Do not check your calendar, this is not a late April Fools’ Day joke. Honda really has brought a classic Chevrolet pickup truck back to former glory.

Whilst the two companies may be strong competitors, and even fierce rivals on the IndyCar circuit, Honda is intrinsically linked to Chevy in the USA.

To understand the relationship, we need to head back to 1959, when Honda’s very first North American outpost was opened in Los Angeles.

Although originally founded by Soichiro Honda in 1946, it took 13 years for the company to make a move overseas to the American market.

American Honda was established on June 11 1959, with just three employees and an initial investment of $250,000 in capital.

Honda became the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer in 1959, but sales in Southern California started relatively slowly. Fewer than 2,000 bikes were sold in the first full year of operation, but the company had big plans for expansion.

Some of the initial capital investment by American Honda went on a fleet of three Chevrolet half-ton pickup trucks. Used to ferry bikes to dealerships to sell on consignment, these trucks wore a distinctive red and white livery.

It meant when deciding on how best to celebrate 60 years of Honda in America, recreating the original Chevrolet delivery vehicle would be a key element.

We imagine that recreating the classic livery on a modern Honda Ridgeline truck would not have had quite the same effect.

With a vintage photo from 1961 to work with, Honda employees tracked down the correct Chevrolet C/K 1500 Apache in need of restoration.

Once found, the chosen truck underwent a brief mechanical overhaul, followed by painting in the classic red and white paint scheme. Just like the original, the graphics on the doors and truck bed were all painted by hand.

In the back of the Chevy’s load bed sit a red 1965 Honda ‘Super Cub’ 50 on the left, whilst the right is occupied by a 1965 CB160.

The ultimate destiny for the restored delivery truck will be pride of place in the American Honda Collection Hall.

Located at the company’s current headquarters in Torrance, California, the Chevy will be displayed in front of a recreation of the first American Honda office.

Honda will also be taking the truck to this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas, along with outings to other classic car events throughout Southern California.

The second Aston Martin co-developed with F1 tech legend Adrian Newey and Red Bull Advanced technologies is to be called Valhalla. 

It’s the official name for the AM-RB 003 concept (pictured below), first shown at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

Valhalla will be the slightly more attainable mid-engined sibling to the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Indeed, the firm is already describing it as ‘son of Valkyrie’. 

Made entirely from carbon fibre, just 500 coupe models will be built.

In choosing Valhalla, Aston Martin continues its tradition of using ‘V’ names for its high-performance road cars. This dates back to 1951, when the hot version of the DB2 was designated Vantage. 

“Aston Martin model names always attract a lot of attention,” said the firm’s president and CEO Andy Palmer.

“They do so because they invariably capture an emotion or tell a story.”

What does Valhalla mean?

Aston Martin has taken the name Valhalla from Norse mythology. It literally translates, we’re told, to ‘the hall of the fallen’. 

Which is? ‘An enormous and majestic hall in Asgard, one of the Nine Realms’. The souls of those who are slain in battle go there: it is ‘a warrior’s paradise’. 

The people who go to Valhalla are chosen by the Valkyries: they are ‘a group of warrior maidens who gather the fallen at the behest of Odin, All-Father of Nordic Gods’. 

Valkyrie is, of course, the name of Aston Martin’s halo hypercar, which it recently announced will race at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Aston Martin says the Valhalla, its third mid-engined hypercar, will be powered by a high-performance turbo V6 petrol engine and a battery-electric hybrid system.

It will also use F1-inspired technology and aerodynamics, “extending the trickle-down of genuine state-of-the-art F1 technology into a road-legal car”.

Aston Martin is even promising “next-generation aircraft morphing technology, to create a variable airfoil across the entirety of the rear wing”.

Palmer added that “For those fortunate enough to own one, I’m sure they will recognise and appreciate the name’s connotations of glory and happiness.

“There can be few more hallowed places than the driver’s seat of an Aston Martin Valhalla.”

Expected to cost from £1 million, production of the new Valhalla begins in 2021.

But while registrations are already open, those who want one may be disappointed: the order book is reportedly fully subscribed.

LEVC, the company behind the TX London taxi, has launched a small van. Meet the LCV – based on the familar, eco-friendly cab, and revealed by London Mayor, Sadiq Khan.

‘The clean and green urban delivery van of tomorrow is here,’ says LEVC. Like the TX cab, the ‘Light Commercial Vehicle’ uses the e-City range extender powertrain.

That means batteries and an electric motor, in combination with a petrol engine, for a total of 80 miles electric range, plus a total range of 377 miles.

What makes this powertrain well-suited for a London cab, also works for a small delivery van. Eighty miles of electric range could see delivery drivers in the capital through an entire day before the petrol engine is called upon.

At present, the UK market for small vans is around 50,000 vehicles a year, while there are around 65,000 unique LCV journeys in London every day. That must amount to hefty ULEZ and congestion charge fees, all of which the LEVC LCV can avoid.

The LCV is targeted to achieve a best-in-class total cost of ownership, compared with conventional petrol and diesel-powered vans. Durability is said to be world-class.

Along with the £3,500 scrappage incentive, plus up to £8,000 granted for ‘New Energy’ van adoption, the LCV could be a tempting prospect indeed for urban businesses.

Van drivers should also be happy. The LCV has been benchmarked against premium MPVs for comfort and ease-of-operation on the inside. The TX cab’s super-tight turning circle features, too.

“The light commercial vehicle sector is the only growing vehicle traffic segment in London,” said LEVC CEO, Joerg Hofmann.

“This is due to the rapid rise in internet shopping – the Amazonisation of retail. Every day there are 65,000 unique LCV journeys into London, but mobility must not come at the expense of air quality.

“We have combined our existing knowledge of the urban environment with EV technology that can put urban mobility on a sustainable pathway. Durable, reliable, efficient, cost-effective and high quality, that is our new LCV.

“London and the UK will be first to market, then we will extend the vehicle to Europe and further afield. Our goal is to be the leading European electric commercial vehicle provider.”

In 2017, motorcyclists accounted for 19 percent of all deaths on the roads of Great Britain, which is why the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has created a series of ‘thought-provoking’ videos.

The videos will become part of DVSA’s learning materials, but will not feature in the theory test. Instead, the DVSA hopes they will encourage learner drivers to be more aware of motorcyclists when driving.

Motorcyclists account for just one percent of all road traffic in Britain, which makes the 19 percent death rate all the more alarming. In 2017, 2,656 motorcyclists were involved in accidents resulting from a driver or rider failing to look properly.

‘Devastating consequences’

The videos have been created with the help of road safety campaigner and motorcyclist Ria Brisland. 

Ria’s son, Nik, died in April 2015 after being involved in a collision with a car while riding his motorbike. 

Ria said: “Getting everyone to be aware of their fellow road users at all times is essential if we are to prevent collisions and the devastating consequences they can have on families.

“These new clips are thought-provoking and will make a difference to the way people look for bikers. They may prove the difference between life and death.”

Road safety minister Michael Ellis added: “Britain’s roads are among the safest in the world, but still far too many vulnerable people are involved in fatal and serious injury collisions each year.

“After reading Ria’s story and her concerns for fellow bikers, I was determined to help her and I am delighted that these clips will now be seen by millions of learners, helping improve road safety.”

Advice for road users:

• Always look for motorcyclists before emerging from a junction
• When turning right across a line of slow-moving or stationary traffic, look out for motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic you are crossing
• Check mirrors and blind spots carefully

In July 2018, the government published its Road to Zero strategy, pledging to make almost every car and van zero-emissions by 2050.

But new analysis from the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) shows that issues with taxation, charging point infrastructure and vehicle supply are ‘putting the brakes’ on UK EV registrations.

The BVRLA – which represents fleets that own or operate nearly five million cars and vans – is urging the government to ‘supercharge its electric vehicle strategy’ in order to meet its Road to Zero deadline.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling launched Road to Zero last year with an ambition for at least 50 percent – and as many as 70 percent – of new car sales to be ultra-low-emissions (ULEVs) by 2030.

Grayling said: “The Road to Zero Strategy sets out a clear path for Britain to be a world leader in the zero-emission revolution – ensuring that the UK has cleaner air, a better environment and a stronger economy.”

The BVRLA analysis uses a scorecard to chart the progress of the Road to Zero strategy, with the government said to be falling behind in the following key areas:

• Tax policy: persuading large fleet buyers to go electric is one of the fastest ways to boost the number of electric vehicles on the road. A lack of clarity about what taxes will be levied on the buyers and users of EVs in future years means many fleet buyers are holding back
• Charge point access: there are still too many rapid charge point ‘blackspots’ and the ability to roam between different charging networks remains a challenge
• Leading by example: the government set a target to make 25 percent of its car fleet ULEV by 2022, but recent data indicates that only two percent are ULEVs, placing the Government way behind on its own plans

Fleets are ‘desperate and frustrated’

Gerry Keaney, BVRLA chief executive, said: “Fleets across the UK have committed to this transition and are leading the zero-emission vehicle surge.

“Our research has found that they are desperate for clarity on future taxation and incentives, want better access to public charging and are frustrated at lead-times of over 12 months for the most popular EVs.”

The BVRLA has three recommendations to ‘get the UK’s electric vehicle strategy back on track’. These are:

• Providing a five-year road map for motoring taxes and EV incentives
• Setting a national quota for EV registrations that ramps up between now and 2030
• Mandating universal methods of access and payment for public charge points

Details of the Road to Zero strategy can be found here.

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