Hidden treasure under the house?
A TV programme on car-industry collectibles in Britain has everyone searching under the house for hidden treasure. In demand are 1930s motorsport items such as programmes, signatures, photos, clothing, scrapbooks and so on. Post-World War II items like Aston Martin brochures are hot items, so
are limited edition motorsport prints. Pre-1970 model toys are fetching serious money, too. A 1929 Rolls-Royce owner's handbook sold for $1100; a 1958 British racing driver's club dinner menu, signed by Mike Hawthorn and Lotus founder Colin Chapman, fetched $3000; and a 1949/50 Austin Pathfinder pedal car went for $7750.
Latest BMW 3-series on its way to NZ
The new BMW 3-Series convertible is expected to arrive in 2007 with a folding three-piece roof, similar to that used on the Renault Megane and others. The first pre-production models, known in-house as the E93, are being built now. German company Edscha will supply the roof. The 3-Series will be unveiled at the Paris motor show in September next year.
Carmakers in stoush over Audi's 4WD name
Nissan and Audi have called in the lawyers in the United States over Audi's use of the name Q7 for its new luxury four-wheel-drive. Nissan says it is too similar to its QX Maxima sedan. Audi may instead call the vehicle Pikes Peak in the US, the name the German carmaker used when the Q7 was a concept.
Greg Clarke off to Porsche
Greg Clarke was pretty much always on hand when BMW presented a new vehicle for motoring writers at its Mt Wellington headquarters. He'd make simple sense of the more complex technical stuff in his role as service and training manager. But he got caught in a recent redundancy bind at BMW and moved on - to Porsche, as its sales and marketing manager. He starts next week.
We are the world
Carmaker Volvo is in trouble with the Swedish Government for allegedly refusing to hire a woman because "she was too short to work in a factory". It comes under the category of "indirect gender discrimination", says Britain's Autocar magazine. And in Hungary, a mayor is in strife for saying female workers should not wear revealing skirts to work unless they have "completely perfect legs", nor crop-tops unless they have "well-trained bellies".
