America has a love of the automobile - maybe that's why car makers occasionally use US names in a bid to capture a bit of that obsession. And some foreign manufacturers want a piece of that apple pie; here are five that wave the red, white and blue, at least in name.
1. Ferrari Daytona
The 365 GTB/4 is better known as the Daytona. The nickname is believed to have come from the media after the Italian's 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Produced between 1968 and 1973, the Pininfarina-designed car was introduced at the Paris Auto Salon. The Daytona gained notoriety by competing in, and winning, the second Cannonball Run, driven by the American racing star Dan Gurney with Brock Yates, the race founder, as co-driver. It took them 35 hours and 54 minutes to travel 4,608 km, at an average of 130 kph, collecting one fine.
2. Zastava Florida
Also known as the Yugo Florida, the Serbian car was introduced in 1987. A number of names were considered but the US state was chosen to honour the Yugo's success in America - more than 50,000 had been sold at this point. The exterior was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Italian automobile designer, responsible for many classic cars such as the DeLorean and the VW Golf. The production of the Florida was interrupted by the Yugoslav wars and economic sanctions; the car was reintroduced in 2002.
3. Hyundai Tucson
Named after the city in Arizona, the compact crossover is from the same family as the Santa Fe and Veracruz - following a western theme from the Japanese automakers. The Tucson was first introduced in 2004 to compete with the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape. The Tucson used, what Hyundai calls, "fluidic sculpture" in the design of its 2009 model, and in some regions the Tucson was sold as the ix35. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show with power output, comfort and safety features all upgraded.
4. Subaru Tribeca
The mid-size crossover is named after the New York City neighbourhood, a portmanteau of TRiangle BElow CAnal street, home to a plethora of famous people and home to Robert DeNiro's film festival. Initially known as the B9 Tribeca, after the B9X concept car, it opted for a boxer engine to simplify the powertrain implementation of all-wheel drive, in order to reduce powertrain weight. With the 2008 facelift the B9 was dropped from the model name, and Subaru also claimed the larger engine produced better fuel economy.
5. Maserati Indy
Named to honour the Italian's two wins at the Indianapolis 500 the Maserati Indy first appeared in 1968 at the Turin auto show as a prototype to replace the Mexico and the Quattroporte. The two-door four-seater coupe production model was unveiled in Geneva in 1969 with a 4.2L V8. For the models 1970 to 1972 the Indy was also available with a 4.7L engine, and for the final two years of production, 1973 to 1974 it boasted a 4.9L. The initial prototype was by the designers at Carrozzeria Vignale.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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