Here at Flex Technologies, we manufacture silicone products for the auto industry, among many others. Cars are no longer a luxury, but a necessity, and we are proud to provide silicone hoses and tubes to auto shops around the country. In honor of all the businesses working hard to keep our vehicles running day to day, we thought we would celebrate with article chock full of fun car facts.

Riding in Style (Maybe Too Much)

We have all seen a stretch limo pull up, and possibly marveled at how high class anyone who walks out of one looks. But have you ever wondered what the biggest, heaviest limousine in the world was? That title belongs to the "Midnight Rider" a hulking 50,560 limousine that can house up to 40 different passengers. It even has three separate lounges and a bar.

"Wash Me"

According to some studies, as many as 53 percent of vehicle owners around the world only wash their cars once every month. Okay, that is not too bad. But the surprising statistic from this study is that 16 percent of people never wash their cars at all. Hey, we guess for some getting from A to B is enough.

That's LA Traffic For Ya

We all know that LA traffic is just the worst. But did you know it was not always that way? As recently as 1972, the average driving speed in LA was 60 miles per hour. In one decade, by 1982, that number had dropped drastically to just 17 miles per hour. Sorry all you Angelenos, turn up those tunes and enjoy the sun, because it is going to be a long ride.

Not Sure Why, But Great!

Have you ever wondered how many people could fit into a smart car? Us neither, but apparently there are people who do. The record of the most people stuffed inside a smart car is 19, and was done in Karachi, Pakistan on December 15, 2010. The group that did this was the Pakistan Crashers at the Defense Authority Creek Club.

The Highest Ticket

We all hate getting tickets. The only thing worse than a driving ticket is an EXPENSIVE driving ticket. Have you ever wondered what the most expensive driving ticket ever issued was? It was a whopping 1,000,000 dollars, and was given to a man in Switzerland for going 180 miles per hour. In Switzerland, the driving penalties are based not just on speed (like in America), but also on the salary of the driver.

Ancient Race

Okay, this may not technically quality as "ancient", although it feels like it in car years. The first automobile race ever in the United States was held in Chicago in the year 1895. The average speed in the race of the winner, Frank Dureyea, was 71.5 miles per hour.

How Many Cars Does it Take to Drive the Human Race?

There are a lot of people in the world, which follows that there should be a lot of cars in the world too. While far from everyone owns a car, there are about 1 billion total cars in the world that are currently in use on the planet right now.

Manufacture Mania

So how did we ever get to where we had a billion cars actively running around the world? Our commitment to manufacturing is how. Every single day, there are about 165,000 different new cars produced.

To the Moon, Volvo!

We think we get pretty far in our cars in our little terrestrial playground, but have you ever wondered how cars would fair if they could drive through the universe at large? Not quite as well, as it would take almost six full months just to get to the moon by car, traveling at an average speed of 60 miles per hour.

Insert Part A Into Part B

Cars are marvels of engineering wonder, but have you ever considered how many parts actually go into making one? The answer is a lot. The average amount of car parts is 30,000. Try putting that back together!

Ethanol Extravaganza

You have probably heard about using ethanol (fuel produced from sugarcane) as an automotive fuel source before, and you may have realized that it never gained much popular traction in America. However, that does not mean it isn't viable; in Brazil, 92 percent of all new cars sold use ethanol.

Now That's Lasting Power

Rolls Royce is a trusted name in auto manufacturing. And it is no wonder too; 75 percent of all cars the company has ever produced are still actively on the road today.

We hope you enjoyed these fun car facts. If you work at an auto shop, and require silicone products for the auto industry, we here at Flex Technologies can help! Our silicone hoses and tubes are perfect for many auto applications. We also offer wholesale distributor and custom product design options. For more information about our silicone products, design, or delivery, please do not hesitate to give us a call today. One of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.