levitron is a brand of levitating toys and gifts in science and educational markets marketed by creative gifts inc. and fascination toys & gifts .

the levitron top device is a commercial toy under this brand that displays the phenomenon known as spin-stabilized magnetic levitation .

this method , with moving permanent magnets , is quite distinct from other versions which use changing electromagnetic fields , levitating various items such as a rotating world globe , model space shuttle or vw beetle , and picture frame .

750,000 units were sold from 1994 through 1999 .

levitron

figure 2 ( a ) : force diagram when levitron is level , ( b ) : when levitron is at a tilt .
decide for yourself if the levitron was
stolen
after reading . . .
ece - theory easily explains the levitron . thus , the levitron can be viewed as a demonstration - device for ece - theory . the levitron employs counter - rotating magnetic fields to achieve its counter - gravity effect . it falls in the class of devices defined in [ 18 ] . using the levitron as a conceptual basis , the focus is levitron - like devices , which are described in [ 12 ] . the levitron is shown herein to be a rudimentary sub - class of crossfield - device technology .
sorry to be pedantic , but this is a straight forward levitator , not a levitron .
ad in journal popular science for a magneflight instruction booklet , from article
the hidden history of the levitron
, at www . levitron . com . 12 / 88 . *
i ' d change it purely based on the association of levitron with the floating spinning top .
i m . v . berry , ”the levitron : an adiabatic trap for spins” , proc .
i gans , et al . ”dynamics of the levitron” , j . phys . d 31 ,
levitron is able to levitate in mid - air by harnessing the lifting power produce by two opposed permanent magnet and stabilized in space by using the gyroscopic effect spinning produces . levitron anti . . .
because that ninja weighs less than 0 . 75 pounds , you can levitate it on the levitron .
as of 8 / 24 / 97 we have suspended sales of levitrons , super levitrons & levitron perpetuators - in light of some recent astonishing revelations concerning the true origins of the levitron anti - gravity top .
with the levitron revolution , you can float ( and slowly rotate ) nearly any object of your choosing .
by martin simon of ucla . a thorough , high - level treatment of levitron physics is presented in this
to use the levitron , first align the magnetic disc with the aid of the four leds in the base .
the levitron device is a toy top that can be made to spin while levitated above a magnetic base . some west coast toy companies market the toy . physical principles governing the levitron are similar to those exploited by the geodesic - fall process . the levitron device is arguably a “miniaturized” example of a mag - lev like process . aspects of the levitron device behavior are used herein to illustrate the geodesic - fall process dynamics , on the laboratory scale .
a levitron uses no power , just permanent magnets and suspends the spinning object above the main part of the kit .
if v m2 = 0 , then we have the levitron case . for levitation , v r must be positive . thus , one argues the levitron top must spin . however , it is m 1 that is required to spin .
the levitron revolution can handle objects ( even blatant cross - promos ) weighing up to 3 / 4 of a pound .
figure 1 : a simplified version of the levitron . the base is oriented such that it repels the top . [ 1 ]
levitron ion antigravity globe levg33 - youtube . complete with box and instructions . tested and working as shown here . retired usaf .
[ 11 ] “physical theory of the levitron” by ; h . eckardt , c . kellum aias posting ; 17 sep . ' 10
by sir michael berry , where he shows that the magnetic trapping of a levitron top is analogous to that used to trap single neutrons .
so , in keeping with our mandate here at
levitron central
to provide completely uncensored reportage and information about all things levitron , we will continue to
update
this article as these legal events unfold . in the meantime , you can e - mail mr . hones by clicking here . , and let him know what you think . then , just check back here for regular updates on the levitron legal action !
[ 12 ] “the levitron™ : a counter - gravitation device for ece - theory demonstration” revision 1 by : charles w . kellum the galactican group july 2010
[ 3 ] jones , t . b . 1997 . “simple theory for the levitron . ” j . appl . phys . 82 : 883 - 888 .
proceedings of the royal society of london ,
the levitron : an adiabatic trap for spins
1996 , band a 452 , pp . 1207 - 1220 .
ps - bill hones ' company also markets a few other
toys by physicists
- none of which is anywhere close to the levitron . when we had an opportunity to point this out to bill one day , he thought about it a moment , then smiled and admitted that something like the levitron probably comes along only once in a lifetime .
too much work ? try the levitron , which will keep even the most scientifically inclined theorizing about exactly how it works . the levitron gets touted as an
anti - gravity
device - - and in a way , it is . the latest levitron uses a cleverly arranged collection of magnets to keep a globe spinning . and there are plenty of variations on the theme : a version of the levitron called
floating ideas
gives you a base over which you can float a variety of objects , including models of the space shuttle , a vw beetle and a picture frame .
the most popular is a floating picture frame ,
notes hannifin .
it ' s great for executives ' desks .
this sophisticated system is constantly adjusting the strength of magnetism to compensate for changes in weight which prevents the magnetic disc from falling . the levitron revolution only costs $ 99 . 99 at
if the levitron ' s v m1 spin / rotation component is less than β , the top falls away along a geodesic path induced by the anti - gravity condition caused by the interaction of the levitron ' s ring magnet ( m 1 ) , and magnetic base ( m 2 ) . this factor is exploited as a propulsion system concept in [ 23 ] .
in response to several inquiries , we need to note that the ads for the levitron , and an instructional video , that reappeared on art bell ' s dreamland radio show around the holidays , were not us . it would be natural to assume otherwise , since it was ufo who advertised the levitron , along with our
exclusive
instructional video , on bell ' s show continuously for over a year . after we suspended our advertising , bell ' s network stated that they would not accept any levitron advertising until
the legal issues are resolved .
i came here expecting to see a homemade levitron - like passive levitator , with permanent magnets , but as others have pointed out , this is not that , and has nothing to do with it . so why the copyrighted name ? this is a very simple active electromagnetic levitator , which is fine , just not a levitron . there are a couple of instructables on how to make a true levitron - like device but not very good ones . there are better examples on youtube . i have made one that doesn ' t require any weights at all .
as part of our levitron litigation , we also had the opportunity to submit our own
expert reports .
so we asked three of the scientists named in this article to make whatever comments they cared to make regarding the levitron situation in general , and the expert reports of hones and co . in particular . you can read their responses yourself and decide what you think .
[ 2 ] berry , m . v . 1996 . “the levitron : an adiabatic trap for spins . ” proc . r . soc . lond . a 452 : 1207 - 1220 .
the levitron revolution creates levitation via magnetism . the base unit features magnets in each of its four corners . the processor inside continually adjusts their strength to keep the magnetic disc centered and floating .
mr . johnson not only ordered these
levitator
plans ( the first page of which is already linked to this article ) he also ordered some parts that were offered , and constructed from them his own square , flat - based levitron . it was mr . johnson who , on a family vacation shortly thereafter , passed through arkansas and happened across les and harley adam and their magnet company , az industries . he showed them his levitron , and harley adam - after seeing it , but before seeing chieffo ' s plans - built a levitron of his own design . it was harley ' s levitron which was subsequently featured on the june , 1991 cover of
magnets in your future
magazine , and also in the may , 1993
electric spacecraft journal
- both of which are also linked above .
levitron was the source of trademark litigation in united states district court of new mexico . creative gifts , inc . , the owner of the levitron trademark , brought suit against michael and karen sherlock and their company ufo , alleging trademark infringement and seeking a permanent injunction . the district court , judge leroy c . hansen , held that the mark was infringed , and rejected all of the sherlocks ' defenses and counterclaims .
before we ever heard of the levitron anti - gravity top , we made our living as writers , teachers & video producers , with long experience in business . however , we had no experience in retail , toys , mail order , or the web . two years ago we found the levitron in a mail - order catalog , and immediately
flipped out
over it . we saw this wondrous thing as much more than an
executive toy
, and - in line with our desire to
uplift
people - recognized it as the perfect embodiment of our philosophy that more is possible in life than one might suspect . we played with it so much that we became levitron masters . and in doing so we realized that to fly the levitron well wasa real art . an art that we were in a perfect position to teach .
there are about five models of levitron on the market . my favorite is the cherry wood model in the video , which allows a flight altitude of about 10 cm . no strings or illusions - just physics !
see also : hidden history of the levitron ( a stolen invention ) urltoken maintained by bill beaty . mail me at : billb @ urltoken . if you are using lynx , type
c
to email .
photo of bill hones levitron physics paper by martin simon et al . frame from video of harrigan ' s levitron prototype letter from martin simon to bill hones bill hones ' attorney ' s reply to simon ' s letter - part 1 bill hones ' attorney ' s reply to simon ' s letter - part 2 partial transcript of bill hones ' appearance on the laura lee radio show harrigan patent hones patent photo of roy harrigan fax from ufo to hones ' attorney disputing statements made in his reply to simon levitron prior art # 2 - magnets in your future magazine partial transcript of bill hones ' appearance on the qvc network levitron science poster by michael mcbride letter from hones ' attorney to ufo demanding transfer of this website ufo ' s reply to bill hones regarding ownership of this website bill hones ' email roy harrigan ' s email ufo ' s email hidden history feedback page letters update excerpt from hones ' legal brief and affidavit of bill hones affidavit of ed hones photo of ed hones affidavit of hones ' attorney hones ' expert report # 1 - harry manbeck hones '
fascinations
website excerpt from harrigan / hones meeting video transcript hones ' expert report # 2 - peter manbeck ufo ' s expert report # 1 - martin simon ufo ' s expert report # 2 - michael mcbride ufo ' s expert report # 3 - tom jones levitron prior art # 3 - electric spacecraft journal magazine levitron prior art # 4 - popular science ' s
levitator
plans selected excerpts from harrigan / hones meeting video transcript legal analysis of hones patent in light of two prior art references photo of simon ' s levitron prototype made with harrigan ' s
claim 12
base configuration correspondence between rod driver and bill hones popular science classified ad for the
magneflight
levitron letter from jerry johnson to the magneflight co . letter from magneflight ' s joseph chieffo to jerry johnson jerry johnson ' s display ad for his
mag - neet - o
levitron
to say that bill hones
ripped off
the levitron may sound harsh , but this is exactly how we first heard the situation described to us . commendably , it was the scientists who blew the whistle . in march 1997 , we got an e - mail through this website from a physicist named martin simon at ucla , offering us a link to a paper he ' d written with two of his colleagues on the levitron . we readily agreed , linked to it , and only then did we read it . click here to read it yourself . it ' s also linked on the bottom of our
how does the levitron work ?
page .
the levitron revolution is an awesome gadget that appeals to everyone ' s inner geek . seriously , you can float your stuff ! check out the images below . hopefully , they ' ll inspire you to get your float on .
agreed about the trademark , although any trouble for theft of levitron ip would be ironic given their theft of the entire product proposition ! have a google on it as the inventor isn ' t getting anything from the producer . urltoken
well , that did it . we traded michael a super levitron for roy harrigan ' s phone number , and decided it was time to talk with martin simon directly . marty told us that he had indeed gone to visit roy , and had seen a videotape of roy ' s working levitron that roy had sent to bill before they ' d ever met . roy had even put some mirrors behind the floating top to prove there were no tricks . ( one of bill ' s office staff later let slip that they ' d still suspected at first that it may have been done with wires ! ) click here to see a still from roy ' s video of his early prototype levitron .
so now it seems we are faced with not one , but two
real
levitron inventors . and bill and ed hones , who invented nothing , continue to
steal
the credit from both of them to this very day .
levitron is an amazing & delightful experience ! of weight to the top , leveling the base magnet , and learning to make it . a complete kit with all pieces , top , base , weights , instructions & original box . . .
seconding leonardo2016 ' s comment . i love this ; it ' s brilliant and so simple . . . but it ' s not a levitron , which is , after all , a legally - protected name . you could get in some trouble .
the levitron revolution comes with a small magnetic disc which is where you place an object weighing up to 12 ounces on so that it may float in the air . getting an object to float is actually pretty simple . first , place the magnetic disc on the levitron and wait for the four led lights on the base station to light up . you can let go of the magnetic disc once all lights are on . at this point , you should be mesmerized at the sight of a floating disc . now , you can place an item on top of the disc as long as it weighs a maximum of 12 ounces . the levitron is capable of making up to 1 , 000 corrections per second to the electromagnets that are at the base of the device .
for the levitron , a spin component is needed to couple with spacetime torsion , to achieve spin - connection - resonance ( scr ) . this spin component must exceed some β to maintain scr and stability . stated more precisely , from the above discussion ;
com
to sell goods bearing the trademark
levitron
under an at - will license from the trademark owner . the talk page associated with an article is named
talk : example
, where
example
is the name of the article .
we were surprised when we showed him the finished tape , featuring
bill hones , inventor of the levitron
, that he didn ' t grab it up and put one with every levitron . but he wished us well , and we went on to start selling a few levitrons on the side . our goal was to bring
levitation to the masses
, so we cut the retail price by at least a third and included our video free with every top . our gamble was that we could make up the difference in volume . it worked , and the business
took off .
then it occurred to us that what we felt about the levitron was a perfect match to what art bell was doing on his syndicated talk radio shows . so we began to advertise our levitron and
exclusive instructional video
package on his show . and the rest is - as they say - history . the video worked great , and we became the largest single retailer of levitrons in the world . this website soon followed .
there are two main properties that allow the levitron to levitate stably . the first is the magnetic repulsion , which provides the force for levitation . the second are gyroscopic effects due to the spinning of the top , which account for the stability of the levitation .
duffy t . j . , taylor c . e . ( 1973 ) refrigeration for the livermore superconducting levitron . in : timmerhaus k . d . ( eds ) advances in cryogenic engineering . advances in cryogenic engineering , vol 18 . springer , boston , ma
the levitron : spin stabilized magnetic levitation - will fly for about 3 minutes or more per launch . the spin rate of the magnetic top must be just right for flight , not too fast or too slow . also the weight of the top must be adjusted to within 1 gram to achieve equilibrium between the pull of gravity and the magnetic repulsion from the large donut shaped magnet in the wood base . repost of probably my favorite physics toy of all time . ➡ follow the link in my profile for information on where to get a levitron and many of the other amazing items featured here on @ physicsfun . # physics # physicstoy # levitron # magnet # magneticfield # magnetism # earnshawstheorem # equilibrium # gravity # angularmomentum # precession # amazing # science # levitation # maglev # scienceisawesome # stableequilibrium # neodymium # neodymiummagnet
we note once again that , for the levitron , m 1 is attached to the top ( s ) , m 2 is the base . device operation shows the top must spin to levitate stably above the base . more correctly , m 1 is required to spin .
the levitron ' s processor constantly adjusts itself ( 1 , 000 times per second ! ) to keep the magnetic disc centered and aloft . so , if you add weight to it , spin the object on top of it , or bump it , the disc will remain floating .
the levitron revolution with ez float technology is a mesmerizing way to display small objects . the device allows you to levitate and slowly rotate your collectibles , toys , small office supplies - pretty much anything weighing up to 12 ounces . to float an object , you first levitate the included small magnetic disc . four led lights on the base station help guide the alignment . next , place your item of choice on top of the disc . the levitron automatically compensates for changes in weight by making up to 1 , 000 corrections per second to the electromagnets contained within the base .
so , after nineteen months of perpetrating a heavily - funded and totally baseless legal assault against us , bill hones is still selling his fraudulent levitrons , is still denying that he owes roy harrigan anything , and is still continuing in his attempts to misappropriate both our urltoken website and our levitron business .
hello , today i ' ll show you how i made levitron . so the idea of device is very simple , the electromagnet lift into the air a piece of magnetic material , and in order to create the floating effect , it is connected with a high frequency , lifting and dropping the subject .
in addition the axis of the top must tilt at a slight angle to become trapped , and the top must be spinning above a certain rate . surprisingly , if the top is spinning too fast it will not float ! these operating parameters of the levitron , and many other surprising details , are described in this
on appeal to the tenth circuit court of appeals , the levitron mark was enforced in favor of its owner . creative gifts , inc . v . ufo , 235 f . 3d 540 ( 10th cir . 2000 ) ( new mexico ) . specifically , the court affirmed the district court ( 1 ) that the term ' levitron ' is not a generic term , and that the specific categories of evidence proffered by the sherlocks in support of their claim , including internet sites purporting to demonstrate generic use , failed ; ( 2 ) that the district court ' s assignment of the urltoken domain originally procured by the sherlocks to creative was proper ; ( 3 ) that no theory of promissory estoppel could be asserted against creative by the sherlocks ; and ( 4 ) that no
naked license
of the levitron mark had been granted by creative . all 23 of the counterclaims made by the sherlocks were rejected . the court affirmed a permanent injunction against the sherlocks .
the levitron consists of a base and a top . the base is a ring magnet with north oriented upwards . the top is a magnet with north oriented downwards . the two norths repel , thereby providing an upwards force on the top due to the magnetic field from the base . a diagram can be found in figure 1 .
moreover , a technical skill - testing toy is known in the form of a permanent magnet made as a gyroscope that is manually impelled into fast rotation and then allowed to float contactless for only a few minutes in an unregulated magnetic field , in which the rotation contributes to a short stabilization until the rotational velocity is reduced by the friction with air and the gyroscope topples down . ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 404 , 062 ) , ( professional journal : proceedings of the royal society of london , “the levitron : an adiabatic trap for spins” , 1996 , band a 452 , pages 1207 - 1220 ) , ( trademark : “levitron” ) .
as we continue to actively investigate and report on the hidden history of the levitron , individuals with missing pieces of the puzzle continue to find us . the latest of these is a retired nasa scientist from alabama named jerry johnson . it seems that mr . johnson is a longtime reader of popular science magazine and , in the december 1988 issue , he spotted a small classified ad offering for sale - for $ 5 - plans to build a levitron . click here to see that 12 / 88
popular science
ad . we note that this was about5 1 / 2 years after the harrigan patent issued , but almost 6 1 / 2 years before the hones patent .
moreover , a technical skill - testing toy is known in the form of a permanent magnet made as a gyroscope that is manually impelled into fast rotation and then allowed to float contactless for only a few minutes in an unregulated magnetic field , in which the rotation contributes to a transiently limited stabilization until the rotational velocity is reduced by the friction with air and the gyroscope topples down . [ u . s . pat . no . 5 , 404 , 062 ] , [ professional journal : proceedings of the royal society of london , “the levitron : an adiabatic trap for spins” , 1996 , band a 452 , pages 1207 - 1220 ] , [ trademark : “levitron” ] .
. the levitron has two main components , a large donut shaped permanent magnet in the base , and a disk shaped magnet in the top itself , which are oriented such that the like poles of these two magnets repel . hence , the pull of gravity is balanced by a magnetic repulsion , allowing the top to float for minutes at time .
the levitron revolution is one of the sweetest gadgets to have around the house or office . the device features ez float technology which allows you to float pretty much any object you can think of mid - air as long as it weighs no more than 12 ounces . you can even slowly rotate the object in the air with this cool device .
in recent decades , microscopic particles have been studied by trapping them with magnetic and / or electric fields . there are several sorts of traps . for example , neutrons can be held in a magnetic field generated by a system of coils . neutrons are spinning magnetic particles , so the analogy of such a neutron trap with the levitron is close .
toroidal confinement schemes have certain advantages in the study of fusion reactions . one of the machines designed to take advantage of this type of field configuration is the superconducting levitron . this device uses the magnetic field produced by a current - carrying ring , a set of coils that produces a poloidal field , and a toroidal wound magnet ( fig . 1 ) .
so , we tracked down the company that licensed it , and were introduced to a man named bill hones ( rhymes with
bones
) as
the inventor
. he told us that he had a degree in physics , but had worked mostly as a bush pilot . we proposed to him that we produce an instructional video to teach people to fly the levitron . we would cover the entire cost of production , all he had to do was appear in it . bill agreed , we met for a few hours and shot the video , and the result became
secrets of the levitron : the art of levitation
. click here to see a picture of bill hones , taken from our video .
in the ideal case , the force on the top due to the magnetic field exactly balances the force due to gravity . in order for these two vectors to cancel each other out , they need to be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction ( compare figure 2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ) ) . the levitron gives us two parameters to make sure the vectors come close to exactly canceling : the weight of the top and the leveling of the base . you can adjust the weight of the top by adding or removing small rubber , plastic , and copper rings , which come with the levitron . the legs of the base are adjustable , so that you can make sure it’s level on any surface .
. the magnetic sources properly attached to a vehicle could cause said vehicle to move ( i . e . fall ) along the geodesic path induced by the anti - gravity region . this process can be observed as the levitron top falls away from its base , when the top ' s angular momentum slows below the minimum required for stability [ 11 , 23 ] .
to read the expert report of tom jones from the university of rochester . suffice it to say that , for the first time in the long and twisted tale of the levitron , bill hones must now face his own spurious claims and contradictory statements
head on .
what will be the result ? can mr . hones possibly transmute his crumbling reality ? stay tuned !
for the top to remain suspended , equilibrium alone is not enough . the equilibrium must also be stable , so that a slight horizontal or vertical displacement produces a force pushing the top back toward the equilibrium point . for the levitron , stability is difficult to achieve . it depends on the fact that as the top moves sideways , away from the axis of the base magnet , the magnetic field of the base , about which the top ' s axis precesses , deviates slightly from vertical . if the top precessed about the exact vertical , the physics of magnetic fields would make the equilibrium unstable . because the field is so close to vertical , the equilibrium is stable only in a small range of heights - between about 1 . 25 inches and 1 . 75 inches above the center of the base . the earnshaw theorem is not violated by the behavior of the levitron . that theorem states that no static arrangements of magnetic ( or electric ) charges can be stable , alone or under gravity , it does not apply to the levitron because the magnet ( in the top ) is spinning and so responds dynamically to the field from the base .
so , if after reading all this , you still want to buy a levitron from bill hones , his contact information is just below . or , better yet , you might consider patronizing any other retailer who innocently bought levitrons wholesale from bill . and , when you buy your top , let them know of the existence of this website so that they may consider this information before restocking .
then , one day in 1997 , chieffo ' s wife saw bill hones demonstrating
his
invention on qvc . chieffo ' s response was to call bill hones ' company , fascinations , and inform hones ' sales manager that he was the real inventor of the levitron . since chieffo had never contacted roy harrigan or seen this article , he had no idea that the big levitron scandal was just breaking . in hones ' inimitable style , he never returned chieffo ' s call . but chieffo , emboldened , then went back to one of his manufacturing contacts , and tried to convince them to partner with him to challenge the invalid hones patent . only - as we at ufo have also discovered - most companies are reluctant to risk a lawsuit , and they passed again . then , chieffo happened upon this article .
this , in spite of the continuing discovery of even more damning evidence against the validity of the hones patent . for instance , you can click here to see the second publication of a design for a flat - based levitron , which occurred in may 1993 , or about nine months before hones filed for his flat - based levitron patent . this publication , along with the
magnets in your future
magazine linked above , is alone enough to invalidate the hones patent . both of these articles derived from the same prototype , built by az industries , but based on yet a third
prior art
publication , some plans reportedly sold through popular science magazine in the late 80 ' s . these plans - amazingly - not only feature a levitron with a flat base , but one that is square as well . click here to see the first page of these plans . repeated attempts to locate the alleged author of these plans - a pennsylvania man named joseph chieffo - have been unsuccessful . mr . chieffo , if you ' re out there , we ' d like to hear from you . again , note that all three of these examples predate the application for the hones patent , but postdate harrigan ' s patent by several years .
on may 21st 1999 , a 44 - year old chemical plant inspector - and part - time poet and inventor - who was new to the internet , typed his name into a search engine . he was
floored
to discover that he had achieved a measure of fame via this article . his name was joseph chieffo , and now the full story of his invention , the first commercial levitron , can be told .
and you are not an idiot . . . . everyone makes mistakes . . . the datasheet are not for idiots . . . electronic datasheets are . . . . ' ' chinese ' ' for 99 . 9 of the people . . even some electronic engineers dont know how to read them properly . . . if your levitron works its by far the simplest and most awesome of all . . . ! ! !
over a month had passed since bill agreed to
think about
making roy some sort of settlement offer , and he had done absolutely nothing - except to go on vacation , and continue to take credit publicly for the levitron ' s genesis . click here to read a partial transcript of a recent appearance by bill on qvc , one of the televised shopping networks . while we waited for bill to do something , we added an introduction featuring roy to our video , and began to credit him on this website . also , michael mcbride put his
poster
on the internet , and we put a link to it on our
how does the levitron work ?
page . you can click here to read the poster . it reveals the truth in even clearer terms than martin simon had . to call this whole situation
a controversy
would seem to be a misnomer !
recently we were contacted by someone we previously had no knowledge of - - a just - retired professor of mathematics from the university of rhode island named rod driver . professor driver was among the many scientists trying to understand the workings of the levitron shortly after its commercial appearance . in this regard , he contacted both bill and ed hones in early 1995 - about a year before we ever met either of them . he spent about thirty minutes on the phone with bill , and another twenty with ed , asking them in detail about the levitron and how they had come to invent it . he even faxed bill some basic information about earnshaw ' s theorem after bill seemed unaware of it . as professor driver recounts , during these conversations neither bill nor ed hones gave the slightest indication that they had learned about spinning the magnet from someone else - - and they certainly didn ' t mention roy harrigan .
a variety of technological fields are concerned with the production of high temperature gases or plasmas produced and contained in magnetic containment zones having a wide variety of configurations . for example , the configurations may be toroidal , cylindrical or generally spherical . such configurations are typified , in the controlled fusion or controlled thermonuclear reactor art by so - called stellarator , astron , magnetic mirror , levitron , alice , baseball or tennis ball scam and other types of machines or devices .
yet , in trying to evaluate what - if anything - bill hones might deserve for his
development
of the levitron , another factor really needs to be taken into consideration : about half of the estimated one million levitrons in existence today have been sold in japan , and bill hones receives nothing for these sales . the reason , he told us once , was because he had traded away the japanese rights early on . . . in exchange for
development
!
okay , so what can you do ? originally , we suggested that people not buy levitrons , anywhere , until
this situation is resolved .
but we ' ve since realized that we - personally - don ' t really want to be
against
anything . especially something as magical and uplifting as the levitron . however , we do believe in taking action for the kind of world we prefer to live in , and shedding light on the facts as we find them to be .
the most ironic part of bill ' s lawyer ' s letter is where he maintains that our continued
. . . use of the domain name ( in our website address ) will cause confusion , mistake , and deception , and constitutes trademark infringement , unfair competition , and misappropriation .
( ! ) we leave it up to the gentle reader to determine whether more
deception
will occur with us , or bill hones , controlling the
levitron
domain name on the worldwide web .
so we consulted a newly - discovered
patent server
website , and for the first time , read both the harrigan and hones patents ourselves . and there , in the 1983 harrigan patent , was the amazing levitron . the hones patent seemed to add nothing new , except for some drawings of a hand . it looked to us like all bill had patented was his hand ! you can judge for yourself - click here to see the 1983 harrigan patent , and click here to see the 1995 hones patent .
finally , in the course of this motion , the
art bell mystery
was solved when bill hones revealed that he had evidently misrepresented to art bell and / or his network that the legal issues regarding the inventorship of the levitron , and ufo ' s rights to sell levitrons , had been resolved - which , of course , they have not . and , although we have not communicated with mr . bell or his network about this , our impression of art bell is that he does not like to be lied to .
the actual act of getting the top to float is quite challenging . the strength of any permanent magnet is sensitive to temperature , so the repulsion force between the top and base can change from hour to hour , or from place to place if the levitron is moved . the mass of the top must be adjusted precisely such that the push between the two magnets exactly balances with the pull of gravity— the smallest weight , an o - ring with a mass less than 1 gram , can make the difference of levitating or not .
in the following months bill ' s father , ed hones , used computers at the los alamos national laboratory to study the prototype . then he and bill hones made some minor changes in the design and got a patent in their own names . they entered into an agreement with a manufacturer in china to produce the
levitron ,
and they marketed it as their own invention . bill and ed hones sold as many as half a million of these levitation devices , giving harrigan neither a penny in royalties nor a word of recognition !
in new mexico , mike and karen sherlock had established a business marketing
levitrons .
and they were producing an instructional video , featuring bill hones , to help their customers learn how to work the toy . during the taping in january 1996 , hones looked into the camcorder and declared
i am the inventor of the levitron .
he seemed to have come to believe his own fantasies . it is a shock to watch videotapes of hones ' s performances in 1996 in comparison with the videotapes of his 1993 visit with harrigan .
the top spins stably in the range from about 20 to 26 revolutions per second ( rps ) . it is completely unstable above 30 rps and below 18 rps . after the top is spun and levitated , it slows down because of air resistance . after a few minutes it reaches the lower stability limit ( 1 8 rps ) and falls . the spin lifetime of the levitron can be extended by placing it in a vacuum . in some vacuum experiments , the top falls after about 30 minutes . why it does so is not clear ; perhaps the temperature changes , pushing the equilibium out of the stable range ; perhaps there is some tiny residual long - term instability because the top is not spinning fast enough ; or perhaps vibrations of the vacuum equipment jog the field and gradually drive the precession axis away from the field direction . levitation can be greatly prolonged by blowing air against an appropriately serrated collar placed around the top ' s periphery so as to maintain the spin frequency in the stable range . recently , a levitron top was kept rotating for several days in this way .
in the following months , bill ' s father , ed hones , used computers at the los alamos national laboratory to study the prototype . then , he and bill hones made some minor changes in the design and got a patent in their own names . they entered into an agreement with a manufacturer in china to produce the
levitron ,
and they marketed it as their own invention . bill and ed hones sold as many as half a million of these levitation devices , giving harrigan neither a penny in royalties nor a word of recognition !
we have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting the levitron and bill hones as its inventor . it has now become painfully clear to us that bill hones has been deceiving us from the beginning , and allowed us to unknowingly perpetrate a fraud . therefore , we have decided that we cannot in good conscience continue to promote and sell levitrons for bill hones . consequently , we have suspended most of our business and posted this explanation . we will , of course , continue to honor all of our ufo guarantees , and provide any needed flight support as usual .
bill and ed hones responded with a lawsuit charging the sherlocks with defamation and trademark infringement , and seeking to shut down the web site . in april 1999 , seeing how absurd their case was , bill and ed hones withdrew the defamation complaint , leaving only the trademark - infringement charge . despite abundant evidence that the term
levitron
was being broadly used generically , a federal judge ruled in july that the sherlocks had to turn over their
urltoken
web site address to hones . ( the sherlocks will soon re - post their story at another web address . )
hones had desperately tried to get access to these tapes prior to his sworn deposition , but ultimately had to resort to a subpoena of harrigan ' s attorney , and a subsequent review by the court , before hones could get his hands on them . harrigan protested the release of these tapes , based on his realization that hones and co . have attempted to
spin
every piece of documentation connected to this affair . but our recent viewing of this material verifies for us that mr . harrigan ' s fears were unfounded . there , in several hours of meetings commemorated on the tapes , harrigan clearly reveals to hones all the
secrets of the levitron ,
as well as many more specific ideas not contained in the harrigan patent , but expressly manifest in the hones device , as well as in a number of hones ' other levitron products . if there was ever any lingering doubt of bill hones ' true debt to roy , or of bill ' s disregard for the intellectual property rights of others , this videotape ends the debate . you can click here to read excerpts from the transcript of the original harrigan / hones meetings , and see for yourself what happened .
which states that no configuration of non - moving permanent magnets can be in equilibrium . typically if one tries to float a magnet above another , the loose magnet will quickly flip over and the opposite poles will come together with a snap . the key to achieving equilibrium ( magnetic force v . gravity ) with the levitron is that the top is not stationary , it is spinning . just as the conservation of angular momentum fixes the direction of a spinning gyroscope’s axis of rotation , the spinning top is similarly stabilized— but that’s not the complete story as other subtle physics principles play a role .
the question of what , if anything , roy or bill each deserves in any
final
settlement is , thankfully , not ours to decide . feelings run the gamut , from bill hones - who thinks roy deserves
something
but not enough to give him anything - to roy harrigan - who , understandably , also thinks bill deserves zip . michael berry , even though he credits roy as
the inventor
of spin - stabilized magnetic levitation , also thinks that bill should get credit for being
the developer , who has enabled the public to appreciate and enjoy the levitron .
in addition , courts have upheld the rights of trademark owners with regard to commercial use of domain names , even in cases where goods sold there legitimately bear the mark . in the landmark decision creative gifts , inc . v . ufo , 235 f . 3d 540 ( 10th cir . 2000 ) ( new mexico ) , defendants had registered the domain name
urltoken
to sell goods bearing the trademark
levitron
under an at - will license from the trademark owner . the 10th circuit affirmed the rights of the trademark owner with regard to said domain name , despite arguments of promissory estoppel .
shortly after bill hones filed the above - linked affidavits as evidence for his claims , he sent us ( as part of his
disclosure
requirements ) an additional expert report which defines more clearly his new position regarding the differences between
his
invention - the levitron - and roy harrigan ' s invention - which on the surface appears identical . click here to read that new expert report . not surprisingly , roy harrigan maintains that hones and co . are blatantly misrepresenting his patent ' s claims in order to
spin
recent damning revelations . could that be ? stay tuned for the next update !
this could be a possible clue as to why mr . chieffo - apparently - abruptly abandoned his plans to market his own levitron . in another section of chieffo ' s only letter to mr . johnson , joseph chieffo writes - rather ironically in view of what came after -
seldom do i encounter someone who shares my appreciation for the simple beauty of the levitation phenomenon . although , i must confess , with a measure of sadness , that my business ambitions with respect to the levitator have somewhat dimmed what was once an almost childlike fascination for ' defying ' gravity . ambition seems to corrupt one ' s vision .
therefore , in order to
keep our shop open
we ' re announcing that we will continue to sell both our instructional video , and the reprint of the michael berry science paper . these two items are the only two products that we ' ve been selling all along that bill hones doesn ' t sell . the video -
starring
bill - features an added introduction by roy , as well as a clip of roy ' s working levitron prototype . the videos are $ 10 delivered , and the berry science papers are $ 5 . and , we ' ll give a percentage of every sale to roy harrigan .
after his failed attempts to contact the magneflight company , mr . johnson constructed and sold
about fifty
of what his wife barbara dubbed the
mag - neet - o
. click here to see one of jerry johnson ' s advertisements for the first commercial , low - cost , square , flat - base - magnetized - normal - to - its - surface levitron . by our count , this is now invalidating prior art # 5 against the hapless hones patent . and , it appears from the chieffo letter that - although chieffo does claim a
discovery
- he also seems to acknowledge that harrigan got there first .
for years , bill hones has claimed that his innovation was the idea of spinning one magnet over another . then , after the scientists discovered otherwise , hones abruptly revised his story , claiming that his invention was a flat base - magnet . ( when queried , saul leitner responded repeatedly :
is the levitron a dish - shaped magnet ?
) now , in light of irrefutable evidence that roy told bill a flat base - magnet would work ( see link above ) , hones has again revised his story , claiming that his real brainstorm ( or his father ' s ) was the idea to magnetize the flat base - magnet in a certain way .
regarding fig . 1 , the basic configuration of the levitron device is illustrated . it ( the levitron ) consists of a top ( s ) , a magnet ( m l ) attached to the top , and a base which is / contains the magnet ( m b ) . the top can be made to spin , while levitated above the base . the spin of the top is necessary to maintain the levitated equilibrium . if the top were not spinning , the force of magnetic torque ( from m b ) on m l would force the top to turn over , thus destroying equilibrium and stability . these principles are explained in [ 12 ] . generally the spin of the top causes the torque to “precess” around the direction of the vertical heave - force h resulting from the natural repulsion of m l and m b . this “precession” , about the force h , prevents the top from overturning and preserves equilibrium and stability . equilibrium and stability are lost when the top ' s rpm falls below a stability value . the top then tends to fall ( out of equilibrium , to the left or the right ) to the floor . this fall is an example of uncontrolled geodesic - fall , as the path of fall is determined by the relative configuration of m l and m b at the time of instability .


detroit auto vehicle company was a short-lived early automobile manufacturer established in the summer of 1904 with a capital stock of us$ 150,000 .

based in detroit in the old detroit novelty machine company building , it also had a foundry in romeo , michigan .

it ceased operation in october 1907 following bankruptcy .

detroit auto vehicle company

detroit - following a more than 70 - year hiatus , a former electric vehicle company is planning to return to detroit .
1905 detroit small car , 54 inch body detroit mfg co . , detroit , mi 1904 - 1908
a vehicle is crushed at u . s . auto supply in detroit on august 3 , 2009 . ( reuters / rebecca cook )
ev ( electric vehicle ) history from urltoken - this site contains a comprehensive history of the electric vehicle along with company information and related web links .
- fiat chrysler has opted to reveal a new vehicle at the consumer electronics show in las vegas , just before the north american international auto show in detroit .
volkswagen has released some teaser shots of an i . d . family model , multi - purpose vehicle to be unveiled at the north american international auto show in detroit .
the company will be headquartered on the 18th floor of the iconic fisher building in detroit .
columbus auto glass is fully licensed and insured to provide auto glass services in detroit and was founded in 2005 . the company offers to beat any of its competitor’s prices and accepts all insurance claims . the company offers same day service as well as free mobile services in and around detroit .
more than 80 - year - old fenkell automotive services is a full - service company that has built a strong reputation as auto manufacturers’ preferred choice for intransit vehicle repair .
founded in 1907 by a group of five detroit - area auto dealers after they hosted the very first detroit auto show in the same year , today , the dada membership includes 187 new - vehicle dealers who own 225 dealerships - selling 39 different vehicle lines in 72 cities throughout the greater detroit area . the dealers are affiliated with the dada through one or more of 13 vehicle line groups , or through individual membership . currently , dada members collectively employ nearly 20 , 000 people .
- kia has announced that it ' s not just debuting a new car at the detroit auto show , but the automaker ' s
fastest - accelerating
vehicle to date .
vehicle glass replacement centers has been providing glass services in detroit since 1977 . the company is approved by all insurance companies and can directly bill insurance companies . the company’s technicians are factory trained and certified . vehicle glass replacement centers uses the same materials and adhesives specified by vehicle manufacturers . the company provides a lifetime warranty on all work performed and offers free mobile services . military personnel and members of the american automobile association receive discounts on services .
the mission of the detroit auto dealers association ( dada ) is to support its membership through legislative and industry representation , educational programs and communications , and community relations activities . founded in 1907 by a group of five detroit - area auto dealers after they hosted the very first detroit auto show in the same year , today , the dada membership includes 187 new - vehicle dealers who own 225 dealerships - selling 39 different vehicle lines in 72 cities throughout the greater detroit area . the dealers are affiliated with the dada through one or more of 13 vehicle line groups , or through individual membership . currently , dada members collectively employ nearly 20 , 000 people .
all star auto glass provides glass repairs and installations for vehicles in warren . the company’s services include crack filling , chip repairs , custom auto glass restoration , and commercial auto glass . all star auto glass is committed to quality repairs and strives to use the best products on the market . the company offers free mobile services and assists its customers with their insurance claims .
through the years , fenkell developed a strong reputation for auto expertise and repairs . in the mid - 70s , it began to work with auto dealers’ glass projects throughout the detroit metropolitan area . soon , auto manufacturers began inviting the company to repair glass , tires , and batteries in their cars and trucks .
1905 corbin side entrrance tonneau corbin motor vehicle co . new britain , ct 1903 - 1912
get proven strategies for maximizing return on investment for vehicle portfolios , solutions and . . .
- detroit ' s annual winter blast festival at campus martius park will coincide with the last weekend of this year auto show .
1898 ford establishes the detroit automobile co . , producing all of two cars before the company fails three years later .
take advantage of all metlife auto & home has to offer with multi - policy discounts for auto , home , life , and more .
detroit — there are shiny new sport utility vehicles , brawny pickups and sleek sedans . but the unlikely star of the annual detroit auto show is an odd - looking minivan capable of driving itself .
troy auto glass has more than half a century of experience providing windshield and auto glass replacement services . other services provided by the company include aquapel glass treatment , trico wiper blades , and side view mirror replacement . the company uses only original equipment manufacturer glass . troy auto glass is approved by all insurance companies and offers a full lifetime warranty on any work performed . all the company’s technicians are national glass association , auto glass safety council , and dow certified .
the digital era is transforming the way automakers introduce vehicles , forcing detroit and other big auto shows to figure out how to stay relevant .
a redesigned 2018 ford expedition is almost ready for prime time and could be the company’s detroit auto show focus . expect to see the 2018 fiesta in detroit , too , and perhaps a refreshed 2018 ford mustang . other surprises could include whatever comes next for the full - size taurus sedan , or a concept vehicle pointing the way to the next - generation explorer suv .
simbol auto glass is a family - owned and operated company in hazel park that provides windshield repairs and replacement services . the company also installs car alarms , window tint , auto accessories , and remote car starters . simbol auto glass will waive the deductible with most insurance companies , and it offers free mobile service as well as a lifetime warranty on all work performed . the company strives to use only the highest quality windshield auto glass and the best adhesive glue to ensure effective service .
we like the fact that families can come down to the auto show , come down to the winter blast , and really spend time in detroit ,
said sam slaughter , chairman of the 2017 auto show .
june 6 , 1925 walter chrysler starts the chrysler corp . in detroit . it is now headquartered in auburn hills , a detroit suburb .
as new - vehicle sales slow , and many finance and insurance managers likely sell to a larger pool of used - vehicle buyers , wise dealers will look to f & i ; products for a profit boost .
one of the chief goals of the association is to promote the integral role that the motor vehicle plays in the economy of our nation and the world . many of the members of the detroit auto dealers association participate in the naias , llc , which is responsible for the production of the north american international auto show ( naias ) .
the oldest model in the infiniti vehicle lineup is the qx50 , which originally debuted as the ex35 for the 2008 model year . given that the qx50 slots into one of the most popular vehicle segments in the luxury class , it desperately needs replacement . that successor is expected to arrive in detroit , looking quite similar to the qx sport inspiration concept vehicle that infiniti has already shown to the public .
wang , a chemist by training , had built byd into the largest manufacturer of cell phone batteries in the world before turning his attention to auto markets . combining its rechargable battery and solar technology with its budding business in gasoline - powered cars , byd brought the first fully plug - in electric vehicle to the detroit auto show in 2008 .
the new sports car will be unveilied early next month in detroit , ahead of a global public reveal at the shanghai motor show on april 20 , officials said . the company released a teaser photo of the vehicle ( embedded above ) on tuesday .
troy , mich . , feb . 5 , 2018 / prnewswire / - - the detroit auto dealers association ( dada ) education foundation reminds . . .
audi will kick off 2017 with its brand - new q8 concept combining the style of a coupe and comfort of an suv at the detroit auto show .
eureka auto glass has been providing glass services in detroit since 2001 . services include mirror repair and replacement , chip repairs , and windshield repairs and replacements . the company provides mobile services in and around detroit , and uses only the best materials and the latest application techniques to ensure customers ' protection . eureka auto glass accepts cash and all major credit and debit cards for payment .
press previews for the 2017 north american international auto show are scheduled jan . 8 , 9 and 10 , with more than 40 vehicle unveilings and news conferences planned . some 5 , 000 journalists from 60 different countries are expected to visit the cobo center for the auto show .
metlife auto & home is a brand of metropolitan property and casualty insurance company and its affiliates : economy preferred insurance company , metropolitan casualty insurance company , metropolitan direct property and casualty insurance company ( ca certificate of authority : 6730 ; warwick , ri ) , metropolitan general insurance company , metropolitan group property and casualty insurance company ( ca coa : 6393 ; warwick , ri ) , and metropolitan lloyds insurance company of texas , all with administrative home offices in warwick , ri . coverage , rates , and discounts are available in most states to those who qualify .
google’s parent company , alphabet , spun off its driverless car project last month . the new business , called waymo , is considered a sign that the company is ready to commercialize a decade of research and development of a vehicle operated solely by computer .
kosin’s glass provides glass services for residential , commercial , and automotive needs in novi and has more than 10 years of experience . the company’s auto glass services include windshield replacement and repair , rear window replacement , side and rear view mirror repair , and vehicle door window glass replacement . the company offers up to $ 100 off of customers ' deductibles and a state - of - the - art mobile auto glass service .
honda will show off its fifth - generation 2018 honda odyssey minivan for the first time noon jan . 9 at the north american international auto show in detroit .
waymo , google ' s self - driving car project , and chrysler will bring along its autonomous pacifica minivan to the north american international auto show in detroit . the pacifica is set to debut during waymo ' s head john krafcik ' s jan . 8 keynote during the inaugural automobili - d portion of the detroit auto show .
the result on display at the north american international auto show in detroit was a minivan adorned with swooping plastic scoops that contained sophisticated sensors and radars installed by waymo .
the introduction of the ls 400 in 1989 in detroit made automotive history as a world - class car for the united states ,
a release from the company reads .
not only did the vehicle make its mark by offering the drive performance , quietness , and luxury that consumers expected from a premium vehicle , but its unveiling also heralded the birth of the lexus brand .
9 auto / home multi - policy discount : a discount will apply to the total policy premium for those insured with both home and private passenger automobile insurance with metlife auto & home . the percentage amount of the discount may vary by state . the auto / home multi - policy discount is not available to auto policies where the insured ' s homeowners insurance is a renter ' s policy , and is not available on the homeowners policy , if the auto policy is written by metropolitan general insurance company or at a nonstandard rate level . receive 5 % off your auto policy premium when you already purchased qualifying life insurance or annuity products written by metropolitan life insurance company or an affiliated company domiciled in the united states . not available in all states .
1905 ford model c ford . motor co . detroit , mi 1903 - date
july 1992 moody ' s cuts detroit ' s debt rating to junk status .
al’s auto glass provides glass services for residential , commercial , and automotive needs in riverview . the company accepts most insurance programs and is a preferred provider for many insurance companies . al’s auto glass processes claims for customers and provides a lifetime leak - proof guarantee . the company also offers pick - up and delivery as well as mobile service and no cost chip repairs for its customers with insurance coverage . al’s auto glass is a member of the detroit glass dealers association and the national glass association .
our goal is to connect people with the best local experts . we scored auto glass companies on more than 25 variables across five categories , and analysed the results to give you a hand - picked list of the best auto glass companies in detroit , mi .
volkswagen plans to present a new model of its second - generation tiguan compact suv at next month ' s north american international auto show in detroit , according to motor authority .
the chinese guangzhou automobile group is holding a press conference in detroit and will showcase its products on the hall floor during the public auto show days . visit gac motor’s website (
autocanada , the country ' s largest publicly traded auto dealership group , named michael rawluk president and parted ways with mark warsaba . steve landry remains ceo of the company .
kia reports that it ' s not just debuting any new car at the detroit auto show 6 p . m . jan . 8 , but the automaker ' s
fastest - accelerating
vehicle to date . the company has not released many details behind the specifics of the car , but has launched a website called urltoken highlight some of its measuables through a series of videos .
national auto glass and mirrors has over 25 repair shops in and around michigan , including warren . the company offers same day service on most vehicles and is an authorized repair facility for all major insurance companies . the company will bill the insurance company directly at no cost to the customer . national auto glass and mirrors ' technicians are national glass association and smartech™ certified and install all glass to factory specifications . the company also uses fast - cure adhesives to get vehicles back on the road quickly .
1974 detroit elects coleman young as its first black mayor . he serves until 1993 .
while the north american international auto show in detroit is still a few weeks - - and a new year - - away , some announcements and event plans have started rolling in .
here is rundown of all the vehicles that are expected to debut at the north american international auto show in detroit . this slideshow will continue to update as more announcements are made .
car enthusiasts and the automotive industry ring in each new year with the annual north american international auto show ( naias ) , held in detroit . this year , the 2017 detroit auto show adopts a technological theme , called automobili - d ( since the los angeles auto show is already using “automobility la” ) . a day of new product debuts is planned in advance of the show’s opening to the public on january 14 . this is what you might expect to see .
in the year 1932 , fenkell automotive services was founded on fenkell road in detroit , michigan , to replace and restore storefront flat glass in buildings . as the city experienced great excitement in becoming the auto capital of the world , fenkell transitioned to replacing flat glass for the auto industry .
a woman walks next to the abandoned packard motor car company building , which ceased production in the 1950s , in detroit on december 18 , 2008 . reuters / rebecca cook
in 1919 henry ford would turn the company over to his son edsel who oversaw the continued production of the model t . sales of the vehicle were still strong but competitors such as general motors and chrysler would be offering customers newer design vehicles that offered more features therefore causing ford to slowly lose part of its stake in auto manufacturing sales . in order to diversify ford’s vehicle lineup throughout the company , ford purchased the bankrupted lincoln motor company . the lincoln vehicles were to be ford’s line of luxury vehicles . the lincoln vehicles would utilize ford components yet the bodies of the vehicles would be design by custom coach builders .
steam / built the first self propelled road vehicle ( military tractor ) for the french army : three wheeled , 2 . 5 mph .
workers are at cobo around the clock to get displays ready for the north american international auto show .
june 4 , 1896 henry ford test drives his first automobile on the streets of detroit .
shift change at the ford factory in detroit , circa 1910 . ( library of congress )
with the s90 sedan , v90 wagon , and xc90 suv lines fleshed out , volvo may turn its attention to the s60 , v60 , and xc60 models during the 2017 detroit auto show . all three are ripe for replacement , and the company has already announced that they will ride on the same scalable platform and architecture used for the company range of flagship models .
fenkell automotive services is an auto glass only shop in warren . the shop’s certified professional technicians offer complete auto glass repair and replacement services including auto glass tinting and chip or crack repair . the shop’s management dedicated the necessary resources to meet iso quality standards and ensures timely services by monitoring the effectiveness of its processes .
nov . 3 , 1901 ford opens his second car company , henry ford co . ford leaves the company in august 1902 , and it becomes the cadillac motor co . detroit is america ' s 13th biggest city , with a population of about 286 , 000 .
on this day in 1899 , in detroit , michigan , henry ford resigns his position as chief engineer at the edison illuminating company’s main plant in order to concentrate on automobile production .
ford designed the 26 - horsepower sweepstakes and defeated alexander winton ' s 70 - horsepower bullet in 10 laps around the one - mile oval of the detroit driving club . the victory lead to henry ford ' s second short - lived attempt at auto manufacture , the henry ford company .
toyota has already confirmed that it will introduce the completely redesigned 2018 camry at the detroit auto show . the most popular midsize sedan in america , the new camry sits on the automaker’s latest global architecture , and the company says it will be both appealing to behold and fun to drive .
courageous persuaders provides a platform for bright young minds to take a stand against everyday pressures and convey thought - provoking messages to their peers ,
said doug north , detroit auto dealer . . .
logan glass in dearborn has been providing auto glass replacement since 1949 . other services provided by the company include mirror installation and beveling , curved glass for china cabinets , euro door installation , and sliding glass doors . logan glass is a member of the dearborn chamber of commerce , bni dearborn , detroit glass dealers association , national glass dealers association , and the west dearborn business association . the company’s auto glass technicians install every windshield using state - of - the - art techniques and materials .
press preview days of the 2017 detroit auto show are monday , jan . 9 and tuesday , jan . 10 . industry days are jan . 11 - 12 , and the show will be open to the public jan . 14 - 22 . the show takes place at the cobo center in downtown detroit .
lam will serve as the company ' s chairman and ceo , according to the release .
© 2018 metropolitan life insurance company , new york , ny 10166 - all rights reserved .
the van , designed by google , grabbed the spotlight on sunday , the first day of press previews at the show . the vehicle’s introduction highlighted the industry’s fascination with autonomous driving vehicles , as well as the rising sway of the technology industry in the auto business .
toyota will debut its 2018 camry in january at the north american international auto show in detroit . judging by the teaser photo , it looks like toyota has changed up the design of the taillights and other aesthetics .
an autonomous self - driving concept vehicle called portal is displayed at the chrysler booth at ces 2017 at the las vegas convention center . david becker / getty
determined to improve upon his prototype , ford sold the quadricycle in order to continue building other vehicles . he received backing from various investors over the next seven years , some of whom formed the detroit automobile company ( later the henry ford company ) in 1899 . his partners , eager to put a passenger car on the market , grew frustrated with ford’s constant need to improve , and ford left his namesake company in 1902 . ( after his departure , it was reorganized as the cadillac motor car company . ) the following year , ford established the ford motor company .
marx collision is a full auto collision and mechanical repair company in livonia . the company’s services include brakes and oil changes , brake repairs , engine repairs , and windshield and glass repairs and replacements . the company works with insurance companies to help customers get the highest quality glass windshield replacements and repairs . marx collision ' s technicians are capable of working with all types of vehicles , foreign and domestic .
the company has already been testing its autonomous vehicles on roads in michigan , arizona and california .
when we went to the auto show in 2008 all of the chinese vendors were placed in the basement ,
said austin of byd america .
it shows you the respect that the auto industry had for the chinese brands .
the wall street journal reports , citing an unnamed source , that the traverse will debut as a seven - seat crossover vehicle while the terrain sports a smaller design .
ford motor is also pressing ahead with efforts to introduce a new fully autonomous vehicle by 2021 , and other carmakers are on similar paths , although some of their efforts are focused only on adding driver - assist features that control some of a vehicle’s functions , rather than developing cars that do not require a human driver to operate .
the change helped the company return its focus to its core operations - - building cars - - and it realigned the company ' s values to emphasize its employees and the quality of its products .
motor city auto glass is a family - owned business in detroit dedicated to providing high - quality glass repair at low prices . the company’s services include windshield replacement , power window repair , and repairs and replacement of tempered door glasses , back glasses , vents , and quarters . motor city auto glass buys glass from five different suppliers and assures customers of the best price , and it helps customers on a budget by offering a large inventory of used parts .
in 1943 edsel ford would lose his battle with stomach cancer receiving leaving the now elderly henry ford to run the company . this proved to be a liability for the company so much that henry ford’s family had to work in order to let henry ford relieve his position with ford motor company thereby passing it to his grandson henry ford ii . in the years that followed henry ford ii was placed with turning around the company that was losing as much as $ 9 million a month . in 1946 the ford motor company hired its first executive vice president ernest breech who had been the head of the aviation company bendix . it was in 1948 the ford would introduce its first postwar vehicle for sale which was to be produced in it american and australia facilities . the sales of ford vehicles would rise at a rate that would place ford motor company in second place over the chrysler group .
june 16 , 1903 ford starts the ford motor co . in detroit ; among the 12 initial investors are brothers john and horace dodge , who start manufacturing their own dodge cars in 1915 . ford soon moves his operations to the suburb of dearborn . ( the company hasn ' t built a car in detroit since 1910 . )
1958 the 3 , 500 , 000 - square - foot packard motor car co . factory in detroit , opened in 1903 , is shuttered . it still stands today , a symbol of detroit ' s long , slow decline .
in another sign of the industry’s rapidly changing landscape , the carmaker instead chose last week’s consumer electronics show in las vegas to introduce an electric concept vehicle targeted at young buyers .
1905 maxwell delivery truck maxwell - briscoe automobile co . , tarrytown , ny and detroit , mi . 1904 - 1924
we are proud to become the fourth car manufacturer born out of detroit , and the first to manufacture a pure electric sports car from michigan ,
said don graunstadt , detroit electric ceo north america operations , in a statement .
bruno , leonard . transportation . in science and technology firsts . detroit , gale , c1997 : 499 - 534 .
the company quickly expanded its scope of operations to include 70 percent of the total content of motorola razr phones .
local activists protest outside byd headquarters after the company was accused of paying workers $ 1 . 50 per hour .
henderson glass was founded in 1915 and provides glass services for residential , commercial , and automotive needs in rochester hills . the company’s automotive services include windshield repair and replacement . the company offers stone chip repair at $ 30 when done in the shop . the company also offers up to $ 50 off for windshield replacement with the payment of an insurance deductible , excluding state farm . henderson glass provides auto glass services for antique automobile replacement hand - cut to the customer’s specification .
the full name of ford ' s financial services arm is ford motor credit company llc , and today the company offers loans and leases to car buyers , in addition to loans and lines of credit for ford and other dealerships .
reacting to early criticism about job creation at byd , former los angeles deputy mayor austin beutner , who headed up mayor villaraigosa ' s outreach to the company , put the company ' s performance in a long - term perspective .
one company that is hedging its bets is fiat chrysler , which is smaller and less profitable than its rivals g . m . and ford . rather than spend billions on autonomous driving projects , it opened its doors to waymo to convert a hybrid - electric chrysler pacifica minivan into a self - driving vehicle .
dec . 21 , 2011 michigan treasurer andy dillon says that the state will conduct a formal review of detroit ' s finances .
the mass production techniques henry ford championed eventually allowed ford motor company to turn out one model t every 24 seconds .
burness , tad . ultimate auto album : an illustrated history of the automobile . iola , wi , krause publications , c2001 . 503 p .
nissan said it had improperly measured exhaust emissions and fuel economy for 19 vehicle models sold in japan , the second case in less than a year where misconduct has been discovered in its inspection processes .
may 13 , 2013 orr , in his first public report on detroit ' s finances , calls the city
clearly insolvent .
the debut and release of additional information is set for 8 a . m . jan . 9 at the north american international auto show at the cobo center in downtown detroit . the automaker is touting that the q8 could unlock
a new segment for the full - size category .
but mr . krafcik , waymo’s chief executive , said the vehicle was “capable of getting you door to door without a person at the wheel” and represented major improvements in the costs associated with self - driving systems .
sept . 16 , 1908 william durant and charles stewart mott found general motors in flint , mich . , as a holding company for buick . ( today , gm is now the only one of the major u . s . automakers headquartered in detroit proper . )
fields is committed to building momentum around the one ford plan through product excellence and instilling a spirit of innovation throughout the company .
on the same day , henry ford put a plan in place to buy out his investors and make himself , clara ford , and edsel the sole owners of the business . edsel’s interest in aesthetic automotive design brought a new dimension to ford motor company , pushing the company to begin producing cars that were beautiful as well as practical . edsel was also an extremely important art benefactor in detroit , and one of the best - known paintings he commissioned was diego rivera’s detroit industry mural . his aesthetic legacy lives on in the original lincoln continental .
in the f & i ; office , where mistakes can cost dealerships far more than a sale , hiring the right people matters , auto retail experts say .
trendy autonomous vehicles designs were incredibly popular at ces , from the sensor - laden ff91 concept car by tesla - competitor faraday future , and chrysler’s portal concept , a ride designed “by millennials , for millennials” that includes a selfie cam and facial recognition tech to automatically update entertainment preferences inside the vehicle . honda’s snug neuv concept car crammed three trends—driverless technology , ride - sharing , and electric vehicles—onto its tiny frame . according to company spokespeople , in the future , the vehicle will operate as part of a ride - sharing service while the owner is at home or at work .
1999 stroh ' s brewery company is sold to pabst and miller , with its brands either divided between the two breweries or discontinued .
chevrolet ' s makeover of its suv lineup will wrap up with the debut of it 2018 traverse at the north american international auto show in detroit . the automaker teased the new crossover traverse in a dark image and news release touting its redesigned line of suvs . the 2018 chevy traverse will unveil jan . 9 .
1950 detroit ' s population hits 1 . 85 million , making it america ' s fourth - largest city , with 296 , 000 manufacturing jobs .
gasoline / first successful gas powered car : 4hp , two - stroke motor . the duryea brothers set up first american car manufacturing company .
in 1954 ford would introduce the iconic thunderbird which would draw in much attention to the company . in 1956 ford would offer up common stocks , 10 . 2 million shares are sold the first day . this amount of stocks being sold would represent a 22 % stake in the company . in 1960 ford would introduce the falcon and in 1964 the mustang was introduced with resounding success leading the ford motor company to establish its european division . ford was on track as sales were solid and the company was reaching out to international territory then came the 1970’s .
henry ford ' s first vehicle rode on four bicycle wheels and was powered by a four - horsepower engine . instead of a steering wheel , the quadricycle had a tiller . the gearbox had only two forward gears with no reverse .
edsel was the only child of henry and clara ford . after his death , henry ford returned to his former position as president of ford motor company . today , edsel ' s legacy lives on in his contributions to the design of lincoln cars and his generous backing of art in detroit .
lexus will show its new , fifth - generation ls sedan to the world for the first time at the north american international auto show in detroit . the automaker ' s
flagship
sedan will show off its new
coupe - like silhouette
look , roomy cabin and inventive technology at the cobo center in january .
while working as an engineer for the edison illuminating company in detroit , henry ford ( 1863 - 1947 ) built his first gasoline - powered horseless carriage , the quadricycle , in the shed behind his home . in 1903 , he established the ford motor company , and five years later the company rolled out the first model t . in order to meet overwhelming demand for the revolutionary vehicle , ford introduced revolutionary new mass - production methods , including large production plants , the use of standardized , interchangeable parts and , in 1913 , the world’s first moving assembly line for cars . enormously influential in the industrial world , ford was also outspoken in the political realm . ford drew controversy for his pacifist stance during the early years of world war i and earned widespread criticism for his anti - semitic views and writings .
bmw is increasing capacity at two auto manufacturing plants in china in a move that comes just days after u . s . president donald trump imposed new tariffs on the nation .
at last year ' s auto show , mercedes revealed its f015 luxury in motion autonomous car , the gle coupe amg sport coupe and announced an expansion in its hybrid line .
- john krafcik , ceo of google ' s self - driving car company waymo , will speak jan . 8 at the inaugural automobili - d conference . google ' s self - driving car project , now in its seventh year , grew into a new company called waymo in december .
in 1932 ford would introduce their first v - 8 engine used in their model y in hopes to regain fledgling sales but in 1933 ford would drop to the third - largest auto manufacturer behind chrysler . the the company was now in third they still managed to build their 25 - millionth vehicle by 1937 . in 1941 ford motor company would start production of military hardware in order to help out the war effort . it was also in this time that ford had facilities in germany and would lead to scrutiny as henry ford was noted to be in close collaboration with the german government . the collaboration with the german government would fall through during the outbreak of the second world war as the ford motor company plants would work to produce b - 24 bombers and jeeps . ford would also build aeronautical engines for british fighters and bombers in its manchester england facility .
after years of struggle between management and labor at detroit ' s major automakers , ford signed a contract guaranteeing better pay , benefits and working conditions for employees .
1827 detroit adopts its forward - looking city motto : speramus meliora ; resurget cineribus ( we hope for better days ; it shall rise from the ashes ) .
additional videos and photos of the new kia motors vehicle are expected to be released soon , according to the website . the car ' s debut is also set for jan . 8 , the night before the show ' s official press previews begin .
march 25 , 2013 kevyn orr , a restructuring specialist appointed by snyder as detroit emergency manager , takes office , at an annual salary of $ 275 , 000 .
general motors will introduce a redesigned , crossover gmc terrain 6 p . m . jan . 8 reveal at museum of contemporary art in detroit at 4454 woodward ave .
- lexus will show its new , fifth - generation ls sedan to the world for the first time at the north american international auto show in detroit . the japanese luxury automaker says its
flagship
sedan will show off its new
coupe - like silhouette
look , roomy cabin and inventive technology at the cobo center during the january show .
steven mitchell ' s passions as a lifelong cyclist and third - generation auto retailer came together when his dealership group gave up a slice of its employee parking lot for a bike trail .
get 24 / 7 access to in - depth , authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that ' s vital to your business .
ford’s first international plant was built in walkerville ( now windsor ) , ontario , right across the detroit river from ford’s existing facilities . the company was a separate organization with its own set of shareholders . it was created to sell vehicles not just in canada , but also all across the then - current british empire .
with 12 investors and 1 , 000 shares , the company had spent almost all of its $ 28 , 000 cash investment by the time it sold the first ford model a on july 23 , 1903 . but by october 1 , 1903 ford motor company had turned a profit of $ 37 , 000 .
former california gov . arnold schwarzenegger , shown here addressing byd founder wang chuanfu at a press conference , has been vocal in his endorsement of the company .
audi is planning a press conference in detroit , but what the company plans to show remains a mystery as of mid - december 2016 . both the audi a6 and the audi a8 are due for a complete redesign , and the company is expected to introduce new sq5 and sq7 performance versions of its popular suvs to the u . s . market . audi is hard at work on autonomous vehicles , too , and could announce a new technology related to self - driving cars .
ford would introduce their next model known as the model t that started out being manufactured in a rented facility with parts that were made to order . in the first year of manufacturing of the model t , 18 , 000 vehicles were delivered . with rising sales numbers the ford motor company was in need to streamline its production process therefore creating the first assembly line for manufacturing . the model t would become one of the most iconic vehicles and be produced each year by the ford motor company until 1927 . over those years ford had produced nearly 15 . 5 million model t vehicles making the company one of the most successful auto manufacturers in the world .
mr . windshield provides auto glass replacement and repair services in sterling heights . the company waives most insurance deductibles and offers one - hour same day service as well as mobile services . mr . windshield accepts cash , checks , debit , and credit cards , and it offers a buy one get one free promo on wiper blades with all glass installations .
june 14 , 2013 orr says detroit will stop making payments on some of its $ 18 . 5 billion in debt , putting it in technical default . orr also lays out a plan to restructure detroit ' s finances to avoid bankruptcy , including cuts to the pensions and health benefits of retired city workers and a steep haircut on municipal bonds .
the beginning of the 1970s proved to be profitable times for ford . there were mishaps such as safety and quality concerns over the ford pinto they would reflect negatively on the company . it was a in the year 1973 when ford reached its highest production numbers throughout its company history as it produced 2 . 3 5 million vehicles and started its asia division . through several economic perils as well as the oil crisis caused many issues with american auto manufacturers and would cause them to downsize their vehicles for the sake of efficiency . it was in 1979 that ford acquired a 75 % stake in the mazda company . mazda at the time had the ability to produce more efficient vehicles .
several years later , in 2003 , the company took what appeared to be a u - turn when it bought a failing chinese state - owned auto manufacturer . but that purchase gave wang a shortcut into an industry he hoped to transform : electric and hybrid cars . wang , who still plays an active role in byd labs , planned to use the company ' s technical expertise in battery technology to build energy storage systems that could power a car or a home . though the company spent many years cranking out solely cheap gasoline - powered vehicles , by 2008 it was ready to display its first all - electric models , and the timing couldn ' t have been better .
july 18 , 2013 orr files a chapter 9 bankruptcy petition on behalf of detroit , marking the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in history and sending the motor city into unknown territory .
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in the summer of 1898 , ford was awarded his first patent , in the name of his investor and detroit’s mayor , william c . maybury , for a carburetor he built the previous year . by the middle of the following summer ford had produced his third car . a much more advanced model than his two previous efforts , it had a water tank and brakes , among other new features . maybury’s support , combined with ford’s bold ideas and charisma , helped assemble a group of investors who contributed some $ 150 , 000 to establish the detroit automobile company in early august 1899 . ten days later , ford left edison , where he had worked for the previous eight years . he turned down a considerable salary offer of $ 1 , 900 per year and the title of general superintendent to become mechanical superintendent of the new auto company , with a salary of $ 150 per month .
the modular assembly line made use of automated ancillary assembly lines to produce vehicle sub - assemblies . the sub - assemblies were then added into the main assembly line . the trial run at st . louis was a success , and today most ford plants use modular assembly lines .
on thursday , detroit made history — and not in a good way . the heart of the u . s . auto industry and home to the detroit tigers , eminem and the white stripes , motown , and ( maybe ) jimmy hoffa ' s body became the largest city ever to file for bankruptcy . in many ways , this financial crisis is 60 years in the making . as the motor city faces an uncertain future , here ' s a look back at some key dates in the long , storied past of one of america ' s great cities :
since then we’ve seen the ford motor company under the helm of alan mulally who previously executive vice president of boeing restructured the company and consolidated in order to focus on vehicles that made up the majority of ford sales globally . today we see ford producing vehicles that are sold worldwide . the ford motor company now employs over 160 , 000 individuals worldwide and continually sales over 2 million vehicles just in the american market annually . the history of ford is skipped over by many but should never be forgotten .
despite byd ' s vindication in court , several outside critics of the company , who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation , maintain that byd was underpaying its workers . they suggested that the company was able to outmaneuver the labor commissioner ' s office by producing documents from chinese sources that the office had no way of fully investigating .
the south carolina - based company also recently took on a powerful ally : ray lahood , former secretary of transportation and overseer of the fta under president obama , joined the company ' s board of directors in february . while working in obama ' s cabinet , lahood wrote glowingly about a visit to proterra on the white house blog .
with time , fenkell started handling vehicle repairs in manufacturers’ storage yards and became adept and knowledgeable about intransit repairs . in the mid - 80s , fenkell was asked to handle intransit repairs in 10 different storage yards throughout the country , providing glass , tires , and batteries to vehicles .
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- toyota will debut its 2018 camry in january at the north american international auto show in detroit . the japanese automaker was short on details in announcing the plans , only providing a sentence under the headline
prepare to stare ,
which came with a teaser shot of the car ' s taillights . the toyota camry has been america ' s top - selling car for 14 consecutive years .
ford purchased lincoln from henry leland , his former business associate from the detroit automobile company . since then , lincoln has produced many luxury cars of historical and aesthetic note , including the 1931 - 1939 k - series , 1936 zephyr , edsel ford’s original continental , the ensuing first - generation lincoln continental and the classic 1956 - 1957 continental mk . ii .
minivans rarely make big ripples at the detroit auto show . but a new driverless model designed by waymo , the google / alphabet self - driving spin - off , generated a lot of attention from attendees . built by fiat chrysler , the converted pacifica offers a tangible example of the technology company’s new market strategy , focusing on developing driverless technology and licensing it to automakers . waymo also has plans to develop a radar - and - sensor kit that could be integrated into conventional vehicles . this repositioning of waymo as a supplier and turnkey solution for automakers has enticed honda to begin discussions about licensing technology . the company plans to start testing the vans on public roads near mountain view , california , and phoenix , arizona , later this month .
below is a table of some automobile firsts , compiled from information in leonard bruno ' s book science and technology firsts ( detroit , c1997 ) and thoughtco . ’s history of the automobile .
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environmental groups and california are lining up to fight former epa chief scott pruitt ' s revised auto emissions rules , prolonging the uncertainty for automakers and suppliers that have staked billions of dollars on technology to develop . . .
feb . 19 , 2013 a state review board appointed by snyder decides that detroit is in
operational dysfunction ,
unable or unwilling to restructure its finances , and needs intervention from the state .
while the model t dominated the auto industry from 1908 to the early 1920s , by the middle of the decade there was fierce competition from other automakers . after the 15 millionth model t drove off the assembly line on may 26 , 1927 , ford closed plants all over the world to spend six months retooling factories and perfecting the design of a new car . ford called the new car the model a , commemorating ford motor company’s first car , the 1903 model a . the car was the first vehicle to sport the iconic blue oval logo , and it included innovative features like a safety glass windshield . by 1931 ford had sold over five million model as despite the difficulties of the great depression .
march 2011 the u . s . census bureau reports that detroit ' s population has fallen to 713 , 777 , a 25 percent plummet from 2000 and the lowest level in 100 years . detroit ' s finances are premised on a minimum tax base of 750 , 000 people . a new law , public act 4 , that allows the state to intervene in financially troubled local governments takes effect .