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Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > History of specific institutions
The story of Moto Guzzi is a story of survival. As one of Italy's
oldest, and most legendary marques, Moto Guzzi had seen the height
of success during the 1930s, and then the 1950s when they dominated
250 and 350cc Grand Prix racing. Their withdrawal from racing
coincided with a period of stagnation until the company was sold to
De Tomaso in 1973. During the 1970s the V7 Sport and Le Mans were
at the forefront of the new superbike era, and later, with Dr John
Wittner's help, embraced contemporary technology with the 1000cc
Daytona. If one aspect characterises Moto Guzzi it is continuity.
The great 500cc Falcone single ran from 1950 until 1976, and the
V7, originally seeing the light of day in 1967, continued well into
the 2010s. This continuity breeds loyalty, and Guzzi owners are a
fiercely proud breed. Guzzis are not like other motorcycles, even
Italian ones, and to qualify as a Guzzi owner requires a dedication
and individuality that will be rewarded in a long term
relationship.
What went wrong with American business at the end of the 20th
century? Until the spring of 2001, Enron epitomized the triumph of
the New Economy. Feared by rivals, worshipped by investors, Enron
seemingly could do no wrong. Its profits rose every year; its stock
price surged ever upward; its leaders were hailed as visionaries.
Then a young Fortune writer, Bethany McLean, wrote an article
posing a simple question - how, exactly, does Enron make its money?
Within a year Enron was facing humiliation and bankruptcy, the
largest in US history, which caused Americans to lose faith in a
system that rewarded top insiders with millions of dollars, while
small investors lost everything. It was revealed that Enron was a
company whose business was an illusion, an illusion that Wall
Street was willing to accept even though they knew what the real
truth was. This book - fully updated for the paperback - tells the
extraordinary story of Enron's fall.
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Rosendale
(Hardcover)
Gilberto Villahermosa
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R822
R676
Discovery Miles 6 760
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Reading
(Hardcover)
Everett A. Blodgett, Virginia D. Blodgett
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Discovery Miles 6 760
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Panhard & Levassor was a ground-breaking company whose
innovations set the standard for modern motoring. Not only was it
the first company to produce a vehicle with an internal combustion
engine mounted at the head of the chassis rather than under the
driver's seat, the entire 'Panhard' layout of engine, gearbox,
shaft drive to rigid rear axle, set the standard which is still
used today. As the author reveals, Panhard & Levassor can also
claim to be the first manufacturer to sell cars commercially.
Author David Beare follows the fortunes of the company and its two
founders, the affable and portly Rene Panhard complementing the
intelligent and somewhat haughty Emile Levassor. From the late
1800s through the two world wars, they continued to produce
revolutionary designs, including sleeve valves, monocoque chassis
units and the new economy cars with air-cooled flat-twin engines
and bodies and chassis made largely of aluminium. As an important
contributor to the design and performance of their subsequent road
cars, Panhard & Levassor's pioneering competition successes in
early road-racing in the period from 1894 to 1903 are also covered,
when the company was at the forefront of motor-racing technology
and won many races. The story ends with the take-over of the
company by Citroen, which ultimately absorbed the Panhard &
Levassor creative genius into their own designs.
For over 130 years, Imperial Oil dominated Canada's oil industry.
Their 1947 discovery of crude oil in Leduc, Alberta transformed the
industry and the country. But from 1899 onwards, two-thirds of the
company was owned by an American giant, making Imperial Oil one of
the largest foreign-controlled multinationals in Canada. Imperial
Standard is the first full-scale history of Imperial Oil. It
illuminates Imperial's longstanding connections to Standard Oil of
New Jersey, also known as Exxon Mobil. Although this relationship
was often beneficial to Imperial, allowing them access to
technology and capital, it also came at a cost, causing Imperial to
be assailed as the embodiment of foreign control of Canada's
natural resources. Graham D. Taylor draws on an extensive
collection of primary sources to explore the complex relationship
between the two companies. This groundbreaking history provides
unprecedented insight into one of Canada's most influential oil
companies as it has grown and evolved with the industry itself.
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