The good oil: Using Aussie names

Saab was the first to use a household Australian name to promote its brand when it hired actress Sigrid Thornton. Saab called her an ambassador. Now Lexus has taken the spruiker role a step further by hiring the Wallabies rugby team. The deal means Lexus will supply the players and Australian Rugby Union officials with vehicles. In return some of the players will become Lexus ambassadors, fronting corporate events and other promotional activities.

Ford in recall

Ford Australia has issued a safety recall on almost 5000 sets of Ford Territory floor mats sold over the past year after reports that the driver's mat could bunch up in front of the pedals, potentially preventing the accelerator pedal from returning to idle. Unlike Toyota's floor-mat problems that forced the recall of 3.8 million cars in the United States last year, the Ford Genuine carpet mats are not becoming unhooked from their fastenings, but prone to folding or bunching. Two customers have reported problems with the mats, resulting in a low-speed crash in one of the vehicles after the driver apparently bailed out when she could not fully brake the car.

Rover goes rear-wheel drive

Land Rover will release its first rear-wheel-drive model in 2011 when the Range Rover LRX concept enters production. The new model will go on sale first as a four-wheel drive before the cheaper rear-drive version appears. Land Rover is offering the rear-drive alternative because it "cannot ignore the growth of the two-wheel-drive SUV segment", a statement from the company said."Range Rover Compact" is one of five nameplates under consideration.

VW acquisition

Volkswagen is expected to buy a controlling stake in Italy's largest design and engineering firm, Italdesign Giugiaro. Italdesign, co-founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1968, has 975 employees and 800 computer aided design workstations. The move is part of VW's plan to be the world's largest carmaker by 2018 with sales of 10 million vehicles a year. The VW group plans to add 60 models, including upgrades.

Toyota woes started in 2003

Toyota President Akio Toyoda traces recent quality woes to 2003, when the company began an unbridled global expansion. He says winning over new customers in the wake of the crisis will be a challenge.The grandson of the company's founder says that core models like the Camry sedan are feeling increased pressure from Ford, GM and Hyundai, which now rival his company in performance and flair.

We are the world

* Carly Houston, 29, was arrested in Naperville, Illinois after a rowdy early-morning dispute with a taxi driver. She used the one phone call allowed by law to instead call 911 and report that she was "trapped inside a detention facility".

* Albert Bailey, 27, and a 16-year-old friend were charged with attempted bank robbery after they called a People's United Bank in Fairfield, Connecticut and demanded that bank staff leave the money outside for them to pick up at a prearranged time. When they came to collect the money, police were waiting for them in the parking lot.