title: Self-driving car

text: Between manually driven vehicles (SAE Level 0) and fully autonomous vehicles (SAE Level 5), there are a variety of vehicle types that can be described to have some degree of automation. These are collectively known as semi-automated vehicles. As it could be a while before the technology and infrastructure are developed for full automation, it is likely that vehicles will have increasing levels of automation. These semi-automated vehicles could potentially harness many of the advantages of fully automated vehicles, while still keeping the driver in charge of the vehicle.


title: Self-driving car

text: Tesla vehicles are equipped with hardware that Tesla claims will allow full self driving in the future. In October 2020 Tesla released a "beta" version of its "Full Self-Driving" software to a small group of testers in the United States; however, this "Full Self-Driving" corresponds to level 2 autonomy.


title: Self-driving car

text: In 2017, BMW had been trying to make 7 Series as an automated car in public urban motorways of the United States, Germany and Israel before commercializing them in 2021. Although it was not realized, BMW is still preparing 7 Series to become the next manufacturer to reach Level 3 in the second half of 2022.


title: Self-driving car

text: In September 2021, Stellantis has presented its findings from a pilot programme testing Level 3 autonomous vehicles on public Italian highways.


title: Self-driving car

text: Stellantis's Highway Chauffeur claims Level 3 capabilities, which was tested on the Maserati Ghibli and Fiat 500X prototypes.


title: Self-driving car

text: In January 2022, Polestar, a Volvo Cars' brand, indicated its plan to offer Level 3 autonomous driving system in the Polestar 3 SUV, Volvo XC90 successor, with technologies from Luminar Technologies, Nvidia, and Zenseact.


title: Self-driving car

text: , Hyundai Motor Company is in the stage of enhancing cybersecurity of connected cars to put Level 3 self-driving Genesis G90 on Korean roads.


title: Self-driving car

text: In December 2022, Honda announced that it will enhance its Level 3 technology to function at any speed below legal limits on highways by 2029.


title: Self-driving car

text: In early 2023, Mercedes-Benz plans to submit an application for its Level 3 Drive Pilot in California and Nevada for approval by mid-2023.


title: Self-driving car

text: In July 2020, Toyota started testing with public demonstration rides on Lexus LS (fifth generation) based TRI-P4 with Level 4 capability.


title: Self-driving car

text: In August 2021, Toyota operated potentially Level 4 service using e-Palette around the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village.


title: Self-driving car

text: In September 2020, Mercedes-Benz introduced world's first commercial Level 4 Automated Valet Parking (AVP) system named "Intelligent Park Pilot" for its new S-Class. The system can be pre-installed but is conditional on future national legal approval.


title: Self-driving car

text: In September 2021, Honda started testing programme toward launch of Level 4 mobility service business in Japan under collaboration with Cruise and General Motors, using Cruise AV.


title: Self-driving car

text: In October 2021 at World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, Honda presented that they are already testing Level 4 technology on modified Legend Hybrid EX.


title: Self-driving car

text: At the end of the month, Honda explained that they are conducting verification project on Level 4 technology on a test course in Tochigi prefecture. Honda plans to test on public roads in early 2022.


title: Self-driving car

text: In February 2022, General Motors and Cruise have petitioned NHTSA for permission to build and deploy a self-driving vehicle, the Cruise Origin, which is without human controls like steering wheels or brake pedals. The car was developed with GM and Cruise investor Honda, and its production is expected to begin in late 2022 in Detroit at GM's Factory Zero.


title: Self-driving car

text: In April 2022, Honda unveiled its Level 4 mobility service partners to roll out in central Tokyo in the mid-2020s using the Cruse Origin.


title: Self-driving car

text: By September 2022, Japan version prototype of Cruise Origin for Tokyo was completed and started testing.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The Honda Prelude is a car produced by Japanese car manufacturer Honda from 1978 until 2001. The two-door coupe was loosely derived from the Honda Accord, and spanned five generations. The Prelude was used by Honda to introduce the Japanese Honda retail sales chain "Honda Verno," with the international release of the model following shortly after.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The Prelude name was originally trademarked by Toyota, but was amicably given to Honda for use. The Prelude complied with the series of music-themed vehicle names which Honda used at the time, along with the Accord, Quintet, Concerto, Jazz, and Ballade.


title: Honda Prelude

text: On 24 November 1978, the Prelude was launched to the Japanese market. It had its world premiere at the 1979 AutoRAI in Amsterdam, two months later. In Japan it was only available at the newly established dealership sales channel "Honda Verno". This dealership chain also introduced the Honda Quint, the Honda Ballade, and the Accord-based Honda Vigor as its largest sedan and hatchback. The four-wheel independent struts, brakes, and engine were all borrowed from the first generation Accord, but the chassis was all new and developed by chief engineer Hiroshi Kizawa expressly for the sporting Prelude. At 4,090 mm (length) x 1,635 mm (width) x 1,290 mm (height), it had quite a low and wide profile. The wheelbase was 2,320 mm, and was 60 mm shorter than that of the original Accord. Honda appears to have followed the successful introduction of the Toyota Celica example by taking a small car, like the Accord, installing a more powerful engine, and giving the body a short trunk, and a long engine hood. The Prelude (and period Accord) were the first cars under two liters to receive standard power steering. The Prelude also benefited from Honda's experience with sporting cars like the Honda S800 and Coupé 1300.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The Prelude was the first Honda model to offer a power moonroof as standard equipment, which eventually became a Prelude trademark. In Japan, the Prelude was available with a sliding metal sunroof, while US versions received a glass top which freed up more headroom. Japanese buyers were liable for slightly more annual road taxes over the smaller Civic, which also had a smaller engine. While marketed as a 2+2, the rear seat was not usable for anyone larger than a small child.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Initial reviews for the Prelude were favorable. "It is," wrote Brock Yates for "Motor Trend", "by any sane measurement, a splendid automobile. The machine, like all Hondas, embodies fabrication that is, in my opinion, surpassed only by the narrowest of margins by Mercedes-Benz. It is a relatively powerful little automobile by anybody's standards." "Motor Trend" measured an early Prelude completing the quarter-mile in 18.8 seconds at 70 mph. In terms of underpinnings it was mostly a Honda Accord, although its more compact package and lower weight allowed for a marginally higher top speed and gas mileage.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The standard engine at the time of introduction was the "EL" SOHC eight-valve 1,602 cc (non-CVCC) inline-four rated at at 5,000 rpm and at 3,500 rpm. It remained the only engine available for most markets, aside from the US and Japan. It featured a non-automatic choke with three positions and a two-barrel carburetor. In September 1978 the larger "EK" SOHC 12-valve 1,751 cc CVCC inline-four was introduced in Japan, rated at at 5,300 rpm (SAE gross). Automatics had five less horsepower. It took until March 1979 for the Prelude to appear in the United States, then with at 4,500 rpm and at 3,000 rpm (SAE net) from the larger 1.8 engine. The EK engine made use of an engine oil cooler and transistor-controlled ignition system.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Transmission choices were either the standard five-speed manual or initially a two-speed "Hondamatic" semi-automatic, which by October 1979 had been replaced by a three-speed automatic that used the final gear as the overdrive. In addition to the standard fabrics offered in most models, an 'Executive' option was offered in some markets which added power steering and Connolly leather upholstery. Honda used a single central gauge cluster design in this car which housed the speedometer and tachometer in one combined unit where both instrument's needles swept along the same arc. They also placed the compact AM/FM radio unit up high next to the gauge cluster. The Prelude featured intermittent wipers, tinted glass, and a remote trunk release. 1980 saw the introduction of the CVCC-II engine which employed the use of a catalytic converter and several other refinements that improved driveability, the Prelude also received a mild facelift in 1981. This facelift meant a return to a more traditional dashboard, rather than the much critiqued "Concentrated Target Meter" used before. The 1981 Prelude also received a stainless steel trim strip along the bumpers and side moldings, as well as a new grille. 313,000 units were manufactured by Honda from 1978 to 1982, with 80% being sold outside of Japan.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The Prelude was introduced in Europe during 1979, but was not a strong seller, its high asking price not helping its chances of sales success.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The second-generation Prelude was released in Japan on 25 November 1982 and worldwide in the spring of 1983. Riding on an all-new platform, the Prelude was initially available with an A18A or ET-2, 1.8 L 12-valve twin carburetor engine, producing 105 PS (77 kW). In Japan, Asia and Europe, it later became available with a 2-liter DOHC 16-valve PGM-FI engine (JDM = BA1, EU = BA2) although this engine was not released in Europe until 1986. The JDM B20A produced at 6300 rpm, while the European B20A1 produced only . This was the first generation of Prelude to have pop-up headlights, which allowed for a more aerodynamic front clip, reducing drag. Opening the headlights, however, especially at higher speeds, produced significantly more drag. The design retained nothing of the first generation, being considerably more aerodynamic and with large glass surfaces. As with the predecessor, it was amply equipped, with an air of "mini-gran turismo" rather than that of a sports car. It also offered, as an option, Honda's new "A.L.B." anti-lock brakes.


title: Honda Prelude

text: In Japan, the Prelude was one of the key models sold at Japanese Honda dealership sales channels, called "Honda Verno", which offered performance-oriented products. All "Honda Verno" products, like the Vigor, initially shared the concealed headlights introduced with this generation Prelude that would help identify "sports" products from Honda in Japan however, the approach was short-lived. The model with the 2.0 liter engine was regarded as the top level car in Japan because Japanese buyers were liable for a higher annual road tax over the car with the 1.8 liter engine. The Japanese 1.8 had CVCC and claimed , considerably more than export models.


title: Honda Prelude

text: When the 2-liter 16-valve DOHC engine came out the hood had to be slightly modified since the larger engine could not fit under the original hood. The original 1.8-liter engine was developed specifically for the Prelude to allow a low hoodline, even tilting the engine backward to make it lower yet. The European version also saw slight modifications to the rear lights and revised front and rear bumpers which were now color-matched. Due to the fairly low weight of the car () and high power (the 16-valve engine produced in Japanese trim), the car was relatively nimble in comparison to its competitors, which most Preludes had not been up to that time.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The North American 1983 model is identifiable by its standard painted steel wheels with bright trim rings (although alloy rims were optional). The 1984-87 base models had Civic-style full wheel covers. In Canada, a "Special Edition" trim was created, which is essentially the same as the USA 2.0Si "sport injected" model. Fuel injection was introduced in the "Si" models in 1985. North American 1.8's offered , while the later 2.0 has .


title: Honda Prelude

text: This version of the Prelude was far more popular in Britain than its predecessor, and sold well at a time when sports cars were declining in popularity and many manufacturers were withdrawing from this market sector; including Ford, who did not replace the Capri after its 1986 demise, even though it had been one of Britain's 10 most popular new cars as recently as 1980. The European lineup originally consisted of the base Prelude, without power steering, and the well-equipped EX which was also available with an automatic transmission and the A.L.B. brakes.


title: Honda Prelude

text: On 9 April 1987, the third-generation Prelude was released in the Japanese domestic market and released later that year worldwide, being a 1988 model in North America. Featuring evolutionary styling from its predecessor, it shared design cues from the Honda NSX that would be introduced later in 1990. The Prelude featured innovative features for its time such as a 0.34 drag coefficient, roof pillars made of high-strength metal and its signature feature, the available option of the world's first mechanical four-wheel steering system available in a mass-production passenger car. Honda had expected 30% of buyers to plump for four-wheel-steering, but the car was a runaway success in the home market and 80% of buyers did in the first year.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The third-generation Prelude was exclusively powered by variants of the Honda B20A engine, a base carbureted version with a SOHC 12-valve valvetrain, or a DOHC variant with Honda's PGM-FI fuel injection and 16 valves. The engine was tilted backwards by 18 degrees, which made it possible to make the hood lower than on the previous generation.


title: Honda Prelude

text: It was well received by judges of the European Car of the Year accolade for 1988, finished third in a contest where the Peugeot 405 was the runaway winner and the Citroën AX came second. This was one of the best performances by a Japanese built or branded car until the Nissan Micra won the award five years later.


title: Honda Prelude

text: In 1987, "Road & Track" published a test summary that shows the 1988 Honda Prelude 2.0Si 4WS outperforming every car of that year on the slalom, with a speed of , even besting exotics such as Porsche and Ferrari. For reference, the 1988 Chevrolet Corvette C4 took the same course at .


title: Honda Prelude

text: The facelift third-generation Prelude was revealed in Japan on 21 November 1989. The front and rear bumpers were revised on the new Prelude. The rear front bumper and rear tail lights featured clear indicators and a revised parking light design. Many of the interior parts were also revised, including the dash bezel, the door handle and window switches. The Japanese version of the Si with the B20A was rated 140 PS with the JDM engine and was rated for 37 MPG.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Along with the facelift, a new Prelude model was introduced to the Japanese domestic market, the Prelude INX. It featured fixed headlights, with a front fascia very similar to the contemporary Honda Legend coupe and Honda Accord of the same time period. It also featured chrome trim on the headlights front and rear bumpers, side moldings, tail lights and both front and rear windscreens to enhance the focus on luxury rather than sportiness. The Prelude INX coincided with changes to North American lighting requirements in the United States and Canada, and a greater focus on safety was offered with available anti-lock brakes and optional driver's side airbag exclusively offered on the Si/SR/S models.


title: Honda Prelude

text: In the US, the facelifted Prelude debuted for the 1990 model year, with the carbureted 2.0S model being discontinued. The fuel-injected 2.0Si became the entry-level model, being supplanted by a new Si model with the B21A1 engine, with Si 4WS or Si ALB (ABS) as optional trim models. The revised version of the B20A5, called the B21A1 was available. It was bored to with a total displacement of 2,056 cc producing up to and had a special cylinder liner featuring FRM (fiber reinforced metal) that is reported to be extremely tough. This causes premature piston ring wear contributing to exceptionally high oil consumption.


title: Honda Prelude

text: For the Canadian market, the S, SR and SR 4WS models were introduced for 1990. In 1991, SR ALB and SE models were introduced. The SE model was closer to the JDM and EDM models in that it was fully optioned with leather interior and was equipped with both 4WS and ALB.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Honda released two new special limited edition trim models in Japan in 1989 for the facelift Prelude, the Prelude SiStates and Prelude SiTCV. These cars were a limited production run and very few were built. SiStates catalogues indicate 3,000 built. They both featured standard 4WS, ALB, Viscous limited-slip differential (LSD) transmissions, TCS (SiTCV only), leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever, extra sound-deadening insulation on the firewall and hood, and many more features that were usually options. The SiStates also featured a Japanese version of the 2.1 liter B21A1 engine called the B21A rated at . Two major distinctions of the SiStates was that it was the same width as the Prelude sold in North America, from which it took its name, due to the wider side moldings. The other being that it was over 2.0 liters, a limitation in engine displacement in Japan for insurance reasons. The extra width and the larger engine combined to place the Prelude SiStates in a considerably higher tax bracket; while this slowed sales it also targeted some status hungry buyers. The SiStates model was only available with the MY8A LSD equipped automatic transmission. The SiTCV model was available with the MY8A automatic or the D2E4 5-speed manual transmission.


title: Honda Prelude

text: On 19 September 1991, the fourth-generation Prelude was introduced in Japan, and in Europe from early 1992. The car had a 58% front and 42% rear weight distribution. The four-wheel steering system was changed to an electronic version and the 4-cylinder engine was increased in displacement from 2.1 liters to 2.2 liters for the base model "S" (SOHC F22A1 engine, at 5,200 rpm, at 4,000 rpm) and "VTEC" model (DOHC VTEC H22A1, at 6,800 rpm, at 5,500 rpm), with a 2.3-liter for the "Si" (DOHC H23A1, at 5,800 rpm, at 5,300 rpm). The Japanese Si came with the F22B (2.2 L DOHC non-VTEC, ). The VTEC model had an upgraded brake system, going from a 10.3-inch (262 mm) front rotor to an 11.1-inch (282 mm) front rotor and utilizing larger brake caliper and pads, similar to those found in the Honda Vigor. Its styling approach is similar to the Honda Ascot Innova during the same time period.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Additionally, a 2.0i, single overhead cam (SOHC) model was released in Europe, rated at . 1993 was the last year that the "Si-VTEC" (BB4) name was used, and beginning in 1994 it was shortened to just "VTEC" and stayed that way throughout the rest of the generation. In some countries, the Prelude with 2.2 DOHC VTEC 4-cylinder engine was called the VTi-R. Later, the '96 prelude Si/SR was introduced with a 2.3 DOHC 4-cylinder engine. In Canada, the Si was called the SR, and the VTEC was called the SR-V. Due to the width dimensions and the engine displacement exceeding Japanese government regulations for vehicles classified as "compact", this generation Prelude obligated Japanese owners to yearly taxes.


title: Honda Prelude

text: This model also marked the end for the pop-up headlights. The 1992 Prelude incorporated other design features that had also become the "Prelude standard". The rear end was rounded and fairly high in comparison to the previous square trunk line. The front fascia of the car became wider with fixed headlights. The glass moonroof made way for a steel sliding sunroof which no longer retracted into the car but extended out and over it.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The light blue back lighting introduced in the third generation was continued. Later models (1994 and on) also featured translucent speedometer and tachometer needles. All VTEC & SE models received leather interior. Also featured was an 8-speaker audio system (Gathers DSP 8-speaker System) which included a center dash-mounted speaker and rear center subwoofer, while the U.S. version received only 7 speakers (center dash speaker not included). The Japanese version also included a digital climate control system. The Canadian version received some options which were not available in the United States. For instance, the Japanese Prelude had power folding mirrors as well as a rear windscreen wiper, while the Canadian market was the one to have heated mirrors and optional heated seats. The Japanese model came with optional Honda Access accessories such as Typus ski racks, under dash lights, headrest covers, a cabin air filter, and floor mats. Some of the Japanese domestic market fourth-generation Prelude VTECs did not come with options such as a sunroof and 4-wheel steering, as it was possible to skip these options when buying in Japan. The fourth-generation Prelude also shares some suspension components with the fifth-generation (1994–97) Honda Accord.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Introduced on 7 November 1996, the fifth generation retained an FF layout with an independent front suspension and 63/37 weight distribution. Most fifth-generation Honda Preludes came with aluminum alloy wheels with all-season 205/50 R16 87V tires, featured the 11.1-inch front brakes like the 1996 VTEC model, and most Preludes also received a 5-lug hub (not the 4-lug wheel hub of older models). The Prelude was only available in three models for Canada and two models for the US (the Base and Type SH). All models came with 16-inch alloy wheels and 200HP (203 PS). The 2.0i and JDM Si trims came with 195/60 R15 steel wheel, and the JDM Xi came with 14-inch steel wheels. Unlike the North American market Preludes, JDM Preludes came with rear windscreen wipers, except for the Xi. Australian and JDM Preludes weigh less than American and European models: VTi-R manual weighs , autos weigh , and the ATTS weighs . The ATTS model received Honda's Active Torque Transfer System; the equivalent model was called the Type S in Japan, VTi-S in Europe, and Type SH ("Super Handling") in North America. ATTS was designed to counteract the understeer inherent in a front-wheel drive car, but the Prelude's 63.1 percent front weight distribution was too much for the system to successfully mask.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The fifth-generation Prelude marked a return to the more square bodystyle of the third generation (1987–1991), in an attempt to curb slumping sales of the fourth-generation bodystyle. All models and trim packages stayed within the BB-chassis code (BB5-BB9) and housed either an H-series or F-Series engine:


title: Honda Prelude

text: For the 1999 model year, the Prelude received a mid-cycle refresh; this included a increase in power for manual ( from ) and automatic ( from ) transmission models, a new front grille featuring a small "Prelude" badge, an access door to the cabin air filtration system allowing for cabin air filter replacement without modifications, and changes to available colours.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Canadian-market Preludes were very similar to US models, although all were equipped with heated seats as standard equipment, and received a 4.5-liter washer fluid reservoir in place of the smaller 2.5-liter US spec. In 2001, Canada received a replacement for the Type SH, the SE trim level. The SE was mechanically identical to base models, but it came equipped with perforated, heated leather seats, Type SH Enkei rims, Type SH spoiler, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and simulated carbon fiber trim kit on the door panels and audio panel. The SE did not receive body colored side skirts as standard like the Type SH, and also did not feature the active torque transfer system (ATTS). Dealer accessories for Canadian vehicles included: carbon fiber audio panel, sunroof visor, 6-disc-in-dash CD changer, trunk mounted CD changer, cassette player, roof rack, gold plated emblem kit, gold plated exhaust finisher, leather shift knob, full and half nose mask, security system, and a cargo mat.


title: Honda Prelude

text: One version of the fifth generation Prelude, a high-performance model called the Type S, was only available in Japan. It was equipped with the 2.2 L H22A, featuring VTEC and producing at 7,200 rpm and 163 lbf·ft (221 N·m) at 6,500 rpm. With a compression ratio of 11.0:1, bore x stroke and VTEC-valve timing, lift and duration were adjusted to intake and exhaust. Honda also overhauled the air box and replaced it with a more efficient design that is often referred to as "Dynamic Chambering," along with a larger throttle body design bored to 62 mm (as opposed to the previous 60 mm). The exhaust system was also treated to a redesign, with the pipe cross sections becoming more cylindrical rather than oval. The three-way catalytic converter was also increased in size, as well as the exhaust piping from (tToV). In addition to a higher output engine Type S and like all ATTS equipped Preludes featured an overhauled front suspension layout which offered a more effective camber curve. The fifth generation curb weight was , and ground clearance was . The Type S, has an electronically controlled torque vectoring system attached to the manual transmission dubbed by Honda the Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS). The gearing on the Type S matches most other fifth-generation Preludes equipped with a manual transmission, excluding the five-speed 2.2 VTi VTEC which has a final drive ratio of 4.266:1. The Type S has an Active Control ABS system, different from the others which have the standard ABS systems. The interior featured newly developed synthentic materials called Cabron and Excene to upholster the seats which most people perceive as leather and Alcantara laced with red stitching. Manufacturer styling options included seat lettering. The exterior styling of fifth generation Preludes was standardized for most models. All had a sunroof except for the Japanese Type S and Xi trim.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Honda also released a special edition fifth generation Prelude, called Motegi. The name of this special edition derives from the ‘twin-ring Motegi’ motor-racing circuit, located in Haga District, Tochigi, Japan. This track was built in 1997 by Honda as part of their effort to bring the IndyCar series to Japan.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The Motegi edition Prelude featured an OEM Honda body kit, 17" Honda alloy wheels, lowered sports suspension and a Motegi badge on the trunk lid. All of these items, with the exception of the trunk lid badge, were optional on non-Motegi models.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Sales weakened beginning with the third generation Prelude, particularly due to competition from Honda's other offerings. The sixth-generation Accord coupe received an exclusive front fascia, rear tail lights, wheels and many other body panels, now being marketed alongside the Prelude with shared brochures in Canada, yet its sedan roots gave it much more utility than the comparatively cramped Prelude, and the option of a V6 engine gave North American buyers an appealing alternative. The sixth-generation Civic Si coupe was considerably less expensive than the Prelude as well, while also providing better fuel economy ratings. The Honda S2000 was another offering that while more expensive than the Prelude, offered rear wheel drive, a six-speed transmission, 40 extra horsepower, and a convertible top. The exterior dimensions of the Prelude were no longer in compliance with Japanese government regulations, and the additional costs resulting from this contributed to the popularity of smaller Honda products. US sales figures below.


title: Honda Prelude

text: In Australia, the safety performance of Honda Preludes manufactured between 1983 and 2001 was assessed in the "Buyers Guide to used Car Safety Ratings 2006", which was published by the Roads & Traffic Authority (a New South Wales, Australia, government agency). This publication concluded that the level of occupant protection in Preludes from 1983 to 1996 was at an "average" level, while in Preludes from 1997 to 2001 is "significantly better than average."


title: Honda Prelude

text: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States has determined frontal crash test ratings of Honda Preludes of different model years.


title: Honda Prelude

text: The Prelude was on "Car and Driver" magazine's annual Ten Best list ten times: three times from 1984 to 1986, and then seven times from 1992 to 1998, although the biggest complaint over much of the Prelude's lifespan was the lack of availability of a V-6 engine option, especially in the US.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Through the years, several German and US companies have converted Preludes into convertibles. There have been convertibles made from the first, second and fourth generation Preludes.


title: Honda Prelude

text: First generation Preludes were modified into full convertibles by several companies in both the US, Canada and Germany. The


title: Honda Prelude

text: Solaire Corporation, a company in Santa Ana California owned by Al Rowland & Jim Bruemmer, led the idea for mass market sales. He brought in craftsman Bruce Meyers (Known for the famous Meyers Manx Dune Buggy) to help design the tooling and fiberglass work for production. A believed 250 Preludes, between 1980 - 1982, were modified and sold to US Honda dealerships with full factory warranties. Dealer prices ranged from $14,000-$15,000, while the conversion itself sold around $5,000. Solaire collaborated with other companies including Classic Touch, Con-tec, Silcco, Steas Industries and National Coach. It was marketed as "Honda's 450 SL", drawing aesthetic comparisons to the Mercedes 450SL.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Tropic Design, located in Crailsheim, Germany. Company owner Jürgen Weber learned this trade in the United States. In all, they modified 47 Preludes. Very few have remained in Europe, initially all in Germany. Some have been sold over time to nearby countries, at least one to the Netherlands, one to France and one to Belgium.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Second generation Preludes were modified by another German company; some 100 Preludes were modified. No DOHC engine-equipped models have been known to be converted into convertibles, however. Three versions were available: a basic version, one which had more luxurious options, and one which added a body kit.


title: Honda Prelude

text: There is believed to be a few third generation preludes made however it is not confirmed how many were made. There is currently one confirmed Japanese imported third generation convertible Prelude currently in Australia though not much is known of its history.


title: Honda Prelude

text: Of the fourth generation Preludes, only some 15 were modified into a convertible by German company Honda-Autohaus Manfred Ernst. No details are known about the engine types and other specifics. Since only 15 were ever made, they are assumed by many to be custom-built.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise "Tomb Raider". She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around the world. Created by a team at British developer Core Design that included Toby Gard, the character first appeared in the video game "Tomb Raider" in 1996.


title: Lara Croft

text: Core Design handled the initial development of the character and the series. Inspired by strong female icons, Gard designed Lara Croft to counter stereotypical female characters. The company modified the character for subsequent titles, which included graphical improvements and gameplay additions. American developer Crystal Dynamics took over the series after the 2003 sequel "" was received poorly. The new developer rebooted the character along with the video game series by altering her physical proportions and giving her additional ways of interacting with game environments. Croft has been voiced by six actresses in the video game series: Shelley Blond (1996, 2022), Judith Gibbins (1997–98, 2022), Jonell Elliott (1999–2003, 2022), Keeley Hawes (2006–14, 2021), Camilla Luddington (2013–present), and Abigail Stahlschmidt (2015).


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft has further appeared in video game spin-offs, printed adaptations, a series of animated short films, feature films, and merchandise related to the series. The promotion of the character includes a brand of apparel and accessories, action figures, and model portrayals. She has been licensed for third-party promotion, including television and print advertisements, music-related appearances, and as a spokesmodel.


title: Lara Croft

text: Critics consider Lara Croft a significant game character in popular culture. She holds six "Guinness World Records", has a strong fan following, and is among the first video game characters to be successfully adapted to film. Lara Croft is also considered a sex symbol, one of the earliest in the industry to achieve widespread attention. The character's influence in the industry has been a point of contention among critics; viewpoints range from a positive agent of change in video games to a negative role model for young girls.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft is depicted as an athletic woman with brown eyes and dark auburn hair, frequently kept in a plait or ponytail. The character's classic costume is a turquoise leotard, light brown shorts, calf-high boots, and tall white socks. Accessories include fingerless gloves, a backpack, a utility belt with holsters on either side, and two pistols. The video game sequels introduced new outfits designed for different environments, such as underwater and cold weather. In the later games, Croft wears a crop top, camouflage pants and black or light brown shorts. When exploring, she often carries two pistols, but has used other weaponry throughout the series. She is fluent in several languages.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara's backstory has changed dramatically over the course of the series. During the first era, beginning in "Tomb Raider" (1996), game manuals describe the character as the Wimbledon, London-born daughter of Lord Henshingly Croft (Lord Richard Croft in "Legend" and "Survivor" timelines). She was raised as an aristocrat and betrothed to the fictitious Earl of Faringdon. Lara attended the Scottish boarding school Gordonstoun and a Swiss finishing school. At the age of twenty-one, she survived a plane crash, which left her stranded in the Himalayas for two weeks; the experience spurred her to shun her former life and seek other adventures around the world. Croft published books and other written works based on her exploits as a mercenary, big-game hunter, and master thief. These provided her with a replacement source of income after her father disowned her over her change in lifestyle.


title: Lara Croft

text: During the second era, which began with "" (2006), Lara's story was changed to be the daughter of archaeologist Lord Richard Croft, the Earl of Abingdon, and someone who was quickly identified as a highly talented individual while attending the Abingdon Girls School. The plane crash was changed to when Lara was nine years old, and with her mother, Amelia Croft. While searching for shelter, Lara and her mother took refuge in an ancient Nepalese temple, where Lara witnesses her mother vanish after tampering with an ancient sword. Her father later disappears in search of his wife. This spurs Lara on to seek the reason for her mother's disappearance.


title: Lara Croft

text: The third era, established in "Tomb Raider" (2013), deviates from the original plot considerably. When Lara was young she travelled with her parents on many of their archaeological expeditions which helped to shape the woman she was becoming. It was on one of these expeditions that her mother, Amelia Croft, vanished and was presumed dead and when her father Richard presumably took his own life a few years later, she was then left in the care of Conrad Roth. Even though she inherited a vast fortune, giving her the means to attend Cambridge with ease, Lara chose to study at University College London. Though this was a much tougher choice, it helped her become more grounded and level-headed than she might otherwise have been. She also ended up meeting her best friend, Samantha Nishimura, during her time at UCL. It was because of Sam's free spirit and a wild streak that Lara was able to experience much more of London than just the universities and museums that she loved so much. After travelling the world, both Lara and Sam end up on an expedition to the Dragon's Triangle off the Japanese coast in search of the lost civilization of Yamatai. It is on this expedition that Lara is stranded on a remote island full of natural, human and supernatural dangers, which enables her to develop from an untested young woman to a survivor. After experiencing the supernatural powers of the ancient world, she comes to realise her father was right about his theories and her hunger for adventure awakens. Although Lara had an independent life, including much international work, she was also able to maintain an active social life and healthy relationship.


title: Lara Croft

text: Core Design, a subsidiary of Eidos, created Lara Croft as the lead protagonist of its video game "Tomb Raider", which began development in 1993. Lead graphic artist Toby Gard went through about five designs before arriving at the character's final appearance. He initially envisioned a male lead character with a whip and a hat. Core Design co-founder Jeremy Smith characterised the design as derivative of Indiana Jones, and asked for more originality. Gard decided that a female character would work better from a design standpoint. He also cited "Virtua Fighter" as an influence; Gard noticed that while watching people play the game, players selected one of the two available female characters in the game almost every match he saw. Gard expressed a desire to counter stereotypical female characters, which he has characterised as "bimbos" or "dominatrix" types. Smith was sceptical of a female lead at first because few contemporary games featured them. He came to regard a female lead as a great hook and put faith in Gard's idea. Inspired by pop artist Neneh Cherry and comic book character Tank Girl, Gard experimented with different designs, including a muscular woman and a Nazi-like militant. He settled on a tough South American woman with a braid named Laura Cruz. Eidos management preferred a more "UK friendly" name, and it is claimed that "Lara Croft" was selected from similar-sounding British names found in an English telephone directory in Derby, where the Core Design developers were based. An alternate explanation is a homage to an accountant named Laura Croft. Along with the name change, the character's backstory was altered to incorporate a British origin.


title: Lara Croft

text: Gard was keen to animate the character realistically, an aspect he felt the industry at the time had disregarded. He sacrificed quick animations in favour of more fluid movement, believing that players would empathise with the character more easily. Lara's dual-wielding of pistols was inspired by the film "Hard Boiled" and an "Æon Flux" short. In the first "Tomb Raider", Croft's three-dimensional (3D) character model is made of around 230 polygons. The character's braid was removed from the model, but added back for subsequent iterations. Gavin Rummery, programmer on the first two "Tomb Raider" games, explained: "It had been dropped from the original because it just didn't work properly with all the acrobatic moves—it was more like she had an electric eel attached to her head that had a life of its own. But on TRII I came up with a way to get it working and was really pleased how natural it looked". Although widely reported that, while adjusting the character model, Gard accidentally increased the breasts' dimensions by 150 percent and the rest of the creative team argued to keep the change, Gard has stated that the notion "came out of a silly remark made in an interview". Core Design hired Shelley Blond to voice Croft after the game entered the beta phase of development. Gard left Core Design after completing "Tomb Raider", citing a lack of creative freedom and control over marketing decisions related to the ideas he developed (especially Lara Croft).


title: Lara Croft

text: Core Design improved and modified the character with each installment. Developers for "Tomb Raider II" increased the number of polygons in the character's model and added more realistic curves to its design. Other changes included new outfits and manoeuvres. Core Design reportedly planned to implement crawling as a new gameplay option, but the option did not appear until "Tomb Raider III". Actress Judith Gibbins took over voice acting responsibilities and stayed on through the third game. For "Tomb Raider III", the developers increased the number of polygons in Croft's 3D model to about 300, and introduced more abilities to the gameplay. Core Design wanted to reintroduce the character to players in "Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation" and included a flashback scenario with a younger Lara. The developers expanded the character's set of moves threefold to allow more interaction with the environment, like swinging on ropes and kicking open doors. The character model was altered to feature more realistic proportions, and Jonell Elliott replaced Gibbins as the voice of Lara Croft. By the time development for "The Last Revelation" began, Core Design had worked on the series constantly for four years and the staff felt they had exhausted their creativeness. Feeling the series lacked innovation, Core Design decided to kill the character and depicted Croft trapped by a cave-in during the final scenes of the game.


title: Lara Croft

text: The next title, "Tomb Raider Chronicles", depicted the late Lara Croft via her friends' flashbacks. The game introduced stealth attacks, which would carry over to the next game, "Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness". While the original development team worked on "Chronicles", Core Design assigned a new team to develop "The Angel of Darkness" for the PlayStation 2. Anticipating innovative changes from next-generation consoles, Adrian Smith—co-founder of Core Design—wanted to reinvent the character to keep pace with the updated technology. Core Design conducted market research, including fan polls, to aid in "The Angel of Darkness" development. The development team felt it could not alter the character and instead opted to place her in a situation different from previous games. The PlayStation 2 hardware allowed for more manoeuvres and a more detailed character model; the number of polygons in Croft's model increased to 4,400. The team sought to add more melee manoeuvres to better match Lara Croft's portrayal as an expert fighter in her backstory. Movement control was switched from the directional pad to the analogue control stick to provide more precision. After the original team finished "Chronicles", it joined the development of "The Angel of Darkness". Excess content, missed production deadlines, and Eidos' desire to time the game's launch to coincide with the release of the 2003 "Tomb Raider" film resulted in a poorly designed game; Croft was brought back to life without explanation and the character controls lacked precision.


title: Lara Croft

text: "The Angel of Darkness" was received poorly, prompting Eidos—fearing financial troubles from another unsuccessful game—to give development duties for future titles to Crystal Dynamics, another Eidos subsidiary. The "Legacy of Kain" development team began work on a new title ("Tomb Raider: Legend"), and Toby Gard returned to work as a consultant. The development team reassessed the brand value of the franchise and its protagonist. Chip Blundell, Eidos's vice-president of brand management, commented that the designers understood that fans saw the character and brand as their own, rather than Eidos's. With that in mind, the team retooled the franchise and character to emphasise aspects of the original game that made them unique. The storyline intended for a trilogy of games that started with "The Angel of Darkness" was abandoned and a new plot was created for "Legend".


title: Lara Croft

text: Crystal Dynamics focused on believability rather than realism to re-develop the character, posing decisions around the question, "What could Lara do?", and giving her action more freedom. The designers updated Lara Croft's move set to make her movements appear more fluid and continuous. The animations were also updated so the character could better interact with environmental objects. The developers introduced a feature that causes the character's skin and clothing to appear wet after swimming and dirty after rolling on the ground. Responding to criticism directed at the character controls in "The Angel of Darkness", Crystal Dynamics redesigned the character's control scheme to provide what it felt was the best third-person action experience. The developers also introduced close-quarter melee manoeuvres. Crystal Dynamics updated the character model to add more realism, but retained past design elements. The polygon count increased to over 9,800. More attention was paid to the character's lip synching and facial expressions to allow for dynamic emotional responses to in-game events. In redesigning the character's appearance, Crystal Dynamics updated Croft's hairstyle, wardrobe, and accessories. Her shirt was changed to a V-neck crop top, her body was given more muscle tone, and her hair braid was switched to a pony tail. The voice actor for Lara Croft was initially rumoured to be Rachel Weisz, but the role was eventually given to Keeley Hawes. Crystal Dynamics retained the design changes for the next game, "Tomb Raider: Anniversary", a remake of the first game. The designers aimed to portray Croft with more emotional depth, and focused on the character's desire to achieve the end goal of the game, culminating in killing one of the antagonists. The developers used the death to evoke guilt in Croft afterward and illustrate that shooting a person should be a difficult choice.


title: Lara Croft

text: "Tomb Raider: Underworld" continued the plot line established in "Legend". Crystal Dynamics used new technology to improve the character for seventh-generation consoles, focusing on improving realism. The dirt accumulation and water cleansing mechanic from "Legend" was altered to be a real-time mechanic that can involve the entire game environment. To achieve a more natural appearance, the developers added spherical harmonics to provide indirect lighting to in-game objects like Lara Croft. Crystal Dynamics made the character model more complex and detailed than previous instalments, featuring more texture layers that determine the appearance of shadows and reflective light on it, and using skeletal animation to portray believable movement. The number of polygons in the model increased to 32,000. The developers enhanced Croft's facial model by increasing the number of polygons, bones used in the animation skeleton, and graphical shaders in the face to add more detail and expressive capabilities. The hair was created as a real-time cloth simulation to further add realism to its shape and movement. The developers kept Croft's hair tied back because they felt a real person would not want it flying around while performing dangerous manoeuvres. The character's body size was increased and breast size reduced to portray more realistic proportions.


title: Lara Croft

text: The developers tried to redefine Lara Croft's actions by questioning what they felt the character was capable of. While previous games used hand-animated movement for the character, "Underworld" introduced motion capture-based animation to display more fluid, realistic movement and facial expressions. Stuntwoman and Olympic Gold medalist Heidi Moneymaker was the motion capture actress, and advised the designers on practical movements. Animators adjusted and blended the recorded animation to create seamless transitions between the separate moves and their simultaneous combinations. The blends and additional animations give the character more flexible movement. Actions were overlapped to allow for multitasking, such as aiming at two separate targets and shooting with one hand while the other holds an object collected from the environment. Other additions include more melee attacks, as well as contextual offensive and climbing manoeuvres. Crystal Dynamics sought to make the visual appearance of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions identical, although the systems used different techniques to achieve this. In response to "Underworld"s lackluster sales figures, Eidos reportedly considered altering the character's appearance to appeal more to female fans.


title: Lara Croft

text: Japanese game company Square Enix acquired Eidos in April 2009, restructuring Eidos into Square Enix Europe. Crystal Dynamics remained as developer of the "Tomb Raider" games. "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light" introduced co-operative gameplay to the series, a move that brand director Karl Stewart said was meant to "show [Lara] as a more humanistic character" by placing her in a situation that differed from previous instalments. The game uses the same technology featured in the studio's past "Tomb Raider" games. Despite the changes implemented in the titles, Crystal Dynamics believed that the series required further reinvention to stay relevant.


title: Lara Croft

text: In late 2010, Square Enix announced a franchise reboot titled "Tomb Raider"; the new Lara Croft would be a darker, grittier reimagining of the character. In examining the character, Crystal Dynamics concluded that Croft's largest failing was her "Teflon coating", and that it needed a more human version that players would care about. The studio sought a new voice actress, trialling dozens of relatively unknown performers.


title: Lara Croft

text: The second reboot focuses on the origin of the character, and as a result, changes the previous back story. Staff opted to first work on the character's biography rather than cosmetic aspects. Crystal Dynamics sought to avoid the embellished physique of past renditions and pushed for realistic proportions. In redesigning the character's appearance, the designers began with simple concepts and added features that it felt made Lara Croft iconic: a ponytail, "M-shaped" lips, and the spatial relationship between her eyes, mouth, and nose. The company also changed the character's wardrobe, focusing on what it believed was more functional and practical. In designing the outfits, staff aimed to create a look that was "relevant" and "youthful", but not too "trendy" or "hip". To gauge the redesign, Crystal Dynamics conducted eye tracking studies on subjects who viewed the new version and previous ones.


title: Lara Croft

text: Similar to "Underworld", the new "Tomb Raider" features motion capture-based animation. In an effort to present realism and emotion in the character, Crystal Dynamics captured face and voice performances to accompany the body performances. The company revamped Croft's in-game combat abilities. Crystal Dynamics aimed to make the "combat fresh to the franchise, competitive amongst [similar games], and relevant to the story". Among the changes is the implementation of a free aiming system. The studio reasoned that such a system would cause players to be more invested in the action by fostering a "raw, brutal, and desperate" style. Global brand director Karl Stewart stated that such desperation relates to the updated character's inexperience with violence. He further commented that Lara Croft is thrust into a situation where she is forced to kill, which will be a traumatic and defining moment for her.


title: Lara Croft

text: In June 2012, Crystal Dynamics confirmed Camilla Luddington as the voice of Lara Croft in the reboot. She reprised the role in two sequels: "Rise" (2015) and "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" (2018).


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft primarily appears in the "Tomb Raider" video game series published by Square Enix Europe (previously Eidos Interactive). The action-adventure games feature the protagonist travelling the world in search of rare objects and mystical artefacts. Croft first appeared in the 1996 video game "Tomb Raider", in which she competes against a rival archaeologist in search of an Atlantean artefact. "Tomb Raider II" (1997) centres on the search for the Dagger of Xian, which is sought by thieves. "Tomb Raider III" (1998) focuses on meteorite fragments that endow humans with supernatural powers. In "" (1999), the first depiction of a young Croft, she is accompanied by her mentor, Werner Von Croy. Lara searches for artefacts associated with the Egyptian god Horus, and later encounters Von Croy as an antagonist. In "Tomb Raider Chronicles" (2000), most of the game relates adventures told via flashbacks. The first portable game, "Tomb Raider" (2000), was released on the Game Boy Color, and follows the character's search for the Nightmare Stone. A second Game Boy Color title, "" (2001), sees Lara Croft facing off against a cult. The next portable game, "" (2002), was released on the Game Boy Advance, and focuses on three magical stones. "" (2003) was released on home platforms, centring on the murder of Professor Von Croy.


title: Lara Croft

text: Eidos rebooted the series with "" (2006), which focuses on Lara Croft's search for Excalibur and her mother, altering the character's backstory as part of the redesign. "" (2007), a remake of the first game in the series, carried over design elements from "Legend". "" (2008) continues the plot introduced in "Legend". The story centres on Croft's search for information about her mother's disappearance. In the process she learns of the existence of Thor's hammer, Mjölnir. "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light" (2010) is a downloadable game that is set in a Central American jungle, and features an ancient warrior who works with Lara Croft. In 2013, the series was rebooted a second time with the game "Tomb Raider", which retold the story of Lara's origins and began a new continuity. Its sequel "Rise of the Tomb Raider" was released in 2015, and the third game, "Shadow of the Tomb Raider", in 2018.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft also appears as a playable guest character in the fighting game "Brawlhalla". Additionally, Croft makes a cameo appearance in the PlayStation 5 game "Astro's Playroom".


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft appears in "Fortnite Battle Royale" sixth season of the second chapter and was featured in a "Team Up!" mode with Aloy from "Horizon Zero Dawn".


title: Lara Croft

text: Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights for "Tomb Raider" in 1998, which was released as "" in 2001. Producer Lloyd Levin stated that the film makers tried to capture the essence of the video game elements rather than duplicate them. Acknowledging the character's "huge fan base" and recognisable appearance, director Simon West sought an actress with acting ability as well as physical attributes similar to Croft. Paramount also received input from developer Core Design on casting. Rumoured actresses included Pamela Anderson, Demi Moore and Jeri Ryan. Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie was eventually cast to play Lara Croft. She had not been a fan of the character, but considered the role as a "big responsibility", citing anxiety about fans' high expectations. Producer Lawrence Gordon felt she was a perfect fit for the role. Jolie braided her hair and used minimal padding to increase her bust a cup size to 36D for the role. She felt that Croft's video game proportions were unrealistic, and wanted to avoid showing such proportions to young girls. Jolie trained rigorously for the action scenes required for the role, occasionally sustaining injuries. Her training focused on practising the physical skills necessary to perform the film's stunts. The difficulty of the training and injuries discouraged her, but she continued working through production. Jolie also encountered difficulties when working the guns, bungee jumping, and maneuvering with the braid. West had not anticipated that Jolie would do her own stunts, and was impressed, as was stunt coordinator Simon Crane, by the effort she put into them.


title: Lara Croft

text: Angelina Jolie reprised her role for a sequel, "". Directed by Jan de Bont, the 2003 film focused more on the character's development. De Bont praised Jolie's understanding of Lara Croft, as well as the character's strength, saying he "hates women in distress". Producer Levin commented that the film staff tried to handle the character properly, and consulted with the video game developers on what would be appropriate. Despite the second film's poor reception, Paramount remained open to releasing a third. Jolie was still optioned to play the character in a third film as late as 2007, though she had commented in 2004 that she had no intention of reprising the role again.


title: Lara Croft

text: In 1999, Eidos Interactive senior executive John Davis stated that Christmas Jones, played by the American actress Denise Richards in the "James Bond" series film "The World Is Not Enough", had been based on Lara Croft. Development for a third film was announced in 2009, with Dan Lin as the producer. Lin intended to reboot the film series with a young Croft in an origin story. In 2011, Olivia Wilde denied rumours that she would play the role, but still expressed interest. The film, originally meant for a 2013 release, was to be produced by Graham King, written by Marti Noxon and produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in partnership with King's studio GK Films. Alicia Vikander was cast in 2016 to play Lara in the next film adaptation. "Tomb Raider", directed by Roar Uthaug, was released in 2018 and takes inspiration mostly from the rebooted series that started in 2013. A sequel was in development, but was cancelled in July 2022 after MGM lost the film rights to the franchise due to its expiration.


title: Lara Croft

text: Beginning in 1997, the character regularly appeared in comics by Top Cow Productions. Lara Croft first appeared in a crossover in Sara Pezzini's "Witchblade", and later starred in her own comic book series in 1999. The series began with Dan Jurgens as the writer, featuring artwork by Andy Park and Jon Sibal. The stories were unrelated to the video games until issue 32 of the "Tomb Raider" series, which adapted "Angel of Darkness"s plot. The series ran for 50 issues in addition to special issues. Other printed adaptations are "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Amulet of Power", a 2003 novel written by Mike Resnick; "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Lost Cult", a 2004 novel written by E. E. Knight; and "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Man of Bronze", a 2005 novel written by James Alan Gardner.


title: Lara Croft

text: GameTap released "" in 2007 via the GameTap TV section of its website. The web series is a collection of ten short animated films that features re-imagined versions of Croft by well-known animators, comic book artists, and writers, including Jim Lee, Warren Ellis, and Peter Chung. Episodes ranged from five to seven and half minutes in length, featuring Minnie Driver as Croft. The creative staff was given considerable freedom to re-interpret the character; they did not consult the video game designers, but were given a guide listing acceptable and unacceptable practices.


title: Lara Croft

text: Eidos's German branch and the KMF agency handled marketing for Lara Croft. According to Eidos, no focus groups or scientific studies were consulted when devising the marketing strategy for the character. Eidos marketing manager David Burton oversaw marketing efforts, which attempted to portray the character as attractive and pleasant. However, interaction with the press, especially those in Europe, resulted in less clothing depicted in promotional images. Concerned with diluting Croft's personality, Eidos avoided products it felt did not fit the character. Ian Livingstone, Eidos's product acquisition director, commented that the company declines most merchandising proposals. He stated that Eidos primarily focused on game development and viewed such promotion outside video games as exposure for the character. Following Square Enix's acquisition, Eidos's marketing duties were transferred to the Square Enix Europe subsidiary. As part of the second reboot, Crystal Dynamics planned to align all products, promotions, and media ventures with its new version of the character.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft has appeared on the cover of multiple video game magazines. The character has also been featured on the cover of non-video game publications such as British style magazine "The Face", American news magazines "Time" and "Newsweek", German magazine "Focus", and the front page of British newspaper the "Financial Times". Eidos licensed the character for third party advertisements, including television ads for Visa, Lucozade drinks, G4 TV, "Brigitte" magazine, and SEAT cars (Seat Ibiza, Seat Cordoba, Seat Alhambra and Seat Arosa). "Retro Gamer" staff attributes Croft's "iconic" status in part to the Lucozade commercials, calling them one of the most memorable advertisements to use video game elements. Picture advertisements appeared on the sides of double-decker buses and walls of subway stations. Irish rock band U2 commissioned custom renders for video footage displayed on stage in its 1997 PopMart tour. German punk band Die Ärzte's 1998 music video for "Men are Pigs" () also features Croft. Music groups have dedicated songs to the character, culminating in the release of the album "A Tribute to Lara Croft". Bands and artists including Depeche Mode, Moby, Faith No More, Jimi Tenor, and Apollo 440 donated their songs for the album. In conjunction with the release of the 2001 film adaptation, Eidos licensed Lara Croft free-of-charge to the Gordonstoun boarding school for a commercial. The school approached Eidos about use of the character. Eidos allowed the one-time licence due to Core Design's inclusion of Gordonstoun in Croft's fictional biography without the school's permission. Near the end of 2006, Lara Croft became the spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation of Minden, Nevada as part of its Sun Smart Teen Program. The foundation felt that the character personified the benefits of a healthy body, and that young teenagers could relate to Croft.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft's likeness has been a model for merchandise. The first action figures were produced by Toy Biz, based on the video game version of the character. Playmates Toys released a series of action figures that depict Croft in different outfits and accessories from the video games, later producing figures modelled after Jolie for "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider". Graphic designer Marc Klinnert of Studio OXMOX released -scale model kits of the character, and later built a full-scale version. "Arcade: The Videogame Magazine" and "PlayStation Magazine" promoted life-size Croft statues as contest prizes. Spurred by a rumour that Eidos provided Lara Croft autographs, fans wrote to the company to obtain them. The quantity prompted Eidos to quickly produce autographed cards to meet demand. "Tomb Raider: Underworld" themes and wallpapers featuring the character were released for the PlayStation 3. Xbox Live Marketplace released Xbox 360 avatars in conjunction with "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light". Eidos released a brand of Lara Croft apparel and accessories, marketed under the label "LARA". The line included wallets, watches, bathrobes, and Zippo lighters. Other third-party apparel are hiking boots, backpacks, leather jackets, and thermoses. Croft's likeness has also appeared on French postage stamps, PlayStation memory cards, and trading cards as part of a collectible card game. In October 1997, Eidos held an art exhibition titled "Lara Goes Art" in Hamburg, Germany to promote "Tomb Raider II". The exhibit featured selected artwork of the character submitted by artists and fans. Pieces included oil and airbrushed paintings, photo comics, and Klinnert's model; SZM Studios provided the computer-generated footage it had created for Die Ärzte's music video and the "Brigitte" magazine television commercial.


title: Lara Croft

text: Eidos hired several models to portray Lara Croft at publicity events, promotions, trade shows, and photo shoots. Initially Eidos employed four models to dress as Lara for a photo call at a trade event, but after witnessing the unusually large crowd the models drew, they decided to expand the concept by casting a single official Lara who would role-play the character. Nathalie Cook was the first model to assume the role individually, portraying the character from 1996 to 1997. Cook was followed by British actress Rhona Mitra from 1997 to 1998. Eidos then updated the Croft costume to match its video game depiction. Core Design said they restricted Mitra's dialogue as the character, only allowing her to answer questions in-character if Core had reviewed the questions ahead of time and scripted answers. French model Vanessa Demouy succeeded Mitra for a brief time until fashion model Nell McAndrew took over the role at the 1998 Electronic Entertainment Expo. McAndrew portrayed Croft from 1998 until 1999, when Eidos fired her for posing in "Playboy", which used the character and "Tomb Raider" franchise to promote the McAndrew's issue without Eidos's approval. Core Design was granted an injunction against the magazine to protect the character's image; "Playboy" was ordered to place stickers on the cover of the issue to conceal the reference to "Tomb Raider". Eidos later donated McAndrew's Tomb Raider costume to a UNICEF charity auction.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Weller followed McAndrew from 1999 to 2000. Subsequent models were Lucy Clarkson from 2000 to 2002 and Jill de Jong, who wore a costume based on Lara Croft's new appearance in "Angel of Darkness" from 2002 to 2004. Karima Adebibe became the model from 2006 to 2008, and wore a costume based on the updated version of Croft in "Legend". She was the first model Eidos allowed to portray Lara Croft outside posing for photography. To prepare for the role, Adebibe trained in areas the character was expected to excel in like combat, motorcycling, elocution, and conduct. Gymnast Alison Carroll succeeded Adebibe in 2008 and featured apparel based on the character's appearance in "Underworld". Similar to Adebibe, Carroll received special training—Special Air Service (SAS) survival, weapons, and archaeology—to fill the role. Crystal Dynamics discontinued the use of models as part of the franchise's second reboot. The number of models prompted "Guinness World Records" to award the character an official record for the "most official real life stand-ins" in 2008.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft's introduction was widely regarded as an innovation in the video game market, with Rob Smith of "" describing her as a video game icon of that generation of games. "IGN" credited a rise in PlayStation sales in part to Croft's debut on the system, and "PlayStation Magazine" attributed the first title's success to the character. "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine" stated alternatively that "Tomb Raider"s PlayStation success propelled the character to prominence, making her a mascot for the system. "PlayStation Magazine" credits coverage in the "Financial Times" in 1997 as the starting point of the character's mainstream attention. Jeremy Smith commented that the "Financial Times" is "a very serious, sober, broadsheet newspaper, and hardly the place you might expect Lara to be 'discovered'. But Eidos had announced its latest financial results, which were great results, and so the "Financial Times" had decided to put Eidos on the front page. They'd been given some Eidos information and artwork, and they decided to use Lara to illustrate their news piece". He further said that Eidos had not actively courted Lara's early magazine cover appearances or otherwise actively promoted the character at the time. As years progressed, Lara Croft's popularity declined due to a string of poorly received video game sequels. "The Angel of Darkness" is often cited as the character's low point. IGN editor Colin Moriarty stated that while she began as an intelligent and strong female character, her games grew bland and Lara Croft became more like a "virtual blow-up doll".


title: Lara Croft

text: Crystal Dynamics' rendition of Croft in "Legend" garnered wide, though not universal, praise; many publications described the portrayal as a successful reboot. "Game Informer" named Lara Croft the number six top video game hero of 2006, citing the character's successful reprise in popularity. The magazine cited the character's alterations in "Legend" as the reason for her resurgent success. Chris Slate of "PlayStation Magazine" lauded the character changes in "Legend", commenting that "Lara is finally back". He praised Eidos's decision to switch developers and Crystal Dynamics' contributions, especially the character's new gameplay manoeuvres and updated appearance. Others, such as Schedeen and "GamePro"s Patrick Shaw, felt that the makeover did not improve the character. Fans also disapproved of the changes, especially the switch from the braid.


title: Lara Croft

text: Dr. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University described Lara Croft as a psychological tabula rasa. Richard Rouse of "Midway Games" attributed the character's appeal to a loosely defined personality, which permits players to imprint their own onto her. Jeremy Smith stated that the minimal personality allows players to form a relationship with the character, and that rather than taking on the role of the character they were sharing the game's experience with her. Burton added that Croft is perceived differently around the world. French demographics focus on her sex appeal, while German and British audiences are drawn to her aggressiveness and aloofness, respectively. Fansites dedicated to Lara Croft appeared on the internet in several languages after the release of "Tomb Raider", and contained official and fan-created images of Croft, model photographs, and fan fiction starring the character. More than 100 such sites were present by the end of 1998. By 2000, search engine HotBot yielded around 4,700 pages for a search of the character's name. Admirers discussed rumours related to Lara Croft via usenet newsgroups and ICQ chats. Enthusiasts collected merchandise and paraphernalia, submitted fan art to video game magazines, participated in Croft cosplay, and obtained tattoos depicting the character. One admirer rode a bike over from Amsterdam to Derby wearing Lara Croft-brand clothing to meet the developers, who welcomed him after learning of the trip.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft holds a "Guinness World Record" as the "most recognized female video game character", and received a star on the Walk of Game in San Francisco. "Game Informer" commented that the character is well liked around the world, particularly in England. "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine" described Croft as "one of today's premier videogame and movie heroes", and "Play" magazine described her as "3D gaming's first female superstar". Hartas called Croft one of the most famous game women, praising her independence. Karen Jones of "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine" described the character as "one of the biggest stars on the PlayStation". In 1998, "PlayStation Magazine" commented that Lara Croft was one of the most memorable characters on the PlayStation console, and echoed a similar statement in 2004. "Time" magazine writer Chris Taylor called her "the foundation of one of the most successful franchises in video-game history". In June 2010, "Entertainment Weekly" named her one of the 100 greatest characters of the last 20 years. In 2011, "Empire" ranked her as the fifth-greatest video game character. In the same year, readers of "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition" voted Lara Croft as the 7th-top video game character of all time. "Forbes" magazine routinely lists Lara Croft on its annual "Fictional 15" list of the richest fictional characters by net worth. "CNET"s Joal Ryan named Lara Croft the best female video game character of all time, while Sam Loveridge of "Digital Spy" listed her as the most iconic female video game character of all time. "Polygon" staff ranked her as one of the best video game characters of the 2010s. Colin Campbell praised the character, stating that "she shows surprisingly vulnerable insights as she ponders her own life choices". Campbell also noted that while Croft "remains a stubbornly male creation" the character has "come a long way". In 2021, "HobbyConsolas" named Lara Croft as second of their "The 30 best heroes of the last 30 years", while Rachel Weber of "GamesRadar" ranked Lara as 4th of their "50 iconic video game characters".


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft has become a sex symbol for video games, despite Toby Gard's intentions for her to be sexy "only because of her power". "Time" magazine's Kristina Dell considered her the first sex symbol of video games. Schedeen stated that Croft is among the first video game icons to be accepted as a mainstream sex symbol. Robert Ashley of "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine" described Lara Croft as the first video game character openly thought of as sexy, and attributed the appearance of similar 3D characters to her. Publications such as "Play", "GameTrailers", and "PlayStation Magazine" listed big breasts as one of the character's most famous attributes. After interviewing players in 1998, Griffiths commented that players regularly mention Croft's breasts when discussing her. In 2008, the character was first and second on two UGO Networks lists of hottest video game characters. "GameDaily" placed Lara Croft number one on a similar list that same year, and "PlayStation: The Official Magazine" awarded her honourable mention for Game Babe of the Year. Croft has appeared in several issues of "Play"s Girls of Gaming special and "PlayStation Magazine"s Swimsuit special. Layouts portray the character partially nude, in bikinis, and in revealing cocktail dresses, though "Tomb Raider: Underworld"s creative director Eric Lindstrom criticised such poses as out of character. He further stated that they conflict with Croft's popular strengths, and felt that fans respond more strongly to images of the character dressed more conservatively than to ones with provocative poses. "PlayStation Magazine"s staff agreed, commenting that better use of the character's sex appeal would please fans more.


title: Lara Croft

text: Male players have performed in-game actions to make Lara Croft repeatedly say phrases and view closer camera angles of her bust, while pornography featuring the character has been distributed via the internet. After the first game's release, rumours appeared on the internet about a cheat code to remove the character's clothes. Despite Core Design's denial of such a code, the rumour persisted, fuelled by manipulated nude images. The rumour lingered by the time "Legend" was released. "PlayStation Magazine" featured an April Fool's parody of Croft and the rumoured code referred to as "Nude Raider". Fans developed software patches to remove Lara Croft's clothing in the personal computer game releases.


title: Lara Croft

text: Reaction from groups have been mixed. The journal "Leonardo" noted some feminists' negative reaction to her design; though males were identifying with their feminine side through Croft, she reinforced unrealistic ideals about the female body. Australian feminist scholar Germaine Greer criticised her as an embodiment of male fantasies. In 1996 "Electronic Gaming Monthly" argued that rather than altering the state of women in games, Croft simply continued the trend of female characters in video games being large-breasted and scantily clad in an effort to appeal to the predominately male gaming audience, which had the overall impact of teaching gamers to see women as sex objects. "PlayStation Magazine" staff commented that Croft could be seen as either a role model for young independent girls or the embodiment of a male adolescent fantasy, though they later stated that the character does little to attract female demographics and was obviously designed with a male audience in mind. The magazine's editors also criticised Core Design's hypocritical attempts to downplay the character's sex appeal in public statements while releasing advertisements that prominently featured Lara Croft's sexuality. Graphic artist Heather Gibson attributed the "sexism" to participation from Eidos's marketing department.


title: Lara Croft

text: Author Mark Cohen attributed Lara Croft's eroticism among male fans to the character's appearance and a male protective instinct. German psychologist Oscar Holzberg described the protective behaviour as the result of the opportunity to act as a hero in virtual worlds and a fear of powerful, emancipated women. Jonathan Smith of "Arcade: The Videogame Magazine" similarly noted that male players often see themselves as "chivalrous protectors" while playing the game. Holzberg further stated that the lower psychological investment inherent to virtual characters is more comfortable for males. Cohen affirmed that despite blatant male appeal, Croft garnered a serious female audience. Eidos estimated by 2000, female consumers comprised 20–25 percent of "Tomb Raider" game purchases. Jeremy Smith argued that the series attracted more female players to video gaming, especially in Japan. Smith believed that Croft does not alienate prospective female players, representing an emancipated heroine and not simply an attractive character. According to Adrian Smith, the character was also popular with younger demographics that did not view her sexually. Cohen reasoned that Croft differs from other erotic characters and attractive leads, as the "Tomb Raider" games also feature rich action, impressive graphics, and intelligent puzzles; other such characters were unsuccessful because the game content was lacking. Amy Hennig of developer Naughty Dog and Griffiths echoed similar statements. "GamesRadar" editor Justin Towell nonetheless commented that he couldn't imagine a "Tomb Raider" game without a sexualised female lead.


title: Lara Croft

text: Griffith described Lara Croft as a flawed female influence. He stated that though the character is a step in the right direction, too many women view her as a "crudely realised male fantasy figure". Women in the video game industry describe the character as both a positive and negative influence. Ismini Roby of "WomenGamers.com" commented that Croft was not a sexist influence in 1996, attributed to the lack of prominent female characters in video games at the time. She stated that the over-sexualized appearance was overlooked because the character was a "breath of fresh air", but Roby felt that though Lara Croft's proportions have become more realistic, the character's personality was diluted by the developer's actions to appeal to a male audience. LesbianGamers.com's Tracy Whitelaw called the character a dichotomy, stating that though Croft is viewed as "idealized" with an "unattainable body", the character was a great stride for the propagation of female characters as video game protagonists.


title: Lara Croft

text: Lara Croft's 1996 debut is often cited as a catalyst for more female leads in video games. Kaiser Hwang of "PlayStation Magazine" commented that she "brought girl power" to video games. IGN argued that Croft helped redefine gender in video games by providing a different interpretation of what women could do. Several publications have used her as the standard to which later female video game characters have been compared. Video game publications like "PlayStation Magazine", IGN, "Edge", and "PlayStation: The Official Magazine" have labelled the character a video game and cultural icon. Jeremy Smith credits Croft with exposing the "Tomb Raider" games and video games in general to a wider audience. "Computer and Video Games" commented that Croft's appearance on the cover of "The Face" signalled a change in the perception of video games from "geeky" to mainstream. The character is honoured in the British city Derby, previous home to Core Design. In 2007, Radleigh Homes placed a blue plaque for Croft at the site of Core Design's former offices, now a block of flats. The Derby City Council opened a public vote in 2009 to name its new ring road. The winning choice, with 89% of over 27,000 votes, was "Lara Croft Way", and opened in July 2010. In 2020, Croft appeared on four commemorative UK postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail to celebrate classic UK video games.


title: Lara Croft

text: Yahoo! Movies and IGN credit Jolie's role in the first "Tomb Raider" film with significantly raising her profile and propelling her to international super-stardom, respectively. Jolie commented that young children would ask her to sign objects as Lara Croft. After filming for the first movie at the Cambodian temple Ta Prohm, the local inhabitants called it the "Angelina Jolie Temple" and local restaurants served Jolie's favourite alcoholic beverage advertised as "Tomb Raider cocktails". IGN's Jesse Schedeen described Croft as one of few characters to receive a decent videogame-to-movie adaptation. By 2008, the first "Tomb Raider" film was the highest-grossing video game film and the largest opening ever for a movie headlined by a woman. It became the second highest-grossing video game movie in 2010, after the release of "". In 2010, it became the second highest-grossing video game film, with "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" as the fourth.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Medgar Wiley Evers (; July 2, 1925June 12, 1963) was an American civil rights activist and the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi, who was murdered by Byron De La Beckwith. Evers, a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran who had served in World War II, was engaged in efforts to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi, end the segregation of public facilities, and expand opportunities for African Americans including the enforcement of voting rights.


title: Medgar Evers

text: A college graduate, Evers became active in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. Following the 1954 ruling of the United States Supreme Court in "Brown v. Board of Education" that segregated public schools were unconstitutional, Evers challenged the segregation of the state-supported public University of Mississippi, applying to law school there. He also worked for voting rights, economic opportunity, access to public facilities, and other changes in the segregated society. Evers was awarded the 1963 NAACP Spingarn Medal.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers was murdered in 1963 at his home in Jackson, Mississippi, now the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, by Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens' Council in Jackson. This group was formed in 1954 in Mississippi to resist the integration of schools and civil rights activism. As a veteran, Evers was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His murder and the resulting trials inspired civil rights protests, and his life and death inspired numerous works of art, music, and film. Although all-white juries failed to reach verdicts in Beckwith's first two trials in the 1960s, he was convicted in 1994 based on new evidence.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Medgar's widow, Myrlie Evers, became a noted activist in her own right, serving as national chair of the NAACP. In 1969 his brother Charles became the first African American to be elected mayor of a Mississippi city in the post-Reconstruction era.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers was born on July 2, 1925, in Decatur, Mississippi, the third of five children (including elder brother Charles Evers) of Jesse (Wright) and James Evers. The family included Jesse's two children from a previous marriage. The Evers family owned a small farm and James also worked at a sawmill. Evers and his siblings walked a day to attend segregated schools; eventually Medgar earned his high school diploma.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers served in the United States Army during World War II from 1943 to 1945. He was sent to the European Theater where he fought in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944. After the end of the war, Evers was honorably discharged as a sergeant.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In 1948, Evers enrolled at Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (a historically black college, now Alcorn State University), majoring in business administration. He also competed on the debate, football, and track teams, sang in the choir, and was junior class president. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1952.


title: Medgar Evers

text: On December 24, 1951, he married classmate Myrlie Beasley. Together they had three children: Darrell Kenyatta, Reena Denise, and James Van Dyke Evers.


title: Medgar Evers

text: The couple moved to Mound Bayou, Mississippi, a town developed by African Americans, where Evers became a salesman for T. R. M. Howard's Magnolia Mutual Life Insurance Company.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers was also president of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership (RCNL), which began to organize actions for civil rights; Evers helped organize the RCNL's boycott of gasoline stations that denied blacks the use of the stations' restrooms.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers and his brother Charles attended the RCNL's annual conferences in Mound Bayou between 1952 and 1954, which drew crowds of 10,000 or more.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In 1954, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision that segregated public schools were unconstitutional, Evers applied to the state-supported University of Mississippi Law School, but his application was rejected because of his race. He submitted his application as part of a test case by the NAACP.


title: Medgar Evers

text: On November 24, 1954, Evers was named as the NAACP's first field secretary for Mississippi. In this position, he helped organize boycotts and set up new local chapters of the NAACP. He was involved with James Meredith's efforts to enroll in the University of Mississippi in the early 1960s.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers also encouraged Dr. Gilbert Mason Sr. in his organizing of the Biloxi wade-ins from 1959 to 1963, protests against segregation of the city's public beaches on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Evers conducted actions to help integrate Jackson's privately owned buses and tried to integrate the public parks. He led voter registration drives, and used boycotts to integrate Leake County schools and the Mississippi State Fair.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers's civil rights leadership, along with his investigative work, made him a target of white supremacists. Following the "Brown v. Board of Education" decision, local whites founded the White Citizens' Council in Mississippi, and numerous local chapters were started, to resist the integration of schools and facilities. In the weeks before Evers was killed, he encountered new levels of hostility. His public investigations into the 1955 lynching of Chicago teenager Emmett Till in Mississippi, and his vocal support of Clyde Kennard, had made him a prominent black leader. On May 28, 1963, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the carport of his home. On June 7, 1963, Evers was nearly run down by a car after he came out of the NAACP office in Jackson, Mississippi.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Medgar Evers lived with the constant threat of death. A large white supremacist population and the Ku Klux Klan were present in Jackson and its suburbs. The risk was so high that before his death, Evers and his wife Myrlie had trained their children on what to do in case of a shooting, bombing or other kind of attack on their lives. Evers, who was regularly followed home by at least two FBI cars and one police car, arrived at his home on the morning of his death without an escort. None of his usual protection was present, for reasons unspecified by the FBI or local police. There has been speculation that many members of the police force at the time were members of the Klan.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In the early morning of Wednesday, June 12, 1963, just hours after President John F. Kennedy's nationally televised Civil Rights Address, Evers pulled into his driveway after returning from a meeting with NAACP lawyers. Evers's family had worried for his safety that day, and Evers himself had warned his wife that he felt in greater danger than usual.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Emerging from his car and carrying NAACP T-shirts that read "Jim Crow Must Go", Evers was struck in the back with a bullet fired from an Eddystone Enfield 1917 rifle; the bullet passed through his heart. Initially thrown to the ground by the impact of the shot, Evers rose and staggered before collapsing outside his front door. His wife, Myrlie, was the first to find him.


title: Medgar Evers

text: He was taken to the local hospital in Jackson, where he was initially refused entry because of his race. His family explained who he was and he was admitted; he died in the hospital 50 minutes later. He was 37 years old. Evers was the first black man to be admitted to an all-white hospital in Mississippi. Mourned nationally, Evers was buried on June 19 in Arlington National Cemetery, where he received full military honors before a crowd of more than 3,000.


title: Medgar Evers

text: After Evers was assassinated, an estimated 5,000 people marched from the Masonic Temple on Lynch Street to the Collins Funeral Home on North Farish Street in Jackson. Allen Johnson, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders led the procession. The Mississippi police came to the non-violent protest armed with riot gear and rifles. While tensions were initially high in the stand-off between police and marchers, both in Jackson and in many similar marches around the state, leaders of the movement maintained nonviolence among their followers.


title: Medgar Evers

text: On June 21, 1963, Byron De La Beckwith, a fertilizer salesman and member of the Citizens' Council (and later of the Ku Klux Klan), was arrested for Evers's murder. District Attorney and future governor Bill Waller prosecuted De La Beckwith. All-white juries in February and April 1964 deadlocked on De La Beckwith's guilt and failed to reach a verdict. At the time, most black people were still disenfranchised by Mississippi's constitution and voter registration practices; this meant they were also excluded from juries, which were drawn from the pool of registered voters.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Myrlie Evers did not give up the fight for the conviction of her husband's killer. She waited until a new judge had been assigned in the county to take her case against De La Beckwith back into the courtroom. In 1994, De La Beckwith was prosecuted by the state based on new evidence. Bobby DeLaughter was the prosecutor. During the trial, the body of Evers was exhumed for an autopsy.


title: Medgar Evers

text: De La Beckwith was convicted of murder on February 5, 1994, after having lived as a free man for much of the three decades following the killing. (He had been imprisoned from 1977 to 1980 on separate charges: conspiring to murder A. I. Botnick.) In 1997, De La Beckwith appealed his conviction in the Evers case, but the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld it and the US Supreme Court declined to hear it. He died at age 80 in prison on January 21, 2001.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers was memorialized by leading Mississippi and national authors both black and white: James Baldwin, Margaret Walker, Eudora Welty, and Anne Moody. In 1963, Evers was posthumously awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP. In 1969, Medgar Evers College was established in Brooklyn, New York, as part of the City University of New York.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers's widow Myrlie Evers co-wrote the 1967 book "For Us, the Living" with William Peters. In 1983, based on the book. Celebrating Evers's life and career, it starred Howard Rollins Jr. and Irene Cara as Medgar and Myrlie Evers, airing on PBS. The film won the Writers Guild of America award for Best Adapted Drama.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In 1969, a community pool in the Central District neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, was named after Evers, honoring his life.


title: Medgar Evers

text: On June 28, 1992, the city of Jackson, Mississippi, erected a statue in honor of Evers. All of Delta Drive (part of U.S. Highway 49) in Jackson was renamed in Evers's honor. In December 2004, the Jackson City Council changed the name of the city's airport to Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in his honor.


title: Medgar Evers

text: His widow Myrlie Evers became a noted activist in her own right, eventually serving as national chairperson of the NAACP. Myrlie also founded the Medgar Evers Institute in 1998, with the initial goal of preserving and advancing the legacy of Medgar Evers's life's work. Anticipating the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Medgar Evers and recognizing the international leadership role of Myrlie Evers, the Institute's board of directors changed the organization's name to the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Medgar's brother Charles Evers returned to Jackson in July 1963, and served briefly with the NAACP in his slain brother's place. He remained involved in Mississippi civil rights activities for many years, and in 1969, was the first African-American mayor elected in the state. He died on July 22, 2020, aged 97.


title: Medgar Evers

text: On the 40th anniversary of Evers's assassination, hundreds of civil rights veterans, government officials, and students from across the country gathered around his grave site at Arlington National Cemetery to celebrate his life and legacy. Barry Bradford and three students—Sharmistha Dev, Jajah Wu, and Debra Siegel, formerly of Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois—planned and hosted the commemoration in his honor. Evers was the subject of the students' research project.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In October 2009, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former Mississippi governor, announced that , a , would be named in the activist's honor. The ship was christened by Myrlie Evers-Williams on November 12, 2011.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In June 2013, a statue of Evers was erected at his alma mater, Alcorn State University, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death. Alumni and guests from around the world gathered to recognize his contributions to American society.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Evers was honored in a tribute at Arlington National Cemetery on the 50th anniversary of his death. Former President Bill Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Senator Roger Wicker, and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous all spoke commemorating Evers. Evers's widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, spoke of his contributions to the advancement of civil rights:


title: Medgar Evers

text: Medgar was a man who never wanted adoration, who never wanted to be in the limelight. He was a man who saw a job that needed to be done and he answered the call and the fight for freedom, dignity and justice not just for his people but all people.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In 2017, the Medgar and Myrlie Evers House was named as a National Historic Landmark. In 2019, the site was designated a National Monument.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Musician Bob Dylan wrote his song "Only a Pawn in Their Game" about the assassination on July 2, 1963, on what would have been Evers's 38th birthday. Nina Simone wrote and sang "Mississippi Goddam" about the Evers case. Phil Ochs referred to Evers in the song "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" and wrote the songs "Another Country" and "Too Many Martyrs" (also titled "The Ballad of Medgar Evers") in response to the killing. Malvina Reynolds referenced Evers's murder in her song, "It Isn't Nice". Matthew Jones and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Freedom Singers recorded a version of the latter song. Wadada Leo Smith's album "Ten Freedom Summers" contains a track called "Medgar Evers: A Love-Voice of a Thousand Years' Journey for Liberty and Justice". Jackson C. Frank's self-titled debut album, released in 1965, also includes a reference to Medgar Evers in the song "Don't Look Back".


title: Medgar Evers

text: Eudora Welty's short story, "Where Is the Voice Coming From?", in which the speaker is the imagined assassin of Medgar Evers, was published in "The New Yorker" in July 1963.


title: Medgar Evers

text: Attorney Robert DeLaughter wrote a first-person narrative article entitled "Mississippi Justice" published in "Reader's Digest" about his experiences as state prosecutor in the murder trial. He added to this account in a book, "Never Too Late: A Prosecutor's Story of Justice in the Medgar Evers Case" (2001).


title: Medgar Evers

text: The film "Ghosts of Mississippi" (1996), directed by Rob Reiner, explores the 1994 trial of De La Beckwith in which prosecutor DeLaughter of the Hinds County District Attorney's office secured a conviction in state court. Beckwith and DeLaughter were played by James Woods and Alec Baldwin, respectively; Whoopi Goldberg played Myrlie Evers. Evers was portrayed by James Pickens Jr. The film was based on a book of the same name.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In the documentary film "I Am Not Your Negro" (2016), Evers is one of three black activists (the other two are Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X) who are the focus of reminiscences by author James Baldwin. Baldwin recounts the circumstances of and his reaction to Evers's assassination.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In the 2011 film "The Help", a clip of Medgar Evers speaking for civil rights is shown on TV, quickly followed by news of his assassination, and a glimpse of an article by his widow published in "Life" magazine.


title: Medgar Evers

text: In the 2022 film Till (film), Medgar Evers helped Mamie Till-Bradley seek justice for the murder of her son, Emmett Till.