Since we seem to occasionally like picking on the French, here's one for you.
How do the French measure engine output?
For export they use kW like every other metric country. Internally and for auto insurance purposes, the French auto use something completely off the wall, the horse!!!
Output is somehow calculated to be the equivalent of the number of real, live horses required to move a vehicle of a standard size, weight, and rolling resistance at a certain speed. That's how we ended up with the Citroen 2 Cv - you remember that one, the car Roger Moore drove in hte olive orchard chase scene in "For Your Eyes Only." Cv is the abreviation for Chevault, French for Horse, so the car is literally the Citroen 2 Horse.
And let's not forget that until recently, they mandated those horrid yellow headlights. It used to be that a visitor driving their car from say Germany had to face the indignation of having French Customs paint their clear headlight covers with putrid yellow lacquer.
Just food for thought. Aren't you glad the Brits beat the French in the French and Indian War before they lost to us colonials?
_________________
DHG No. 738
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: TXBullitt on 2001-12-01 17:55 ]</font>
How do the French measure engine output?
For export they use kW like every other metric country. Internally and for auto insurance purposes, the French auto use something completely off the wall, the horse!!!
Output is somehow calculated to be the equivalent of the number of real, live horses required to move a vehicle of a standard size, weight, and rolling resistance at a certain speed. That's how we ended up with the Citroen 2 Cv - you remember that one, the car Roger Moore drove in hte olive orchard chase scene in "For Your Eyes Only." Cv is the abreviation for Chevault, French for Horse, so the car is literally the Citroen 2 Horse.
And let's not forget that until recently, they mandated those horrid yellow headlights. It used to be that a visitor driving their car from say Germany had to face the indignation of having French Customs paint their clear headlight covers with putrid yellow lacquer.
Just food for thought. Aren't you glad the Brits beat the French in the French and Indian War before they lost to us colonials?
_________________
DHG No. 738
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: TXBullitt on 2001-12-01 17:55 ]</font>
