Mercedes Model Makeover

You can bet your bottom dollar that while updates to Mercedes-Benz models will be discreet, says BRENT DAVISON after sampling some of the '09 crop, the overall differences will be palpable. Think of it as giving the automotive alphabet soup a stir.

Caught In Spider's Web

ALFA ROMEO SPIDER 2.2 JTS Its styling is stunning, its engine willing and its animal magnetism undeniable but why, asks BRENT DAVISON, does Alfa Romeo's all-new Spider have such a flexible chassis? When it comes to automotive styling no-one is going to give the Italians the flick.

Small Car, Big City

IN OUR big, wide world of automotive horse trading one of the ongoing questions is whether to buy new or second-hand.

One For The Road

Delhi was the setting for an automotive affair to remember for Hamish McDonald.

Please Consider, A New Hero

Brent Davison drives Australia's latest automotive superhero with a company to save, the red-caped and lycra-clad Mitsubishi 380.

Fiat Has A Punt At Relaunching Brand

? It may have escaped your attention but Australian Fiat importer Ateco Automotive has been discussing the rebirth of the brand here for, well, let's just say "a very long time" now.

Get Yourself Some Air

This year's fashion will be to go topless in the automotive sense, that is. Bob Jennings reports on the magnificent seven convertibles that are on their way here.

Ss2200: May The Phwoars Be With You

Honda's backroom boys tinker with Formula One engines by day - and turn out Star Wars fantasies like the Speed Star by night. Peter Lyon reports. A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, an R&D team had a dream: to surge beyond the bounds of current automotive design and devise a vehicle tha

Limited Run For New Olympic Ute

AS THE excitement of the Olympic build-up continues, Holden has launched a number of special edition models, the latest being a value-packed ute with a performance flavour suited to the world's most prestigious sporting event. Holden is, of course, the official automotive partner for the Sydney

Motor Industry Retailers Feel The Brakes Are Coming On

Business operators in the Victorian retail automotive industry are gloomy about the economic outlook for the next year, according to a new survey. With the election of a new State Government in September, expectations have declined for the performance of the Victorian economy in general, and the

Stylish Beast

WHEN Mercedes-Benz builds a car, the automotive world sits up and takes notice. The reason is simple: for decades products from the German car maker have been industry benchmarks. That might not quite be the case now, of course, because rivals BMW and Lexus (and to a lesser degree Jaguar) have e

Perry Out In Force

BROADMEADOW trainer Paul Perry has a strong hand in the eight-event card at his home track this afternoon. Perry has six runners at the meeting and the majority have strong claims. The best looks to be King Artaius in the Nelson Bay Radiator and Automotive Services/Granny Mays Garden City Plat

Austrim Gets Stronger

The ever-acquisitive Mr Alan Jackson has added another unit to his stable of automotive-related businesses at Austrim with the purchase of Air Radiators. Austrim's recently acquired National Consolidated division has acquired all issued shares in Air Radiators for $7.3 million. The move furth

For Excitement, Hillman Was Unstoppable

OUR Engineering Hall of Folly continues to grow as response readers dig deep and just keep on giving. Have you ever owned a car that was so fiendishly put together it refused to be worked on? Do crazy examples of automotive design remain to haunt you? If so, we want to hear about them and, judging b

Big Bentley Packs A Performance Punch

Rolls-Royces and their Bentley cousins may no longer be the undisputed champions of the automotive world but, writes FREDDIE CHEAH , there's still something awe-inspiring about the way they do the things they do. ROLLS-ROYCE. The name alone brings up the image of excellence, an image of the best.

A Chance To Learn Skills

FOR YOUNG people without specific skills who are finding it increasingly difficult to get a job, automotive traineeships offer valuable training and experience. These packages of industry-specific entry level vocational training generally lasts 12 months. They should not be confused with apprent

New Gun In War On Smog

SOME of the developments in the battle to reduce the motor vehicle's effects on the environment are driving us into the realm of science fiction. As reported in the US publication Automotive Cooling Journal (June, 1995), it is even possible that radiator repair businesses will soon be making a m

Robbed Of The Targa By A Stone

CRUEL luck robbed Neal Bates and Coral Taylor of victory in the third annual Targa Tasmania which ended after 2,000 km of unpredictability last Sunday. A stone from a slower car zinged through the radiator of the Bates/Taylor Toyota Celica GT-Four just three special stages from the finish

The Traineeship Alternative

THE automotive industry is a major employer of young people, many of whom begin their careers as apprentices. Less well known is an alternative to apprenticeships that still enables 15-to 19-year-olds to enter the automotive industry and receive the high-quality training that will prepare

(futuris China Move)

Futuris China move The manufacturing conglomerate Futuris Corporation announced yesterday that its wholly owned subsidiary, Air International Pty Ltd, had entered a deal to establish a automotive heating and air-conditioning manufacturing joint venture in China. The joint venture with China's Radia