Sales of new vehicles to the end of October were more than 3 per cent up on the same period last year, says the Land Transport Safety Authority. Toyota is the leader of the pack so far this year with 17.1 per cent of sales, followed by Ford (16.2), Holden (13.1), Nissan (10.2), Mitsubishi (9.5), Honda (4.6), and Mazda and Hyundai each with 4.3 per cent. October's 7190 sales were the highest since March. Ford topped the month with 1345 new vehicles, followed by Toyota (1083), Holden (1077), Mitsubishi (642), Nissan (571), Hyundai (475), Honda (404) and Mazda (328).
City of hails
Sydney has 7000 taxis and four million people, or roughly one taxi for every 572 people. Auckland has 3800 taxis and 1.1 million people, or one for every 266 people. If Auckland had Sydney's population it would have about 13,800 taxis. Scary, isn't it?
Fierce Bathurst contest
More than 18,000 New Zealanders are in the draw to win a $60,000 Tickford-badged Ford Falcon XR8 in tomorrow's Bathurst race. Ford, TV One and oil company Shell got together to promote the giveaway using an 0900 number, where viewers of the Shell Helix Motorsport show had to correctly answer a question to be eligible. "It's the most popular sports competition we have ever run," said TVNZ product manager Marisa Carter. The winner of the car will be drawn during TV One's coverage of the race.
Don't have a cow, man
Triple world rally champion Tommi Makinen, describing his worst crash: "It was in Corsica in 1997. I was flat out in sixth through a gentle right-hander, with bushes along the side of the road. Suddenly, two cows walked out of the bushes. I didn't even have time to brake, I just lifted off the power. The first cow hit the car and went up over the windscreen. We then went into a wall and over a 40-metre drop. As we were on our way down I remember thinking, 'This is going to be a big one ... I'd better switch the engine off.' Then we hit."
Let's get it fitted
Plunket safety adviser Sue Campbell says up to 75 per cent of children in New Zealand are travelling in incorrectly fitted child seats. "With 288,750 children under age 5 in New Zealand, the number at risk is too high," she said. "The main problems are that fitment instructions are not followed, restraints are too loose, the tether strap is not used, or the restraints are damaged or past their use-by date." In the 12 months to September 2000, 12 children under 5 died in car crashes. The police are randomly checking child restraints throughout the country this month.
Classy carry-all
The Citroen Picasso, a people-mover based on the Xsara platform, is on show this weekend at Big Boys Toys. It is features as well on Triangle Television tonight when Auto Motor and Sports puts it up against another classy carry-all, the Nissan Tino. The 8.30 show looks at Formula One champion Michael Schumacher's million-dollar mobile gym, road tests the new Volvo S60, and focuses on a jet-powered tricycle.
We are the world
* Jac Nasser and his wife Jennifer have divorced after 30 years of marriage. Australian Nasser is the international boss of Ford.
* Kurt Kisler, 19, broke into a van in Hamburg, Germany. But he didn't get far. It was a police stakeout van - full of policemen.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.