title: Renault F-Type engine

text: Thereafter, the F8M was also used in the Renault 5 Express (Rapid/Extra), and the Volvo 300 series. The F2N was installed in the Renault 21, Renault 5, Renault 19, Renault Clio, Volvo 340/360 and also the Volvo 400 series (where it was designated B18KP by Volvo). A version with a single-barrel carburetor was installed in some early Renault Trafic models and some R21, called the F1N. The petrol version was also built with multi-point fuel injection as the F3N. This was fitted to the U.S. versions of the Renault 9 and Renault 11 (Renault Alliance and Encore), as well as to GTE models of the Renault 5 and 11 sold in some countries such as Switzerland and Germany - as the old carburetted turbo Cléon-Fonte engines no longer met the pollution standards in these countries.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: Volvo built turbocharged versions of the F2N with multipoint fuel injection (designated "B18FT"), installed in the Volvo 480 Turbo, the 440 Turbo Volvo and Volvo 460 Turbo. These engines are sought after to fit to Renault 5 GT Turbo, Renault 9 Turbo and Renault 11 Turbo.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: Beginning in 1987, the 1.6D undergoes changes to make it more quiet. This F8M second generation will unfortunately be weaker at the cylinder head and head gasket. More asbestos will be dropped, which will exacerbate the problems of cylinder head gaskets. Externally, a second generation F8M detected by its cylinder head cover 6 which is secured by small screws, while a first generation F8M 3 has closed nuts for securing the valve cover, the housing for dispensing a F8M second generation part has a non-painted around the injection pump, while a first generation F8M the casing has completely black distribution.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: In 1988, Renault launched the Renault 19 in place of R9 and R11, the F8M 1.6 D developing diesel engine of its predecessors is not powerful enough to equip the heavier R19, Renault changes the stroke and bore of the 1.6 D, to obtain (1.9 D) which will give rise to F8Q developing . This engine will also eventually equip the Clio 1, Clio 2 Express (Rapid / Extra), R21, Kangoo, Mégane 1 and Trafic 1. A lower power version producing DIN will appear in the 90s. The second generation F8Q cylinder heads and head-gaskets were problematic.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: At the end of 1988, a turbocharged version of the 1.9 D is sold on the R19, the engine will F8QT engine types, it will develop DIN. It will also equip Mégane 1, and the Volvo 440, Volvo 460, Volvo S40 and V40, and Mitsubishi Carisma.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: In the fall of 1997, Renault introduced the 1.9 dT their first Direct injection version of the engine, the 1.9 dTi, designated F9Q engine type. It will equip the Mégane 1, 1 Scénic, Laguna 1, Clio Kangoo 1 and 2, Mitsubishi Carisma and the Volvo S40 and V40.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: In July 1999, the 1.9 dTi was upgraded to common rail higher pressure injection, Renault's the first dCi engine, the 1.9 dCi version of the F9Q. It will appear on the Laguna 1 Phase 2. The 1.9 dCi also equip the last two phases 1 Mégane, Scénic 1 Phase 2, Laguna 2, 2 Mégane, Scénic 2, Area 3, Area 4, Trafic 2, Master 2, Volvo S40, Volvo V40, Mitsubishi Carisma, Suzuki Grand Vitara, and Nissan Primera ...


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: In 1986, the Renault 21, 2.0 appears, with a displacement of , F2R type such as a twin-barrel carburetor and F3R type injection version. The F3R of also equip Renault Alliance GTA in North America.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: In early 1989 Renault premiered the sports version of the Renault 19, replacing the Renault 9 Turbo and Renault 11 Turbo, although it only went on sale in the second half of 1990. Renault abandons its legendary 1.4 Cléon-Fonte turbo carburetor in favor of a multi-valve engine with multipoint injection, an evolution of the engine of the F2N. The stroke remains the same, but the bore is increased by 1 mm, giving a displacement of . The cast-iron block is topped by a 16-valve alloy cylinder head. This, the F7P engine has and was also used in the Clio 16S from February 1991, replacing the Super 5 GT Turbo. In July 1992, the Clio 16S and 16S R19 are fitted as standard with a catalytic converter in order to comply with pollution standards applicable from 1 January 1993, losing three horsepower in the process.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: Clio Williams appeared in 1993. As its name suggests it, the Renault Clio Williams was not designed to celebrate titles gleaned in Formula 1 with the team of Frank Williams, but before any approval for competition (2500 minimum copies required). In order to run in Group A, Renault needs a 2.0-liter engine to be the best equipped in its class. So starting the engine block F7P the Renault Clio 16S Renault will develop its F7R . The increase in capacity will then pass logically by reaming of and with the adoption of a Clio diesel crankshaft to get the race . This crankshaft "road" original thus better cash constraints to the increased torque will now reach at 4,500 rpm. The F7R also equip Mégane 1 and Renault Spider off.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: At 1 January 1993, all species cars must be equipped with a fuel injection system and a catalytic converter, on this occasion the F2N of see its increased bore and has a cylinder capacity of . It will bring the engine such as "F3P" on the Renault Clio 1 and 19, and "B18U" on the Volvo 440 and Volvo 460. In contrast, the Renault 21, then at retirement retains its , but with the injection (type motor F3N), Volvo will also retain the injection (type motor B18EP), alongside the new . In 1994, the Laguna will be equipped with one engine F3P.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: Volvo also marketed a petrol version with multipoint injection, sold as the "B16F" in Volvo nomenclature. It was installed in the Volvo 440 and 460 models. Peculiarly, this engine has the same bore and stroke (and resulting displacement) as the diesel F8M engine.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: Version 8 valves engine F7R will appear on Laguna 1, it will also equip the Mégane 1 Scenic Area 1 and 3, it will be known as "F3R." The Volvo 440, 460 and 480, this engine will be known as "B20F". The new F3R replaced the old F3R engine.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The F4P first appeared in 1998, in the Phase 2 model of the first generation Laguna. This new 16 valve also equips the first Mégane Scénic and the second generation Laguna. At the same time, the bigger F4R is installed in the Laguna and Espace (third generation), the engine is the same size as the F7R as in the Clio Williams. It ends up also being installed in the second and third generation Mégane as well as the second Laguna. The specificity of F4P and F4R engines is that they have a 16-valve cylinder head, similar to the K4J and K4M versions of K-Type engine, over the F4P and F4R engines share the same distribution kit and even water pump that K-Type engine 16 valves (K4J and K4M).


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: In 1999, the F5R engine appeared. This is an F7R engine, equipped with direct injection. This 16 valve DI engine is installed in the Mégane coupé and convertible, as well as the Laguna 2. This was the first production French petrol engine with direct injection.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: In 1999, Renault launched the Clio 2 RS, powered by the F4R 16 valve engine with . The engine, sourced from the Laguna, was tuned by Mecachrome and fitted with 2-stage variable valve timing on the intake cam, matched inlet and exhaust ports and 4-into-1 exhaust headers. In 2001 the Phase 2 F4R received electronic throttle control. In 2004, the Phase 3 version of the Clio 2 RS gained for a total of using 4-2-1 exhaust headers, changes to the intake manifold and exhaust system (the new twin rear mufflers requiring the removal of the spare wheel well in the boot). Power increased further in 2006 for the Clio 3 RS, now with , using further improvements to intake and exhaust, notably continuously variable valve timing on the intake cam. Output for the Clio 3 increased again to for the Phase 2 model of the third generation Clio RS.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The F4R will also be grafted with a turbo, and will be known F4Rt it will equip two Mégane, Laguna 2, Laguna 3 Avantime and Vel Satis, but especially this basis used for the Mégane 2 RS ( version of the F1 Team R26 and R26.R).


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The Mégane RS 3 is presented in March 2009 at the Geneva show. It is equipped with the 2.0 16V Turbo block F4Rt the Mégane 2 RS with variable valve timing, increased to . In June 2011, Renault launched a limited edition "RS Trophy 'power increases by .


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The F1x was only available with a displacement of . It has a parallel valve engine architecture aspirated by a single-barrel carburetor.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The F3x is mechanically similar to the "F2x", only used a monopoint-EFI system. Some later versions were equipped with multi-point fuel injection. A turbocharged version designed by Porsche was available for the Volvo 400-series.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The F5x resembles the "F4x" mechanically with an architecture of 16 indirect actuated valves and DOHC, but used a "direct injection IDE" fuel system.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The F7x was the first of the F-type engine family with a 16-valve DOHC configuration, the valves were directly actuated by Hydraulic tappets.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The F8x is the indirect injected Diesel version and has an 8-valve SOHC architecture, it uses precombustion chambers to achieve the required air/fuel mixing.


title: Renault F-Type engine

text: The F9x is the direct injected Diesel version and also features an 8-valve SOHC configuration, it has swirl generating intake ports to create swirling (vortex) of the aspirated air, and either a torodial- or an elsbett- piston bowl to twist the injected fuel vapour, also to achieve the required air/fuel mixing. The diesel fuel is delivered either by a mechanical injection pump or a common rail fuel injection installation.


title: Brittany Curran

text: Brittany Elizabeth Curran (born June 2, 1990) is an American film and television actress. Beginning as a child actress, she is known for her roles on the television series "Men of a Certain Age" and "The Magicians", and for the film "Dear White People". She won a Peabody Award for her work on "Men of a Certain Age".


title: Brittany Curran

text: Curran was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts and also lived in other parts of the Massachusetts area including Avon, Marstons Mills, Cape Cod and Hingham. As a child, she took part in plays and also studied ballet, jazz and tap and the violin, as well as participating in summer theatre.


title: Brittany Curran

text: At eleven years old, Curran made her screen acting debut on an episode of the sketch comedy series "MADtv" in 2001. She went on to guest star in the television series "Drake & Josh", "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody", "The Suite Life on Deck", "Ghost Whisperer", "Criminal Minds" and "The Young and the Restless".


title: Brittany Curran

text: In 2009, Curran was cast in her best-known role to date as Lucy Tranelli in the TNT comedy-drama series "Men of a Certain Age", the daughter of Ray Romano's character. In 2011, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Supporting Young Actress, for her work in the series. The series was canceled in 2011, after two seasons.


title: Brittany Curran

text: Curran also had roles in the films "13 Going on 30", "Akeelah and the Bee", "", "The Uninvited", "Legally Blondes" and "Dear White People". In 2012, she was cast in the film "Backmask" (retitled "Exeter" before release), directed by Marcus Nispel. In 2013, she had a recurring role as Phoebe Daly on the ABC Family series "Twisted".


title: Brittany Curran

text: She graduated from University of California, Los Angeles in June 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in American Literature & Culture.


title: Brittany Curran

text: In 2017 Curran joined the cast of "The Magicians" on SyFy playing Fen, the Fillorian wife of Eliot. She was promoted to series regular for season 3 of the show.


title: 1949 West German federal election

text: Federal elections were held in West Germany on 14 August 1949 to elect the members of the first Bundestag, with a further eight seats elected in West Berlin between 1949 and January 1952 and another eleven between February 1952 and 1953. They were the first free federal elections in West Germany since 1933 and the first after the division of the country.


title: 1949 West German federal election

text: After World War II, the German Instrument of Surrender and the country's division into four Allied occupation zones, the elections were held in the Federal Republic of Germany, established under occupation statute in the three Western zones with the proclamation of its Basic Law by the "Parlamentarischer Rat" assembly of the West German states on 23 May 1949. Most West German parties at the time of the 1949 Bundestag election were committed to democracy, but they disagreed on what kind of democracy West Germany should become.


title: 1949 West German federal election

text: The Christian Democratic (CDU) leader, 73-year-old Konrad Adenauer, former mayor of Cologne and party chairman in the British Zone since March 1946, believed in moderate, non-denominational and Christian democracy, social market economy and integration with the West. In 1948 he had become president of the "Parlamentarischer Rat", an office that added to his popularity as protagonist of a "state-to-be". He attacked social democracy and the British, especially dismantling.


title: 1949 West German federal election

text: The Social Democratic (SPD) leader, Kurt Schumacher, wanted a united, democratic and socialist Germany. Schumacher had heavily agitated against the forced merger of the Communist Party (KPD) and SPD (both in the Soviet occupation zone) into the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and he had also turned the party's course away from the working class advocacy group of the Weimar Republic towards a left-wing big tent party with distinct patriotic features. He constantly accused Adenauer of betraying national interests, culminating in his heckling at the Bundestag session of 25 September 1949: "The Chancellor of the Allies!". Schumacher criticised the Catholic Church, calling it the fifth occupying power and criticised denominational education.


title: 1949 West German federal election

text: In the end and to the great disappointment of the Social Democrats, the CDU/CSU outnumbered them by 31.0% to 29.2% of the votes cast. Enough participating West Germans favoured Adenauer's and his coalition partners' – the liberal Free Democrats' (FDP) and the conservative German Party's (DP) – policies and promises over Schumacher's and the other left-wingers' policies to give the centre-right parties a slight majority of deputies.


title: 1949 West German federal election

text: To enter the Bundestag, a party had to surmount a threshold of 5% at least in one of the states or to win at least one electoral district; ten parties succeeded. A number of non-voting members (elected in 1949:2 CDU, 5 SPD, 1 FDP; joined in February 1952 by: 3 CDU, 4 SPD, 4 FDP) indirectly elected by the West Berlin legislature ("Stadtverordnetenversammlung") are included below in parentheses. The French Saar Protectorate did not participate in this election.


title: 1949 West German federal election

text: Schumacher had explicitly refused a grand coalition and led his party into opposition, where it would remain until December 1966, assuming the chair of the SPD parliamentary group as minority leader. On 12 September 1949, he lost the German presidential election, defeated by FDP chairman Theodor Heuss in the second ballot. Schumacher died on 20 August 1952 of the long-term consequences of his concentration camp imprisonment during the Nazi years.


title: 1949 West German federal election

text: Adenauer had favoured the formation of a smaller centre-right coalition from the beginning. Nominated by the CDU/CSU faction, he was elected the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany on 15 September 1949 by an absolute majority of 202 of 402 votes. Adenauer had ensured that the votes of the predominantly Social Democrat West Berlin deputies did not count and later stated that he "naturally" had voted for himself. On 20 September, he formed the Cabinet Adenauer I of CDU/CSU, FDP, and DP ministers. Chosen as an interim Chancellor, he held the office until 1963, being re-elected three times (in 1953, in 1957 and in 1961).


title: Rolls-Royce Phantom (seventh generation)

text: The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a full-sized luxury saloon car made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Launched in 2003, it was the first Rolls-Royce developed and introduced after BMW purchased the right to use the Rolls-Royce name and logo in 1998. It was the seventh Rolls-Royce design to use the Phantom nameplate.


text: It is credited with successfully reviving the Rolls-Royce brand and restoring Rolls-Royce's reputation as a maker of luxury cars.


text: The Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé are two-door derivatives of the Phantom launched in 2007 and 2008, respectively.


text: From 2003 until the launch of the smaller Ghost in 2009, the Phantom was the only car produced by Rolls-Royce. The Phantom acted as the company's flagship model but was less exclusive than all previous Phantoms (none of which surpassed the 600 per year).


text: The Phantom uses a unique chassis platform, body, interior, and retains traditional Rolls-Royce design cues. The body is mostly aluminium.


text: Final assembly, including all body, paint, wood, and leather work, is completed to each customer's individual specification at the Rolls-Royce plant in Goodwood, West Sussex. The plant is close to the historic Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit.


text: The plant contains the paint shop, body shop, leather shop, woodworking shop, assembly line, and executive offices under one roof. There are only three robots in the factory. The robots paint the body; the paint is polished by hand after the robots spray each coat. The coachlines, which are exactly wide, are done, as well as all other work, by hand, in keeping with the Rolls-Royce tradition.


text: The aluminium extrusions that are used to construct the aluminium spaceframe are produced in Norway using hydroelectric power, shaped and machined in Denmark and finally hand-welded in Germany.


text: Features (as of 2009) include a navigation system with voice recognition, power sunroof, upgraded leather upholstery, rear-view camera, rear-seat DVD entertainment system, 15-speaker Lexicon Logic7 premium sound system, 8-disc CD changer, 18-way power front seats, 16-way power rear seats, heated and cooled cup holders, rear-seat tables, outside-temperature indicator, universal garage door opener, power tilt/telescopic heated wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio, climate, and navigation controls, power open/close boot lid, power closing doors, wireless headphones, iPod adapter, refrigerator, and air conditioning with 5-zone climate controls. There are extensive options available through the Rolls-Royce "Bespoke" programme through which the factory will create any reasonable option a customer asks for.


text: In October 2010, the Phantom was included in a recall involving cars with a V8 or V12 engine from BMW, because of the potential to develop a leak in the power braking system.


text: An extended wheelbase Phantom was presented in March 2005 at the Geneva Motor Show, which is 250 mm (9.8 in) longer than the standard Phantom. It is currently referred to as the Phantom Extended Wheelbase (or EWB).


text: The Phantom Drophead Coupé is a 2-door convertible version of the Phantom. It was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.


text: The design of the Drophead was previewed by the 100EX design study, which Rolls-Royce revealed at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show.


text: This is an armoured version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom with VR7 level ballistic rating. It includes fibre composites and special purpose steel body armour, thickened glass sheets in glazed area, polycarbonate layer, strengthened aluminium spaceframe chassis and suspension components.


text: The Phantom Coupé is a 2-door coupé derivative of the Phantom which was unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.


text: The design of the Coupé was previewed by the 101EX concept, which Rolls-Royce revealed at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show.


text: Beginning with the 2009 model year, the Phantom and Phantom Extended Wheelbase incorporated the following changes:


text: In May 2012, Rolls-Royce announced the Series II car, to be available from the 2013 model year. Series II, exterior design updates by Andreas Thurner and interior design updates by Alan Sheppard, has a number of updated and improved features, including:


text: The vehicle was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bangkok (Millionaire Auto).


text: A version of Phantom Saloon Series II (in blue velvet sparkle body colour) was unveiled at the 2012 Moving Motor Show as a test drive vehicle for selected members of media and VIP.


text: The vehicle was unveiled at Auto China 2012, followed by Auto Expo Macau 2012 (in Infinity Black body colour, gold Spirit of Ecstasy, drinks cabinet and coolbox for individual seats, starlight headlining), Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bangkok (Millionaire Auto). The Phantom EWB also has power reclining rear seats and


text: This is the coupé version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II. It was unveiled in Auto Expo Macau 2012. The car has new features such as the


text: The Phantom Series II Drophead is the 2×2 seater Convertible version of the Phantom Series II. It is based on the chassis of the Series I drophead and the exterior design is virtually unchanged except for the new headlights, identical to the ones equipped on the Series II Phantom Coupé.


text: BMW originally intended to use a 9.0L V16 engine in the Phantom, but at the last moment decided to use a more economical V12 engine. The engine can be seen in the concept Rolls-Royce 100EX. A V16 model Phantom Coupé was used in the film "Johnny English Reborn" at the specific request of Rowan Atkinson.


text: Finally, the car uses a V12 engine with special increased 6.75 L displacement (the same displacement was used by classical L-Series 6.75 L V8 engine used by Rolls-Royce between 1959 and 2002). At the same time BMW 7 E65 uses an engine with 6.0 L displacement.


text: In 2004, to celebrate the company's one-hundredth anniversary, Rolls-Royce introduced the "Phantom Centenary Edition". This model was limited to only 35 units worldwide and was specifically commissioned by Rolls-Royce. Most special edition cars are not commissioned by the factory, or are brought out to boost sales. This is not the case with the Centenary Edition. The car was debuted on 4 May 2004 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. It was the meeting place of Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce.


text: The Centenary Phantom can be distinguished from the standard car by several key features. All of the cars' "RR" emblems are red instead of black. This is reminiscent of the original Rolls-Royce cars that bore red badges for the first twenty-five years of the company until it was later changed due to customer requests. Each car is painted in a special "Dark Curzon" colour used only for the thirty-five Centenary cars and the 100 EX prototype, which was also debuted for the company's centenary celebration.


text: It is a version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom built for the Naples Winter Wine Festival in Florida. It included a burgundy colour body, deep moccasin colour leather upholstery, cashmere headliner, cross-banded figured mahogany wood surfaces, sterling silver inlay on each of the mahogany-veneered door cappings, mini wine cellar at the floor of the boot, and a cigar humidor in the glove compartment.


text: The vehicle was unveiled at the 2005 Naples' Winter Wine Festival. It was sold at a charity auction in the US for $800,000.


text: This was a limited run (25 units) of the Rolls-Royce Phantom commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Phantom name. It included a choice of 2 body colours (black, black and silver), silver hand-painted coach line, 21-inch aluminium wheels, black and seashell leather upholstery with contrast leather piping, wine cooler below the rear seat, DVD system, cross-banded burr walnut veneer at picnic tables, and Conway Stewart pen set (Duro style fountain pen, ballpoint and propelling pencil) fitted inside the glove box.


text: This was a limited run (25 units) of the Rolls-Royce Phantom commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. It included Metallic Ghost Silver body colour, 21-inch wheels with chrome centres, solid silver Spirit of Ecstasy, Rose Leaf or Crème Light leather upholstery, seat piping and headrests embroidered with the Rolls-Royce interlinked RR badge, straight grained Santos Palissander wood veneer, Coolbox, Santos Palissander veneer presentation box with key, two solid silver key fobs and a specially commissioned solid silver Conway Stewart fountain pen; bespoke drinks holder, white instrument dials, bespoke clock matched to instrument dials, Phantom Silver tread plates.


text: This is a special version of the Phantom customised by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke department. It included Xirallic Darkest Tungsten body colour, brushed aluminium bonnet, visible chrome-plated stainless steel exhaust pipes, Smoke Grey leather seats with contrasting Navy Blue, micro engraved metal dashboard with high gloss straight-grained East Indian Rosewood veneer, and starlight headliner with 800 fibre-optic lights.


text: This was a limited run (two units) of the Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantom customised by Grey Goose Vodka. It included blue body colour, Grey Goose logo embroidered onto headrests and integrated into the trim of the car, grey chrome door tread plates, Grey Goose etched mirrors and sterling silver Grey Goose inlays on each of the mahogany-veneered door cappings.


text: The completed vehicle (with lengthened bonnet created by moving the windscreen back, bespoke headlights, removed back seats) was unveiled at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.


text: The Production version was originally reported to be sold as a series of body panels, but later the completed vehicle went on sale at an Abu Dhabi dealership for an undisclosed price.


text: This was a version of the Phantom created by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Programme, for the United Arab Emirates market. It included two-tone pearl blue body colour, Seashell interior upholstery with peony floral motif, a complementary bottle of perfume from Emirate fragrance specialist HIND.


text: This is a version of the Phantom with Milori Sapphire body colour, navy blue leather upholstery with seashell highlights, walnut burr veneer inlaid with a diamond-pattern, cool box below the rear seats in an aluminium billet receptacle, Rolls-Royce clock set with a diamond-shaped sapphire, Conway Stewart fountain pen set and solid silver key fobs in a lacquered walnut veneer box.


text: In August 2009, a limited (6 units) Bespoke Collection model of the Phantom was introduced for the Middle East market. Features included: two-tone Arizona Sun and English White body colours; Crème Light and Saddle Tan natural grain leather upholstery; hand-knotted silk rugs; moccasin carpets; Mother-of-pearl inlays in the control knobs; and a silver dhow-sailboat inlay in the door cappings and fascia panel.


text: This is a special version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Phantom Coupé, and Phantom Drophead Coupé for the Abu Dhabi market, built by Abu Dhabi Motors. It included Yas Eagle White and Yas Eagle Blue body colours, Cobalto Blue & Mugello Red interior upholstery, Fleet Blue stained ash veneer, instrument cluster in white dials, Cobalto Blue & Mugello Red instrument panel, Mugello Red steering wheel, Navy Blue boot trim and carpets, Navy Blue lambswool foot mats, checkerboard applied on the fascia, illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy, thicker steering wheel, RR logo on the headrests in Mugello Red, seat piping in Mugello Red, 21-inch forged Star alloy wheels, chrome-plated visible exhausts, and theatre-configuration lounge seat.


text: This was a version of the Phantom Drophead Coupé commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It included Stillwater Blue body colour, navy blue soft top lined with cashmere, interior upholstered in a Crème Light leather, interior wood composed of cross-banded Santos Pallisander veneer contrasted with a silver pinstripe inlay, oiled teak decking at roof tonneau and in luggage compartment flooring, a fully fitted champagne service set with crystal flutes, teak-covered picnic deck, a refrigerated cabinet concealed beneath the luggage compartment floor, an enamelled plaque on the dash, Concours logos on the tread plates and embroidery on each seat.


text: The Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase includes: Bespoke Gunmetal metallic body colour, Full natural leather grain, Black seat piping, Veneered cupholder lid, Mother-of-pearl inserts to door cappings, Rolls-Royce inlay in all headrests, Silver full metal fascia, Milled drinks holder for coolbox, Veneered table backs – theatre, Tread plates RR logo and Mondial de l’Automobile Paris 2010, Mother of pearl centres to white instrument dial, white clock face centres to MTC controller and instrument panel.


text: The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé includes: Carrara White metallic body colour, Single coachline in Hotspur Red, Painted wheel centres, Steering wheel spokes in crossbanded elm cluster, Veneered front cupholder lid, Lambswool floor mats, White instrument dials, Silver bezel white clock face, Tread plates RR logo and Mondial de l’Automobile Paris 2010.


text: The Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé includes: Syrah Red metallic body colour, Twin coachline in black, Black starlight headliner, Silver bezel black clock face, Contrast RR to seat inserts, Black carbon fibre veneer, cupholder lid and steering wheel spokes, Piano black veneered interior cappings, Full seat piping in Consort Red, Black contrast stitching to centre console, Tread plates RR logo and Mondial de l’Automobile Paris 2010.


text: This is a limited run (100 units) of the Phantom commemorating the 100th anniversary of Spirit of Ecstasy. It included silver Spirit of Ecstasy ornament with black-gold plated bezel bearing the commemorative inscription 'Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary – 2011', Rolls-Royce twin coachline, an analogue clock fitted in the fascia panel with Britannia Silver outer bezel, satin spun metal dials with polished RR monograms and polished chaplets and black numerals, choice of 4 body colours (Rhapsody Black (black with gold sparkle), Maiden Blue (deep blue metallic highlighted with a silver sparkle), Ethereal White Pearl (with a special pearlescent finish), Wildflower (a blend of red and brown colour with a fine sparkle)), hand crafted banding of Britannia Silver at veneer inset, a desk ornament featuring a polished steel Spirit of Ecstasy mounted on a piano black base, individual certificates of authenticity signed by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.


text: This is one-off battery electric vehicle version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom with two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame rated at and , 1-speed transmission with integrated differential, paint using ceramic nano particles with four layers of Atlantic Chrome paint coats, red double-R badge, Spirit of Ecstasy in Makrolon illuminated in blue LED light, Atlantic chrome-finished dashboard dials, recharging plug and five-pin socket, window frames with rear-mounted tricolour LEDs showing car's charging status, interior wood veneers, leather interior derived from a natural vegetable tanning process christened Corinova, chestnut colour for seat covers and Quebracho Brown for other areas such as the floor and boot lining (both made of durable saddle leather), aluminised foil weave at interior panels, 850 A 338 V Lithium-Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese-Oxide battery pack with 71 kilowatt hour capacity, separate charger units (3 kW each) are fitted to the battery, induction charging unit. The electric propulsion systems was from UQM PowerPhase by UQM Technologies, Inc. Electric drivetrain integration was performed by Lotus Engineering.


text: This is a version of the Drophead Coupé with Asprey jewellery box (with grade-one suede hide) in the glove compartment, bespoke teak decking, engraved tread plates, Spirit of Ecstasy; Mazarine Blue body colour (inspired by the Mazarine blue butterfly), natural-grain leather interior in Seashell with Navy Blue contrast at floor and door panels, yacht-inspired teak decking with mother-of-pearl inlays at cross-banded Santos Palissander wood veneers, white instrument dials, rotary controllers and clock in mother-of-pearl, bespoke leather-upholstered luggage in the picnic boot.


text: This is a version of the 2012 model year Phantom and Phantom Extended Wheelbase inspired by the Chinese dragon, designed at the home of Rolls-Royce by the Bespoke team, for the Chinese market. It included twin gold coachline on each side of the car body, dragon on leather headrest embroidered in Tan, Golden Sand, Black and White threads; dragon inlay at passenger panel with Phantom model name in gold, two hand-stitched cushions for the rear passengers, specified with embroidered double R-R logos and piping; illuminated treadplates with 'Year of the Dragon 2012' highlighted in LED lighting, modern or traditional marquetry.


text: This is a limited run (35 units) of the Phantom Coupé, inspired by Supermarine S6B (powered by a Rolls-Royce R Type engine). It included Aviator Grey body colour, a contrasting matt bonnet, window and grille surround, Thommen aviation-grade clock with blood orange needle tips embedded in the metal foil upper fascia and matt black dials, mahogany lower fascia with Sapele contrast, polished stainless steel veneer 'onlays' with bullet-shaped ends, leather-lined glove compartment, centre console chrome plaque describing Charles Rolls, polished aluminium cup holders.


text: This was a limited run (three units) special version of the Phantom Series II Drophead Coupé built for the Closing Ceremony of 2012 Summer Olympics. It included English White body colour, new grille badge featuring Spirit of Ecstasy with Union Flag replacing the traditional flowing gown, steering wheel centre with a traditional laurel wreath and torch, and the self-righting wheel centres featuring the words 'London 2012' surrounded by the Olympic motto, 'Citius, Altius, Fortius' ('Faster, Higher, Stronger'); tread plates identify each car as 'One of Three'.


text: Retail models includes a choice of 4 body colours (Infinity Black, Arabian Blue, Powder Blue or Arctic White) with twin coachline with an Art Deco motif, illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy, Art Deco headrest embroidery, bespoke inlays on piano black veneer, tread plates with Art Deco motif.


text: Bespoke models of the Phantom Saloon (with Black and Arctic White interior) and Phantom Drophead Coupé (with mother-of-pearl inlays) were unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show.


text: They are versions of the Phantom conceived and designed by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke team, commemorating 10 years of production at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England.


text: It is a version of the Phantom Extended Wheelbase with night sky-inspired body colour scheme with fine glass particles paint. The Starlight Headliner contains LEDs in a night-sky constellation arrangement which encapsulates the night sky above Goodwood on 1 January 2003 - the date the Phantom was released. It was verified by the South Downs Planetarium. It includes dusk hue leather upholstery, rear privacy dividers, a clock with four diamonds, engraving to the wheel centres, uplit Spirit of Ecstasy figurine, and a Rolls-Royce Picnic Set (glassware with hand-engraved Celestial motif, plates by porcelain maker Nymphenburg).


text: It is a version of the Phantom Coupé inspired by Goodwood Motor Circuit's motor sport history, with carbon fibre veneer, bonnet and windscreen surround in matte black, Gunmetal body colour, coloured wheels matching body colour, chequered flag motif stitching to the seats, a metal plaque expressing the car's name, Goodwood's famous track layout in the glove compartment.


text: It is a version of the Phantom with a two-tone exterior colour scheme of Madeira Red complemented by Silver Sand on the lower side panels (optional Infinity Black combined with Silver Haze or Melanite combined with Palladium schemes), Madeira Red coach line, Morello Red and Seashell leather combinations for seats, roofliner, pillars and door cards; Morello Red lambs wool floor mats, Smoke Grey thread.


text: It is a limited (35 units) version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé celebrating Sir Malcolm Campbell breaking the water-speed record with Bluebird K3 hydroplane boat (powered by Rolls-Royce R37 engine), with Maggiore Blue body colour, 21-inch alloy wheels with blue highlights, Bluebird logo redesigned by the Bespoke team at Goodwood at coachline in contrasting blue, Maggiore Blue interior colour, two-tone steering wheel in blue leather, two-tone piping on the seats, dashboard top, cup holder surround and door accents; blue accents on power reserve gauge, brushed steel bonnet, windscreen A-frame, cockpit surround and rear deck; aluminium dashboard fascia, laser-etched door armrest cappings, aluminium transmission tunnel and centre console, 'Windchill Grey' leather upholstery, polished aluminium cup holders, bookmatched Abachi wood veneer beneath the fascia on the dashboard, steel rear decking, clock with infinity sign from Campbell's K3 and K4, all four of Campbell's water-speed records de-bossed in the leather lining inside glove compartment lid, laser-engraved Bluebird motifs in the armrests of Waterspeed in single billet aluminium.


text: The vehicle was unveiled in Bluebird Restaurant, followed by the 2014 Concorso D'Eleganza at Villa D'Este.


text: It is a limited (20 units) version of the Phantom inspired by the modern metropolis. It included leather upholstery in Aetherius Grey, 6,800 two-tone stitches depicting an abstract image of a skyscraper at the central rear seat, a rotating bezel expressing 24 of the great cities of the world and their time zones (including Paris) at central console, Darkest Tungsten body colour


text: It is a version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé with Carrara White body colour, a Peacock emblem at Emerald green coachline, a Deep Green hood, deck with a Peacock emblem integrated into the marquetry, Crème Light leather upholstery with Emerald green accents, marquetry inlay on the facia panel top and arm rests, Peacock emblems embroidered into the headrests in Emerald green and Cobalto blue, a Peacock feather pattern in Seashell stitching on the side and central armrests, Bespoke Maharaja Peacock clock with Cobalto blue and Jade elements.


text: It is a version of the Phantom with Moonstone Pearl body colour, Suhail star emblem at Turchese Blue coachline, Cremé Light leather upholstery with Turchese accents, a Navy Blue instrument panel top and carpets, Suhail star emblems at the marquetry on the Ash Burr wood fascia, a Starlight Headliner, Bespoke clock colour-matched to the interior depicts the Suhail Ursa Minor and Major constellation on the clock face.


text: It is a version of the Phantom Coupé inspired by horse. It included racing red body colour, a single white coachline that depicts the reins worn by a racehorse, Tudor barrel oak veneers and stainless steel inlays on the rear coach doors, hand-embroidered motifs of galloping horses at front headrests, gold-plated horseshoes feature in the sill plates and clocks.


text: It is a version of the Phantom with silk interior upholstery in Smoke Green with painted crimson petals, Arctic White leather upholstery at front seats, Smoked Cherrywood and Bamboo veneers at door cappings, dash fascia and rear centre console; petal marquetry in Mother of Pearl on the rear door cappings, Mother of Pearl marquetry at clock and driver's instrument dials, Mother of Pearl clock face etched with concentric circle and inlaid with hand-applied rubies, luggage compartment lined in Arctic White leather with an Arctic White carpet, two parasols in Serenity motif held by Bespoke leather loops at boot lid, Bespoke Mother of Pearl body colour, two colour coachline with three colour blossom motif applied by Mark Court.


text: The Phantom Limelight (流光熠世•幻影典藏版) is a limited (25 units) version of the Phantom aimed at high-profile people such as celebrities, famous business people and royalty. It included Concealed Fragrance Holder for three individual fragrances is located in the top left pocket of the Ladies' pannier, watches holder at the concealed section of Gentlemen's pannier, top right pocket with fragrance bottles in the Gentlemen's pannier and 2 watch or jewellery holders at Ladies' pannier, buyer-specified fragrance bottles, universal vanity pouch at bottom left pocket, Ladies' and Gentleman's Accessory Z-Boxes at door pannier, seat back reclines by 27°, calf rest raises electrically by 68°, foot rest raising feet up to 30°, choice of two compartment trims, Light (Seashell with Navy Blue Contrast Leather and Seashell tone-on-tone stitching) or Dark (Navy Blue with Seashell Contrast Leather and Navy tone-on-tone stitching) contrast scheme, a diamond shape embroidery at central seat flutes, door cards, rear console, Picnic Table backs; two-veneer finish with Piano Seashell at door cappings and Smoked Chestnut veneer, a Limelight Bespoke Clock in Gala Blue paint exterior with diamond motif design.


text: It is a version of the Phantom Coupé with two-tone Burnt Orange and Arizona Sun body colours, a Tiger motif twin coachline, Tan and Seashell leather upholstery with hand-stitched embroidered Tiger motif headrests, Moccasin Lambswool floor mats, Maccasser Ebony Veneers and Bespoke Tiger Phantom Coupé treadplates.


text: It is a limited (50 units) version of the Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé with a glass shelf at the rear section of the tailgate, a champagne fridge at boot, padded leathers seats at rear-tailgate, Bespoke version of the Rolls-Royce Picnic Hamper (Piano Black folding picnic tables, leather and wood interior shelving, lead crystal wine glasses, stainless steel cutlery, napkins embroidered with the Rolls-Royce monogram in Arctic White, a handcrafted American Walnut chopping board, crockery, hamper painted black and platinum detail around the edges), laser etching to the armrest cappings, a removable polished aluminium case engraved with the motor car's unique identification number, speedometer in brushed steel, Starlight Headliner with individually hand-woven stars clustered to the front and faded to the rear, Madeira Red and Jubilee Silver (Phantom Coupé) or Midnight Blue and Arctic White colour schemes, glass clearcoat at body paint, Blood-Orange tips to the instrument dials, cupholders machined from aluminium.


text: Manufacture figures from 2009 include other models and from 2014 no longer separate the different versions of the Phantom VII.


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: A Kid in King Arthur's Court is a 1995 fantasy film directed by Michael Gottlieb (in his final directorial film before his death in 2014) and released by Walt Disney Pictures in association with Trimark Pictures and Tapestry Films. It is loosely based on the Mark Twain 1889 novel "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", previously filmed by Disney as "Unidentified Flying Oddball" in 1978. Starring Thomas Ian Nicholas, Joss Ackland and Art Malik, and is notable for being one the first film roles of Daniel Craig and Kate Winslet.


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: Calvin Fuller is a young boy living in the Los Angeles suburb of Reseda who loves baseball, but is not a good player. He is at a game, standing at bat for his team, the Knights, ready for yet another strike out. Suddenly an earthquake hits; as the others run for safety, the ground opens up under Calvin's shoes and he falls through the chasm. He eventually lands on the head of a 6th-century black knight. Upon hearing of his miraculous appearance, the elderly King Arthur, seeing him as the savior whose appearance Merlin has predicted, dubs the boy Calvin of Reseda and invites him to dine with the court.


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: Calvin begins his knight training under Arthur's top knight, Sir Kane, to help the king retain his crown. When the earthquake hit, Calvin had just grabbed his knapsack, a fact that enables him to dazzle the people of Camelot with his futuristic "magic", including an introduction to rock and roll via CD player, and a Swiss Army knife. Calvin also shows them how to make inline roller skates. His work wins him adulation and renown, but it also rouses the jealousy of Lord Belasco, who will use any means to take over the throne. Meanwhile, Calvin finds himself spending time and developing a crush on young Princess Katey, while her elder sister, Sarah, is secretly in love with Sir Kane. Belasco moves forward with his plans and kidnaps Katey and tries to frame Calvin for murder and tells Sarah that if she does not marry him, Katey will die. As Belasco is about to arrest Calvin, Sarah rescues him, tells him Katey is alive and to find her father and show him the proof. Calvin goes to Arthur and shows the proof of Belasco's scheme. Playing along, Arthur misdirects the knights and helps Calvin escape and they disguise themselves to go rescue Katey. Walking amongst the people, Calvin tells Arthur that Belasco has been stealing from them for years and they think Arthur does not care about them, and Arthur vows to be a better king. Calvin and Arthur find the castle Katey is being held captive; during the fight, Calvin renews Arthur's will to fight by giving him Excalibur (gifted to Calvin by Merlin). They release Katey, but Belasco' second-in-command, Richard, kidnaps her again and holds her hostage over the moat. Calvin uses a laser pointer from his CD player to blind Richard, causing him to fall and save Katey. Arthur knights Calvin as a Knight of the Round Table and arrive back in Camelot to stop Belasco from forcing Sarah into marriage. To take Belasco down for good, Arthur holds a jousting tournament for Sarah's hand.


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: During the tournament, Sir Kane defeats all the opponents and just him and Lord Belasco are in the finals. Belasco uses a magnifying crystal to use the sunlight to beam it into Kane's eyes and nearly knock him out. Sarah runs off in anger and Calvin asks the King to stall Belasco. Belasco is close to declaring his victory if Kane does not return, but Kane does return and faces him in another joust; Belasco knocks Kane's helmet off, but the now headless Kane still jousts and makes a comeback victory by knocking Belasco off his horse. But it is not Kane, it is Calvin, who pokes his head out from the large armor. Belasco pulls Calvin off the horse and tries to kill him, but the black knight that Calvin encountered earlier appears and ambushes Belasco, saving Calvin. Forfeiting his victory to the black knight, Calvin, Arthur, and all of Camelot are surprised to see the knight is Sarah herself; an astounded but happy Arthur rewards his daughter with the right to choose her own hand in marriage, and she proudly chooses Kane. Belasco is banished from Camelot forever. Now that he has helped Arthur keep the crown, Calvin has Merlin uphold his end of the bargain and send him home, and he sadly bids the king and Katey farewell. He is returned to the 20th century just before the moment when he struck out, and he steps up to the plate: this time, he is ready and hits a home run. He is greeted by his teammates, including Katey, and is looked on by King Arthur, who is whittling a piece of wood with a pocketknife – the same knife Calvin gave to him. Merlin catches Calvin’s home run and then breaks the fourth wall by stating "Taught that kid everything he knows."


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: Most of the 6th-century portion of the film was shot in Budapest, Hungary, while the majority of the 20th-century portion was filmed in late September 1994, at the softball field of London Central High School (LCHS), an American institution at RAF Daws Hill, High Wycombe, England.


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: The film was theatrically released in North America on August 11, 1995. It was accompanied in theaters by Walt Disney Feature Animation's short film "Runaway Brain", featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: Upon its release, the movie was universally panned by critics. It currently holds a rating of 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 3.46/10. The consensus reads: "Disappointing even by the relaxed standards of live-action children's entertainment, "A Kid in King Arthur's Court" stands as a rare near-total misfire from Disney." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: Since its release, and since Kate Winslet and Daniel Craig went on to become major superstars in Hollywood, the film received slightly more attention. Despite the negative reviews, "The Buffalo News" replied "A must-see for the whole family!"


title: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

text: A sequel titled "A Kid in Aladdin's Palace" was released in 1998 as a direct to video with Nicholas reprising his role as Calvin Fuller. The cast also included Rhona Mitra as Scheherazade, Nicholas Irons as Ali Baba, James Faulkner as Luxor, Taylor Negron as the Genie, Aharon Ipalé as Aladdin and Diana Kent as Jasmine.


title: Zellers

text: Zellers was a Canadian discount department retail chain and is currently a brand name owned by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Founded in 1931 in London, Ontario, in later decades it was based in Brampton, Ontario. Zellers was acquired by HBC in 1978 before closing in 2013.


title: Zellers

text: A series of acquisitions and expansions allowed Zellers to reach its peak in the 1990s, with 350 stores across the country in 1999. However, fierce competition by Walmart Canada and an inability to adjust to the increasingly volatile retailing industry resulted in Zellers losing significant ground in the 2000s. At the same time, HBC's new owner NRDC Equity Partners was focusing on bolstering and re-positioning Zellers' sister chain, The Bay, with an upscale and fashion-oriented direction, and saw Zellers as a detriment to the turnaround.


title: Zellers

text: In January 2011, HBC announced that it would sell the lease agreements for up to 220 Zellers stores to the US chain Target for $1.825 billion. In turn, Target announced its intention to convert many of them to Canadian locations of Target, and re-sell the remainder to other parties such as Walmart Canada, resulting in their liquidation and eventual closure. While HBC retained 64 Zellers locations, it announced on July 26, 2012, that all of them would be liquidated and closed by March 31, 2013, due to their lack of profitability. After the chain ceased, HBC converted three Zellers-branded locations into liquidation outlets for The Bay (since renamed Hudson's Bay), with the last of those stores closing on January 26, 2020.


title: Zellers

text: In August 2021, the Zellers brand was relaunched as a pop-up shop (store-within-a-store) at the Hudson's Bay store located in the Burlington Centre shopping mall. In August 2022, the Hudson's Bay Company announced it would be reviving the Zellers brand through online shopping and physical locations in 2023.


title: Zellers

text: On Saturday, August 4, 1928, Zellers Ltd was born in London, Ontario. Walter P. Zeller, its founder, opened his new store & head office at 176 Dundas Street in London after working for years for Metropolitan Stores, F.W. Woolworth Company and Kresge's. The plan at the start was to have stores opened in London, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Fort William and Saint John, New Brunswick as part of a effort to establish a Canada-wide chain of department stores. The London store had a street frontage of 53 feet and a depth of 137 feet. It had a total of 7,000 square feet of space on the ground floor with 2,000 square feet of counter space spread out around the store. Sixty women were hired for the opening day working in 21 different departments. Within months Zellers was doing such good business that they were bought out by the American firm Schulte-United Ltd but within two years the rebranded stores went bankrupt.


title: Zellers

text: Zeller promptly bought fourteen Canadian locations of the failed Schulte-United chain, all located in Southern Ontario, and relaunched Zellers in late 1931 as a store for thrifty Canadians. One of the locations was the original Zellers at 176 Dundas Street in London, which would remain operating until the late 1980s. Almost immediately, Zellers initiated an aggressive expansion strategy. Within 25 years, Zellers operated 60 stores and employed 3,000 people. In 1952, in a move to expand into Atlantic Canada, it acquired the Federal Stores chain of variety stores, adding more than 12 new Zellers locations.


title: Zellers

text: During this period of expansion, Zellers concluded a deal with W.T. Grant, a similar chain of American mass merchandise department stores. This arrangement allowed W.T. Grant to purchase 10% of Zellers shares and eventually a 51% ownership in 1959. In exchange, the Grant Company made available to Zellers its experience in merchandising, real estate, store development, and general administration. Zellers employees were sent to Grant stores and head office for training and the two companies made common buying trips to east Asia. In the 1950s, the chain again began opening new locations and in 1956, opened its first self-serve location at the Norgate shopping centre in Saint-Laurent, Quebec. Stores opened in 1960 employed many new innovations, including the first in store restaurant, the first automotive centre and the first suburban location.


title: Zellers

text: In 1975, Zellers changed logo to the one it would keep for its remaining 45 years. By 1976, Zellers had grown to a chain of 155 stores, with annual sales of $407 million.


title: Zellers

text: Although Zellers was prospering, W.T. Grant was facing intense competition in the United States, and was forced to withdraw entirely from its Canadian operations. In 1976, Fields, a clothing retailer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, offered to purchase a 50.1% stake in Zellers for $32,675,000. Zellers' shareholders, unhappy with the idea of Zellers becoming a subsidiary of Fields, reversed the takeover and purchased Fields and its hardware store division, Marshall Wells. This sale added 70 Fields stores and 162 franchised Marshall Wells stores to the company. Fields president and founder, Joseph Segal was appointed as president of Zellers.


title: Zellers

text: In June 1978, Zellers presented a bid to acquire 100% ownership of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). HBC management, recognizing Zellers profitability and the potential to enter a new retail segment, decided to purchase Zellers instead. Zellers and Fields, operating in very different retail segments from HBC, were kept intact and established as separate divisions of the company. HBC acquired full ownership of Zellers and Fields in 1981 and Marshall Wells in 1982. By 1985, HBC had sold Marshall Wells for $20 million, because it was not relevant to its department store business.


title: Zellers

text: Counterfeit video games for the Atari 2600 were manufactured in Taiwan and sold by Zellers in the 1980s, usually under new names and artwork and occasionally with modified graphics. All games were pirated copies of titles created either by Atari itself or by third-party developers, such as Activision. Zellers was eventually forced by Atari to stop selling these games. Zellers released 18 games for the Atari 2600 in the early 1980s.


title: Zellers

text: In 1990, Hudson's Bay Company acquired the 51 stores of the Towers/Bonimart chain from the Oshawa Group, and converted most of them to Zellers outlets, including its flagship location in Toronto. Zellers advertisements at the time featured both the Towers mascot, Sparky, and the Zellers mascot, Zeddy, walking arm in arm. During this period, Zellers used the slogan "Where the lowest price is the law."


title: Zellers

text: In 1993, Hudson's Bay Company purchased the assets of the bankrupt Woodward's chain, including 21 store locations. These were converted into Zellers and The Bay stores, and greatly expanded the company's presence in Western Canada. In 1998, Hudson's Bay Company acquired Kmart's Canadian division, and merged it with the Zellers division to create a larger combined chain under the Zellers name. While some Kmart locations were closed, many sites became full Zellers outlets. Kmart Canada president George Heller remained with HBC, eventually becoming HBC's president and CEO in the mid-2000s.


title: Zellers

text: In 1996, Hudson's Bay Company closed its Zellers head office in Montreal, Quebec and merged it with the Hudson's Bay Company headquarters in downtown Toronto. By 1998, Hudson's Bay Company reestablished Zellers head office at the former Kmart Canada head office in Brampton, Ontario.


title: Zellers

text: On February 28, 2006, Hudson's Bay Company was taken private by South Carolina businessman Jerry Zucker. In Hudson's Bay Company's last year as a publicly traded company, Zellers had 291 stores and lost $107 million on sales of $4.2 billion.


title: Zellers

text: Mark Foote, who had headed general merchandise at Loblaw Companies and was president of Canadian Tire Corp's retail division, was appointed President and CEO of Zellers in 2008 and he was credited with stabilizing the chain, though it still struggled against Walmart Canada.


title: Zellers

text: Following Zucker's death in 2008, Hudson's Bay Company and its subsidiaries including Zellers came under the ownership of a New York based company, NRDC Equity Partners, which was headed by Richard Baker. NRDC owns the Lord & Taylor upscale specialty retail department store chain in the United States. Subsequently, NRDC invested heavily in The Bay and managed a turnaround by repositioning it as an upscale, fashion forward retailer. However the Zellers chain was still struggling and was seen as a drag on the parent company and its American owner.


title: Zellers

text: On January 13, 2011, it was announced that US. retail chain Target Corporation would purchase the lease agreements of up to 220 Zellers stores for $1.825 billion. Under the agreement, Zellers would sublease the properties and continue to operate them as Zellers locations until January 2012 at the earliest, and at the latest the end of March 2013. At the time of this announcement, Zellers operated 273 stores, well below the 350 stores it had in 1999.


title: Zellers

text: Upon the announcement, it was reported that once the Zellers stores at these locations were closed, Target would renovate 100 to 150 of them to reopen the stores under the Target banner during 2013 and 2014. The remaining acquired sites would be transferred to other retailers. HBC had said that it would continue to operate the remaining Zellers stores as a smaller chain in specific communities.


title: Zellers

text: Of the maximum 220 locations, 105 to be transferred to Target were identified in late May 2011, and another lot of 84 locations in late September 2011, bringing the total number of Zellers stores acquired by Target to 189. Of these 189 stores, 125–135 stores would be converted into Target stores, 39 others were resold to Walmart Canada, and the remaining 15–25 leases were either sold to other retailers or returned to the landlords who own the sites.


title: Zellers

text: RioCan REIT was significantly affected, as many of its mall properties include Zellers locations. In addition, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union planned to hold demonstrations as many Zellers staffers were to be laid off instead of being retained by Target or Walmart. This was in marked contrast to the takeover of Woolco by Walmart in 1994, where all Woolco employees of the acquired stores were retained.


title: Zellers

text: The President and CEO of Zellers, Mark Foote, had a mandate to liquidate the 273 Zellers stores in preparing it for Target's takeover by October 2011. Foote's strategy was to use a blueprint of a retail liquidation, but without the typical insolvency and desperation that plagued failing chains. Foote focused on raising profits, even if that meant losing market share and reducing store traffic, by ramping up inventory levels of higher margin goods over loss leaders such as apparel over deeply discounted paper towels and detergent, and slashing costs. Foote also replaced the expensive fall television ad campaign with a social media blitz on Facebook. Reportedly, the strategy was paying off as Zellers operating profit was "well ahead of expectations and the retailer had performed very well in 2011.


title: Zellers

text: In March 2012, the first 50 Zellers stores were put in liquidation. This included all 39 Zellers stores slated to become Walmart outlets. By mid-June, the latter locations were closed to the public. On June 25, 2012, 17 more stores in Ontario were put in liquidation.


title: Zellers

text: The Hudson's Bay Company announced on July 26, 2012, that it would close most of the 64 remaining stores that were supposed to continue operating as Zellers outlets. A company spokesperson stated that these stores employ 6,400 people, or approximately 100 per location, range in size from 48,000 to 128,000 square feet and are mostly in small towns. The closings of these stores were to happen at the latest on March 31, 2013 which coincided with the deadline date the HBC had to vacate the sites acquired by Target. The HBC's main reason for closing the 64 remaining stores was due to Zellers lack of profitability. The HBC also remarked that it would not be viable to keep Zellers as an ongoing chain due to the geographical locations of the remaining 64 stores. The HBC did not exclude the possibility of keeping some stores open and converting them as The Bay or Home Outfitters outlets.


title: Zellers

text: After the deal with Target Corporation, HBC still a burden in half of the $226.4-million of Zellers lease obligations remaining through 2016, with the rent for 2012 alone being almost half of HBC's adjusted profit. With HBC preparing an initial public offering in late 2012, it either had terminated these liabilities with landlords at steep discounts or find new tenants to sublet the space.


title: Zellers

text: The final closing Zellers stores started their liquidation sale on December 26, 2012 and the company stopped accepting returns on January 31, 2013. Liquidators sold nearly all of Zellers merchandise, store fixtures and shopping carts at discounted prices.


title: Zellers

text: In January 2013, HBC revised its strategy and decided to keep a total of three stores open under the Zellers banner after March 31, 2013. Originally these included the store at Place Bourassa in Montreal North, Quebec but it closed in early 2014. Replacing it was a previously closed Zellers in Nepean, Ontario, which reopened on April 3, 2014, keeping the number of stores at three. In September 2014, the last Zellers in Western Canada located at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre in Surrey, British Columbia was closed, leaving only two stores remaining nationwide: at Kipling Queensway Mall in Etobicoke, Ontario and Bells Corners in Nepean, Ontario. Both locations were closed by January 26, 2020.


title: Zellers

text: These locations no longer operated as discount department stores, but instead as liquidation outlets for sister chain The Bay. HBC communications manager Tiffany Bourré described these locations as featuring fashion apparel and a refined home product offering with more from other HBC banners.


title: Zellers

text: In late August 2021, HBC relaunched the Zellers brand as a pop-up shop within a Hudson's Bay department store located at the Burlington Centre mall in Ontario. Essentially a store-within-a-store concept, it sports hanging Zellers logo banners, the classic red and white painted walls color scheme, and red floor lines to mark off one small section within the Hudsons Bay store. While offering a limited selection of goods, including Canada-branded apparel, bedding, housewares and toys, it mainly is intended to invoke a "fun and nostalgic experience" according to HBC. If proved successful, more locations could potentially use this concept in the future.


title: Zellers

text: Subsequent reporting by trade publication "Retail Insider" indicates the pop-up location may have been prompted by trademark filings by an unrelated group that has opened two stores under the Zellers (as well as Kmart Canada) brands, after HBC allowed a trademark on the Zellers logo to expire in 2020; HBC is suing the group to prevent what it alleges to be unauthorized use of a brand that it still controls.


title: Zellers

text: A year after the pop-up shop opened, HBC announced Zellers will be returning both as an e-commerce website and physical space within select Hudson Bay stores across Canada in early 2023. However retail analysts believe the re-introduction of Zellers is primarily due to HBC's lawsuit over protection of its trademark, using this as a demonstration of ownership of the brand, and doubts any successful expansion or revitalization of the former chain.


title: Zellers

text: Zellers operated stores from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia and employed over 35,000 people. The average store size was 94,000 square feet (8,700 m2). Zellers Select stores were designed for smaller markets with populations under 25,000, with stores averaged 45,000 square feet (4,200 m). Some multi level stores were equipped with a shopping cart system known as the Cartveyor, designed to transport shopping carts between floors next to a standard escalator, while there were few that were so small, they were equipped with elevators open to shoppers, such as with the Lawrence Square Shopping Centre location in the North York district of Toronto.


title: Zellers

text: In July 2010, Zellers unveiled prototype store designs in five Winnipeg locations, with two more originally planned for late 2010 and early 2011. One store opened on the lower floor of the downtown Winnipeg Bay store making it the first Bay Zellers hybrid store in the HBC family of stores.


title: Zellers

text: The Skillet, Zellers in-store restaurant brand, launched in 1960. The restaurants underwent several revisions and were branded as Zellers Family Restaurant before their demise.


title: Zellers

text: Almost every Zellers location had a pharmacy in it with a few stores in Quebec also having them. Prescription records were sold to other pharmacies in 2011 and Zellers pharmacies ceased operation throughout 2012. Zellers was subject to controversy regarding its sale of patient records.


title: Zellers

text: Although Zellers remained open until 2020 as a store liquidator for Hudson's Bay and Home Outfitters, the Zellers chain had also operated a few liquidation centres for its own merchandise. Those were typically former regular Zellers stores that had been converted as liquidation centres for a limited time before closing down for good. The Zellers Family restaurants continued operating in these liquidation centres.


title: Zellers

text: Products sold at Zellers included clothing, grocery, toys, electronics, furniture, and home supplies.


title: Zellers

text: All Zellers sold basic groceries such as dry snacks and other prepackaged foods. The Neighbourhood Market, which used to be available at some locations, was Zellers expanded section of grocery items, which included frozen and dairy aisles. Prototype stores in Winnipeg featured full grocery departments including fresh produce and baked goods. Such plans were dropped following Target Canada's acquisition of many Zellers leases. Some stores removed their The Neighbourhood Market section.


title: Zellers

text: Some labels exclusive to Target Corporation in the United States were previously exclusive to Zellers in Canada. After Target's acquisition of Zellers leases until its closure, Target Canada became the exclusive store for the following brands:


title: Zellers

text: However, Target Canada closed in 2015, leaving Wabasso, and Mossimo unavailable in Canada since then. Cherokee was then carried by Sears Canada for a short period, until it too closed in January 2018. With the demise of Zellers, Target Canada and Sears Canada, these brands are no longer carried in Canada.


title: Zellers

text: On January 6, 2012, CBC Television's "Marketplace" announced that Zellers received the title of Canada's Worst Customer Service as a department store, based on a survey conducted by CBC with the Léger Marketing research firm in eight metropolitan areas. The retailer refused to be interviewed by "Marketplace" host Erica Johnson regarding its ranking, providing her with a written statement instead. Zellers also did not offer a refund to the mystery shopper who bought a used coffeemaker that was presented as new, and attempted to return the product after the advertised 30 day return period. Zellers Customer Service did not respond to this customer's Twitter message seeking satisfactory resolution.


title: Zellers

text: Zellers ran a Festive Finale advertising campaign in late 2011. Zeddy was also used as a mascot to advertise the retailer's toy selection.


title: Zellers

text: The Festive Finale campaign was used to advertise Zellers last Christmas and holiday season sale in December 2011. There was a website called Zellers Facebook.ca which allowed customers to vote for their favourite coupon and musical genre. While Zellers recommended that customers have a Facebook account and Like the company, both of these steps were optional. It was also possible to record a radio commercial for Zellers Moonlight Madness sale by using a computer microphone and reading the site's teleprompter. Zellers also had social networking service accounts on Twitter and YouTube. Festive Finale was criticized for its Boxing Week coupon.


title: Zellers

text: As a Hudson's Bay Company subsidiary, Zellers promoted the Hudson's Bay Rewards program also available at Hudson's Bay and Home Outfitters. It had been known as Club Z and HBC Rewards. The program used a points card, available at no charge but only accepted by Zellers and other partners. A Hudson's Bay MasterCard issued by Capital One is also available, which rewards customers with one point per dollar spent on the card at any retailer. Any Zellers cashier failing to inform a customer about the HBC MasterCard had to give that customer 10,000 HBC points. This is equivalent to 250 Hudson's Bay points, or one eighth of the requirement for a $10 gift card. Hudson's Bay points can still be redeemed for Hudson's Bay gift cards.


title: Zellers

text: Zeddy is a teddy bear mascot used by Zellers all over Canada. He was first used in 1986 as an advertising campaign, and then rose to his popularity by the early 1990s. The main purpose of Zeddy was to advertise Toyland, the toy section in Zellers stores. Zellers provided a stuffed Zeddy bear for any child who had a birthday party sponsored by Zellers. There was also a Zellers employee in a giant Zeddy costume hosting the party. Lineup toys of Zeddy were also created. In the final months before the last of the Zellers stores were closed permanently, the company distributed large batches of stuffed Zeddy Bears for sale in stores throughout the network.


title: Zellers

text: Many stores feature a Zeddy Wheel ride, which accommodates one young child on a miniature ferris wheel type ride. The ride costs $1 and plays carnival music when in use. When no one is riding the wheel, Zeddy says on a regular basis, "Come ride with me! All aboard the Zeddy Wheel!" in an attempt to attract customers. Despite Zeddy being withdrawn as Zellers official mascot in 2005, the Zeddy Wheel remained in operation at stores featuring it unless it is out of service, and the voice track was unchanged over the years. Some wheels removed the big Zeddy sticker in favour of multiple, small generic stickers.


title: Zellers

text: During the Festive Finale campaign in 2011, Zeddy was reintroduced in weekly flyers for Zellers Toyland before closing their stores for Target or Walmart. The character was used as a static picture, but no animated television commercials of him were made during this season. However, some employees decided to wear the Zeddy costume to celebrate the return of this teddy bear. Shortly thereafter, in December 2011, Zellers launched a Zeddy Bucks promotion. Those who spent at least $50 before taxes on toys received a pair of red 2012 Summer Olympics mittens, plus a $10 Zeddy Bucks voucher. This voucher could only be used on a later date.


title: Zellers

text: With the last Zellers stores set to close in 2013, the Hudson's Bay Company announced in September 2012 that it was looking for a charity organization to adopt Zeddy so that the mascot could live on after Zellers. In a social media ad campaign, "Zellers Everything Must GO Including Zeddy", Zeddy was featured in an online video where the mascot was abandoned in the woods by a Zellers executive telling Zeddy that Zellers was liquidating, and everything must go, including him. Organizations were invited to submit on Zellers Facebook page what their plans for Zeddy were. There were over 30,000 votes, and the final three contenders were Autism Ontario, Camp Trillium and Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Voters selected Camp Trillium as the winner and chosen adopter. There are several notable Zeddy iterations including most famously, bush pilot Zeddy.


title: No Filter Tour

text: The No Filter Tour was a European/North American concert tour by the Rolling Stones which began on 9 September 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. The tour was scheduled to conclude in 2020 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour resumed in September 2021. A few weeks after that announcement, the Stones announced that drummer Charlie Watts underwent an unspecified medical procedure and that he would likely be unable to join the tour due to a lengthy recovery. Watts ultimately died on 24 August 2021. The band announced on 5 August that longtime Stones associate Steve Jordan would fill in as drummer for the 2021 dates.


title: No Filter Tour

text: The No Filter Tour was announced on 9 May 2017, with fourteen shows in twelve different venues across Europe in September and October of the same year. On 26 February 2018, fourteen new dates were added throughout Europe and the UK. The Stones logo was redesigned for the European leg by French designer Millinsky. With an overall attendance of 1,506,259 fans grossing $237.8 million, the tour was one of the most commercially successful concert tours of 2017 and 2018. The North American leg of the tour was officially announced on 19 November 2018 and was set to play 17 shows across the US and one in Canada, beginning on 20 April 2019 in Miami, Florida.


title: No Filter Tour

text: On 30 March 2019, it was announced that Mick Jagger would be receiving treatment for an unspecific medical condition, which forced the Stones to postpone the 17-date North American leg of the tour. The procedure took place in April 2019 at a New York City hospital. As a result, the band's headline performance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival had to be cancelled. It was initially announced that Fleetwood Mac would headline in place of the Stones, but they were also forced to cancel due to Stevie Nicks contracting influenza. The slot was filled by Widespread Panic.


title: No Filter Tour

text: On 4 April 2019, it was announced that Jagger's procedure was successful. On 16 May, the Rolling Stones announced that No Filter Tour would resume on 21 June with the 17 postponed dates rescheduled up to the end of August.


title: No Filter Tour

text: On 17 March 2020, the fifteen North American dates for May–July 2020 were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tour was rescheduled and resumed in September 2021, without Charlie Watts who had to undergo a medical procedure and died before the final leg of the tour. The band confirmed on 26 August that the tour will continue as planned. Steve Jordan will take his place in the lineup for the remainder of the tour.


title: No Filter Tour

text: The stage was designed by Stufish Entertainment Architects and built by Stageco and WIcreations. The stage consists of four LED video columns measuring 22 metres (72 ft) tall and 11 metres (36 ft) wide. Two metres (6.5 ft) below the top of the LED screens is an 8-metre (26.2 ft) wide gap to accommodate a row of nine moving spotlights with a transparent rain cover. A transparent roof structure covers the main stage to offer protection from weather. The main stage measures 60 metres (196.9 ft) wide. In 2017 and 2018, there was a 28-metre-long (26.2 ft) T-shaped catwalk and B-stage. For the 2019 leg of the tour, the B-stage was changed to a round design and the far ends of the main stage were extended into the crowd.


title: No Filter Tour

text: These setlists were performed at the 19 October 2017 concert held at the U Arena, Nanterre, the 22 May 2018 concert at London Stadium, London, and at the 5 August 2019 concert at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford. These do not represent all shows throughout the tour.


title: Chokutō

text: The is a straight, single-edged Japanese sword that was mainly produced prior to the 9th century. Its basic style is likely derived from similar swords of ancient China. Chokutō were used on foot for stabbing or slashing and were worn hung from the waist. Until the Heian period such swords were called , which should not be confused with "tachi" written as referring to curved swords.


title: Chokutō

text: The "tsurugi" was the earliest type of sword cast in Japan. The "chokutō", on the other hand, was among the earliest types of sword to be forged in Japan, its basic style and forging techniques probably originated in ancient China and Korea. The "chokutō" was brought to Japan by way of Korean Peninsula and China in the Han Dynasty times.


title: Chokutō

text: There are various types of "chokutō" in the Kofun period (300－538), and there are styles originated in China and styles unique to Japan. The "kantō-tachi" (環頭大刀) is a Chinese style, characterized by a ring-shaped ornament shaped like a dragon or a phoenix on the tip of the handle. The "Kabutsuchi-tachi" (頭椎大刀) is a unique Japanese style with a fist-like decoration on the tip of the handle. The "rokkaku-sōtōken" (鹿角装刀剣) is also unique to Japan and is decorated with deer antlers. As the name suggests, this style is also applied to "tsurugi (ken)".


title: Chokutō

text: The "chokutō" in various styles including these styles declined around the end of the Asuka period (593－710), and only the style called the "hōtō-tachi" (方頭大刀), in which the decoration on the tip of the handle was rectangular parallelepiped, survived from the Nara period (710－794).


title: Chokutō

text: "Chokutō" typically come in "hira-zukuri" and "kiriha-zukuri tsukurikomi" (blade styles) which make them very distinct from later "tachi" and "katana" which rarely use these forms. Swords of this period are classified as "jōkotō" and are often referred to in distinction from Japanese swords.


title: Chokutō

text: "Chokutō" as a weapon died out by the middle of the Heian period, in the 10th century. And as a weapon, it was completely replaced by the Japanese sword, which is known today for its deep and graceful curves. The first sword with this curve was called "Kenukigata-tachi ()", which was made by improving "Warabitetō ()" used by Emishi in Tohoku region. And "Kenukigata-tachi" evolved into "tachi", which became the mainstream of Japanese swords for a long time.


title: Chokutō

text: In today's Japan, straight swords made with the techniques after "tachi" (太刀), are also called "chokutō", and these are sometimes used in traditional ceremonies. The "Sugari no Ontachi" (須賀利御太刀) is one of the "chokutō" made as an offering to Amaterasu, the main enshrined "kami" of Ise Grand Shrine, and one of the most gorgeous sword mountings among the "chokutō". According to tradition, the building of Ise Grand Shrine and its sacred treasures have been recreated to the same specifications every 20 years since the seventh century. The "Sugari no Ontachi" currently offered to Ise Grand Shrine was remade in 2013 and is thought to have accurately inherited the style of sword mountings from the Heian period (794ー1185) and the forging method from the Sinto period (1596－1781).


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: The Apollo 15 postal covers incident, a 1972 NASA scandal, involved the astronauts of Apollo 15, who carried about 400 unauthorized postal covers into space and to the Moon's surface on the Lunar Module "Falcon". Some of the envelopes were sold at high prices by West German stamp dealer Hermann Sieger, and are known as "Sieger covers". The crew of Apollo 15, David Scott, Alfred Worden, and James Irwin, agreed to take payments for carrying the covers; though they returned the money, they were reprimanded by NASA. Amid much press coverage of the incident, the astronauts were called before a closed session of a Senate committee and never flew in space again.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: The three astronauts and an acquaintance, Horst Eiermann, had agreed to have the covers made and taken into space. Each astronaut was to receive about $7,000 (). Scott arranged to have the covers postmarked on the morning of the Apollo 15 launch on July 26, 1971. They were packaged for space and brought to him as he prepared for liftoff; he brought them aboard in a pocket of his space suit. They were not included on the list of the personal items he was taking into space. The covers spent July 30 to August 2 on the Moon inside "Falcon". On August 7, the date of splashdown, the covers were postmarked again on the recovery carrier . One hundred were sent to Eiermann (and passed on to Sieger); the remaining covers were divided among the astronauts.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: Worden had agreed to carry 144 additional covers, largely for an acquaintance, F. Herrick Herrick; these had been approved for travel to space. Apollo 15 carried a total of approximately 641 covers. In late 1971, when NASA learned that the Herrick covers were being sold, the astronauts' supervisor, Deke Slayton, warned Worden to avoid further commercialization of what he had been allowed to take into space. After Slayton heard of the Sieger arrangement, he removed the three as backup crew members for Apollo 17, though the astronauts had by then returned compensation from Sieger. The Sieger matter became generally known in the newspapers in June 1972. There was widespread coverage; some commentators argued that astronauts should not be allowed to reap personal profits from NASA missions.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: By 1977, all three former astronauts had left NASA. In 1983, Worden sued, and the covers were returned to them. One of the postal covers given to Sieger sold for over $50,000 in 2014 ().


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: After the start of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik I on October 4, 1957, astrophilately (space-related stamp collecting) began. Nations such as the United States and USSR issued commemorative postage stamps depicting spacecraft and satellites. Astrophilately was most popular during the years of the Apollo program's Moon landings from 1969 to 1972. Collectors and dealers sought philatelic souvenirs related to the American space flight program, often through specially-designed envelopes (known as covers). Cancelling covers submitted by the public became a major duty of the employees of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) post office on space mission launch days.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: The American astronauts participated in creating collectables. Beginning in the late 1960s, Harold G. Collins, head of the Mission Support Office at KSC, arranged for specially designed envelopes to be printed for the different missions, and to be canceled on the launch dates. Such unflown philatelic covers were often gifts for the astronauts' friends, or for employees of NASA and its contractors. Although it was not publicly known until September 1972, 15 of the men who entered space as Apollo program astronauts before Apollo 15 had agreed with a West German named Horst Eiermann to autograph 500 philatelic items (postcards and blocks of stamps) in exchange for $2,500. This included a member of each mission between Apollo 7 (1968) and Apollo 13 (1970). These items were not taken into space.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: The astronauts were allowed to take Personal Preference Kits (PPKs) into space with them. These small bags, with their contents limited in size and weight, contained personal items the astronauts wanted to be flown as souvenirs of the mission. As the spaceflights moved toward and culminated in the Moon landings, the public's fascination with items flown in space increased, as did their value.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: Covers were prepared by the crews and flown on Apollo 11, Apollo 13 and Apollo 14. Ed Mitchell, lunar module pilot for Apollo 14, took his to the Moon's surface in a PPK. These were often retained by the astronauts for many years; Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong kept his until he died, and they were not offered for sale until 2018, when one sold for $156,250.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: The Apollo 15 mission began when the Saturn V launch vehicle blasted off from KSC on July 26, 1971, and ended when the astronauts and the Command Module "Endeavour" were recovered by the helicopter carrier on August 7. Onboard "Endeavour" were Mission Commander David Scott, Command Module Pilot Alfred Worden and Lunar Module Pilot James Irwin. The Lunar Module "Falcon", with Scott and Irwin aboard, landed on the Moon on July 30, and remained there for just under 67 hours. The mission set several space records and was the first to use the lunar rover. Scott and Irwin rode it to explore the area around the landing site during three periods of extravehicular activity (EVA). On August 2, before finishing the final EVA and entering the Lunar Module, Scott used a special postmarking device to cancel a first day cover provided by the United States Postal Service bearing two new stamps, whose designs depicted lunar astronauts and a rover, commemorating the tenth anniversary of Americans entering space. That cover was returned to the Postal Service after the mission, and is now in the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: Eiermann knew a stamp dealer named Hermann Sieger from Lorch, West Germany. The two had met by chance while on a bus to observe the launch of Apollo 12 in late 1969; Eiermann heard by Sieger's Swabian inflection that they were from the same part of Germany, and invited him to his house. Sieger got the idea for the lunar covers after hearing that the Apollo 12 astronauts had taken a Bible with them. When Sieger learned that Eiermann knew many astronauts, he proposed that an Apollo crew be persuaded to take covers to the Moon. Eiermann did not think astronauts would take money to do so, but agreed to ask them when Sieger characterized the payments as investments for the astronauts' children. Eiermann did not mention Sieger's name in his approach to the astronauts.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: Eiermann lived in Cocoa Beach, Florida at the time of Apollo 15, and was a local representative of Los Angeles-based Dyna-Therm Corporation, which was a NASA contractor. According to Scott's autobiography, one night several months before launch, the astronauts' supervisor, Director of Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton, had Scott and the other crew members come to dinner at Eiermann's house; Scott described Eiermann as a longtime friend of Slayton. Worden, in his autobiography, agreed that the crew was invited to dinner there, but described Scott as inviting his crewmates, and did not mention involvement by Slayton. In his testimony before a congressional committee in 1972, Scott described Eiermann as a "friend of ours", someone with whom he had dined and who knew many people at KSC, including a number of the astronauts. Scott also told the committee that he had met Eiermann at a party, rather than through another astronaut.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: At the dinner, Eiermann proposed the astronauts carry 100 special stamp covers, to be flown to the Moon. Worden stated that he and Irwin, who had not previously gone into space, were assured that this was common practice. Worden recalled that the astronauts were told the covers would not be sold until some time in the future after the Apollo program had ended. They would receive $7,000 each. They were informed that other Apollo crews had made and profited from similar agreements. Earlier astronauts had been given free life insurance by "Life" magazine. This benefit was no longer available by the time of Apollo 15. Worden wrote that to ensure their families were provided for given the severe risks and dangers of their profession, the astronauts agreed to the deal, planning to put the payments aside as funds for their children. At the time, Scott earned $2,199 a month ($13,000 as of 2020) as an astronaut, Worden $1,715 and Irwin $2,235.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: According to Scott, the astronauts also decided the covers would make good gifts and requested an additional 100 each for a total of 400 covers. Scott indicated in his testimony that after discussion with his crewmates, he expected the covers to be a "very private and noncommercial enterprise." He added: "I admit that this is wrong. I understand it very clearly now. But at the time, for some naive and thoughtless reason, I did not understand the significance of it." Irwin wrote in his autobiography that the initial meeting with Eiermann took place in May 1971, and that the astronauts met with him twice thereafter. Eiermann relayed instructions from Sieger on how to prepare the covers: they were to be postmarked twice, at KSC on the date of launch and on the recovery ship on the date of splashdown, and carry a signed statement from the astronauts with a certification from a notary. The certification would make the covers more sellable in Europe, where a notary is a legal professional who often verifies the document, not just the signatures.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: An additional 144 covers were flown pursuant to an understanding between Worden and F. Herrick Herrick of Miami, a retired movie director and a stamp collector. According to a letter reporting on the stamp incident from NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, Clinton P. Anderson, Herrick was a friend of the three astronauts who had arranged for Worden, also a stamp collector, to buy an album full of stamps and proposed the astronauts take covers into space. These would be split and set aside for some years, and then sold. In his book Worden said he had been introduced to Herrick at lunch by former race car driver Jim Rathmann, and that Herrick proposed the plan. Worden also related his insistence the covers must be held, unsold and unpublicized, until after the Apollo program had ended, and he had retired from NASA and the Air Force. "I didn't want to do anything that would embarrass either myself or NASA, and I believed Herrick was as good as his word. It was a huge lapse in judgment on my part to trust this stranger. I was too old to believe in Santa Claus." In his 1972 testimony before the Senate committee, Worden described Herrick as a friend with whom he had had past dealings, and with whom he discussed the possibility of commemorative covers. According to a 1978 Justice Department report, before the Apollo 15 flight Herrick advised Worden that taking covers to the Moon would be a prudent investment because they would be valuable to stamp collectors.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: While Scott and his crewmates were completing their mission training, a controversy developed within NASA and Congress over some of the souvenir silver medallions the crew of Apollo 14 had carried to the Moon. The private Franklin Mint, which had supplied the medallions in question, melted down some of those that had been flown. These were mixed with a large quantity of other metal, and commemorative medallions were struck from the mass, used as a premium to attract people to pay to join the Franklin Mint Collector's Club. The fact that some part of the medals had flown to the Moon was used in the mint's advertisements. Because the Apollo 14 crew had accepted no money, they were not disciplined. Slayton reduced the number of medallions each member of Apollo 15 could take along by half. He warned the Apollo 15 crew against carrying any items into space that could make money for them or others. In August 1965, Slayton had issued regulations requiring that items astronauts planned to carry be listed, approved by him, and checked for safety in space if similar items had not already been flown. Each crew member was bound by NASA standards of conduct issued in 1967 forbidding using one's position to make money for oneself or another person.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: Eiermann was supposed to create the cachet for the special covers he had proposed, but time ran short and Scott did it instead. He used the Apollo 15 mission patch to create the design, and gave it to Collins of the Mission Support Office. Collins arranged with the Brevard Printing Company of Cocoa, Florida for the design to be reproduced on both regular and lightweight envelopes. The company performed the work and billed Alvin B. Bishop Jr. $156 for the lightweight envelopes and $209 for the regular ones. Bishop, a public relations executive who specialized in the aerospace industry, and knew many astronauts, created specially designed covers for a number of the Apollo missions, which he supplied only to the crew and their families. He was at the time employed by Hughes Enterprises in Las Vegas; the company paid the bill.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: Herrick secured the services of a commercial artist, Vance Johnson, with whom Worden discussed the design, resulting in 100 envelopes depicting the phases of the Moon. Worden listed these covers as part of the contents of his PPK for Slayton's approval, along with 44 first day covers that he owned. Ad-Pro Graphics, Inc. of Miami printed the Herrick envelopes, along with card inserts stating the accompanying cover had been carried on Apollo 15. Herrick paid the firm's bill of $50.50; he also obtained the postage stamps for the covers, and two rubber stamps stating the dates of the launch and splashdown. The design was printed on labels that were affixed to the envelopes. Not all Herrick covers are identical, as different cachets, rubber stamp impressions and combinations of postage stamps were used. Worden also carried a cover postmarked in 1928, autographed by aviation pioneer Orville Wright.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: In addition to those brought by Scott and by Worden, Irwin carried 96 covers, one with a "flown-to-the-Moon" theme, eight with an Apollo 15 design, and 87 covers honoring Apollo 12, carried as a favor for Barbara Gordon, wife of Apollo 12 astronaut Dick Gordon. Barbara Gordon, a stamp collector, had wanted her husband to take the covers on his lunar mission, but he had refused. The flown-to-the-moon cover was a favor for a friend of Dick Gordon. Apollo 15 carried the cover from the Postal Service to be canceled on the surface of the Moon. The agency also sent a backup, stowed in the Command Module with another cancellation device, for use on the homeward journey if Scott did not get to postmark the lunar cover.


title: Apollo 15 postal covers incident

text: All covers except the group of 400 had been approved by Slayton, who stated in his testimony that he would almost certainly have approved them if asked (assuming their weight could be negotiated with the Flight Manager), on condition that they stay in the Command Module and not go to the lunar surface. In July 1972, after the story broke, William Hines of the "Chicago Sun-Times" wrote that "the idea that this complicated caper could have been carried out without the knowledge and at least tacit permission of Slayton is regarded by people familiar with NASA as ludicrous. Slayton's tight rein over his sometimes fractious charges is legendary".