Porsche in demand

In 1993, Porsche sold 13 cars in New Zealand. Sales averaged about 35 a year over the next three years until 1997, when the arrival of the Boxster boosted figures to 60 units. Last year Porsche sold 112 cars - 40 Boxsters and 72 variants of the 911. This year it's looking at about 200 sales - 66 911s, 44 Boxsters and 90 off-road Cayennes. Porsche thought that the Cayenne, which goes on sale here in June, would appeal mostly to buyers who had owned a Porsche sports car and knew all about the German marque. But, as Porsche chairman Dr Wendeling Wiedeking said yesterday, many of the Cayennes sold in America were going to first-time Porsche owners. Wiedeking breezed through Auckland on his way back to Germany, where his company has filed suit against Germany's main stock exchange. Porsche is seeking to be admitted to the exchange's upper tier without having to issue quarterly earnings reports.

All that jazz

Jaguar New Zealand has teamed with some of the world's top jazz musicians to present the Jaguar International Jazz Series 2003, the first of what will be an annual event. Acclaimed jazz artists such as vocalist Brenda Boykin, electric and acoustic bass player Tom Warrington, guitarist Larry Koonse, drummer Joe La Barbera, trombonist John Fedchock and tenor saxophonist Jeff Rupert will tour the country next month and share the stage with the New Zealand Allstar Big Band.

Be prepared

British car company Vauxhall is putting an "accident support handbook" in the glovebox of every car it sells. The book explains the do's and don'ts in an accident and presents a three-stage plan to get drivers involved back on the road as quickly as possible. It contains emergency phone numbers, Vauxhall's roadside assistance scheme and accident forms to complete.

Thieves pick Camry

The cars that thieves in America target most are two of the country's bestsellers, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The Camry was the most-stolen car for the sixth year in a row, according to Chicago-based CCC Information Services, an insurance industry tracker of trends in theft and vehicle damage. The 1989 model topped the list. In second and third places were the 1991 Camry and the 1990 Camry. The 1994 Honda Accord and the 2000 Honda Civic rounded out the top five. The 1994 Chevrolet C1500 4x2 pick-up was the most-stolen vehicle from an American carmaker at No 6 on the list.

Clark remembered

Last Monday, April 7, was the 35th anniversary of the death of champion Formula One driver Jim Clark. The Scotsman died in 1969 during a Formula Two race in Hockenheim, Germany, when his car left the track and hit a tree. Clark was widely regarded as the most naturally gifted Formula One racer of all time. He won two world championships, in 1963 and in 1965. New Zealander Chris Amon, then with Ferrari, said of Clark's death: "If it could happen to him, what chance did the rest of us have? I think we all felt that. It seemed like we'd lost our leader."

Dangerous dozers

Research in Britain suggests that as many as 10 per cent of road casualties and 20 per cent of motorway accidents are caused by drivers who fall asleep at the wheel. The poll, carried out by the independent RAC Foundation, backs similar government research which found that few drivers were aware of the dangers of driving while tired. More than 60 per cent of drivers questioned admitted to having driven while sleepy and 8 per cent said that they had briefly nodded off. Thirty per cent also said that they felt more stressed, angry and more likely to confront other drivers when they were tired. The British Government has indicated that it intends to introduce more rest areas along motorways and main roads.

We are the world

* Britain's Retail Motor Industry Federation is searching for the country's first number plate. A1, registered in London in 1903 to a Napier car owned by Earl Russell, has had a variety of owners over the years but has slipped from view. A1 is valued at £500,000 ($1.43 million).