Cut-up in the carport

A keen Auckland cyclist loaded two $12,000 racing bikes on to the custom-made roof-rack of his near-new Subaru WRX and headed down country to a road race. He must have had a strenuous weekend because he forgot about the bikes being on the top of the car when he arrived home and drove into his carport. Yep, the bikes are history. The roof-rack and the roof and windscreen pillars of the WRX aren't that healthy either.

Patient recovers

For six years in the 1990s, BMW spent bucket-loads of money propping up its subsidiary Rover, the ailing carmaker wags called "the English patient". Then it sold Rover and Land-Rover and said it would go back to building classy cars. It must be doing a good job because worldwide sales to the end of October were up nearly 10 per cent over the same period last year. BMW aims to sell 900,000 cars this year. That includes the 10,431 Minis sold in Europe and Britain since July.

Dream come true

Lisa Franklin, the PR officer for Ford New Zealand, is off to Britain to look after publicity for the Ford World Rally Team. Ms Franklin will be based at the team's headquarters in Cumbria and will rub shoulders with the top international rally pairings Colin McRae and Nicky Grist and Carlos Sainz and Luis Moya. "I have worked closely with the team over the past four years during the Rally of New Zealand, and to be given the chance to work year-round on the world rally circuit is like a dream come true," Ms Franklin said.

Extended offer

An advertisement for the four-wheel-drive Renault Scenic in the Weekend Herald said the offer "expires Nov 31 2001." What was that old school rhyme about "30 days has September, April, June and November?"

Boom time in Russia

The Russian market for foreign cars is booming. European, American and Japanese carmakers expect to sell twice as many cars in Russia this year as last. The annual motor show in St Petersburg was notable for its lineup of vehicles new to the Russian market. Among them the BMW 735i, which attracted the most attention from visitors, and the new Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Polo, Opel Frontera and all-wheel-drive Volvo S60. Toyota announced projected sales of 7000 vehicles in Russia for 2002, up from the 4000 likely to be sold this year. BMW expects sales of about 4000 vehicles next year, against about 2700 sales this year. Volvo has sold 2000 cars in Russia so far this year.

Daewoo accolade

The Daewoo Matiz has won Japan's 2001 Good Design Award, presented by Japan's industrial design association. The award boasts a 40-year history and allows Daewoo to use the prestigious "G-mark" standard for its cars. The mini-hatchback Matiz sells in New Zealand for $14,995.

Triple whammy

Each year the Hess toy truck company in the United States has a Christmas special, traditionally painted in the green and white colours of parent company Hess Gasoline. Last year it was a fire engine, with all the bells and whistles. This year it is a triple whammy - a twin-blade helicopter, four-wheel-drive cruiser and motorcycle. The toys go on sale in the US on Friday. Check the website Hess Toy Truck

Pick-ups on the rise

The all-American pick-up truck continues to dominate vehicle sales in the US. Ford's F-series was the biggest-selling passenger vehicle in October, with 150,000 more sales than its nearest competitor the Chevrolet Silverado. Honda's Accord was third.

We are the world

* Street crime and car-jackings in Brazil's Sao Paulo have become so commonplace that the wealthy are queuing to have Kevlar linings and bulletproof glass installed in their cars. Armourers charge up to $100,000 to "shoot-proof" each vehicle.