace]] roadster and the [[AC Aceca|Aceca]] coupé. All bodies were aluminum.

==Areas covered in Bangalore by BMTC==

These engines each had about two liters displacement, but different bores, strokes and powers. The best known engine is the [[Bristol]], the design for which was taken from [[BMW]] during or after [[World War II]], and which was built by [[Bristol Cars]] for its own cars, and sold to AC. This had two sets of push-rods and two sets of rocker-arms opening the exhaust valves to allow a cross flow "hemi" combustion chamber in a compact space.

#[[Anekal]]

#[[Arekere]]

The other engine was AC's own single overhead camshaft product, which had a longer stroke and less power but was cheaper and lighter, putting the car in direct competition with Porsche. It is difficult to guess why the rear-heavy Porsche has been the more successful of the two.

#[[Banashankari]]

#[[Banashankari 2nd Stage]]

''[[Road and Track]]'' reported on a satisfactory Chevrolet V8 conversion before the Ford "Cobra" V8 version appeared.

#[[Banashankari 3rd Stage 3rd Phase]]

#[[Banashankari 3rd Stage 2nd Phase]]

The rear suspension was independent with upper and lower leaf springs, like the front of a [[Panhard]]. This was changed when the Ford V8 was used.

#[[Banaswadi]]

#[[Bannerghatta National Park]]

When the original and 427 Cobra projects ended, Shelby produced Cobras with Mustang bodies and AC built its own American V8 engined cars.

#[[Basavanagar]]

#[[Basavanagudi]]

For historical reference one should look at [[Allard]].

#[[Bidadi]]

#[[Budigere]]

== References ==

#[[Chennamanakere Achukattu]]

#[[C V Raman nagar]]

* {{ web reference | title=Pond Hopping: Ambitious AC plan calls for U.S. factory, three new models | URL=http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102537 | work=AutoWeek | date=June 13 | year=2005}}

#[[Cox Town]]

#[[Devanahalli]]

#[[Electronics City]]

#[[Fraser Town]]

#[[Gunjur]]

#[[Hanumantanagar]]

#[[Hebbal]]

#[[Hennur]]

#[[Hesarghatta]]

#[[Hosakote]]

#[[Hulimavu]]

#[[Indiranagar]]

#[[J C Nagar]]

#[[J P Nagar]]

#[[Jalahalli Cross]]

#[[Jakkur]]

#[[Jayanagar 4th Block]]

#[[Jayanagar 9th Block]]

#[[Jigani]]

#[[Kadugodi]]

#[[Kaggadasapura]]

#[[Kengeri]]

#[[Koramangala]]

#[[Krishnarajapuram]]

#[[Laggere]]

#[[Lingarajapura]]

#[[Malleswaram]]

#[[Marathhalli]]

#[[Mathikere]]

#[[Nandini Layout]]

#[[Nelamangala]]

#[[Peenya]]

#[[R T Nagar]]

#[[Rajarajeshwari nagar]]

#[[Sahakarnagar]]

#[[Sanjayanagar]]

#[[Sarjapur]]

#[[Sunkadakatte]]

#[[Sultanpalya]]

#[[Varthur]]

#[[Vidyaranyapura]]

#[[Vijayanagar]]

#[[Whitefield, India]]

#[[Yelahanka Newtown]]

#[[Yeshwanthpur]]

#[[Hoodi]]

#[[ITPL]]

#[[Rajajinagar]]

#[[Many other parts of Bangalore]]

==External links==

* [http://www.bmtcinfo.com BMTC official website]

*[http://dmoz.org/Recreation/Autos/Makes_and_Models/AC/ Category] on [[DMOZ]]

* [http://bmtc.mapunity.org Bus stops and routes are shown on a map of Bangalore using Google maps API]

*[http://www.3wheelers.com/ac.html AC cars on 3-wheelers.com]

* [http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/18/stories/2006011801641900.htm] Volvo City Buses

[[Category:British automobile manufacturers]]

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[[sv:AC Cars]]

=== Notes ===

<cite id="fn_1">[[#fn_1_back|Link 1:]] </cite> ''The AC Story'' [http://194.109.245.185/cobra/articles/acname.html]

[[Category:Transport in Bangalore]]

<cite id="fn_2">[[#fn_2_back|Link 2:]] </cite> ''When was the 70 mph motorway speed limit introduced in Britain?'' (www.speedlimit.org.uk) [http://www.speedlimit.org.uk/faq.html#SEVENTY]

[[Category:Indian bus companies]]